Got this from zestyping.

1. Think of a word you would use to describe me.
2. Go to Google Image Search and search for that word.
3. Select the picture you see as most fitting, and post it as a reply to this entry.
4. Post this in your journal if it pleases you.

Living not far from the lab, it takes me just a few minutes to get to work. This morning, I was heading in with one of the windows down and the air conditioning running. Though this in itself is not unusual, the dust and particulates that launched themselves through the a/c vents were. It took me a bewildered moment of wondering if my car would suddenly be exploding now, and I shut off the a/c to make it stop blowing crap in my face. I looked around to find the source of this disturbance and ended up blaming a guy holding a leaf blower on the side of the road.

It wasn't until I was leaving the lab and decided to put a little extra air in a low left tire, that I opened my trunk to find the *real* source of the gunk. My fire extinguisher went off all by itself, covering the entire contents of the trunk in dusty residue. Naturally, much of that went right up my nose when I opened the trunk, and I spent a minute or so coughing up a lung. Shortly thereafter, I sent a silent apology to the maligned gardener.

Note to self: when carrying an extinguisher in the trunk, make sure the pin is a little more secure.

"After launching two wars, President Bush (news - web sites) said on Tuesday he wanted to be a "peace president" and took swipes at his Democratic rivals for being lawyers and weak on defense." (full Yahoo story)

Am I the only one seriously irked by this bald-faced bullshit?

... but not tonight.

I'd fully intended to make some notes, since I'm so bloody far behind in my general chronicling efforts, but it just didn't work out that way. I'm leaving town tomorrow for a few days, and I fully expect this to be a partially unpleasant trip.

What? You think maybe I need a new job?

Stupid stresses.

to cecimoi and all the other party goers

Date:	2004-03-28 01:51
Subject:	A Bit of the Perfectly Mundane, Plus a Bonus Cat Fight.
Security:	Public
Mood:	dorky

Today was a pretty good day, despite not being able to sleep in much. There is something inherently wrong about waking up at 8:30 on a Saturday morning.

I cleaned half my room, started a bunch of laundry, ran errands (including the bank and food), went out to dinner with the Odd one and his mom, grandpa, and friend, and played a good chunk of Diablo. Collected my first Arizona parking ticket during dinner, but that didn't spoil the Kilt Lifters, goat cheese pizza or Coldstone Creamery goodness, prolly because I didn't find out until I'd had a chance to walk it off. A full day off, except for a little email checking and one conversation, but that hardly counts.

A few moments ago, an extremely loud cat fight started in the living room. Some grey came into the house and challenged Finn to a duel. I ran out and clapped loudly, and that cat ran right out the door. It shouldn't have been in here in the first place! Poor Finn was pinned to the tile, and seems to have a bit of a limp now, but he won't let me check. I've given him a treat, and when the adrenaline wears off, I'll check him more closely for wounds. Near as I can tell, there is no blood, but he's getting a little old for mistreatment. I really want to be able to allow him the freedom to come and go as he pleases, but this is the second fight that I've interrupted. One was a coincidence, and two is downright too many.

Going to bed now with a vanilla diet coke and book with a warm and friendly "Don't Panic" on the cover. Tomorrow, it's back to the grindstone with my nose, but I fully intend to work on my gaming chops a little more now that I have another act to anticipate.

Thank you, that is all. Move along. Move along.

Date:	2004-03-11 00:43
Subject:	Bad Legislation, No Donut
Security:	Public
Mood:	annoyed

For those of you following cryonics, you're surely already aware of the legislation being proposed to regulate cryonics in Arizona. This bill started out as an attempted ambush for cryonicists in that state, but was sufficiently public that Alcor found out about it.

Until today, it looked like things were going pretty well, negotiations were on-going, and accord growing. But Representative Bob Stump decided to plow ahead with the process, without waiting for the stakeholders to finish sorting out their differences, and now the game has changed from "let's see how we can make this work" to "how do we kill this thing".

Alcor has decided to ask all its members and supporters to email the Arizona's House of Representatives. See their legislative alert for how you can help. I'd like to second (or third or fourth) their call for assistance and ask anyone who cares about good legislation versus bad to read about this situation and send a letter.

