784.0.
Hawks on the wires, Stony Point and Rainsville, the Rainsville one (Red-shouldered, I think) watching me nervously but not flying away as I rode by about 12 ft away. The land drops a ways below the road on the right there, so the hawk on the wire was almost level with me on the bike.
Looked at a house - depressing. $1350 - excuse me - $1395 for a two "bedroom," where one of the bedrooms was actually the former garage. You can see the dollar signs in the landlord's eyes with crap like that. It was and basically still is a one-bedroom house, but that wasn't bringing in the desired income. It would probably cost US a mint to heat that room, which would not otherwise really be inhabitable in winter, and you can't NOT heat it because they took out the door between that and the rest of the house. Tiny little kitchen, tiny living room, medium-sized bedroom.
SO depressing. One good possibility is someone Terrie knows who's about to move out of their place....
Other than that, nice bike ride, with the hawks and all. Lots of geese around too, and I flushed a duck from the creek on Rainsville. Still windy on Rainsville, but didn't seem as bad, and I did the dirt and gravel shoulder-ride without too much sweat. Better than usual climb up the King hill, like I've been riding regularly or something...
Friday, March 16, 2001
777.5.
Vulture on the crossbar of a telephone post on Skillman; I had to stop and look at it for a sec. Unlike most birds that fly away as soon as they see you're interested, he just sat there and stared back.
Warm and sunny, but I'm a bit late today.
Yesterday afternoon, very windy -- enough so to make the ride difficult. When I got home, there was a paper taped to the front door - 30-day notice.
Initially, anger, because the current landlord has acted all caring and cooperative with us up to now, and this is REALLY short notice after six years, and we note that she signed the thing *10* days ago. Further there was a phone message from her about the future owners coming by today, with no mention of this at all. Man is my rectum sore!
Quick on the heels of anger, despair. We've looked at rentals in this area, found ones we liked, and been turned down after waiting -- not so bad when you have a secure place to apply from; VERY bad if you have to be out of the current place by April 15. Also, we were paying $900 here, and anything comparable will be $1200 or more. This in the middle of planning and paying for wedding and reception stuff, by the way.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but crying was definitely the front-runner.
Then, attempted action. Browsed the online newspaper classifieds, and called about two places. Debated whether to email Terrie or let her remain blissfully unaware for at least the drive home, and then she got home anyway.
Looked at a 2BR house going for $1350 - maybe slightly bigger than the current place, but in the middle of town, across the street from an apartment complex (higher possibility of burglary, not to mention late-night traffic, gunshots, who knows what else.
We went to the chinese place for dinner (and now THEY are annoying me too, serving EVERYTHING within like ten minutes [and didn't they forget to bring rice?]...) to talk over the options, such as they are. Discussed cancelling the Death Valley part, but really, that wouldn't save us a lot. And the problem seems to me more about the futility of finding a decent place in 30 days than about the money we'll have to blow on first-and-last etc. And the MASSIVE inconvenience of having to move two weeks before a still-in-the-planning-stages idyllic desert honeymoon vacation.
We determined to lower our standards a bit, without being able to determine much else, as we are at the mercy of prospective landlords and a fairytale real-estate market. We will even go for a one-bedroom place, if we can cram all our stuff in, and we accept that this may be the end of Road Rash Diaries as we know it.
I do figure I can handle a 10 or 15-mile commute regularly (depending on hills and safe shoulders) and could even do 20, 25 on a semi-regular basis, and there's also the bike-bus-bike option, but distance from work isn't going to be a determining factor in where we "choose" to live.
This may turn out to the good, but I can't see it at the moment. Though, y'know, the prospect of a new, different, place is kind of exciting no matter what the place is -- it's a fresh start.
The fondest hope is that we can squeak into someplace around $1200, drop some of the luxuries like cable TV and possibly the cable internet, hunker down and get serious about saving money for a home where this cannot happen to us again.
Note that this happened to me once before, many years ago, and I ended moving first to a hellish situation in Bolinas, later to the girlfriend's Mom's house, through one or two "satisfactory" apartments, before landing in the great Fairfax duplex where I lived for 11, 12 years. And it was tough, but also a load-off, to move out of THAT place too.
Vulture on the crossbar of a telephone post on Skillman; I had to stop and look at it for a sec. Unlike most birds that fly away as soon as they see you're interested, he just sat there and stared back.
Warm and sunny, but I'm a bit late today.
Yesterday afternoon, very windy -- enough so to make the ride difficult. When I got home, there was a paper taped to the front door - 30-day notice.
Initially, anger, because the current landlord has acted all caring and cooperative with us up to now, and this is REALLY short notice after six years, and we note that she signed the thing *10* days ago. Further there was a phone message from her about the future owners coming by today, with no mention of this at all. Man is my rectum sore!
Quick on the heels of anger, despair. We've looked at rentals in this area, found ones we liked, and been turned down after waiting -- not so bad when you have a secure place to apply from; VERY bad if you have to be out of the current place by April 15. Also, we were paying $900 here, and anything comparable will be $1200 or more. This in the middle of planning and paying for wedding and reception stuff, by the way.
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but crying was definitely the front-runner.
Then, attempted action. Browsed the online newspaper classifieds, and called about two places. Debated whether to email Terrie or let her remain blissfully unaware for at least the drive home, and then she got home anyway.
Looked at a 2BR house going for $1350 - maybe slightly bigger than the current place, but in the middle of town, across the street from an apartment complex (higher possibility of burglary, not to mention late-night traffic, gunshots, who knows what else.
We went to the chinese place for dinner (and now THEY are annoying me too, serving EVERYTHING within like ten minutes [and didn't they forget to bring rice?]...) to talk over the options, such as they are. Discussed cancelling the Death Valley part, but really, that wouldn't save us a lot. And the problem seems to me more about the futility of finding a decent place in 30 days than about the money we'll have to blow on first-and-last etc. And the MASSIVE inconvenience of having to move two weeks before a still-in-the-planning-stages idyllic desert honeymoon vacation.
We determined to lower our standards a bit, without being able to determine much else, as we are at the mercy of prospective landlords and a fairytale real-estate market. We will even go for a one-bedroom place, if we can cram all our stuff in, and we accept that this may be the end of Road Rash Diaries as we know it.
I do figure I can handle a 10 or 15-mile commute regularly (depending on hills and safe shoulders) and could even do 20, 25 on a semi-regular basis, and there's also the bike-bus-bike option, but distance from work isn't going to be a determining factor in where we "choose" to live.
This may turn out to the good, but I can't see it at the moment. Though, y'know, the prospect of a new, different, place is kind of exciting no matter what the place is -- it's a fresh start.
The fondest hope is that we can squeak into someplace around $1200, drop some of the luxuries like cable TV and possibly the cable internet, hunker down and get serious about saving money for a home where this cannot happen to us again.
Note that this happened to me once before, many years ago, and I ended moving first to a hellish situation in Bolinas, later to the girlfriend's Mom's house, through one or two "satisfactory" apartments, before landing in the great Fairfax duplex where I lived for 11, 12 years. And it was tough, but also a load-off, to move out of THAT place too.
Thursday, March 15, 2001
770.0.
Man, I don't know why my legs get so sore after missing a day (more so than after missing two or three days, seems like), but it takes a lot more effort to get up the minor slopes on Skillman, much less the Fair Avenue hill.
No movies last night; saw Richard Thompson at the Mystic Theatre instead. This was the third time we've seen him at the Mystic, a theatre whose main redeeming quality is that it's local.
What a wondrous guitar player! What great songs! Have reviewed RT shows before, so won't get into it deeply, but suffice to say that, even though I was quite tired, the show was two hours of entrancement. As always. The guy has a unique guitar-playing style, such that he can produce a full sound unaccompanied, somehow keeping a strong bass line going while playing complex rhythms and melodies AND singing. Nothing short of amazing. Seemed like he got into a couple of depressive jags last night, a lot of slow numbers, but still delivered with some rockers like "Daddy Was a Mummy" and "Feel So Good." Great banter between songs, too. He also introduced a very funny new song about Kenny G's lack of musicianship.
Opening act was a woman who played various stringed instruments (one appeared to be a baritone ukelele!) with her cello-playing friend, singing in that kind of nasally affected voice that many women use nowadays. Her chatting with the audience, and her first couple of songs, were really stilted and not-quite-right. Made me uncomfortable. She closed, though, with a great torch song in French "Vie en Rose." (psst! This is how I know that nasal voice was affected.) But you realize while watching someone like that, they have enough belief in themselves to stand up in front of strangers and belt it out, touring the country at budget rates as a second- or third-billed act, and you have to have a certain amount of respect for that...
Annoying guy at work has brought in his recumbent bike, and is of course saying how much better it is in every way than a standard bicycle. <yawn>
Man, I don't know why my legs get so sore after missing a day (more so than after missing two or three days, seems like), but it takes a lot more effort to get up the minor slopes on Skillman, much less the Fair Avenue hill.
No movies last night; saw Richard Thompson at the Mystic Theatre instead. This was the third time we've seen him at the Mystic, a theatre whose main redeeming quality is that it's local.
