Your Mileage May Vary

Wordle

Background Noise: Oldies

Last Visited: My pictures of Scott's gorgeous Lotus 

Random Thought: The Times UK just rocked their online archives: full search and lookup back to 1765

Mood: another demo down...

I've just been playing with Wordle which, can i say? Quite entertaining. In an odd, that's cool, but couldn't i - just - move - that - word - over - here - damnit kindof way. 

Ahh well, the point is cool. And i threw the whole text of Pride and Prejudice at it and the script ate through it with impressive efficiency. 

Happy Monday, everyone! Now let's hope i remember to actually go to my eye doctor appointment. It only took me 6 months to remember to make the damn thing, it would hilariously sad if i missed it. Especially since i'm wearing my last pair of contacts right now. Knock on wood i don't do something stupid like rip them or loose them before i'm able to get more. 

Expression:  

Light up my room

Background Noise: Viva la Vida

Last Visited: Macy's, the brick and mortar one. Note to Macy's: stores should match the price of items on your website. I love the dress, but seriously, that's obnoxious. 

Random Thought: bored? go learn something 

Mood: another demo down...

Things have been nuts this week and last and i haven't had a moment to mention who the band was at the WWDC beer bash this year! (How could i have forgotten?) I was so thrilled to discover that after years (and years) of predicting Barenaked Ladies... they finally showed up!

So out when the plans for reservations at some quite restaurant with excellent food and even better drinks, and in came the game plan of me grinning like an idiot while singing and dancing along during their (brief) set. Andrew M. even rescued a guitar pick for me near the end; and i have to admit, suddenly, that very very very long day didn't seem bad at all. 

I have to say many many thank you's to Andy for letting me pretend to be him for the day so i could sit on some quite interesting sessions and make it to the bash at the end of the day. 

... on a closing note, do you think the new Elle Woods (gulp, oh my ears, my ears) would find these heeliarious heels, up to her, um, style standards? 

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Oh my Science indeed...

Background Noise:  South Pacific, Best Revival of a Musical. (Sorry, George)

Last Visited: reading the morning interwebs; mmm, tasty.

Random Thought: Happy Birthday, NPH!

Mood: crawling, slowly, into wakefulness

It took way too long for me to figure out if they were joking. Because we all know there are only five elements in the periodic table, indeed. Oh my i might have to own a few of these tshirts... if only they didn't actually say "teach the controversy" on them... someone might think i'm serious. Then again, that could be a good litmus test. 

In other news, the Ice Cream Grade in the Santa Cruz Mountains? I swear on sunday morning actually smelled like ice cream. Then i realized that was pretty much because i was skirting a wildfire, but that's not really the point; the point is the smell was enchanting. What an appropriately named road, i thought. A fun drive, too. Anyways.

... I might be redefining "scattered" today. Just fyi.

PS: Thrillist is my new 'net best friend; true this is on very little evidence, but they already hit it out of the park with the SF Beer Map and the heads up for Riesling Week... way to go, boys. Does it say something that i like the Men's Daily Candy better than, well, Daily Candy? Nah, i didn't think so either. 

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There and Back Again

Background Noise: Waves and the Both of Us, Charlotte Sometimes

Last Visited: The Napa Gallery

Random Thought: Napa really is a different world; beauty pageants and all

Mood: Weekend holidays aren't for whimps

Heather and Nick dropped in saturday morning for a quick 30-ish hours this weekend; so, as we've been saying we'd do for four years, we finally went to Napa. They landed in SJC, we drove up 280, over the Golden Gate, paused in Tiburon for in-n-out and excedrin, continued up 101 north to 37, to 121 over to Silverado Trail. 

After a too brief stop at Caldwell's hilltop vineyard, we drove past our roadside inn up to Darioush for some amazing whites, a stellar red (their Duel), some entertaining drunks and some gorgeous handcrafted tin lanterns. From there, with only 45 minutes before the Napa vineyards closed for the day, we made it to Paraduxx, whose garden with it's ancient trees gently shading us and the furniture provided the picture perfect setting for a flight of amazing reds; personally, i loved the mallards (2003), Nick preferred the 2004 (i forget which duck), and Heather liked the Red Heads (2005) - we all also decided the mountain vines were better than the valley ones. So there. 

Dinner was at the lovely Don Giovanni where we had a surprising Silverado Sangiovese along with our suppers; i... ate too much. Actually, that was a theme this weekend. As we headed back to our, um, duplex for the evening we swung into this little ghetto beer-wine-bait store where we picked up another bottle - a 2005 (how can you go wrong with that year?) Beauzeaux. That's right... "Beauzeaux." 

Phonetic pronunciation? Bozo.  

Which... we totally were for (a) purchasing that bottle after the brilliant wines we had earlier and (b) drinking it anyways. I am totally blaming my pounding headache this morning on that bottle. 