It looks like tomorrow's vote is rather like a show of hands, whereby Stump and the rest of the House can establish whether there really is popular support for the legislation, leading up to a formal vote next week. This is the stage of government where one man really can have a say in how things go, and I urge you to join in raising a din against this unwanted, unnecessary, and ill-considered bill.

Thank you.

Date:	2004-03-03 01:45
Subject:	If it weren't for laundry, I'd be sleeping right now.
Security:	Public
Mood:	sleepy

It's true, last week was brutal, but this week isn't shaping up any better. The legislative hearing went well, due entirely to a last minute compromise. It was nice to walk in knowing we had the votes we needed to get the job done; but that was not to be. Still, the testimonies went well, even though they ran out of time before I was able to give mine. You know full well it would have been the icing on the cake, and no one really likes all that sweet stuff.

I've been fairly manic of late, a response to the high stress at work and the few hours of rest I get each day. I'm finding myself increasingly impatient with stupidity or sloth, not only in myself, but with those around me. With luck and more hard mental work, I should be able to get a handle on this some day.

I keep meaning to write the family, one of those silly, long letters that updates them on all the crazy stuff I'm doing. While I'd love to bore them senseless with tales of law and disorder, I haven't had the time.

Multiple writing projects are now in my queue, and I'd really like to take the time to get them done, but there may be a few things interfering... like, you know, actually freezing people. Why can't these people just wait until I have time to pencil them in?

On a slightly entertaining note, I was chastised recently for saying that we freeze people. Freezing is so passe, and also not so much what we do anymore. (Ah, the joys of improved technologies...!) I'm already adjusting my vocabulary to eliminate the word "suspension", replacing it with "cryopreservation". That's a hard one, especially since most people now recognize the term cryonic suspension.

Changing out the "freeze" is troublesome to me on more that one level. I remember the day I edited the traditional phrasing of "fight or flight" to accommodate the (then) new world order. Survival instincts are not just fight or flight, but more completely, fight, freeze or flight. If you don't freeze, those pesky snakes will get you every time! Why has the world forsaken this option? I guess they haven't entirely, since there is this sudden urge to regulate.

For fun, I have a break planned in nine days. I'm flying back to the Bay area for a party weekend. Though I'm not sure everyone else will be in the mood, I plan to take advantage of my enforced holiday. Granted, it's only enforced because I bought my ticket, and I hate waste. I'm also planning to attend the Asilomar Microcomputer Workshop again this year, at the end of April. What a shame, that I have to travel to scenic Monterey, to camp by the beach, sleep in, and sit all day listening to geniuses share their latest technological marvels. It may well be my favorite meeting, since the disappointing demise of the group genius format.

Speaking of the group genius format, I still intend to revive that process when I start holding training classes again. It will work well for smaller groups than it ever did for the 200+ person events, and the documentation challenges shouldn't be a problem. The facility should be renovated by the end of the summer, so I expect to have all the space I need to do it right... now all I need is the time to write the prep docs. Should be great fun, mapping out the logistics and the content. I'd really like to write up the process itself, since that is where my primary fascination lies.

Also of note, I ran around all day with a missing button and no one said a word, and some kid(s) egged my car the other day.

This was fun, thanks fjarlq. I now know I've visited 30 states (60%) and 29 countries (13%).



create your own visited country map
or write about it on the open travel guide




create your own visited states map
or write about it on the open travel guide

Date:	2003-10-19 23:52
Subject:	Long time no read...
Security:	Public
Mood:	awake
Music:	Distant Thunder

Unpacking is going slowly. I've only brought in a few boxes, and fewer still have been fully unpacked. It's hard to organize such a small space, and I'm trying to be selective in choosing which parts of my life to have immediately available and which should/could wait. As this necessitates yet another paring of possessions, I'm once again concerned about clutter. But there is good news on this front, as my space uncluttering book was readily available at the top of a box. I pulled it out and read a few pages.

I'm trying to assimilate these four categories of clutter:

• Things I do not use or love


• Things that are untidy or disorganized

Too many things in too small a space

• Anything unfinished

Before the memory fades into blissful oblivion, I want to detail the final annoyance provided by my landlady. In honor of my impending departure, she decided to place a three-day eviction notice on my door in an attempt to extort an additional $420 in rent. When I declined to pay anything extra, she laid in wait for other opportunities.

