Yet, as of this morning I just took on two freelance assignments for the Boulder Weekly too good to pass up. The first one involves interviewing Eric Weihenmayer, famous for climbing Mount Everest (not to mention the "seven summits"--the highest peaks on each continent). You may also note that Eric is blind, which makes the whole thing a bit more tricky. I'll be interviewing him regarding a new film he is starring in called Blindsight. I'll be at the premier here in Boulder in a few weeks as well. It's a fascinating project and too good to pass up.
My other assignment is covering a few new road-bike events in Boulder. While not quite as philosophically gripping, I actually get in touch with two of my friends I haven't seen in a while since they are the race reps. So again, this falls in the category of "good busy".
In the category of "crazy scary" comes this wild homicide story from Loveland, Colorado. The extra scary part is that this happened in my friend Krista's neighborhood (her blog is over there "Krista Stories"). Without getting too much into it, she was there to watch some of the madness unfold and thankfully, she wasn't involved. Having something happen like this in your own neighborhood is bound to rattle you a little bit and of course make you wonder about the nature of people. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors, you know?
So a lot going on for a Friday, good and bad. I'm sure there's some kind of all-compassing tie-in to all these things but my brain is too dull to piece them together.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tonight my REI "World Tour" concludes with a visit to the Lakewood store. The shows keep getting better and better and I've had a lot of fun chatting with folks along the way. I wish I could just do publicity and writing full time! All I need is an outrageously wealthy benefactor to support my arts (hey, if someone can pay that guy to put curtains in Central Park, they can pay me to write about mountains and video games). So if you're out there wealthy benefactor, I'm waiting!
Also, speaking of benefactors I'm starting to think I should be Mystic's agent. How many dogs have been in the newspaper, on TV and now in a special Science Diet slideshow? My sister used his ultra-cute face for her presentation (by the way, that's NOT Xanadu in the kitty picture, rather my sister's own calico kitty, Isis). I'll be glad to finish up the last book show here though, because our walkies have been really limited lately. Friday should be a big adventure somewhere fun or at least a visit to Dry Creek.
Anyhow, thanks to all the folks who came out for the REI and Boulder Bookstore Shows--I'm sure there will be more in the future!
Also, speaking of benefactors I'm starting to think I should be Mystic's agent. How many dogs have been in the newspaper, on TV and now in a special Science Diet slideshow? My sister used his ultra-cute face for her presentation (by the way, that's NOT Xanadu in the kitty picture, rather my sister's own calico kitty, Isis). I'll be glad to finish up the last book show here though, because our walkies have been really limited lately. Friday should be a big adventure somewhere fun or at least a visit to Dry Creek. Anyhow, thanks to all the folks who came out for the REI and Boulder Bookstore Shows--I'm sure there will be more in the future!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Hip Hip Hooray, three cheers for my Dad whose birthday is today! He's a great guy and I wish I got to see more of him (*hint, hint, come visit Colorado Dad!)--so my goal today is to do something fun in his honor. You should too!
Later tonight I'll be giving the fourth of my presentations for my book, this time at the Englewood, Colorado REI Store. Overall, the experience has been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed chatting with folks about the mountains. Tomorrow is Lakewood REI and then a reprieve from the shows for a bit. With that new free time I'm going to be finishing up my personal web site and moving it over to a new hosting company. (Here's a preview of the games template, using classic NES colors).
So one last thought: thinking about my Dad, one thing he and my Mom were great at was instilling a sense of imagination in my sister and I. One of my favorite childhood activities was making custom spaceships for my little rubber monsters (all Japanese movie monsters, I've NEVER found any additional info about them but they were called Monster-In-A-Can if I remember correctly. They were kind of like MUSCLE Men only cooler). Those old McDonald's foam hamburger/nugget containers were perfect because they were easy to decorate and carve out windows and the McNugget container even had a "pilot's seat" (where you put the sauce). One dozen egg containers were good "troop transports" when an expedition had to find the poor scout who was frozen in an ice cube in the icy tundra in the land of Frigidaire.
I don't know if kids do cool stuff like that nowadays. Maybe. Either way, it makes me want to see what I can create out of the doggie bag I got from Wahoo's Fish Taco last week.