 

This morning we woke up, hit up the inn's breakfast, starbucks, then the Loire-esque Domaine Carneros before heading back down to meet Steve for lunch in SF at Burgermeister in the Castro. Then, because driving the SF hills is fun, we went up, around, and down Lombard, dropped Steve off at his WW rehearsal, and headed over to Baker Beach to enjoy the warm sand for a moment or thirty before i had to drop Heather and Nick off at SFO. 

... then i drove home and pretty much collapsed. Then i edited pictures. And now? Now i'm going to bed; because there's a keynote in the morning and i want to be awake for it. 

(Oh, and, guys? Please come back soon - i'm so glad you made it out here, finally.)

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Heat of the sun

Background Noise: Chin Up, Cheer Up

Last Visited: My Yoko race results from yesterday

Random Thought: as awesomely fun as they are, i might not be ready for a motorcycle just yet (perhaps ever); i should probably stick to car-like toys instead

Mood: sore and lovin' it

The boys, etc & I went go karting yesterday; which, um, ruled. It blew away anything a video game could come up with by an order of magnitude. 

That... is all i really need to say about that. Actually, no; props to Scott for breaking into the top 100 lap times for the week on the Yoko track (my favorite mainly because i actually did well on that track instead of stinking up the road like i did on Monza). Oh, and a side note: this is really more of a suggestion, but, if you are going go karting... make sure you have your drivers license handy. Just saying... it might be useful.

Afterwards i was sore and beat up with a plethora of new bruises, but seriously, that was just awesome fun; we'll have to go again (and again, and again). 

  

I also hiked a bit around Castle Rock yesterday morning since, well, i was awake and wanted to get a real drive in before my play driving; i met the sleeping giants, saw a bunch of guys taking a beating climbing the impossible, and had a nice walk. All in all? it was worth getting up for. Also, i was really glad i got there and left early - the place was packed by 10:15 when i started back down. 

Really, i prefer being up in the twisties and the parks when there aren't, well, people around. Once all the sunday drivers, the bikers, the cyclists, and the cub scouts come out, it's time for me to bail. 

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@ A247

Background Noise: Only

Last Visited: Long Ridges Gallery

Random Thought: This should be the fastest moving day ever; hopefully they'll do me a favor and remove this extra desk nonsense

Mood: Not as angsty as my background noise might imply; i blame the random shuffle for that one

The first time i bought these shoes they were $35; now they're $80; however, they were basically one of my favorite pairs of shoes of all time, so my question now is, do i (a) buy them again anyways even though they're more expensive (b) buy them in the two remaining colors because they're awesome and wonderful and i should pick them up while they're still around or (c) sigh and say that season was over and i should find a new pair to adore. 

Thoughts? 

(You might be wondering why i'd need to buy them again; well, the short answer? I managed to destroy the heel on one if not beyond repair than close to it. Actually the story of the destruction is pretty funny, but i'm so not even close to being witty enough this morning to tell it well, so, um, you'll have to call me to hear it... though, those who've heard it already don't think it's that funny at all. Maybe it was my delivery.)

The pictures are from my various ramblings this weekend (please see the Long Ridges gallery); I think i've finally gotten a handle on using that wide angle lens; it's still not my favorite, or rather, this couldn't be the only lens i took on a trip as it's range is limited, but, i think some of the pictures i've gotten with it are quite nicely dramatic, so, who knows Dave, you might have to loan this one out to me for a while. 

Oh, and by the way, the best-tacos-ever place in Pescadero? Makes the most amazing burrito i've ever eaten; the view that came with it was also pretty mind blowing. 

Expression:

I want my html-only editor back

Background Noise: fox; i'm not too proud to admit it 

Last Visited: Did humans colonize the world by boat? I think the more interesting question is why would everyone put that option out of the realm of possibility? 

Random Thought: holy crap, crystal skulls aren't just a figment of Lucas's imagination 

Mood: thesaurus says: enervated 

I'm going to start by saying this isn't an apology, exactly. See, i've kinda fallen in to a bit of a black hole lately, pretty much being consumed by (a) work, (b) working out, (c) things that are on my calendar, (d) sleep, and when i feel the need to run away (e) in my car with my camera. Everything else in the realm of reality? Um, not in mine right now. 

This, honestly, makes me feel like an ass; i'm not returning emails as quickly as i should, i'm blowing off phone calls, i'm not responding to facebook notifications unless i have an extra 15 seconds... you get the point. Also, this makes me feel fairly boring; i haven't kept up on all of my news or gossip, and honestly, half the time i'm in a situation where i'm supposed to be conversant, i'm not focused and more over really just too tired to be charming. 

... But that isn't exactly an apology; it's more of a back handed explanation. I can't entirely be sorry because i need to be off the map for a bit right now. It happens. So, um, there. (I actually am kinda sorry though.) 