My movers arrived, a couple hours after they were scheduled, but were very nice once they arrived. One of them was nice, the other was very, very quiet. He was probably tired, as they'd driven in from Portland to make my pickup. Most of my stuff was actually packed, but I was missing a few lids. They shrink wrapped those boxes and threw them on the truck with the rest. Every time I came downstairs from my frenzied box-toss upstairs, another chunk of stuff had been loaded. Unfortunately, they didn't move quite fast enough. I think they were a bit taken aback by the sheer number of books and the lab equipment I recently acquired for my once and future employer.

The newly-hired gardener is starting to serve as a bit of a manager as my landlady was dealing with health issues. He spotted my intrepid movers and called her right away. She parked out front and watched them load for a while. I called bogo to come over and provide backup. In case she got nasty.

She said nothing to me. But she did waylay one of the movers and start asking questions. They thought she would maybe want to become a client and provided basic information on their company and services. When she started asking questions about me specifically, they shut up and came inside to let me know. A few minutes later, the headquarters rep with whom I'd been making my arrangements called the driver. That woman actually had the nerve to call them up and start attempting to extract information long-distance. I'm not really sure why she wanted this information, but she lied to them about a few things. I know the market is tough right now, but this is crossing several lines!

I don't know what she can do to me. I'm leaving the state, I've paid all my rent, and I'm writing off my deposit. Even though I think the place is pretty clean, except for the ton or two of cat hair. Since she gave me a three day notice to pay more or quit, I quit. This only cut short my tenancy by two days, but those were the days I'm intended to clean the house. The movers didn't leave until 11pm, and I was exhausted a couple hours before that.

This latest attempt at extortion was exceedingly irritating, at least until one of the movers pointed out she was evil. He said, "She's an egoist, evil, and not too nice to look at." Or something like that. I'm inclined to agree. I will have nothing more to do with this woman, if I can help it. She made an already tense move into something exceedingly stressful.

Since then, life has been better.

Friday morning, before the movers arrived, I brought Finn over to bogo's for the weekend, and I had to pour him into his cage for the drive. He cried the entire way, but it wasn't really far. He's spent nearly all the time since hiding under the bed. It's late Sunday evening, and he's only starting to venture forth. I've haven't told him yet about the 12-14 hour drive we have scheduled for Tuesday. I may have to pull out a pair or earplugs or play the stereo really loud. His cries are heartbreaking, and I'm so conditioned to respond.

It'll be better soon. We'll be staying in temporary accommodations with roommate(s) for a while, which I look for a house, and that means one more move ahead. But it's a small one comparatively, and it will be into a house of our own. I'm really looking forward to that.

Last night, I dropped by to see howdy and conty, finally handing them the hoarded baby blanket I made for them. I kept insisting it wasn't done (and it wasn't), but I ran out of time to finish. I'm so very bad at mailing packages, that I decided premature disasturbation was too tiring. The good news was, they seemed to like it, despite its slightly trapezoidal shape and complete lack of fringe. It also needed a bath, as the kitties liked the yarn about as much as I did. Soft, warm, what's not to like? Oh, right. Allergies.

We watched the latest Survivor opener, and they fed me chinese. Contemplectable started having the hiccups, and conty let me feel. That made me giggle like a girl. I've been watching a lot of Angel with bogo, managing to rest up and recuperate some before I start the next stage of my unexpected adventures.

Date:	2003-09-06 18:00
Subject:	A Future Plan
Security:	Public
Mood:	devious

My just-before-bed book just became Callahan's Key, and once again, I find myself wishing to contact Spider Robinson.

Robinson wrote a book that I read as an early teen, a book with a plot that haunted me for years, despite the title and author agents having long since faded. When I first read Mindkiller, I found it disturbing. The characters, setting, and story itself were all intruiging, with implications and developments I found myself wanting to fight. I'm reluctant to say much about it, because I'd hate to spoil it for anyone. Haven't read the book but a couple times in the twenty or so years since I nosed the first pages aside. Now that it's come up again, I'll have to track down my copy (easy since I'm currently boxing up books) and give it another read.

It was bogo who introduced me to Spider Robinson's comedic series. I've loved those Callahan books ever since. Not only are the stories wild and entertaining, but he has the Heinleinian touch for presenting a comprehensive, consistent world view. Granted, one of the reasons I'm so entertained by these books is because the ideology agrees so well with my own. Can't help that, don't want to....

