It's probably just the light, or the mirror I'm using, but I swear that the hair on my head, right square in front above my forehead is starting to thin out. I keep thinking that I can see more and more of the skin on my head through my hair, and am fearful that I am beginning to experience hair loss. That's not cool. But I have a theory on this. Laura really wants our kid to have good hair, and she thinks that mine is "good" because it's wavy and thick. So my theroy is that Laura got her wish, and that my hair is starting to dissapear so that our kid can have it.
Does that make any sense at all?
What if I am starting to loose hair? And what if I loose it in some strange, continent shaped pattern right in front for the whole world to see? At least I'm tall, or taller than most people, so that it won't be obvious that I'm having this problem. How would I cut my hair? Would I go the Matt Lauer route and cut it to some strange, short length that my TV viewing fans don't like? Humm...no TV fans, so that's not a problem. Maybe I could Bic it? No, I have this strange, certain feeling that my skull is not a pretty one, definately not Picard like at all, and not deserving of exposure to the world. Maybe I'll have to start wearing a Fidora, or a Beenie.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
rocks in the back yard
Today's topic is yard preparation, specifically my back yard and how I get it ready for lawn, some tress, and maybe a small deck. The deck is a wish list item, and will more or less be temporary until we can afford to install the "real" back yard hardscape (a patio), but the trees and parts of the lawn are for keeps, and we want to get them in soon so that the clay doesn't turn into quicksand when the winter rains come along.
I have access to a rototiller, and I know where I can rent a trencher to install the irrigation, but I'm having problems finding the best way to remove all the small, annoying rocks that are scattered over the yard surface. I bought a rake and tried it out on a small part of the side yard. Of course it works, but it takes a lot of work, and I'd like to be able to do the whole yard and get it done in a reasonable amount of time.
One idea I saw on line was to give some kids each their own bucket, and turn them loose in the yard to collect rocks. Actually I think that's an awesome idea, one that could keep them busy for hours (and give their parents a mental break). But because I don't want to break any child labor laws, does anybody have any ideas? I saw this one awesome thing called a Rock Hound, but you need to rent a skidsteer to use it. That actually sounds pretty cool too. I wonder what that costs?
I have access to a rototiller, and I know where I can rent a trencher to install the irrigation, but I'm having problems finding the best way to remove all the small, annoying rocks that are scattered over the yard surface. I bought a rake and tried it out on a small part of the side yard. Of course it works, but it takes a lot of work, and I'd like to be able to do the whole yard and get it done in a reasonable amount of time.
One idea I saw on line was to give some kids each their own bucket, and turn them loose in the yard to collect rocks. Actually I think that's an awesome idea, one that could keep them busy for hours (and give their parents a mental break). But because I don't want to break any child labor laws, does anybody have any ideas? I saw this one awesome thing called a Rock Hound, but you need to rent a skidsteer to use it. That actually sounds pretty cool too. I wonder what that costs?
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
back at work
That fun, relaxed, having a great time feeling that was pervasive over the last six days ... I can already feel it slipping away as I sit here at work again. It's not so much that work is bad as it is I just would rather be somewhere else. Maybe at heart I really am a lazy looser. Maybe I spent my allocated "work energy" on all those hours at Marine World and Unitrans, back before I became a "professional". Maybe I'm just attracted to not having to think or problem solve, which doesn't sound good when my job is to solve problems by thinking. Hummmm. Look at that, a few days away on a mini-vacation did almost nothing to solve the nagging problem I have of wanting to be somewhere else, and not being able to focus on my work. Maybe I need some of those ADHD drugs they give kids who are just being energetic. I certainly need to get something straightened out here and get focused.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
rowing (watching it) and friends and food and rain
We've been here and there around Boston, stopping by the places we often visited when we lived here. Friday we hung out in the Public Garden and later had seafood for dinner. The fall colors are only just barely starting to show themselves in this part of New England; we were hoping to see more of them, but it would appear that the storm that is coming through the area today marks one of the first real cold snaps the area has seen so far this fall.
Saturday we headed down to the Charles river to watch some of the head racing (rowing), and of course for me to pout about not being able to race here ... AGAIN. One of these years it will work out, dammit. I was also able to meet up with a friend of mine who now lives in Seattle and who is out here with his employer. I also was fortunate to bump into two people I knew when I rowed out here previously, so even though those visits were very brief, it was fun to see those people again.
Last night we met up with a BU friend of Laura's who lives out here with her husband and their 12 week old son. We had dinner on our own then met them for drinks at a cool, schwanky hotel that used to be a prison (only in New England). Well, I had a drink, Laura had a soda. I had forgotten just how sophisticated people dress out here when they go out. We were dressed up okay enough, but everybody else ... MAN! Fancy shoes, jeans, dresses, all the girls all coiffed up, even the guys were sporting the fancy hairdos. Tom Shaw would be jealous.