Later tonight I'll be giving the fourth of my presentations for my book, this time at the Englewood, Colorado REI Store. Overall, the experience has been a lot of fun and I've enjoyed chatting with folks about the mountains. Tomorrow is Lakewood REI and then a reprieve from the shows for a bit. With that new free time I'm going to be finishing up my personal web site and moving it over to a new hosting company. (Here's a preview of the games template, using classic NES colors).
So one last thought: thinking about my Dad, one thing he and my Mom were great at was instilling a sense of imagination in my sister and I. One of my favorite childhood activities was making custom spaceships for my little rubber monsters (all Japanese movie monsters, I've NEVER found any additional info about them but they were called Monster-In-A-Can if I remember correctly. They were kind of like MUSCLE Men only cooler). Those old McDonald's foam hamburger/nugget containers were perfect because they were easy to decorate and carve out windows and the McNugget container even had a "pilot's seat" (where you put the sauce). One dozen egg containers were good "troop transports" when an expedition had to find the poor scout who was frozen in an ice cube in the icy tundra in the land of Frigidaire.
I don't know if kids do cool stuff like that nowadays. Maybe. Either way, it makes me want to see what I can create out of the doggie bag I got from Wahoo's Fish Taco last week.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
We need more three day weekends, don't you agree? You know you've had a good time when it feels like the things you did only a day or two in the past feel like they happened a month ago, thanks to how we experience time when cramming all kinds of fun things into each day.
Friday was a good start--went with Mystic and a group of human/canine pals for a post-work hike of Green Mountain here in town. Saturday was mostly tuning up the new bike (woo-hoo!) and taking Mystic to his favorite doggy place in the world, Dry Creek dog park in Boulder.
Sunday was the inaugural ride on the new bike, a double loop up at Walker Ranch in Boulder. All I can say is the new bike is like a whole different experience--it was so light and nimble, it was as if I was piloting a ride made of cotton candy. I did manage to propel myself over the handlebars once while trying to get used to the ultra-responsive handling, but overall what a blast!
Yesterday was a rare occurrence here in Boulder--a full-fledged rainy day! We get about 7-10 all-out rainy or snowy days a year in town, which translates to less than one a month. Not to be deterred, I was able to sneak in a quick and filthy mtn. bike ride at Heil Ranch.
Rainy days and nights are a rare treat here in Boulder so I ended my holiday relaxing with Xanadu and Mystic in front of the TV and watching sports. The rain came down is assorted bursts and lightning added some magic to the night sky---very nice! It's one more busy week here as I have two more presentations for my book but a lot of the "work" side of things are winding down and fun is right around the corner!
Friday was a good start--went with Mystic and a group of human/canine pals for a post-work hike of Green Mountain here in town. Saturday was mostly tuning up the new bike (woo-hoo!) and taking Mystic to his favorite doggy place in the world, Dry Creek dog park in Boulder.
Sunday was the inaugural ride on the new bike, a double loop up at Walker Ranch in Boulder. All I can say is the new bike is like a whole different experience--it was so light and nimble, it was as if I was piloting a ride made of cotton candy. I did manage to propel myself over the handlebars once while trying to get used to the ultra-responsive handling, but overall what a blast!
Yesterday was a rare occurrence here in Boulder--a full-fledged rainy day! We get about 7-10 all-out rainy or snowy days a year in town, which translates to less than one a month. Not to be deterred, I was able to sneak in a quick and filthy mtn. bike ride at Heil Ranch.
Rainy days and nights are a rare treat here in Boulder so I ended my holiday relaxing with Xanadu and Mystic in front of the TV and watching sports. The rain came down is assorted bursts and lightning added some magic to the night sky---very nice! It's one more busy week here as I have two more presentations for my book but a lot of the "work" side of things are winding down and fun is right around the corner!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Usually when I don't post for a while it's a result of too much freelance work, video game distractions or pure laziness. The past week however, has been busy with all kinds of cool media endeavors for my book. Tuesday I did a hike up humble Mount Sanitas in Boulder with a Fox News 31 crew which consisted of meteorologist Chris Tomer and cameraman Josh White (who happens to be the brother of my publicist at Wilderness Press, Emily). Mystic joined us for the romp and ended up being the star of the show because he's so darn cute-- err, I mean rugged. They were cool chaps and the weather was beautiful so no complaints. For those interested in seeing the piece, it is going to be on the air Tuesday morning (I'll try to get a clip online too).