In this current and virgin work, Robinson has evolved one of his characters into a modern day hunter, with the prey being DNA. The trophies in his personal quest are samples from prominent authors. I applaud this quest, and it's one of my pet potential future projects. Oddly enough, I'm about to again be in a position to store DNA samples; and I'm wondering if Spider asked, (see how we're already on a first name basis...) would it be more likely that DNA will be preserved? I'm thinking, yes.

I know from my work at [that nano org], I need an outlet for dream in my work. If I don't have that, I get bored and start faltering in my effort. It was Chris Peterson who got me speculating about this fixation being a form of altruism, and after much deliberation, I decided it was merely selfish. I can actually see a better world that I want to continue to live in, and I'm determined to help bring that world into being. Selfish, selfish, selfish. But if this particular bout of selfishes manages to preserve the DNA of multiple beloved individuals, I'm so going to exploit that!

For years, I've felt that imaginitive part of myself dying, finding relief only at rare gatherings and infrequent parties. Since I started reading seriously again, and since I took this job, I'm feeling somewhat invigorated. This invigoration is tempered with fear and doubt, mostly because I know what I'm getting into; but I welcome those demons. Calling them by name often gives me the means to shoot them down.

I'm feeling rather optimistic,looking to do good work and forge new relationships. It is time. I'm hoping now only that I have a strong soul. I'm going to need it.

Reading Thomas Paine's Common Sense during my lunch half-hour lately. Sitting at a wooden desk, writing with a quill, pondering a revolution now hundreds of years past, he declared, "These are the times that try men's souls." War was brewing over the freedom to live un-oppressed, taxation was an issue in a land where acres could be had for silver pennies. But his troubles then have strong parallels to our troubles now.

Much of the manuscript highlights Paine's belief in God and a man's responsibility to live up to Christian values, and I find my eyes occasionally glaze over as my tolerance for duration in this message dwindles. Many spellings were slightly different, like connexion. After the introduction of each new configuration of letters, adjusting to the words was fairly easy, yet each encounter left with with a sense of the age of the text. The birth of our nation only feels so long ago, mostly because I wasn't around to witness it. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness were the ideals of the day, and those freedoms had to be earned. War came and went, leaving the colonies with a rare opportunity to cast down one system of government and try to build anew. Paine wrote, "Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness."^p.24 This was a neat turn of phrase that is sticking with me, a seemingly beautiful summation that begs many questions.

One of the things I most dislike about our current regime is how eagerly some politicians are threatening other countries. Some of those countries are dangerous, as their beliefs require stomping out the wicked; and the wicked are currently us. Though he was referring to British rule and the number of enemies that automatically bestowed upon the colonies by association, my heart twinged when Paine asked, "[Can you] hereafter love, honor, and faithfully serve the power that hath carried fire and sword to your land?" The truth is, I cannot.

It is a true shame that there are no new frontiers currently open to colonization, where a determined group of people can set aside a damaged governance and start anew. While I'm hopeful for efforts like the Free State Project, and will probably participate when it becomes a reality, I'm still curious about what will replace the current convolutions in law. Will it be possible to whittle the massive legal system to a bare minimum, to gain representation by people of honor, people I trust? I have my doubts.

I'm sure some of my doubts are self-inflicted. Dammit, I want a new frontier! And though a new frontier may be carved from Mars or from a chunk of Montana, there are few challenges so grand as ensuring survival, preserving independence, and choosing happiness. Installing a new, less intrusive, less target-provoking government would be lovely, especially if that government focused on the true costs of its activities and not just the self-serving ones. But even if that could be done to my satisfaction tomorrow, I'll still need to remember one other point Paine made, "Virtue is not hereditary, neither is it perpetual."^p.65

This is the point where Professor Moody stands and shouts, "Constant vigilance!"

Date:	2003-08-18 00:59
Subject:	Quick Post
Security:	Public
Mood:	pensive

A lovely weekend, when pcitizen decided to come stay for the duration. Went to the market for veggies, fruits, flowers, and friends; watched a movie with bogo; played poker with most of the gang; and dealt with some business, even clearing my inbox down to a mere dozen messages.