What a wondrous guitar player! What great songs! Have reviewed RT shows before, so won't get into it deeply, but suffice to say that, even though I was quite tired, the show was two hours of entrancement. As always. The guy has a unique guitar-playing style, such that he can produce a full sound unaccompanied, somehow keeping a strong bass line going while playing complex rhythms and melodies AND singing. Nothing short of amazing. Seemed like he got into a couple of depressive jags last night, a lot of slow numbers, but still delivered with some rockers like "Daddy Was a Mummy" and "Feel So Good." Great banter between songs, too. He also introduced a very funny new song about Kenny G's lack of musicianship.
Opening act was a woman who played various stringed instruments (one appeared to be a baritone ukelele!) with her cello-playing friend, singing in that kind of nasally affected voice that many women use nowadays. Her chatting with the audience, and her first couple of songs, were really stilted and not-quite-right. Made me uncomfortable. She closed, though, with a great torch song in French "Vie en Rose." (psst! This is how I know that nasal voice was affected.) But you realize while watching someone like that, they have enough belief in themselves to stand up in front of strangers and belt it out, touring the country at budget rates as a second- or third-billed act, and you have to have a certain amount of respect for that...
Annoying guy at work has brought in his recumbent bike, and is of course saying how much better it is in every way than a standard bicycle. <yawn>
Wednesday, March 14, 2001
No bike today; have things to do involving a four-wheeled internal combustion vehicle.
Rode home via King yesterday. Nice ride, though the confounded wind! Best thing for that is to just resign myself to taking it slow in a lower gear. Thus did most of Rainsville on the dirt shoulder.
And now, your heavily-IMDB-linked movies.
Wonder Boys and Almost Famous appeared at the vid store yesterday.
Wonder Boys is a funny movie with an outstanding cast. Rent it and enjoy!
Almost Famous is a film I've been looking forward to, being as it is about rock'n'roll and I generally see everything about rock'n'roll. Also funny, and also with a good cast, this movie was very entertaining and quite believable. If you ever thought "Rock Journalist" might be the easiest job in the world, watch this before quitting your day job. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who I've liked in everything I've seen, plays Lester Bangs probably better than Lester would've (at least kinder and gentler...). The kid got kind of annoying over the course of the movie, but then, I suspect Cameron Crowe probably is too. Billy Crudup was great, Kate Hudson perfectly ditzy. Knowing that this is semi-autobiographical, I looked up the trivia on IMDB to see what band Crowe might've toured with early in his career.
Rode home via King yesterday. Nice ride, though the confounded wind! Best thing for that is to just resign myself to taking it slow in a lower gear. Thus did most of Rainsville on the dirt shoulder.
And now, your heavily-IMDB-linked movies.
Wonder Boys and Almost Famous appeared at the vid store yesterday.
Wonder Boys is a funny movie with an outstanding cast. Rent it and enjoy!
Almost Famous is a film I've been looking forward to, being as it is about rock'n'roll and I generally see everything about rock'n'roll. Also funny, and also with a good cast, this movie was very entertaining and quite believable. If you ever thought "Rock Journalist" might be the easiest job in the world, watch this before quitting your day job. Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who I've liked in everything I've seen, plays Lester Bangs probably better than Lester would've (at least kinder and gentler...). The kid got kind of annoying over the course of the movie, but then, I suspect Cameron Crowe probably is too. Billy Crudup was great, Kate Hudson perfectly ditzy. Knowing that this is semi-autobiographical, I looked up the trivia on IMDB to see what band Crowe might've toured with early in his career.
Tuesday, March 13, 2001
759.8.
Dead pheasant last night beside Skillman - surprising there aren't more. Almost stopped to get a feather, but really... yeck! Plus I had just stopped a few minutes back to watch and try to identify a small raptor hovering over a field. It's pretty amazing when they do that, hanging motionless in the sky, moving wings and taiol minutely to adjust, looking down intently at some prey you'll never see unless he dives and comes up with it... This one might have been a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned (haven't been able to unequivocally identify either of those in the wild). Less than or near 12" length, but I don't think it was a kestrel...
Quite a bit warmer this week. Overcast this morning, not a lot of beauty to the ride, just getting to work.
Movies last night
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999): Good movie. Basically a courtroom drama with a strong dose of guilt over treatment of the Japanese during WWII... I rented this damned thing at LEAST three times before, paid late fees on, etc., and though it was overdue again last night, I made myself watch it so I wouldn't rent it again and again forever. Certainly, worth renting at least once, but after all that buildup (and the glowing review on IMDB), kind of a letdown. Don't let my opinion stop you from watching it.
Mountains of the Moon (1990): Oh, I liked this one. Can't prove it by me, but allegedly factual account of the explorations of Sir Richard Burton (not the drunken actor) and John Speeke in Africa, seeking the source of the Nile. I like historical drama like this partly because I may have quotes by some of the people portrayed (such as Burton and his wife/biographer Isabel) in my born-today pages. Lots of action and interaction, and interesting view of the "noble savage" (and the "savage nobles" of Royal Geographic Society in Victorian England!). The principle actors really deliver well-fleshed-out characters. And imagine! A movie set mostly in Africa with not a single "deadly-snake" scene!
You know, some movies are one-watchers; others are good for several viewings. I'm not sure what makes that difference for me, but "Snow" is a oner, and I would watch "Mountains" again. Between these two movies, the former tells a story and the latter creates a world. Someone else would see it the opposite way. Half of the quality of any movie/book/art/music is in the imagination.
Getting close to "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," here, but beyond that, not only is the quality invested by the viewer, half of the backstory and subtext on which the viewer bases their view, is created by them as well.
Dead pheasant last night beside Skillman - surprising there aren't more. Almost stopped to get a feather, but really... yeck! Plus I had just stopped a few minutes back to watch and try to identify a small raptor hovering over a field. It's pretty amazing when they do that, hanging motionless in the sky, moving wings and taiol minutely to adjust, looking down intently at some prey you'll never see unless he dives and comes up with it... This one might have been a Cooper's or Sharp-shinned (haven't been able to unequivocally identify either of those in the wild). Less than or near 12" length, but I don't think it was a kestrel...
Quite a bit warmer this week. Overcast this morning, not a lot of beauty to the ride, just getting to work.
Movies last night
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999): Good movie. Basically a courtroom drama with a strong dose of guilt over treatment of the Japanese during WWII... I rented this damned thing at LEAST three times before, paid late fees on, etc., and though it was overdue again last night, I made myself watch it so I wouldn't rent it again and again forever. Certainly, worth renting at least once, but after all that buildup (and the glowing review on IMDB), kind of a letdown. Don't let my opinion stop you from watching it.
Mountains of the Moon (1990): Oh, I liked this one. Can't prove it by me, but allegedly factual account of the explorations of Sir Richard Burton (not the drunken actor) and John Speeke in Africa, seeking the source of the Nile. I like historical drama like this partly because I may have quotes by some of the people portrayed (such as Burton and his wife/biographer Isabel) in my born-today pages. Lots of action and interaction, and interesting view of the "noble savage" (and the "savage nobles" of Royal Geographic Society in Victorian England!). The principle actors really deliver well-fleshed-out characters. And imagine! A movie set mostly in Africa with not a single "deadly-snake" scene!
You know, some movies are one-watchers; others are good for several viewings. I'm not sure what makes that difference for me, but "Snow" is a oner, and I would watch "Mountains" again. Between these two movies, the former tells a story and the latter creates a world. Someone else would see it the opposite way. Half of the quality of any movie/book/art/music is in the imagination.
Getting close to "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder," here, but beyond that, not only is the quality invested by the viewer, half of the backstory and subtext on which the viewer bases their view, is created by them as well.
Monday, March 12, 2001
752.4.
Pleased to have passed 750! Wonder if I can get a thousand before the late-April wedding, or at least the May reception? It's a vague goal, like my plan to take a long ride yesterday, never happened. See how close I get by uh Apr 14, when there's two weeks to go, and then get serious if it's doable. 25 workdays till the 14th = 200 miles at 8/day. Actually, pretty easily doable, if I keep avoiding the car, and occasionally take those longer routes.
I often talk about the 'golden' evening light, but there's also a 'silver' morning light, when the grass is dewy or frosty and the sun hits it with cold white light... Looks almost like snow. Took a picture this morning that'll probably be overexposed, but I have to make the attempt.
It almost seems like winter is already over (saw first [dead] snake of the year Friday afternoon), but I would expect a few more rains this year. Got good (and compact) rain pants yesterday at sonomaoutfitters, while buying our new 3-person Walrus tent (which probably will never have three persons in it, but we'll have more room). On comparison with our old-faithful 2-person Cirrus tent, it actually packs smaller and weighs less, so might even use it for backpacking. The Cirrus is and has been a great tent, but it's just a little cramped inside, especially with bad weather when we're stuck in there with a bunch of our stuff. The Walrus also has a hoop on the rainfly at the entryway, providing an extra area for keeping boots dryish. When you read the footprint dimensions on a tent, those aren't entirely accurate - the Cirrus, when set up, curves upwards at the edges... Before honeymoon, might also get good new pads, but you wouldn't believe how expensive those things are!