Yesterday I did another slideshow and book signing at REI's Flagship Store in Denver. It was a smashing success -- 45 people showed up and about half of them bought books -- and I was much more relaxed than my first show at the Boulder Book Store. Tonight I present the same show in Boulder, it should be exciting and fun. I have two more shows next week in Englewood and Lakewood to round out my REI world tour.
This morning we had our official Natural Habitat Adventures company portrait, taken at Chautauqua Park in Boulder. Of course, Mystic found his way to the front row! Even though I'm just "borrowing" him, a cool dog like Mystic is great PR for an outdoors writer, wouldn't you agree?
In other news, I finally am getting some treatment on my notoriously troublesome ankles. Even at the tender age of 32, they are arthritic and rather inflexible. X-rays showed I also had at least one fracture in the past few years in each ankle (I'm always the last to know these things apparently). The Doc I'm going to is going to try some new experimental treatments to help get them a little less stiff though I'm a little skeptical how a donkey, two carrots and a ball of yarn is going to help.
I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new bike; I'm hoping it comes before the weekend so I can enjoy the holiday by ripping up some trails. I've actually been riding my old repaired bike more though I don't want to bang it up too much, since it's going to be for sale as soon as the new ride arrives.
Yesterday I did another slideshow and book signing at REI's Flagship Store in Denver. It was a smashing success -- 45 people showed up and about half of them bought books -- and I was much more relaxed than my first show at the Boulder Book Store. Tonight I present the same show in Boulder, it should be exciting and fun. I have two more shows next week in Englewood and Lakewood to round out my REI world tour.
This morning we had our official Natural Habitat Adventures company portrait, taken at Chautauqua Park in Boulder. Of course, Mystic found his way to the front row! Even though I'm just "borrowing" him, a cool dog like Mystic is great PR for an outdoors writer, wouldn't you agree?
In other news, I finally am getting some treatment on my notoriously troublesome ankles. Even at the tender age of 32, they are arthritic and rather inflexible. X-rays showed I also had at least one fracture in the past few years in each ankle (I'm always the last to know these things apparently). The Doc I'm going to is going to try some new experimental treatments to help get them a little less stiff though I'm a little skeptical how a donkey, two carrots and a ball of yarn is going to help.
I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new bike; I'm hoping it comes before the weekend so I can enjoy the holiday by ripping up some trails. I've actually been riding my old repaired bike more though I don't want to bang it up too much, since it's going to be for sale as soon as the new ride arrives.
Monday, May 19, 2008
You've all seen those exaggerated battles in movies where two adversaries tumble through cities, over cliffs, etc. all while engaged in an act of mortal combat. This weekend I got to experience my own version of cinema verite with a three-way to-the-death melee (for one of the participants) between Mystic, myself and a prairie dog. This was the first time Mystic was able to get a prairie dog out in the open and I knew it would be ugly. Thankfully, Mystic only tossed it around like a toy while the poor terrified prairie dog tried to fight back. P-dog made a great move to wiggle under the barbed wire fence, an evasive move that works well when avoiding big clumsy humans, not agile herding dogs. In order to keep up with the action, I had to slide myself under the wire as well as I tried to contain Mystic.
P-Dog's next move was to leap into a filthy stream of running ditch water, which of course Mystic followed--strategically, this was probably the worst move for the rodent, since Mystic could easily stand in the water and try to chomp him. The water was moving swiftly and I was able to jump in (fully clothed) and intercept Mystic before he could do anymore damage. P-dog floated to the side of the ditch, scrambled out and beat a hasty retreat. I assume he survived, since there was no blood (I think if Mystic had tasted it, it would have triggered his inner wolf and that would be the end of P-Dog).
So there we were, me bloody and wet and Mystic suddenly very unhappy for getting yelled at. Walking back up the trail I gave Mystic the silent treatment and he began to sulk. Dogs will be dogs, I understand, but he was a VERY bad AND could have given us both the plague.