I stressed some and rested some, and really need to rest a little more. I'm going to read some before bed.

I can feel a storm coming, and it's making my hair stand on end.

Date:	2003-08-14 02:00
Subject:	Mars is Bright
Security:	Public
Mood:	tired
Music:	Mediterranean

Okay, so it's largely a Harry Potter reference, indicating my reliance on things I'd feed my nephews, but Mars is bright lately. I've been tracking its progress across the sky, and no matter where it hangs, Mars can be seen even with my aided and still inadequate vision.

Once again, I'm up way too late.

Also, this propagation of the pronunciation of Caribbean has me distressed. Turns out, I say it wrong. I can't even think it right.

Back from visiting with an uncle. Really want to write an accurate description of the trip, but already I'm filtering details, struggling with the question of whether it's really worth it to try and diffuse all the anger.

I have a very small family: two brothers, a pair of nephews, two aunts, three uncles, one first cousin, and two grandfathers. That's pretty much it. A feud has existed from the time my parents married, and cost my brothers and me half our family. Further exacerbated by my parent's subsequent divorce and mom taking us overseas, reunions were rare and often uncomfortable.

At Dad's funeral, I counted up the relatives I had, and decided I was sick and tired of this silly bickering. When one of my uncles said, "It was nice meeting you," I tried to think back to when we'd last met, and my guess was 1976. Whenever it was, it was too damn long ago! We've stayed in contact since meeting again -- mostly when I call him -- and had some great conversations. But precious conversations alone do not a family make. For nearly forty years, these relatives have held strong to grudges. There are whole beloved individuals I must remember to not mention, and I hate creating selective agents like that.

So why am I doing all this? I'm not really sure, and it's proving quite the challenge. The idealist in me shouts, "C'mon, we can all be friends!" knowing That to be ludicrous, since there has been slander to spare as more time passes. I want to know my family, hear their stories, understand their struggles and just be part of their lives. But it hurts lately, and I'm developing some serious abandonment issues.

Maybe it was too much a visit, too soon, this plan to spend a few days with my uncle. Maybe my family is unsocialized. Maybe I'm freakishly sensitive or overly selfish, but it bothered me that my uncle left me to find and make camp alone in the dark. I'd arrived as darkness fell, and I didn't know the area at all. I was hoping he would help me with the poles on my tent; all he had to do was brace a crossing point with two fingers and a thumb. It's my own fault the tent is too big for one person, but it's the smallest tent I got. The man had a broken wrist for goodness sake, how could I begrudge him sleep? He'd driven across the country for these cavers and was not about to let a little thing like a broken wrist interfere with a streak of 47 annual conferences attended.

Pain I can understand; and I took his departure at face value, but maybe he was just taken aback. I'd looked right past my uncle one before even recognizing the family resemblance. He reminded me most of grandpa, but also dad. That introduces an annoying expectation that he's going to be like me. He is and he isn't, much that I've discovered yet.

I did a fair amount of observing and absorbing and very little talking over the few days. The heat was stunning, contributing to an oddly detached experience. Everybody knew my uncle, and quite a few people knew to expect me, so that helped on occasion when I was a bit lost. It also took me aback when someone called me "Jonsey's other half". I think I was the first family these folks had met in my uncle's 50 years of community participation. That made me sad. I liked many of the people I met.

My photo-impulse was dampened. I did get one good shot of my uncle and actively drooled over his Nikon D100. The shutter action is amazing, and I know I'm on the right track with wanting that camera.

I'm restless, and probably about to take a new old job. It's hard to worry about this kind of thing when so many changes are afoot. I'm sure I'll keep in contact with relatives, but I'm going to get real busy real soon. I know I'm just throwing this in at the end, but I didn't want to delay my delayed post any longer with developing distractions. I'll post more on that in a couple days, since I know some of you will really want to know.

Date:	2003-08-12 01:16
Subject:	How I want to believe in the Runes...
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

Past Wunjo - Joy, happiness, love, fulfillment in career and home life, the icing on the cake.

Present Daeg - Increase and expansion, prosperity, growth, major turning points in life, turning in new directions.

Future Eihwaz - Banishing magick, removal of obstacles and delays, invoking foresight, clearing up hidden issues and situations.