It's such a busy, energetic, crazy air here. With all the colleges in the area, and with Europe so much closer (relatively speaking), there is so much liveliness here that either doesn't exist, or that I just don't see in Sacramento. Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad to live where I live because it means I can be close to my friends and family whom I love very much, but the atmosphere is just not the same.
Anyway, rain blew in today and the day has been soggy. We walked around Beacon Hill to check out all the old fancy expensive brownstones, had lunch, then later had dinner. This has been a very food intensive trip, which has been fun too.
Ok, well that's enough for now. Time to go back to the room and get some sleep. SO awesome to not have to go to work tomorrow. I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
Saturday we headed down to the Charles river to watch some of the head racing (rowing), and of course for me to pout about not being able to race here ... AGAIN. One of these years it will work out, dammit. I was also able to meet up with a friend of mine who now lives in Seattle and who is out here with his employer. I also was fortunate to bump into two people I knew when I rowed out here previously, so even though those visits were very brief, it was fun to see those people again.
Last night we met up with a BU friend of Laura's who lives out here with her husband and their 12 week old son. We had dinner on our own then met them for drinks at a cool, schwanky hotel that used to be a prison (only in New England). Well, I had a drink, Laura had a soda. I had forgotten just how sophisticated people dress out here when they go out. We were dressed up okay enough, but everybody else ... MAN! Fancy shoes, jeans, dresses, all the girls all coiffed up, even the guys were sporting the fancy hairdos. Tom Shaw would be jealous.
It's such a busy, energetic, crazy air here. With all the colleges in the area, and with Europe so much closer (relatively speaking), there is so much liveliness here that either doesn't exist, or that I just don't see in Sacramento. Don't get me wrong, I'm very glad to live where I live because it means I can be close to my friends and family whom I love very much, but the atmosphere is just not the same.
Anyway, rain blew in today and the day has been soggy. We walked around Beacon Hill to check out all the old fancy expensive brownstones, had lunch, then later had dinner. This has been a very food intensive trip, which has been fun too.
Ok, well that's enough for now. Time to go back to the room and get some sleep. SO awesome to not have to go to work tomorrow. I'm going to enjoy it while I can.
Friday, October 16, 2009
back in Beantown
Check me out! I'm blogging from the road! Laura and I are at the hotel in Boston, hanging out waiting to meet up with a former co-worker of mine from when we lived here before. We SLEPT IN until almost 10 this morning! It was awesome! The weather is windy and showery, but it's great to be back in Beantown.
After our meeting with my friend, we'll just hop on the T and see where it takes us. Today that'll probably be out to BU where Laura went to school. Later today we may meet up with another friend of mine who lives in Seattle and works for the rowing shell manufacuturer Pocock, and who is out here with them to display and sell boats. After that, who knows, there is so much to see and do here, or we may just enjoy being here and walking around.
After our meeting with my friend, we'll just hop on the T and see where it takes us. Today that'll probably be out to BU where Laura went to school. Later today we may meet up with another friend of mine who lives in Seattle and works for the rowing shell manufacuturer Pocock, and who is out here with them to display and sell boats. After that, who knows, there is so much to see and do here, or we may just enjoy being here and walking around.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
bulky update
A little bit of everything, at least from my perspective...
Downstairs bedroom - Painted! And ceiling fan installed! And shutters installed! The room looks nice, but the ceiling fan smells of new electronics. Normally I like this smell as the item comes out of the box, but the smell always fades. Not so with this fan. Every time you turn on the fan, the room stinks like new electronics. This is probably not a good thing. No solution yet determined.
Boston - We are going there tomorrow! It's been over four years since we've been out there, which is a year longer than Laura lived there. That's just too hard to belive. We called that place home for a while, and then moved away from it. I could live there again, absolutely, if it weren't for the 3000 miles that would be between my and my friends and family. I was really hoping to race at the Head of the Charles Regatta, but my club could not get an entry this year. It's a very popular regatta, usually they have to turn away anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of the people who want to race. They "only" have room for 950 boats to race over the course of two days. That's all right. No, no, that's fine. I'm only in the best shape I've been in in the last 10 years. And I've only taken up rowing again with a team of really fast, eager, and aggressive guys who love to row. I'm sure we can recreate that again next year, when I'm busy raising my first kid. Racing aside, we are really excited about going to Boston, checking out the sights that were famaliar to us, eating a lot of good food, and just soaking it all in again.