Visited yesterday with my best man John, who is planning a bachelor party. No strippers or anything like that, please. In fact, I'm thinking that maybe we just want a unisex bachelor/ette party... but y'know, this really is a separate 'guy thing' and 'gal thing.'
A million lizards at John's place, and a pair of (he says) mating red-tails - one flying over us screeching as we sat on the back porch.
May be able to recoup the head-gasket loss. Known problem with 1995 Ford 3.8L V-6. I *knew* it wasn't just me! Even if I get no reimbursement, THAT much is immensely satisfying, that it wasn't (necessarily) stupidity on my part that caused the head gasket(s) to fail.
Oddly, the job of creating a style guide has been taken from me, the only person in the organization whose title is "editor." Also, the other cities choose to NOT have their doc edited because of the one-editor bottleneck. Then what the f890 IS my job? I'm all verklempt... talk amongst yourselves... We'll work it out.
Movies: The Music Man (1962). They shouldn't have had the half-hour-plus "Behind the Movie" thing before the real thing (Shirley Jones hosting, others from the movie interviewed, many pieces of scenes previewed). I'm usually a sucker for a musical like this, and it certainly has its moments, but I can't buy the Liberace-ish Robert Preston as a leading man, nor can I clear the Partridge Family from my head while watching Shirley Jones. Much enjoyed the very-young Ron Howard and the very-old Hermione Gingold. Still, for all the distractions, the movie comes up swinging and ultimately delivers a lovely old-timey magic.
Pleased to have passed 750! Wonder if I can get a thousand before the late-April wedding, or at least the May reception? It's a vague goal, like my plan to take a long ride yesterday, never happened. See how close I get by uh Apr 14, when there's two weeks to go, and then get serious if it's doable. 25 workdays till the 14th = 200 miles at 8/day. Actually, pretty easily doable, if I keep avoiding the car, and occasionally take those longer routes.
I often talk about the 'golden' evening light, but there's also a 'silver' morning light, when the grass is dewy or frosty and the sun hits it with cold white light... Looks almost like snow. Took a picture this morning that'll probably be overexposed, but I have to make the attempt.
It almost seems like winter is already over (saw first [dead] snake of the year Friday afternoon), but I would expect a few more rains this year. Got good (and compact) rain pants yesterday at sonomaoutfitters, while buying our new 3-person Walrus tent (which probably will never have three persons in it, but we'll have more room). On comparison with our old-faithful 2-person Cirrus tent, it actually packs smaller and weighs less, so might even use it for backpacking. The Cirrus is and has been a great tent, but it's just a little cramped inside, especially with bad weather when we're stuck in there with a bunch of our stuff. The Walrus also has a hoop on the rainfly at the entryway, providing an extra area for keeping boots dryish. When you read the footprint dimensions on a tent, those aren't entirely accurate - the Cirrus, when set up, curves upwards at the edges... Before honeymoon, might also get good new pads, but you wouldn't believe how expensive those things are!
Visited yesterday with my best man John, who is planning a bachelor party. No strippers or anything like that, please. In fact, I'm thinking that maybe we just want a unisex bachelor/ette party... but y'know, this really is a separate 'guy thing' and 'gal thing.'
A million lizards at John's place, and a pair of (he says) mating red-tails - one flying over us screeching as we sat on the back porch.
May be able to recoup the head-gasket loss. Known problem with 1995 Ford 3.8L V-6. I *knew* it wasn't just me! Even if I get no reimbursement, THAT much is immensely satisfying, that it wasn't (necessarily) stupidity on my part that caused the head gasket(s) to fail.
Oddly, the job of creating a style guide has been taken from me, the only person in the organization whose title is "editor." Also, the other cities choose to NOT have their doc edited because of the one-editor bottleneck. Then what the f890 IS my job? I'm all verklempt... talk amongst yourselves... We'll work it out.
Movies: The Music Man (1962). They shouldn't have had the half-hour-plus "Behind the Movie" thing before the real thing (Shirley Jones hosting, others from the movie interviewed, many pieces of scenes previewed). I'm usually a sucker for a musical like this, and it certainly has its moments, but I can't buy the Liberace-ish Robert Preston as a leading man, nor can I clear the Partridge Family from my head while watching Shirley Jones. Much enjoyed the very-young Ron Howard and the very-old Hermione Gingold. Still, for all the distractions, the movie comes up swinging and ultimately delivers a lovely old-timey magic.
Friday, March 09, 2001
744.9.
Did the extra two miles last night on the King Road route. Great-GrandBoss saw me preparing to leave at 3:30 - hope he understands that I often get here before 7 and often don't do lunch.
TGIF. Have done good work this week.
Newt/salamander in the garage this morning -- maybe he's keeping warmer there than outdoors. Nice sunrise, chilly air. Wanted to stop and take pictures, but only took one. Need a holster or something for the camera. Like in a car, you might catch a glimpse of something and stop, and half the time when you get back to it it's not as great as you originally thought.
Last night, visited a caterer we liked and, I think, locked 'em in for the wedding reception party 5/19. Extraordinary salad, with walnuts, mandarin orange, and ah... a bunch of other stuff. Chicken with salsa. Filet Mignon for our carnivorous friends. Will also have vege/vegan stuff, but really, that's like 2% of attendees, so not we're gonna weigh it towards them more than 10%. The perceived quality of the caterers may be more important than the quality of the food...? Well, if you're in Marin/Sonoma, and have a wedding coming up, you might want to check out Forks and Fingers catering. Or you might want to check back here around 5/22 or so; if there are any problems, they'll be documented.
Dinosaur (2000):
Oh man, I don't know. Technology has enabled us to see things on film that would've been impossible like 10 minutes ago, but it's the same old story of an individual's quest for safety, belonging, and freedom, and the (sanitized, bloodless) trials-by-fire he must endure--all reduced to soft, gummable chunks for consumption by toothless two-year-olds. The human parts are played by animated dinosaurs, who in turn are voiced by humans. Especially annoying is how, even in fantasy dinosaur land, there's the stereotypical comic-relief, overweight-and-slow-moving-but-full-of-common-sensical-folksy-wisdom triceratops played by Della Reese (I guess Whoopi was already booked for another comic sidekick voice role - and suggest you miss THAT movie too). C'MON moviemakers, there are more than three types of black people in the world! Tagline: "You have never seen anything like this." Actually, I have. This is the same plot and cast of characters you've seen 500 times (if you've watched 600 movies). The ONLY things this movie has going for it are the background scenery and lack of singing. Really. Go see Toy Story or Chicken Run again instead.
If only the advanced technology of today could somehow be applied to the story line and dialog... sigh. This movie makes me wish that they still had to draw 'em frame by frame.
IMDB fans rate it 6.5 out of 10, but they are high.
Did the extra two miles last night on the King Road route. Great-GrandBoss saw me preparing to leave at 3:30 - hope he understands that I often get here before 7 and often don't do lunch.
TGIF. Have done good work this week.
Newt/salamander in the garage this morning -- maybe he's keeping warmer there than outdoors. Nice sunrise, chilly air. Wanted to stop and take pictures, but only took one. Need a holster or something for the camera. Like in a car, you might catch a glimpse of something and stop, and half the time when you get back to it it's not as great as you originally thought.
Last night, visited a caterer we liked and, I think, locked 'em in for the wedding reception party 5/19. Extraordinary salad, with walnuts, mandarin orange, and ah... a bunch of other stuff. Chicken with salsa. Filet Mignon for our carnivorous friends. Will also have vege/vegan stuff, but really, that's like 2% of attendees, so not we're gonna weigh it towards them more than 10%. The perceived quality of the caterers may be more important than the quality of the food...? Well, if you're in Marin/Sonoma, and have a wedding coming up, you might want to check out Forks and Fingers catering. Or you might want to check back here around 5/22 or so; if there are any problems, they'll be documented.
Dinosaur (2000):
Oh man, I don't know. Technology has enabled us to see things on film that would've been impossible like 10 minutes ago, but it's the same old story of an individual's quest for safety, belonging, and freedom, and the (sanitized, bloodless) trials-by-fire he must endure--all reduced to soft, gummable chunks for consumption by toothless two-year-olds. The human parts are played by animated dinosaurs, who in turn are voiced by humans. Especially annoying is how, even in fantasy dinosaur land, there's the stereotypical comic-relief, overweight-and-slow-moving-but-full-of-common-sensical-folksy-wisdom triceratops played by Della Reese (I guess Whoopi was already booked for another comic sidekick voice role - and suggest you miss THAT movie too). C'MON moviemakers, there are more than three types of black people in the world! Tagline: "You have never seen anything like this." Actually, I have. This is the same plot and cast of characters you've seen 500 times (if you've watched 600 movies). The ONLY things this movie has going for it are the background scenery and lack of singing. Really. Go see Toy Story or Chicken Run again instead.