Cast the runes here:
Rune Caster

originally from kmo

Last Thursday, I got a call from the Glam inviting me to go sailing with folks from last year's fourth of July weekend. Since they were really nice people, put on a huge spread for the starving sailors, and oh, yes, had a boat, I said yes. I was a little hesitant, because I haven't been in the best mood of late; but there are few things that cheer me more than sailing. Now that it's all over, I'm very glad I went.

We headed to the marina yesterday afternoon, and a few mechanical difficulties slowed our departure. The loose exhaust wire and a damaged throttle both were quickly repaired by Captain Handyman, and we set sail shortly before sunset. Wind was brisk and waves were several feet high in places, and we were wise to leave dock with reefed sails. In very short order, we were kicked back sipping wine, tasting five flavors of cheese with yummy crackers, and making each other laugh with silly tales and song. Our Sail Mistress had recently seen Pirates of the Caribbean, and we all found her happy jig and vigorous swigs from the bottle to be a class act. Wish I'd captured some of that on tape, but at least I can be sure the memory will be readily available for replay for some time to come.

I'm not entirely sure where the whole evening went, and it was well past one where I gave off lying on deck watching the stars (I did get one star upon which to wish out of that.) and climbed into the belly of the beast to sleep. While the resident rocket scientist failed to get much rest, I slept like a log. Gentle rocking lulled me to sleep, and I awoke nearly refreshed.

When I started moving about in my berth, a cup of coffee appeared on my ice chest/night stand. That's when I knew I'd died and was dreaming in my dewar. It's been a long time since I was delivered coffee in bed, and it's something I particularly miss. As I sipped it and slowly joined the land of the living (if you can use that phrase at sea), I became aware of the sounds of breakfast being prepared. After the round of coffee and tea, we enjoyed eggs scrambled with spices and mushroom, tiny fried potatoes, and crispy bacon. I contributed dessert, consisting of white peaches and unfortunately under-ripe plums. There were also mimosas for our sipping pleasure, saving us all from scurvy. Our leisurely repast was easily tucked away, the cabin cleared, and we soon set sail once more.

The sun was out, the wind was strong and the waves under-developed; and we weren't the only ones taking advantage of the conditions. More crowded than I've ever seen it, the Bay was full of boats large and small. We saw gaff-riggers (my personal favorite), an old-style ship with square sails, and mylar galore. Six America's Cup contenders were racing as we passed the western tip of Angel Island. Everyone seemed serious that one yacht belonged to Larry Ellison, and when I saw the lovely vessel bearing an Oracle logo, I was inclined to believe it. (I would have expected him to buy a prettier boat, but that yacht was white and boxy.) Those boats are fast, and we had to maneuver quickly at one point to avoid interfering with the race.

Since we weren't overly pressed for time, we tacked toward the Golden Gate Bridge. Unlike our initial sunny location, the bridge was cloaked in fog. As we closed the distance, it got colder, windier, and lonelier. Foghorns helped set the mood, as they called to each other from behind a grey veil. I may have taken some dramatic photos as we cut our wake underneath the bridge. I'll find out when the Glam offloads her camera. Sure am glad she had that, because I hate a trip without a camera. I don't think I snatched it from her hand when she brought it out, but I casually failed to return it once I had it in mine death grip. The glad part is not just that I took pictures, but that I also failed to drop the device in the water. The image display was washed out, so I was never able to verify that I got the shot I wanted, which will make the actual outcome something of a surprise when I get them. I'll post a sampler soon.

We turned around some short time after passing under the bridge, as there was a doggie needing food. Sailing closer to San Francisco was fun, and we happened across another race, smaller in ship size but larger in volume of entrants. I stared at them greedily. I loved racing, spinnakers flying; hanging off the side of the boat; sometimes standing on it, hanging from the trapeze; fighting the wind and the other boats and those pesky humans! Ah, I still remember, and it was more than half my lifetime ago.

To get a good sail, you need the weather. We had it this weekend. Our Captain had a deft hand on the tiller, and even in the choppy seas, we rarely heeled at extreme angles. I spent almost no time below when we were under sail, and almost every moment I wasn't pressing an eye to the camera was spent embracing the wind.