So all this leads to right now-- where today I have a sore throat and actually feel kind of crummy (at least I only have to be on TV once and give two public presentations this week). My voice is kind of low and mysterious, like Count Chocula. Prairie dogs here have had a slight outbreak of the plague (yes, the bubonic variety) which is one of the main reasons you don't want your dogs attacking them. Mystic is the picture of health today, me not so much. I'm not really "sick" per se (went mtn. biking last night, rode to work today) but I didn't sleep well. My throat could also be ruptured from yelling so loud at Mystic. Or whatever made the ditch water run brown and green could be mutating me into a half-prairie dog half human superhero.
At least if it IS the plague, I won't have to worry about my presentations later in the week.
With my new Dawg Deluxe (shown to the right) on it's way, it's time to evaluate my fleet of bikes. You see, here in Boulder it's quite normal for everyone to have between 2-3 bikes per person: a road bike, a mountain bike and an around-town bike. People also often have cruiser bikes, cyclo-cross bikes, single-speed mountain bikes, hardtails (mtn bikes with no rear suspension), tandem bikes, recumbant bikes and even the occassional unicycle. We're a bike crazy town.
The condition of my personal fleet however, is in sad shape. My current Jamis Dakar XLT is the rolling wounded: it needs a new rear dereilleur and chain, new cable housing and a good cleaning. My around-town GT needs a new stem, a new shifter/brake and possibly a paint job. My humble Giant road bike needs an all-around tune up and some brake work. Of the three, it's the only one in functioning condition.
I like bike repair work, don't get me wrong, but bikes are very delicate instruments. I consider myself a decent car mechanic but the finer parts of bike maintenance can drive me crazy. Nevertheless, the fleet aims to be repaired and back on the road/dirt soon enough!
Other than that it's Friday (woot!) This is my first relaxing weekend since oh, February so I hope to sleep in a little, hang with Mystic and maybe even play outdoors.
P-Dog's next move was to leap into a filthy stream of running ditch water, which of course Mystic followed--strategically, this was probably the worst move for the rodent, since Mystic could easily stand in the water and try to chomp him. The water was moving swiftly and I was able to jump in (fully clothed) and intercept Mystic before he could do anymore damage. P-dog floated to the side of the ditch, scrambled out and beat a hasty retreat. I assume he survived, since there was no blood (I think if Mystic had tasted it, it would have triggered his inner wolf and that would be the end of P-Dog).
So there we were, me bloody and wet and Mystic suddenly very unhappy for getting yelled at. Walking back up the trail I gave Mystic the silent treatment and he began to sulk. Dogs will be dogs, I understand, but he was a VERY bad AND could have given us both the plague.
So all this leads to right now-- where today I have a sore throat and actually feel kind of crummy (at least I only have to be on TV once and give two public presentations this week). My voice is kind of low and mysterious, like Count Chocula. Prairie dogs here have had a slight outbreak of the plague (yes, the bubonic variety) which is one of the main reasons you don't want your dogs attacking them. Mystic is the picture of health today, me not so much. I'm not really "sick" per se (went mtn. biking last night, rode to work today) but I didn't sleep well. My throat could also be ruptured from yelling so loud at Mystic. Or whatever made the ditch water run brown and green could be mutating me into a half-prairie dog half human superhero.
At least if it IS the plague, I won't have to worry about my presentations later in the week.
Friday, May 16, 2008
With my new Dawg Deluxe (shown to the right) on it's way, it's time to evaluate my fleet of bikes. You see, here in Boulder it's quite normal for everyone to have between 2-3 bikes per person: a road bike, a mountain bike and an around-town bike. People also often have cruiser bikes, cyclo-cross bikes, single-speed mountain bikes, hardtails (mtn bikes with no rear suspension), tandem bikes, recumbant bikes and even the occassional unicycle. We're a bike crazy town. The condition of my personal fleet however, is in sad shape. My current Jamis Dakar XLT is the rolling wounded: it needs a new rear dereilleur and chain, new cable housing and a good cleaning. My around-town GT needs a new stem, a new shifter/brake and possibly a paint job. My humble Giant road bike needs an all-around tune up and some brake work. Of the three, it's the only one in functioning condition.
I like bike repair work, don't get me wrong, but bikes are very delicate instruments. I consider myself a decent car mechanic but the finer parts of bike maintenance can drive me crazy. Nevertheless, the fleet aims to be repaired and back on the road/dirt soon enough!