If only the advanced technology of today could somehow be applied to the story line and dialog... sigh. This movie makes me wish that they still had to draw 'em frame by frame.
IMDB fans rate it 6.5 out of 10, but they are high.
Thursday, March 08, 2001
736.1.
Very foggy; again, why I got lights. Allowed the headlight to burn out over the last couple of weeks so I could give it a full charge. My mechanical ineptitude is well-documented. I don't really understand these batteries, and got somewhat conflicting info in the instructions (how do you drive a technical writer crazy?).
I really wish cars would move at least a little bit into the oncoming lane (when no traffic is actually oncoming) to pass me. If nothing else, it shows that they see me. It would be so easy to hit something unexpected on the shoulder and swerve/fall out into the driving lane... When I'm driving (even before I started biking regularly) I consider this when passing peds or cyclists or horses - give at least their full height in lateral room to fall.
Great Egret in one of the fields on Skillman - they're very beautiful birds, and large, yet they have a certain lack of grace that is comical, and when you see one "outstanding in his field," he's usually looking to scare up a meal, with that hunched-over, undertakerish look of a vulture.
Lessee, movies: last night, "The Contender" and "Meet the Parents."
The Contender: Jeff Bridges sleeping through a(nother?) presidential performance, and Gary Oldman typically excellent (and difficult to identify). Joan Allen playing a senator with almost-impossible integrity, nominated for Vice President, when an indiscretion from her past causes problems. Good cast, engaging enough story. It could happen here, but I don't suppose it would play out like this.
Meet the Parents: Funny, the kind of slapstick where you're slightly embarrassed to be laughing out loud at Ben Stiller's misfortune, but Stiller has a face that's just MADE for misfortune, and there are some moments where just the deadpan face shot is enough to make me burst out laughing.
Very foggy; again, why I got lights. Allowed the headlight to burn out over the last couple of weeks so I could give it a full charge. My mechanical ineptitude is well-documented. I don't really understand these batteries, and got somewhat conflicting info in the instructions (how do you drive a technical writer crazy?).
I really wish cars would move at least a little bit into the oncoming lane (when no traffic is actually oncoming) to pass me. If nothing else, it shows that they see me. It would be so easy to hit something unexpected on the shoulder and swerve/fall out into the driving lane... When I'm driving (even before I started biking regularly) I consider this when passing peds or cyclists or horses - give at least their full height in lateral room to fall.
Great Egret in one of the fields on Skillman - they're very beautiful birds, and large, yet they have a certain lack of grace that is comical, and when you see one "outstanding in his field," he's usually looking to scare up a meal, with that hunched-over, undertakerish look of a vulture.
Lessee, movies: last night, "The Contender" and "Meet the Parents."
The Contender: Jeff Bridges sleeping through a(nother?) presidential performance, and Gary Oldman typically excellent (and difficult to identify). Joan Allen playing a senator with almost-impossible integrity, nominated for Vice President, when an indiscretion from her past causes problems. Good cast, engaging enough story. It could happen here, but I don't suppose it would play out like this.
Meet the Parents: Funny, the kind of slapstick where you're slightly embarrassed to be laughing out loud at Ben Stiller's misfortune, but Stiller has a face that's just MADE for misfortune, and there are some moments where just the deadpan face shot is enough to make me burst out laughing.
Wednesday, March 07, 2001
727.1.
Beautiful morning, just perfect. The bike ride does a lot for me.
Those who may read this... may think it's pretty lame to base a blog on bike riding when it's only like 8 miles per day, when "serious" cyclists may do 100 or more miles in a given day. And why it's "Road Rash" when people like Johnny Knoxville do road rash infinitely better than I ever could or would (and indeed, I have yet to take a fall, knock wood). I guess it's more a journal than a bike-riding thing, but the bike-riding definitely drives it. "Road Rash" just came to mind when I created it; I might've come up with something more clever and more germane, but there it is. I've been wanting for some time to catalog some of the movies I watch, so I get to do that too.
Today's ride was about enjoying the view, and about taking out a little bit of anger (on the uphills).
Peach-colored cloud layer above a strip of blue sky above low-lying tule fog, layers of my morning parfait (that's french, and something of a pun). The cattle on Skillman watch me cruise by... Up the Fair Ave hill in 2-5 gear has become my morning sweat-breaker. Right after this hill, there's a pretty deep down-and-up that gives a very brief respite from pedalling before requiring all I've got to power up the other side in 3-8 (sometimes clicking down to 2-8, 2-5, at the very top if I don't get enough momentum). These are the only real hills on my short route. When Fair turns onto Bailey, that's a nice long 20mph downhill to Petaluma Blvd and the traffic.
No 10% loan. I am a bad credit risk, though I have no debts and a relatively large disposable income each month after rent & expenses. I want a fun new truck, with power and payload, but after more thought, I REALLY don't want to pay 33% interest to get there. Granted, if I pay early, that 33% goes down significantly. But it could be that if I save more money while driving for free in the Mustang (and the bike!) for a few months, I can do a lot better and get an '01 model when they're clearing them for the '02s, with a hefty down payment as well, and not find myself beholden for the next 5, 6 years of my life. I'm happier and happier about this decision as I spend more time NOT in debt...
Big work project will be starting soon, and I'm actually pretty excited about it (but farbeit from ME to ever show it!).
Now, your daily IMDB-linked movie. "Damn Yankees!" last night. Not really up my alley, but hoo-ha, that Gwen Verdon , who died last year, is stunning as "Lola." I now understand the popularity of that "Whatever Lola Wants" song, as she sang and danced it in the movie. She was funny, sweet, goofy, and sexy in that sequence, and in the movie as a whole, about the only high point for me. Ray Walston (who died 1/1/ THIS year) is about one spiral-cut away from full-on Shatner ham (but hey, some good quotes at the IMDB link above - I'd better get him into "Born Today"). Tab Hunter (not dead, but going on 70 years old) has a few moments (the heavy-drinking scene is pretty remarkable), and is pretty convincing as a naive, stupid, aw-shucks ballplayer, but overall I can't tell how much of THAT is acting.
Beautiful morning, just perfect. The bike ride does a lot for me.
Those who may read this... may think it's pretty lame to base a blog on bike riding when it's only like 8 miles per day, when "serious" cyclists may do 100 or more miles in a given day. And why it's "Road Rash" when people like Johnny Knoxville do road rash infinitely better than I ever could or would (and indeed, I have yet to take a fall, knock wood). I guess it's more a journal than a bike-riding thing, but the bike-riding definitely drives it. "Road Rash" just came to mind when I created it; I might've come up with something more clever and more germane, but there it is. I've been wanting for some time to catalog some of the movies I watch, so I get to do that too.
Today's ride was about enjoying the view, and about taking out a little bit of anger (on the uphills).
Peach-colored cloud layer above a strip of blue sky above low-lying tule fog, layers of my morning parfait (that's french, and something of a pun). The cattle on Skillman watch me cruise by... Up the Fair Ave hill in 2-5 gear has become my morning sweat-breaker. Right after this hill, there's a pretty deep down-and-up that gives a very brief respite from pedalling before requiring all I've got to power up the other side in 3-8 (sometimes clicking down to 2-8, 2-5, at the very top if I don't get enough momentum). These are the only real hills on my short route. When Fair turns onto Bailey, that's a nice long 20mph downhill to Petaluma Blvd and the traffic.
No 10% loan. I am a bad credit risk, though I have no debts and a relatively large disposable income each month after rent & expenses. I want a fun new truck, with power and payload, but after more thought, I REALLY don't want to pay 33% interest to get there. Granted, if I pay early, that 33% goes down significantly. But it could be that if I save more money while driving for free in the Mustang (and the bike!) for a few months, I can do a lot better and get an '01 model when they're clearing them for the '02s, with a hefty down payment as well, and not find myself beholden for the next 5, 6 years of my life. I'm happier and happier about this decision as I spend more time NOT in debt...
Big work project will be starting soon, and I'm actually pretty excited about it (but farbeit from ME to ever show it!).
Now, your daily IMDB-linked movie. "Damn Yankees!" last night. Not really up my alley, but hoo-ha, that Gwen Verdon , who died last year, is stunning as "Lola." I now understand the popularity of that "Whatever Lola Wants" song, as she sang and danced it in the movie. She was funny, sweet, goofy, and sexy in that sequence, and in the movie as a whole, about the only high point for me. Ray Walston (who died 1/1/ THIS year) is about one spiral-cut away from full-on Shatner ham (but hey, some good quotes at the IMDB link above - I'd better get him into "Born Today"). Tab Hunter (not dead, but going on 70 years old) has a few moments (the heavy-drinking scene is pretty remarkable), and is pretty convincing as a naive, stupid, aw-shucks ballplayer, but overall I can't tell how much of THAT is acting.
Tuesday, March 06, 2001
719.6.
Drove yesterday to do some errands, and it was raining pretty much all day anyway.
I hate these times when I skip the bike ride on a friday or monday (and the weekend between); it seems like I can almost feel the loss of physical strength (not to mention wind).