Already a full trip, there was actually more. I haven't even mentioned seals, amazing kites flying in Berkeley, entertaining radio chatter, or the complete lack of scrabble action. My nose is wind-burned, my knees deeply bruised, my hair is amazingly tangled, I'm certain to be sore, and extremely hard-pressed to be displeased with any second of it. I still feel the sea when I close my eyes.

Tonight I sleep.

Date:	2003-07-23 22:05
Subject:	Tonight was fun.
Security:	Public
Mood:	amused

After many hours of clearing email, I went back to work. While this may sound strange, the real reason was the music. It's the Summer of music again, and tonight was the only jazz band on the entire docket. I had to go. It was mostly traditional jazz, but I bopped my head nonetheless. Damn you, you people who taught me to appreciate jazz and all its variations!

Two and a half free glasses of wine loosened my tongue and my neck, and I spent most of my time with Clem. He had a vacant seat, and I was happy to occupy it. He didn't mind my spastic attempts to keep pace with the tunes, and he entertained me with his stories of Greece. I stayed until the end, until my current boss informed us that we'd either be thrown out or have to be carted in with the extra tables. I left.

This was a nice distraction from my current affairs and the book I've been reading, which is largely about the atrocities that occur in war and how we might reclaim humanity.

Before heading out, I dealt with a couple hundred emails and applied for another couple jobs. The whole job front has been exceedingly depressing, since I'm either over or under qualified for the ones of interest. I need to start contacting people I know, so that my resume will be discounted. All I want is work at this point, but it fails to materialize.

To return to my time of distraction, it was fun to watch the people. Mostly, it was only the children dancing and one drunk woman with a man who looked pleased to g'some. What is it about kids, young enough that they have not learned defences? Kids can enjoy any situation, and one child was offering his candy to strangers. He was so sweet, but his dad was clearly concerned that people would be offended or cause his kid harm... such is the sad world we live in, and it is entirely our fault.

I may be a little besoffen, so pardon me. I'll try to make sense of this tomorrow.

Date:	2003-07-20 19:37
Subject:	Productive Value Added
Security:	Public
Mood:	cynical

Today I had a deadline. IAC people are coming to stay with me a night early and in the volume (+3) I expected, but Reg won't be with them. Instead, a young guy I scarcely know will be taking her place. In honor of this deadline, I cleaned.

I wasn't too happy when told they'd be arriving a night early. My whole plan of attack was ruined. Still, armed with a new, bold plan acquired yesterday (when the news came), I managed to accomplish the following in the past two days:

boxed up old videos; threw away a full garbage bag of paper from the office; changed the photos in three frames; emptied the ledge of debris on the coffee table shelf; consolidated remotes; ground extra coffee; shopped for healthy treats, finding blueberries, white peaches, fresh spinach, onions, green peppers, market-fresh eggs, apple juice and wine; washed dishes in dishwasher and hand-washed the remainder; put those bad boys away; cleared all the mouldy, fuzzy, smelly, or otherwise undelectable items from the refrigerator; vacuumed the downstairs and the bottom half of the stairs; laid out clean towels; scrubbed the baths; organized, emptied, and dusted my desk; shook the crumbs from my keyboard; knit 32 rows; watched two episodes of Stargate; listened to Jean Luc Ponty, Al DiMeola, and the Chess soundtrack; made ice tea, this time combining Bengal Spice and Orange; and more not currently coming to mind.

The downstairs is ready for visitors, as are the parts of the upstairs they will see.

I have these things left to do:

Take the litter box outside; clean off the dust mop; catch the flies that came in when the balcony door was open; shop for protein; laundry; clothes toss; boxing books and bookshelf disassembly; take that piece of crap bookshelf out to the dumpster; and all the little stuff that will come to me as I'm scanning the grounds.

Then I rest, if not sooner. It has been a productive couple of days as far as cleaning the house. I hope it was worth it. I blew off what was promising to be a fabulous weekend party (Sorry, huns....) to deal with the organization and cleansing my house needed to be ready for company. I'm not too happy about it. I'm not in the mood to have people invading my space, but I'm sure I'll feel better once people actually start to arrive. I've gotten a lot done, and I'm less embarrassed than usual about showing people my meagre dwelling. I'm very happy with the amount of organizing that was accomplished. Guess I just had a lot of projects on the brink of completion.

They could be here any minute. I'd better proceed, after I pour myself a glass of wine.