Other than that it's Friday (woot!) This is my first relaxing weekend since oh, February so I hope to sleep in a little, hang with Mystic and maybe even play outdoors.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Quick Note: Per request, I'll be taking Krista's blog off my roll, as she'd prefer it remain more of a private journal. Bookmark it today or else good luck finding it on the interwebz. The link will be gone by the end of the day today!
Lots going on tomorrow--I'm laying down the dough for my new Mtn. Bike and hope to have it shipped sooner than later. Also, Paul Retrum is in Boulder for the weekend to shop for a new bike for his self (and perhaps to help me patch up my soon-to-be old bike). Finally, I'm finally seeing a doctor about my banged up shoulder and cranky ankle (long overdue for both) to see if I'm worthy to play Ultimate this summer.
I think that's everything of note. My official term of Mystic's guardian began today, so for a month the little guy is in my hands! It always takes him a day or two to get used to my place but once he does, it should be smooth sailing. And in nerdy news, I'm trying to find all the secret bonus areas in Donkey Kong Country on the SNES and beginning to record my "Wild Arms" intro song on live instruments.
Lots going on tomorrow--I'm laying down the dough for my new Mtn. Bike and hope to have it shipped sooner than later. Also, Paul Retrum is in Boulder for the weekend to shop for a new bike for his self (and perhaps to help me patch up my soon-to-be old bike). Finally, I'm finally seeing a doctor about my banged up shoulder and cranky ankle (long overdue for both) to see if I'm worthy to play Ultimate this summer.
I think that's everything of note. My official term of Mystic's guardian began today, so for a month the little guy is in my hands! It always takes him a day or two to get used to my place but once he does, it should be smooth sailing. And in nerdy news, I'm trying to find all the secret bonus areas in Donkey Kong Country on the SNES and beginning to record my "Wild Arms" intro song on live instruments.
Friday, May 09, 2008
In other news...
Yeah, it's been a busy time here (what else is new?) There's a lot going on though--here's the scoop on what's new:
* It's only a scant 4 days before Sheila leaves for Germany for a full month (!) It's a wonderful opportunity for her to see a different culture, eat bratwurst, wear lederhosen, etc. but she will certainly be missed in Colorado. The only upside is I get to watch Mystic for the month of May and into June, which should be a blast (except when I have to take him outside at 5 AM to pee). I'll have to have her send me some pics to post on the ol' blog.
* My series of REI "World Tour" slide shows for my book kicks off on the 22nd of May right here in Boulder. I'm going to try and make it fun and lighthearted, since just babbling about how enlightened I got in the wilderness is going to make people fall asleep. One downside: you know that trick where you visualize the audience in their underwear to ease nervousness? That's not going to work here, because everyone is uber-fit and I'll probably just feel more intimidated and possibly weak. I was thinking about maybe wearing just MY underwear in case the audience was nervous, but I don't think I have any appropriate boxers for public speaking.
* The reworked and revamped web site is slowly nearing completion--though Mountain Air will likely stay the same. I do have a second blog that will probably be the "Colorado Summits" blog that will go up soon to be more outdoorsy (since I assume there isn't a huge crossover between mountain climbers and Donkey Konga fans).
* Next week I'll be ordering my new mountain bike from Kona (WOO freakin HOO!) This one is long overdue and yes, you can start making your jokes about it costing twice as much as my car (though I'm getting a fat deal on it from the Kona rep).
* The home studio is going through some bumps n' bruises and I realize I either have to figure out how to use the Tascam-224 to output MIDI + Soundfonts or else get a new internal card for higher quality recording. I've been practicing quite a bit and it feels good to get back in the swing, though my poor fingers are paying the price for not playing a lot in the last few months.
* Last night I finally broke the 50 minute barrier for a 10k (6.2) mile run, with a 47:54 time. My idea goal is to run 3 instances of sub-8 minute per mile 10ks and when I get that third one, I'm signing up for the Bolder Boulder, which I last ran in 2006 (see blog). The funny thing is I don't really LOVE running, but I like listening to music and being outside so 2/3 ain't bad, right?
* I've been reading a ton lately, mostly cerebral heady stuff about freedom and evolution, philosophy, etc but also acquired some new Simpsons comics and took out "The Bad Guys Won: The Story of the 1986 Mets" from the library.