Nurse Betty. A likeable movie - give it 4 or 5 out of 10. But Renee Zelweiger gives me the creeps. Now I can't remember the name of the other... Waking the Dead. Also a decent enough film, but really a little melodramatic, and the actors (Billy Crudup and the Ali-McGraw-ish Jennifer Connelly) didn't really carry it off. Nothing worse than watching a couple of actors "weeping their eyes out" and being almost entirely unaffected!
Overdressed for biking today - cloudy out, but I don't think it's actually going to rain. So I could've packed the rainjacket in, and probably will pack it out. Lots of wind in the weekend storms - lots of debris on the road, especially on the shoulder where I ride...
Test drove three very different cars Saturday: Dodge Dakota 4x4, Nissan XTerra, and Toyota RAV4. All three were suitable to a particular niche, I suppose.
Liked the Dodge quite a bit, except that the bench seat was not very comfortable for a long ride (which is what I hope to do most with this vehicle). Low front of roof had us leaning forward to peer out - definitely want a sunroof (and don't really need the overhead console). It feels really solid. Part-time 4WD seems like a good idea. 4.7L V-8 very nice, and "4WD-Lo" gave a really powerful feeling.
The XTerra was pretty cool, but the salesman who took us out seemed to get nervous suddenly and claimed to need to get back to the showroom because they were short-handed. Excuse me, but if I'm going to spend 20k on a vehicle, a 20-minute drive ain't gonna sell it to me. There was a clunk when we came to a stop sometimes - may be something normal with full-time 4WD.
Toyota dealer claimed there were no 5-speed RAV4s available (there's one in the parking lot here at work, bought nearby in San Rafael), and we ended up driving a 4-cylinder 2WD automatic - a car we had no interest in buying. With rear window down, HUGE amount of wind-buffeting noise on that car. The XTerra is cool, but I got a lot better feeling from the Dakota.
Dodge dealer from Oakland calling me last night. All I want is a freakin' quote, and I specifically note "please no calls" on every internet form where I have the choice, and I have spent time selecting the options I want on a web page, and still these guys call. His quote was over 25k, with the SLT package.
And we have the "Sport" package and the "XL" and the "SE" and the "SOB" with wildly-varying prices for each, and different stories about what the package actually contains... Makes it (intentionally) difficult to compare two similar cars.
Oh well. Waiting on a potential better (like, 4% better!) APR loan offer from the local credit union, but do have preapproved loan in hand at 14%.
Drove yesterday to do some errands, and it was raining pretty much all day anyway.
I hate these times when I skip the bike ride on a friday or monday (and the weekend between); it seems like I can almost feel the loss of physical strength (not to mention wind).
Nurse Betty. A likeable movie - give it 4 or 5 out of 10. But Renee Zelweiger gives me the creeps. Now I can't remember the name of the other... Waking the Dead. Also a decent enough film, but really a little melodramatic, and the actors (Billy Crudup and the Ali-McGraw-ish Jennifer Connelly) didn't really carry it off. Nothing worse than watching a couple of actors "weeping their eyes out" and being almost entirely unaffected!
Overdressed for biking today - cloudy out, but I don't think it's actually going to rain. So I could've packed the rainjacket in, and probably will pack it out. Lots of wind in the weekend storms - lots of debris on the road, especially on the shoulder where I ride...
Test drove three very different cars Saturday: Dodge Dakota 4x4, Nissan XTerra, and Toyota RAV4. All three were suitable to a particular niche, I suppose.
Liked the Dodge quite a bit, except that the bench seat was not very comfortable for a long ride (which is what I hope to do most with this vehicle). Low front of roof had us leaning forward to peer out - definitely want a sunroof (and don't really need the overhead console). It feels really solid. Part-time 4WD seems like a good idea. 4.7L V-8 very nice, and "4WD-Lo" gave a really powerful feeling.
The XTerra was pretty cool, but the salesman who took us out seemed to get nervous suddenly and claimed to need to get back to the showroom because they were short-handed. Excuse me, but if I'm going to spend 20k on a vehicle, a 20-minute drive ain't gonna sell it to me. There was a clunk when we came to a stop sometimes - may be something normal with full-time 4WD.
Toyota dealer claimed there were no 5-speed RAV4s available (there's one in the parking lot here at work, bought nearby in San Rafael), and we ended up driving a 4-cylinder 2WD automatic - a car we had no interest in buying. With rear window down, HUGE amount of wind-buffeting noise on that car. The XTerra is cool, but I got a lot better feeling from the Dakota.
Dodge dealer from Oakland calling me last night. All I want is a freakin' quote, and I specifically note "please no calls" on every internet form where I have the choice, and I have spent time selecting the options I want on a web page, and still these guys call. His quote was over 25k, with the SLT package.
And we have the "Sport" package and the "XL" and the "SE" and the "SOB" with wildly-varying prices for each, and different stories about what the package actually contains... Makes it (intentionally) difficult to compare two similar cars.
Oh well. Waiting on a potential better (like, 4% better!) APR loan offer from the local credit union, but do have preapproved loan in hand at 14%.
Friday, March 02, 2001
Thursday, March 01, 2001
704.6.
Brrrr! Frost on the ground, fog in the air (33'F currently), and I wore the no-finger gloves because I feel stupid wearing black wooly winter gloves in the afternoon with a short-sleeved shirt. Headline: "Fashion Victim Loses Fingers."
Visibility down to about 100 ft on one stretch of Skillman (why I bought lights). Very pretty, actually, where the sun is hitting the long frosted grass.
No hawks, no lambs, not much looking around at all. Just pedal it to work and the warm shower!
"Lonely Are the Brave" last night on vid. 1962, B&W. Kirk Douglas, Carroll O'Connor, Walter Matthau, many others. From an Edward Abbey book, and Abbey had a bit part in the film somewhere but I couldn't spot him (probably he didn't have his trademark beard). Adapted for screen, I presume, by Dalton Trumbo - he shares a writing credit, but I kinda doubt he actually sat in the same room with Abbey for more than a few minutes at any given time. Really, really dark, this movie, but you hear Abbey's "voice" throughout, therefore very enjoyable in spite of darkness. It's up there -- on a scale of one to ten, let's say 8 or 9.
Brrrr! Frost on the ground, fog in the air (33'F currently), and I wore the no-finger gloves because I feel stupid wearing black wooly winter gloves in the afternoon with a short-sleeved shirt. Headline: "Fashion Victim Loses Fingers."
Visibility down to about 100 ft on one stretch of Skillman (why I bought lights). Very pretty, actually, where the sun is hitting the long frosted grass.
No hawks, no lambs, not much looking around at all. Just pedal it to work and the warm shower!
"Lonely Are the Brave" last night on vid. 1962, B&W. Kirk Douglas, Carroll O'Connor, Walter Matthau, many others. From an Edward Abbey book, and Abbey had a bit part in the film somewhere but I couldn't spot him (probably he didn't have his trademark beard). Adapted for screen, I presume, by Dalton Trumbo - he shares a writing credit, but I kinda doubt he actually sat in the same room with Abbey for more than a few minutes at any given time. Really, really dark, this movie, but you hear Abbey's "voice" throughout, therefore very enjoyable in spite of darkness. It's up there -- on a scale of one to ten, let's say 8 or 9.
Wednesday, February 28, 2001
700.9!
(Passed 600 on 2/6, so I'm doing a little more than 100 a month - though last week I only rode one day.)
Kickin' ass on the ride home. Old familiar-looking red-shouldered hawk on the wires by Bailey Ave...
Nissan XTerra that previously looked pretty cool, now doesn't look so great, per Consumer Reports...
But equivalent vehicles are all quite a bit more expensive. May look at Subarus, though my ex-boss had a "Forester," and I can't stomach driving one too no matter HOW good it might be. Anyway, I'm meanwhile moving a step forward on the loan process.
Good productive work day - though a lot of the work we did may turn out convincing us to go another way, that does happen sometimes.
Family all okay in Seattle...
(Passed 600 on 2/6, so I'm doing a little more than 100 a month - though last week I only rode one day.)
Kickin' ass on the ride home. Old familiar-looking red-shouldered hawk on the wires by Bailey Ave...
Nissan XTerra that previously looked pretty cool, now doesn't look so great, per Consumer Reports...
But equivalent vehicles are all quite a bit more expensive. May look at Subarus, though my ex-boss had a "Forester," and I can't stomach driving one too no matter HOW good it might be. Anyway, I'm meanwhile moving a step forward on the loan process.
Good productive work day - though a lot of the work we did may turn out convincing us to go another way, that does happen sometimes.
Family all okay in Seattle...
697.1.
Ho hum, another beautiful winter day in Sonoma County. Already in the 50s at 6:30 or so.
Sun rising as I rode in. Stayed in 3-8 (highest gear) all the way to the bottom of the Fair Ave. hill, but frankly not feeling as peppy as I did monday and tuesday.
Lambs again, both on Skillman and Bailey. The ones on Bailey were backlit by the rising sun, and I stopped and almost got out the camera, but of course they all started heading for the back of the yard as soon as I stopped.