Rowing - two races over the last two weekends, Petaluma and here at the Port. Didn't win anything, but they were still good rows. The last one beat the crap out of me. I rowed in a four man boat, and our average age was something like 32. We had two competitors, one of which we, expectedly, blew away early on, but the second which we knew would be tough. Marin has a rowing club full of very fit, very fast rowers of all ages, many of whom also have previous national or Olympic experience. Oh, and they area supported by very rich club members. So the four man boat we were chasing had an average age of 60, and we only beat them in the raw time by 20 seconds over a 3 mile course. With their age handicap of almost two minutes, they blew us away in the end. You might say that's pretty sad that guys twice our age could do so well. That's what I said at first. But I'm trying to let the moment inspire me to get faster as a rower as I get older. It hasn't sunk in yet.
The other funny thing about having gotten back to rowing in the months since April is that I've managed to loose 16 pounds. Didn't really mean to, it just worked out that way. Now my pants don't fit right any more. Guess I have to eat a couple extra cannolis at Mikes.
Work - Can't seem to finish the things I start. Every time I run a test or work through a problem, I just seem to end up with more questions, no answers, and less time. I really want to make a discovery here soon and close up this project I've been wokring on for ... crap, for a year now.
Home - Too many projects going on there as well. I guess I finished painting the downstairs bedroom, but I'd really like to get some other stuff done as well. Especially before the kid comes along. Maybe I'll have more time when the rowing season ends.
Movies - A couple weeks ago we went out and saw 500 Days of Summer. It's not your typical love story comedy, it's engaging and funny, and I recommend it. Last weekend we also OnDemanded (is that a verb yet?) Away We Go with John Krasinski and Mayah Rudolph. Also a good movie, maybe not as sharp as 500, but heartwarming, funny, and entertaining.
Well, that was kind of a boring update. Sorry. Wow, the links weren't even that exciting. Well, more to come after Boston. Ciao for now.
Downstairs bedroom - Painted! And ceiling fan installed! And shutters installed! The room looks nice, but the ceiling fan smells of new electronics. Normally I like this smell as the item comes out of the box, but the smell always fades. Not so with this fan. Every time you turn on the fan, the room stinks like new electronics. This is probably not a good thing. No solution yet determined.
Boston - We are going there tomorrow! It's been over four years since we've been out there, which is a year longer than Laura lived there. That's just too hard to belive. We called that place home for a while, and then moved away from it. I could live there again, absolutely, if it weren't for the 3000 miles that would be between my and my friends and family. I was really hoping to race at the Head of the Charles Regatta, but my club could not get an entry this year. It's a very popular regatta, usually they have to turn away anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 of the people who want to race. They "only" have room for 950 boats to race over the course of two days. That's all right. No, no, that's fine. I'm only in the best shape I've been in in the last 10 years. And I've only taken up rowing again with a team of really fast, eager, and aggressive guys who love to row. I'm sure we can recreate that again next year, when I'm busy raising my first kid. Racing aside, we are really excited about going to Boston, checking out the sights that were famaliar to us, eating a lot of good food, and just soaking it all in again.
Rowing - two races over the last two weekends, Petaluma and here at the Port. Didn't win anything, but they were still good rows. The last one beat the crap out of me. I rowed in a four man boat, and our average age was something like 32. We had two competitors, one of which we, expectedly, blew away early on, but the second which we knew would be tough. Marin has a rowing club full of very fit, very fast rowers of all ages, many of whom also have previous national or Olympic experience. Oh, and they area supported by very rich club members. So the four man boat we were chasing had an average age of 60, and we only beat them in the raw time by 20 seconds over a 3 mile course. With their age handicap of almost two minutes, they blew us away in the end. You might say that's pretty sad that guys twice our age could do so well. That's what I said at first. But I'm trying to let the moment inspire me to get faster as a rower as I get older. It hasn't sunk in yet.
The other funny thing about having gotten back to rowing in the months since April is that I've managed to loose 16 pounds. Didn't really mean to, it just worked out that way. Now my pants don't fit right any more. Guess I have to eat a couple extra cannolis at Mikes.
Work - Can't seem to finish the things I start. Every time I run a test or work through a problem, I just seem to end up with more questions, no answers, and less time. I really want to make a discovery here soon and close up this project I've been wokring on for ... crap, for a year now.
Home - Too many projects going on there as well. I guess I finished painting the downstairs bedroom, but I'd really like to get some other stuff done as well. Especially before the kid comes along. Maybe I'll have more time when the rowing season ends.
Movies - A couple weeks ago we went out and saw 500 Days of Summer. It's not your typical love story comedy, it's engaging and funny, and I recommend it. Last weekend we also OnDemanded (is that a verb yet?) Away We Go with John Krasinski and Mayah Rudolph. Also a good movie, maybe not as sharp as 500, but heartwarming, funny, and entertaining.
Well, that was kind of a boring update. Sorry. Wow, the links weren't even that exciting. Well, more to come after Boston. Ciao for now.
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