* I'm not thrilled about my company's move to new offices but at the same time, it should be fairly painless for me since I'll be working from home quite a bit. If any of you guys need Yoga Balls or want Billy Blank's autograph, let me know.
* Also, check out Nileguide.com soon-- it's a great trip advisory site that is going to take off, you'll see! I'm doing some writing for them as the local expert for Boulder, Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge.
* Xanadu is going great, thanks for asking.
PS: Currently playing: Donkey Kong Country on the SNES.
PSS: Happy birthday to Paul Lenhart, the ol' one-lunger, severely sun-burned dude himself!
Yeah, it's been a busy time here (what else is new?) There's a lot going on though--here's the scoop on what's new:
* It's only a scant 4 days before Sheila leaves for Germany for a full month (!) It's a wonderful opportunity for her to see a different culture, eat bratwurst, wear lederhosen, etc. but she will certainly be missed in Colorado. The only upside is I get to watch Mystic for the month of May and into June, which should be a blast (except when I have to take him outside at 5 AM to pee). I'll have to have her send me some pics to post on the ol' blog.
* My series of REI "World Tour" slide shows for my book kicks off on the 22nd of May right here in Boulder. I'm going to try and make it fun and lighthearted, since just babbling about how enlightened I got in the wilderness is going to make people fall asleep. One downside: you know that trick where you visualize the audience in their underwear to ease nervousness? That's not going to work here, because everyone is uber-fit and I'll probably just feel more intimidated and possibly weak. I was thinking about maybe wearing just MY underwear in case the audience was nervous, but I don't think I have any appropriate boxers for public speaking.
* The reworked and revamped web site is slowly nearing completion--though Mountain Air will likely stay the same. I do have a second blog that will probably be the "Colorado Summits" blog that will go up soon to be more outdoorsy (since I assume there isn't a huge crossover between mountain climbers and Donkey Konga fans).
* Next week I'll be ordering my new mountain bike from Kona (WOO freakin HOO!) This one is long overdue and yes, you can start making your jokes about it costing twice as much as my car (though I'm getting a fat deal on it from the Kona rep).
* The home studio is going through some bumps n' bruises and I realize I either have to figure out how to use the Tascam-224 to output MIDI + Soundfonts or else get a new internal card for higher quality recording. I've been practicing quite a bit and it feels good to get back in the swing, though my poor fingers are paying the price for not playing a lot in the last few months.
* Last night I finally broke the 50 minute barrier for a 10k (6.2) mile run, with a 47:54 time. My idea goal is to run 3 instances of sub-8 minute per mile 10ks and when I get that third one, I'm signing up for the Bolder Boulder, which I last ran in 2006 (see blog). The funny thing is I don't really LOVE running, but I like listening to music and being outside so 2/3 ain't bad, right?
* I've been reading a ton lately, mostly cerebral heady stuff about freedom and evolution, philosophy, etc but also acquired some new Simpsons comics and took out "The Bad Guys Won: The Story of the 1986 Mets" from the library.
* I'm not thrilled about my company's move to new offices but at the same time, it should be fairly painless for me since I'll be working from home quite a bit. If any of you guys need Yoga Balls or want Billy Blank's autograph, let me know.
* Also, check out Nileguide.com soon-- it's a great trip advisory site that is going to take off, you'll see! I'm doing some writing for them as the local expert for Boulder, Vail, Aspen and Breckenridge.
* Xanadu is going great, thanks for asking.
PS: Currently playing: Donkey Kong Country on the SNES.
PSS: Happy birthday to Paul Lenhart, the ol' one-lunger, severely sun-burned dude himself!
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Today at Natural Habitat Adventures we got the news we're moving into the new uber-complex in Louisville, Colorado owned by our parent company, Gaiam. It sucks for most of my co-workers and semi-sucks for me. Our current offices in Boulder are great; not very formal, huge windows with blue-sky views everywhere, dog-friendly and we even have an in house N64. No dress code of course. And it's a 10 minute walk from my house. Now I have a 20 minute drive into a badge-based, corporate cubicle world where we have to be around a bunch of enlightened yuppie yoga freaks all day (ok, maybe I'm stereotyping - some of them are pilates freaks). It all reminds of the Simpsons episode where Homer has the perfect life working in the bowling alley until Marge gets pregnant again.