"Jesus' Son" last night. A funny, sad, weird, wonderful, movie. Go see it.
Then, "When Animals Attack," on regular cable. Same old footage, and really, kind of annoying, again, how people consider their lives somehow worth more than that of a wild creature. I would consider it an honor to be thought foodworthy by a cougar (and isn't it natural selection at work, when some dummie gets attacked by a bear because they sleep in the open smelling like food?). It was heartbreaking to see those stupid rangers holding the dead cougar up after they'd shot it because it attacked a little kid (who was not paying attention [and whose PARENTS were not paying attention], and was running and looking to the cougar very much like prey - what do you expect a lion to do? Introduce itself and shake his hand?). It's simply wrong. Let's see. How many cougars left in the world? How many dumb children and parents?
Then we're off on a little riff with the cats: "When Animals Cuddle."
"As the unsuspecting couple watches TV, the wild ferocious Siamese are stalking them, waiting for a lap to appear..."
(If you liked the Siamese, check out bentmetal sometime.)
Hoping to start being busy here, one of these days....
Ho hum, another beautiful winter day in Sonoma County. Already in the 50s at 6:30 or so.
Sun rising as I rode in. Stayed in 3-8 (highest gear) all the way to the bottom of the Fair Ave. hill, but frankly not feeling as peppy as I did monday and tuesday.
Lambs again, both on Skillman and Bailey. The ones on Bailey were backlit by the rising sun, and I stopped and almost got out the camera, but of course they all started heading for the back of the yard as soon as I stopped.
"Jesus' Son" last night. A funny, sad, weird, wonderful, movie. Go see it.
Then, "When Animals Attack," on regular cable. Same old footage, and really, kind of annoying, again, how people consider their lives somehow worth more than that of a wild creature. I would consider it an honor to be thought foodworthy by a cougar (and isn't it natural selection at work, when some dummie gets attacked by a bear because they sleep in the open smelling like food?). It was heartbreaking to see those stupid rangers holding the dead cougar up after they'd shot it because it attacked a little kid (who was not paying attention [and whose PARENTS were not paying attention], and was running and looking to the cougar very much like prey - what do you expect a lion to do? Introduce itself and shake his hand?). It's simply wrong. Let's see. How many cougars left in the world? How many dumb children and parents?
Then we're off on a little riff with the cats: "When Animals Cuddle."
"As the unsuspecting couple watches TV, the wild ferocious Siamese are stalking them, waiting for a lap to appear..."
(If you liked the Siamese, check out bentmetal sometime.)
Hoping to start being busy here, one of these days....
Tuesday, February 27, 2001
692.9? (It's usually 6 miles on the King Road route.)
Phenomenally lovely day (high 74'F), after all the rain and snow. We're expecting more rain on the weekend, but this weather should hold for this week's commuting.
Approved for a car loan. Now gotta figure out what car to get, and where.
Recommended reading: Car Buying Tips
Even if I do everything else stupidly from here on out, I believe the above site probably saved me 6% on the loan APR.
Anyway. Again, staying in higher gears up the hills, and don't know if this is a result of something physical or just a mindset adjustment. It's nice, though. Makes me think I'm semi-healthy.
Phenomenally lovely day (high 74'F), after all the rain and snow. We're expecting more rain on the weekend, but this weather should hold for this week's commuting.
Approved for a car loan. Now gotta figure out what car to get, and where.
Recommended reading: Car Buying Tips
Even if I do everything else stupidly from here on out, I believe the above site probably saved me 6% on the loan APR.
Anyway. Again, staying in higher gears up the hills, and don't know if this is a result of something physical or just a mindset adjustment. It's nice, though. Makes me think I'm semi-healthy.
686.9.
Chilly. I think the pheasant is related to the roadrunner...
Very small lambs along Skillman, just where the road is higher than the land to the south, so I was looking down on two ewes and three lambs huddled beside a barn.
Well, not only is the ride getting easier, but also shorter! Odometer read 683.3 when I left this morning, so only 3.6 miles today, evidently, .3 miles down from the usual 3.9. Allow for rounding, better turns here and there, and (perhaps) fewer stops?
More prospective landlords looking at the house(s) today. Sigh. I do wish THIS thing would now be over, one way or the other; the uncertainty is worse than any possible outcome.
"Born Today" has some pretty good ones today. Since about the past year, some of the quotes surprise even me - I don't always remember the ones I added more than a year ago, or, y'know, I added them with a chuckle six months back and immediately forgot 'em. I continue to work on these pages on weekends, though I've slacked off a bit lately, pushing for some undefined encyclopedic quality. Hav eadded many more cross references like those for presidents, prime ministers, and first ladies, and the links between wives and husbands like under Joanne Woodward and Liz Taylor today. And there's this continuing cogitation about how I can make it bigger, more unbelievable as a piece of work. Gee y'know, of musician, artist, writer, and quotemonger, I'd really prefer to be remembered after I'm dead as one of the first three... Be this as it may, the database is closing on 10,000 records - at that point, I might consider trying to shop a book around.
Wonder if, somehow, someday, that site will provide some kind of windfall for me. It seems to gain steadily in hits; generally has been creeping up towards (and past) three hundred main-page hits (and 15,000+ total hits) per week. (In spite of the annoying fact that typical visits always show Lolo Ferrari (3/4, 3/5) as one the most popular hits.) People who like "Born Today" seem to like it "repeatedly" - they come back; with some, I've had brief e-versations.
Guess I have work to do; at any rate, I have a latte to buy & drink while I wait for work to appear...
Chilly. I think the pheasant is related to the roadrunner...
Very small lambs along Skillman, just where the road is higher than the land to the south, so I was looking down on two ewes and three lambs huddled beside a barn.
Well, not only is the ride getting easier, but also shorter! Odometer read 683.3 when I left this morning, so only 3.6 miles today, evidently, .3 miles down from the usual 3.9. Allow for rounding, better turns here and there, and (perhaps) fewer stops?
More prospective landlords looking at the house(s) today. Sigh. I do wish THIS thing would now be over, one way or the other; the uncertainty is worse than any possible outcome.
"Born Today" has some pretty good ones today. Since about the past year, some of the quotes surprise even me - I don't always remember the ones I added more than a year ago, or, y'know, I added them with a chuckle six months back and immediately forgot 'em. I continue to work on these pages on weekends, though I've slacked off a bit lately, pushing for some undefined encyclopedic quality. Hav eadded many more cross references like those for presidents, prime ministers, and first ladies, and the links between wives and husbands like under Joanne Woodward and Liz Taylor today. And there's this continuing cogitation about how I can make it bigger, more unbelievable as a piece of work. Gee y'know, of musician, artist, writer, and quotemonger, I'd really prefer to be remembered after I'm dead as one of the first three... Be this as it may, the database is closing on 10,000 records - at that point, I might consider trying to shop a book around.
Wonder if, somehow, someday, that site will provide some kind of windfall for me. It seems to gain steadily in hits; generally has been creeping up towards (and past) three hundred main-page hits (and 15,000+ total hits) per week. (In spite of the annoying fact that typical visits always show Lolo Ferrari (3/4, 3/5) as one the most popular hits.) People who like "Born Today" seem to like it "repeatedly" - they come back; with some, I've had brief e-versations.
Guess I have work to do; at any rate, I have a latte to buy & drink while I wait for work to appear...
Monday, February 26, 2001
683.2.
Took a little extra bit from Skillman through the "secret" Vinafera road, through the elementary school, and then over Two Rock.
(I know, non-local people reading this will have no clue what I'm talking about... really gotta get a local map up here somewhere.)
Maybe my imagination, but the grinding uphill yesterday at Putnam Park seems to have had some effect on my climbing ability. I powered over the little hill on Fair Ave in the highest gear, and then over Two Rock without the usual stops... so maybe I am getting some lasting benefit here in spite of the smoking.
But I saw a guy on a road bike (in full stretch-pant cycloid gear) going west on Bodega as I was going east towards the school, and I saw him again on Eucalyptus. He HAD to have stopped somewhere, or else I totally kicked his ass speed-wise, including a significant uphill where he had mostly downhill. Of course he stopped somewhere, but it made me feel really, really good about my cycling to date - so, thank you, cycloid-dude, whoever you are!
We were told today at work that the project on which we've been working is changing completely. Basically instead of just doing stages 1 and 2, we're jumping straight to 3 or 4. And there were admonitions that we'd need to work long hours and weekends for the next three to six months, and that "slackers" would be let go. None of this really bothers me, except: I've only been REALLY busy at this job about five days in the last nine months -- compared to my last job, this job is a BREEZE. I've been busier and liking it in the past couple of months, and I really do like to be busy - even like the 12-hour days of crunch time - but pardon my skepticism when they imply that I'll be busier than I've ever been in my 25 years of working! Anyway, there are significant rewards for star performers, and oddly, "other opportunities" for "glory hogs." I've never (never) hogged another's glory, but I have on occasion felt compelled to raise consciousness about my own accomplishments.
