March 2008 Archives

In the pre-digital age, school picture day always had a re-take day for those who's eyes were closed. I sure wish Google Streetview would let me know when re-take day is coming. What a crummy looking day; December 19, 2007 - overcast and it's trash day, so everyone's containers are out, Chaz's yard ornaments are deflated and not so pretty. Bleh. On the cool side however, it seems I must have rolled the garage door up or down as they were driving by. In the sequence of photos, its open for 1 shot, closed the next.

Bacon Flavored Vodka recipe.

Look out, North America.

Keith in Germany knows of my fascination with all things Raab, so when I opened the mail to discover last weeks TV guide with Stefan's photo on the cover, I bounced off the walls.

Yeah. Thanks Apple. No. Seriously. Just handle my iPod. Nevermind the fact that you've installed 3 friggen services to do it. (AppleMobileDevice, iPodService, iTunesHelper) Who's computer do you think this is?

This cracked me up.

That's the number of times the Hillary campaign has called reminding us to go caucus this weekend.

er. 61 now.

The Austin Hi Tech LinkedIn happy hour was too full to get in by the time I got there at 6:30pm.  I suppose with free beer you have to get there quick.

Evidently there's a weekly get together for us work-at-home grown-ups that don't get to talk about American Idol in the break room. Its called "Jelly", which seems silly.  On the other hand, this may be how those rascally recent college grads are changing the face of the workforce.

Tomatoes are looking fine. I need to get one more cage for the cherry tomato plant.

Not 18 hours after declaring code complete on the NL project, I found something I messed up on.  Whoops. 

They're looking quite well on this overcast day. The closest is a "Big Boy" variety, the middle is some sort of cherry tomato, and the one after that is another big boy. Then there's some herbs.

Australian Broadcasting has a fascinating Sunday show called The Night Air.  Last Sunday's was about the wind, and the wind's effect on making fence wire sing.  The Australian voices and the context of the show make the broadcast absolutely hypnotic. I think they know their sublime effect, and I wonder if other native speakers have the same reaction, or if there's something unique about the way I, as a North American, am perceiving it.

Chaz finally cooked us a fine lamb dinner this weekend in honor of our belated 11th anniversary, so I finally feel like we've gotten back on the page where we're supposed to be. March has blown past me, filled with a return from the Netherlands, a week taking care of dad's emergency surgery, catching up on work and tax paperwork, and Chaz's birthday thrown in there was well. Now the paperwork is mostly caught up, the yard is looking better, the laundry is done, and the pace of work is not nearly as frantic as it was.

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I got to start a little yard project of my own this weekend. I bought some tomato plants to grow in the backyard. Little suckers are taking right off. There's nothin' to this farmer stuff!

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Dad's in recovery, and due up to his room in 30 minutes or so. Andy and I couldn't take much more of the waiting room, what with rug rats running about. Surgery went longer than expected cause the gall bladder was in horrible shape. Lots of inflammation around it, so it looks like he'll be in the hospital an extra day. He'll be thrilled to hear that. Hopefully in a lot less pain though, and able to eat.

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The TV stations are breathlessly reporting as the snow starts to fall in each panic-stricken part of town. It's sheer mayhem out there to hear them talk. Radar screens and photos of decimated bermuda-grass lawns and blanketed mcmansions are coming in from roving reporters all across the metroplex. Oh, the humanity.

*munch**munch*

Screamin Dill Pickle

*munch**munch**munch*

Extreme Pringles

*munch**munch*

should be

*lick*crunch*

illegal.

.. snow in the forecast for Dallas.

yuk.

I shouldn't have unpacked so quick.  Dad's going to have his gall bladder removed, after evidently suffering some pretty intense pain over the weekend and into today. I'm in Ft. Worth (Euless) now for the rest of the week/weekend. to help him and my brother out.  Kinda scraps the plans to get some recovery time at home, but its what you do.

Four years ago, our precinct caucus was 12 people.

Tonight 220 people signed in and caucused. 61% for Obama, 39% percent for Clinton, which may or may not have reflected the actual election percentages.

Whoa.

I seem to be collecting stickers today. And they're strangely appropriate with one another.

I got my "I Voted" sticker. Next on the list, "I got a haircut".

It was an easy day today getting back to my continent!
I'm in Houston on the way home to Austin - dinner at Chuy's and a massage and I should be out like a light.