Anyhow, the good-ish news is that I will probably be working from home a few days a week. Good for Xanadu too. But I really will miss these cool, open offices where I look at the blue sky and flatiron rock formations everyday. I like walking to work in the AM to get my blood flowing. But ah well, that's the way the corporate world goes.
That night, before bed, Marge decides to tell Homer.
Marge: Homey, I --
Homer: Can't talk, praying. Dear Lord, the gods have been good to me
and I am thankful. For the first time in my life, everything is
absolutely perfect just the way it is.
Marge: Mmm.
Homer: So here's the deal: you freeze everything as it is, and I won't
ask for anything more. If that is OK, please give me absolutely
no sign. [brief pause] OK, deal.
In gratitude, I present you this offering of cookies and milk.
If you want me to eat them for you, please give me no sign.
[brief pause] Thy will be done! [mows down]
-- Homer's solution to the Lord's unresponsiveness, "And Maggie Makes
Three"
Anyhow, the good-ish news is that I will probably be working from home a few days a week. Good for Xanadu too. But I really will miss these cool, open offices where I look at the blue sky and flatiron rock formations everyday. I like walking to work in the AM to get my blood flowing. But ah well, that's the way the corporate world goes.
Monday, May 05, 2008
So today I got a somewhat unpleasant surprise when I saw that the flyer for one of my book signings used the incredibly stupid picture off my blog of my Special-K Red Berries post way back as my official author's photo. Ugh. Yup, of all the cool, burly shots of me hiking in the wilds of Colorado they used one where I'm making a phony smile in front a dart board. At least I have a few weeks to prepare my defense (and actually probably make a pretty funny opening to my slideshow because of the picture).
There's a lot going on out here, mostly stuff that's better in pictures (so I'll have to hop onto flickr soon and upload some of them). Hikes, adventures, snowshoes, etc. I didn't even post the pictures of my new bass. Truthfully, finding "free" time has been really tough lately but I think starting this week I'll be able to do more of the things I enjoy. I have a bunch of songs I want to get rolling with my new music set up (which includes the bass, a new Marshall amp and some studio-ready cords). Also been trying to ramp up the fitness level for summer fun--which kind of explains where a lot of my time is going. A typical day for me:
7:00 AM Wake up, hit snooze alarm
7:45 AM Wake up, take hurried, quasi-panicked shower
8:00 AM - 5 PM Work
5:30 - 7:30 PM Run, shower, eat, bike, volleyball, whatever gets me moving
8:00 - 10:00 PM Freelance work, web design stuff
So as you can see, not a whole lot of time to enjoy much. Not to mention in a few weeks I have to get my slideshow and presentation ready for my book signings. I'll post the dates when I know them, but they are all within a week around the end of May (at least this "tour").
Anyhow, I am still alive out here and life is good but very busy. Please refer any requests for photos to my my secretary Xanadu, since she'll have access to better ones out there.
There's a lot going on out here, mostly stuff that's better in pictures (so I'll have to hop onto flickr soon and upload some of them). Hikes, adventures, snowshoes, etc. I didn't even post the pictures of my new bass. Truthfully, finding "free" time has been really tough lately but I think starting this week I'll be able to do more of the things I enjoy. I have a bunch of songs I want to get rolling with my new music set up (which includes the bass, a new Marshall amp and some studio-ready cords). Also been trying to ramp up the fitness level for summer fun--which kind of explains where a lot of my time is going. A typical day for me:
7:00 AM Wake up, hit snooze alarm
7:45 AM Wake up, take hurried, quasi-panicked shower
8:00 AM - 5 PM Work
5:30 - 7:30 PM Run, shower, eat, bike, volleyball, whatever gets me moving
8:00 - 10:00 PM Freelance work, web design stuff
So as you can see, not a whole lot of time to enjoy much. Not to mention in a few weeks I have to get my slideshow and presentation ready for my book signings. I'll post the dates when I know them, but they are all within a week around the end of May (at least this "tour").
Anyhow, I am still alive out here and life is good but very busy. Please refer any requests for photos to my my secretary Xanadu, since she'll have access to better ones out there.