Anyway, as I come to understand the full scope of the project, maybe I'll have more respect for it, but as it stands, I don't see this being a WordStar 5, or the 1991 Payroll season, or any number of other REALLY high-stress times in my working life. If it is such a time, I welcome it! I'm not drinking, I'm in as good physical shape than probably the last ten years, and I'm basically content and happy with my life, except for occasional boredom at work (and this damned housing and vehicle situation). There is no better time for this to happen.
Took a little extra bit from Skillman through the "secret" Vinafera road, through the elementary school, and then over Two Rock.
(I know, non-local people reading this will have no clue what I'm talking about... really gotta get a local map up here somewhere.)
Maybe my imagination, but the grinding uphill yesterday at Putnam Park seems to have had some effect on my climbing ability. I powered over the little hill on Fair Ave in the highest gear, and then over Two Rock without the usual stops... so maybe I am getting some lasting benefit here in spite of the smoking.
But I saw a guy on a road bike (in full stretch-pant cycloid gear) going west on Bodega as I was going east towards the school, and I saw him again on Eucalyptus. He HAD to have stopped somewhere, or else I totally kicked his ass speed-wise, including a significant uphill where he had mostly downhill. Of course he stopped somewhere, but it made me feel really, really good about my cycling to date - so, thank you, cycloid-dude, whoever you are!
We were told today at work that the project on which we've been working is changing completely. Basically instead of just doing stages 1 and 2, we're jumping straight to 3 or 4. And there were admonitions that we'd need to work long hours and weekends for the next three to six months, and that "slackers" would be let go. None of this really bothers me, except: I've only been REALLY busy at this job about five days in the last nine months -- compared to my last job, this job is a BREEZE. I've been busier and liking it in the past couple of months, and I really do like to be busy - even like the 12-hour days of crunch time - but pardon my skepticism when they imply that I'll be busier than I've ever been in my 25 years of working! Anyway, there are significant rewards for star performers, and oddly, "other opportunities" for "glory hogs." I've never (never) hogged another's glory, but I have on occasion felt compelled to raise consciousness about my own accomplishments.
Anyway, as I come to understand the full scope of the project, maybe I'll have more respect for it, but as it stands, I don't see this being a WordStar 5, or the 1991 Payroll season, or any number of other REALLY high-stress times in my working life. If it is such a time, I welcome it! I'm not drinking, I'm in as good physical shape than probably the last ten years, and I'm basically content and happy with my life, except for occasional boredom at work (and this damned housing and vehicle situation). There is no better time for this to happen.
677.1.
Road Rash Rides Again!
I finally attempted some off-road riding yesterday, spending about an hour on the single-track trails at Putnam park. Very discouraging, that all of this road riding hasn't really prepared me much for riding on those trails. Of course, it was muddy, and of course I had to ride up a mile-long paved-but-steep path (and get bitten by some bastard's uncontrolled dog) just to get to the dirt trails. Of course, I hadn't ridden the bike even on the road since Tuesday. Of course, excuses are a dime a dozen. But still, I was getting winded WAY too quickly, practically at the first intimation of an uphill track.
Well, it's something else to work up to, and I have a vague idea that I'll start riding there every Sunday.
No cheap online loan for a car. After reading a certain set of articles on the web (I'll post the URL later), I will NOT finance a car thru a dealer, and probably won't even buy a car from a dealer. I'll probably go to the dealers, though, to test-drive. We looked at the Nissan XTerra saturday - a cute little 4-wheeler with some attractive features. Have read good and bad things about it (and Nissan service) since. It's not really comparable to the 2WD Dodge Ram/Dakota trucks towards which I was gravitating earlier, a different beast entirely (and maybe as much as $5k more - but vehix.com* compares it to the Durango, which is as much as 10k more than the straight Dakota on which it's based).
* Note: vehix.com is probably funded by the automakers; i.e., a promotional site (why they can afford to advertise on TV). They don't really provide much useful info about the vehicles. It's mostly the stuff you can read on the sticker at the dealer.
Resolved to ride more than I drive and, as much as possible, continue with the daily riding to work. Somewhat happier now with the car, having gotten used to driving it again (and having taken a couple of drives around the west county). Saturday, we saw a couple of kites (which we may have seen before but hadn't identified); one hovering almost motionless, hunting, over a field for about five minutes - we both cheered when it finally dove to the grass and appeared to come up with a kill; and the usual assortment of other raptors. The mustard is blooming impressively now in big fields here and there. I will amend my usual story about why it's called "The Golden State," because I think it's these giant swatches of mustard, not the more sparse poppies, that early explorers probably saw.
Also Saturday, we talked with a potential caterer for our wedding reception. $2500 and an appointment in Sonoma (almost an hour of driving), courteous and friendly enough, but not only do they have nothing to sample, they have the temerity to mention that our party (75 people) is "small." While it may be true, that's not something you EVER mention in a service-oriented business. It certainly should have no bearing on the level of service you provide -- it's still the most important wedding reception WE will ever do, and they need to take a class with Tom Peters (or whoever that customer-satisfaction motivational-speaker guy is). This being my first experience with wedding-reception caterers, maybe it's the norm. But I don't like that, and I don't like that they're situated this far away (though granted, Marin County caterers may be significantly more expensive). Once we have at least one other caterer to compare them to, maybe I'll think differently.
Sunday was one big sky show. Menacing black clouds; here and there a sudden shower of big fat raindrops; rainbows; "golden" evening light, setting the mustard blossoms afire. But no more kite aerobatics.
Friday's quarterly meeting was pretty much as expected. 90 minutes of travel each way. Powerless, pointless, ENDless -- PowerPoint.
Road Rash Rides Again!
I finally attempted some off-road riding yesterday, spending about an hour on the single-track trails at Putnam park. Very discouraging, that all of this road riding hasn't really prepared me much for riding on those trails. Of course, it was muddy, and of course I had to ride up a mile-long paved-but-steep path (and get bitten by some bastard's uncontrolled dog) just to get to the dirt trails. Of course, I hadn't ridden the bike even on the road since Tuesday. Of course, excuses are a dime a dozen. But still, I was getting winded WAY too quickly, practically at the first intimation of an uphill track.
Well, it's something else to work up to, and I have a vague idea that I'll start riding there every Sunday.
No cheap online loan for a car. After reading a certain set of articles on the web (I'll post the URL later), I will NOT finance a car thru a dealer, and probably won't even buy a car from a dealer. I'll probably go to the dealers, though, to test-drive. We looked at the Nissan XTerra saturday - a cute little 4-wheeler with some attractive features. Have read good and bad things about it (and Nissan service) since. It's not really comparable to the 2WD Dodge Ram/Dakota trucks towards which I was gravitating earlier, a different beast entirely (and maybe as much as $5k more - but vehix.com* compares it to the Durango, which is as much as 10k more than the straight Dakota on which it's based).
* Note: vehix.com is probably funded by the automakers; i.e., a promotional site (why they can afford to advertise on TV). They don't really provide much useful info about the vehicles. It's mostly the stuff you can read on the sticker at the dealer.
Resolved to ride more than I drive and, as much as possible, continue with the daily riding to work. Somewhat happier now with the car, having gotten used to driving it again (and having taken a couple of drives around the west county). Saturday, we saw a couple of kites (which we may have seen before but hadn't identified); one hovering almost motionless, hunting, over a field for about five minutes - we both cheered when it finally dove to the grass and appeared to come up with a kill; and the usual assortment of other raptors. The mustard is blooming impressively now in big fields here and there. I will amend my usual story about why it's called "The Golden State," because I think it's these giant swatches of mustard, not the more sparse poppies, that early explorers probably saw.
Also Saturday, we talked with a potential caterer for our wedding reception. $2500 and an appointment in Sonoma (almost an hour of driving), courteous and friendly enough, but not only do they have nothing to sample, they have the temerity to mention that our party (75 people) is "small." While it may be true, that's not something you EVER mention in a service-oriented business. It certainly should have no bearing on the level of service you provide -- it's still the most important wedding reception WE will ever do, and they need to take a class with Tom Peters (or whoever that customer-satisfaction motivational-speaker guy is). This being my first experience with wedding-reception caterers, maybe it's the norm. But I don't like that, and I don't like that they're situated this far away (though granted, Marin County caterers may be significantly more expensive). Once we have at least one other caterer to compare them to, maybe I'll think differently.
Sunday was one big sky show. Menacing black clouds; here and there a sudden shower of big fat raindrops; rainbows; "golden" evening light, setting the mustard blossoms afire. But no more kite aerobatics.
Friday's quarterly meeting was pretty much as expected. 90 minutes of travel each way. Powerless, pointless, ENDless -- PowerPoint.
Thursday, February 22, 2001
"The bike stops here."
Well, not really, but the pun's been in my head. Just had to use the car two days in a row because of work and errand-related stuff, and have the infamous 15-hour department meeting tomorrow. Will get back on the bike monday.
We had a great hailstorm and downpour at 5am today. Can't believe the cats still wanted to go out in it.
Sweet Dreams last night - I like my biopics using at least two actors to show the biographee at different ages, so I can compare whether the child actor looks sorta like the adult. However, "Sweet Dreams" starts in Patsy Cline's late teens, so Jessica Lange is all you get throughout. Ed Harris was good in this movie. But it didn't seem like it really gave a good feel for who Patsy Cline was, much less where she came from. Couple that with the knowledge that Lange lip-synched to Patsy's singing throughout (and imagining it in silence), I was dissatisfied with the flick.
I now own my million-dollar Mustang. Well, I got the title from Ford back in August, and have just now finally gone to the DMV to take Ford Credit off the title.
Preparatory to shopping for a new vehicle. Consider the Mustang a $300/mo rental, with a few free months as a bonus and then an $1800 surcharge.
It runs okay now, fine I guess, and it's nice to have both headlights and temp gauge golden. But, non-mechanic that I am, I can't quite shake the feeling that the car coldly betrayed me. The bicycle hasn't done this . . . yet.
Well, not really, but the pun's been in my head. Just had to use the car two days in a row because of work and errand-related stuff, and have the infamous 15-hour department meeting tomorrow. Will get back on the bike monday.
We had a great hailstorm and downpour at 5am today. Can't believe the cats still wanted to go out in it.
Sweet Dreams last night - I like my biopics using at least two actors to show the biographee at different ages, so I can compare whether the child actor looks sorta like the adult. However, "Sweet Dreams" starts in Patsy Cline's late teens, so Jessica Lange is all you get throughout. Ed Harris was good in this movie. But it didn't seem like it really gave a good feel for who Patsy Cline was, much less where she came from. Couple that with the knowledge that Lange lip-synched to Patsy's singing throughout (and imagining it in silence), I was dissatisfied with the flick.
I now own my million-dollar Mustang. Well, I got the title from Ford back in August, and have just now finally gone to the DMV to take Ford Credit off the title.
Preparatory to shopping for a new vehicle. Consider the Mustang a $300/mo rental, with a few free months as a bonus and then an $1800 surcharge.
It runs okay now, fine I guess, and it's nice to have both headlights and temp gauge golden. But, non-mechanic that I am, I can't quite shake the feeling that the car coldly betrayed me. The bicycle hasn't done this . . . yet.
Tuesday, February 20, 2001
666.9 - the devil's mileage!
But actually not. The bike's been in for maintenance, and so rides extra smoothly today.
I get a little weary of repeatedly saying that I've just barely managed to squeak in between rainstorms, but that again has been the case. Rain in Northern California is rarely of the clouds-open-and-pour-everything-for-hours-on-end variety. We get the major downpours occasionally, but it's usually a matter of waiting a few minutes and then it peters out into drizzle. It's been raining on and off all weekend, and I kinda dreaded this morning's ride, but - part of my "resolutely get on the bike and go" morning routine.
The cold has returned, but it's now in the more-alarming bronchial area. Hawking up phlegm, yuck. Wish I had actually quit smoking one of those 18 million times I tried. I know I need to, but we're trying to get a "safe" amount of non-drinking behind us before we cross that hurdle. If we take away all of our "comforts" at once, we're WAY more likely to start 'em ALL again. "Do you know that smoking is killing you?" Duh, yes, I do, and I'm completely, horribly, addicted. I see myself sitting helpless as the cancer spreads and my life is cut short, drag by drag. Well, it won't be long now.
Nice little hike yesterday at Roy's Redwoods. Really little, like less than a mile, but a redwood grove is like a cathedral - Quiet, with a very high ceiling, and people chanting and some guy telling you what to do... Oh wait, that's a REAL cathedral.
"Get Carter," man what a stooopid movie. It could've actually been okay, but Stallone (and I should know this by now) doesn't touch anything with a light hand. What could've been an interesting psychological-suspense-noir thriller a la Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, becomes in Stallone's hands a ham-fisted bludgeoning of the viewer and all players. Flashing on the fact that we should all boycott Stallone (I suppose I'm just a little late getting to this), and get him out of the public consciousness before he runs for office or something. He's some dumb schmo from Joisey, y'know, whose sole talent lies in the arena of body-building. He really IS Rocky, and has no business "acting" in anything else. He shouldn't even get that Travolta-like hiatus and Pulp-Fiction comeback. And for trying to be Bogart in this movie, he should be shot, after being set afire and pushed out a 14th-story window. Remind me later that I said this: I will never give a penny to Stallone again. Woody Allen's unwatchable, but some of his movies are still pretty good. Stallone is waaaay beyond that.
I'm pretty indiscriminate when it comes to renting movies (I generally get 4 for $8 at local vid store), but must remember that this IS giving money to the filmmakers/cast/etc., and encouraging them to do more. Gotta be more careful about that.
Supposed to get the Mustang back today. I'll believe it when I see myself driving it home - hoping it's less than the max quoted, because that's exactly what I have in checking at the moment. Looked at Dodge (and a couple of Chevy) trucks yesterday... 'spensive, but not TOOO bad. I sorta think it'll improve my credit rating to take on SOME credit burden. They frown on people making xx,xxx a year and not owing any money to anyone, y'know.
The stuff you get used to: I don't think I'd buy a car without power windows/door locks at this point. Power windows are a safety feature: ever tried to roll down the passenger window while driving 60mph down the freeway? Or hell, even your OWN window! Considering whether I really want a CD player in the car... tapes are longer, and I have hundreds of CDs where there's only a couple songs I like. But now I can burn CDs, so could still manage to keep the CD collection intact in the house, but really, CDs max 80 minutes, tapes 110 . . . Conclusion: I don't need a CD player in the car.
Okay, to the smokes and latte and showers now...
But actually not. The bike's been in for maintenance, and so rides extra smoothly today.
I get a little weary of repeatedly saying that I've just barely managed to squeak in between rainstorms, but that again has been the case. Rain in Northern California is rarely of the clouds-open-and-pour-everything-for-hours-on-end variety. We get the major downpours occasionally, but it's usually a matter of waiting a few minutes and then it peters out into drizzle. It's been raining on and off all weekend, and I kinda dreaded this morning's ride, but - part of my "resolutely get on the bike and go" morning routine.
The cold has returned, but it's now in the more-alarming bronchial area. Hawking up phlegm, yuck. Wish I had actually quit smoking one of those 18 million times I tried. I know I need to, but we're trying to get a "safe" amount of non-drinking behind us before we cross that hurdle. If we take away all of our "comforts" at once, we're WAY more likely to start 'em ALL again. "Do you know that smoking is killing you?" Duh, yes, I do, and I'm completely, horribly, addicted. I see myself sitting helpless as the cancer spreads and my life is cut short, drag by drag. Well, it won't be long now.
Nice little hike yesterday at Roy's Redwoods. Really little, like less than a mile, but a redwood grove is like a cathedral - Quiet, with a very high ceiling, and people chanting and some guy telling you what to do... Oh wait, that's a REAL cathedral.
"Get Carter," man what a stooopid movie. It could've actually been okay, but Stallone (and I should know this by now) doesn't touch anything with a light hand. What could've been an interesting psychological-suspense-noir thriller a la Frank Miller's "Sin City" graphic novels, becomes in Stallone's hands a ham-fisted bludgeoning of the viewer and all players. Flashing on the fact that we should all boycott Stallone (I suppose I'm just a little late getting to this), and get him out of the public consciousness before he runs for office or something. He's some dumb schmo from Joisey, y'know, whose sole talent lies in the arena of body-building. He really IS Rocky, and has no business "acting" in anything else. He shouldn't even get that Travolta-like hiatus and Pulp-Fiction comeback. And for trying to be Bogart in this movie, he should be shot, after being set afire and pushed out a 14th-story window. Remind me later that I said this: I will never give a penny to Stallone again. Woody Allen's unwatchable, but some of his movies are still pretty good. Stallone is waaaay beyond that.
I'm pretty indiscriminate when it comes to renting movies (I generally get 4 for $8 at local vid store), but must remember that this IS giving money to the filmmakers/cast/etc., and encouraging them to do more. Gotta be more careful about that.
Supposed to get the Mustang back today. I'll believe it when I see myself driving it home - hoping it's less than the max quoted, because that's exactly what I have in checking at the moment. Looked at Dodge (and a couple of Chevy) trucks yesterday... 'spensive, but not TOOO bad. I sorta think it'll improve my credit rating to take on SOME credit burden. They frown on people making xx,xxx a year and not owing any money to anyone, y'know.
The stuff you get used to: I don't think I'd buy a car without power windows/door locks at this point. Power windows are a safety feature: ever tried to roll down the passenger window while driving 60mph down the freeway? Or hell, even your OWN window! Considering whether I really want a CD player in the car... tapes are longer, and I have hundreds of CDs where there's only a couple songs I like. But now I can burn CDs, so could still manage to keep the CD collection intact in the house, but really, CDs max 80 minutes, tapes 110 . . . Conclusion: I don't need a CD player in the car.
Okay, to the smokes and latte and showers now...
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