OT, Moment of Truth got renewed? Seriously? Please let me know that that particular fact isn't going to make it into the annals of history; i can just see some future Indiana Jones trying to decipher what that show indicates about our culture; it might rank somewhere around the gladiators in the colosseum. (And not in the fun, "boy isn't Maximus the man" kind of way, but the "oh, we're going to kill 10,000 people just because we're bored and it's funny" kind of way; though, by killing so many people i suppose the Caesars were just doing their part to stave off global warming...*). 

Oh, right, i was actually posting to say that i tried a new wide angle lens with my camera tonight, the results have been added to my Party, Horses gallery, and i'm trying to decide what i actually think of them. 

... now i need sleep. 

* please see The Black Plague may have caused the Little Ice Age

Expression:

Sunscreen wants to me my friend, but i keep blowing it off

Background Noise: the ping ping of iChat
Last Visited: Honey, please don't stick your tongue out...
Random Thought: Dude, that's freaking hilarious
Mood: overcooked

I moved offices today, ghetto style: just a cart and me; no movers necissary, thanks. It's... done enough. Really the only important thing left to move is my graphics card so my new machine realizes that displaying at 1024x800 on a 30 inch monitor is dumb.

I took a minor break to visit some Horses yesterday morning, thank you Ken for the excuse, hopefully one of these will work as a good match to the cow. (Well, perhaps not one of the three here, but there's an entire gallery mostly devoted to them.)

And now, if you'll excuse me, i've been meaning to visit Rite Aid for a week, they close in an hour, and well, i'm bribing myself with some warm milk from 'bucks to finally get me over there. Oh yeah, speaking of which, they make fun of me when i order steamed milk (or a "Steamer" for those of you who used to frequent Espresso Royale.) Why? What's so funny? (a) it's yummy, (b) i can't drink coffee at night, (c) it's full of wonderful protein for my muscles and (d) it goes really well with their mini brownie bites.

Expression:

Rubber hits the Road

Background Noise: Simple As It Should Be, Tristan Prettyman
Last Visited: More pictures - Westin SF, Highway 1 SF -> Santa Cruz
Random Thought: i didn't realize veronica mars was from detroit; awesome
Mood: waking up

I need to remember / relearn how to drive a stick shift; then i need to take a defensive driving & / or high performance vehicle driving class so the next time Andrew offers me the keys to his gorgeous red porsche cayman to "drive to coffee" i don't have to utter the painful words "not yet, ask me again later."

Because when i feel confident getting behind the wheel of that car without, oh, destroying it, my "coffee break" might have to be a bit offsite; like Carmel. Or San Diego. Or both.

PS: Because of NPH and quotes like "hey, as far as i'm concerned, as long as i leave you safe on dry land with adequate transportation i'm done," i might just actually have to buy Season 3 of How i Met Your Mother
PPS: Love the 2009 Ferrari California
PPPS: and of course, big hearts to the Porsche Artega GT convertible

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The Power of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

Background Noise: sportscenter
Last Visited: checking the archives re: London '06
Random Thought: to the best of our knowledge: kid's books echos my adoration of "kids" lit - not that i needed the validation, but it's kinda nice to hear Salman Rushdie talk about The Wizard of Oz in tones bordering on reverence
Mood: smiling at ponies

I took a drive this morning; down 17, from the roads of blue skies with puffy clouds into the wild rolling fog of the mountains, up and over and around and through to highway 1 north, along the gobsmacking beauty of the rugged coast, up Donny Boon and back, then finally across Pescadero to Alpine to Page Mill, out of the fog and back into the land of dry, windy, blue skies.

... and along the way, i kid you not, i listened to the stylings of the Baroque Beatles; (and no, Cogsworth, i'm not making the joke.) Yep, i said it: Baroque Beatles. Like Pachebel + Lennon; Brahms + McCartney. It was... interesting; and when running along the rugged coast with the rolling clouds, oddly appropriate.

Enjoy the pictures; there should have been more, but it took awhile to get my jaw off the ground to realize i could pull over, stop the car, and take out my camera; at times it was just that beautiful. of course, these pictures don't show that, but, well, that just proves i'm not really a photographer yet.

Oh, but trips like this? Only make me want to take that motorcycle riding class that much more. Go figure.

Expression:

It's Tradition

Background Noise: What a girl wants
Last Visited: Cascal?
Random Thought: excuse me, but i had the rather eccentric idea that we were doing the right thing
Mood: it's gonna be an early night

Happy May Day! It had become a bit of a tradition around this blog to post on May Day, and far be it for me to break a tradition that's two whole years old; now three.

I love the concept of May Day - not just the ribbons and the flowers and the pretty things (which only seem to appear in movies, nowadays we just seem to celebrate with dock closings) but the whole idea of taking a day to be outside, appreciate the sun and lovely weather, and to take a moment to breathe and appreciate life reborn is just a delicious concept.

... That is, of course, not exactly what i did today; though, i did appreciate the lovely weather at happy hour with a drink outside (in the shade with, of course, a heat lamp - it is california after all, we must all stay warm), which was lovely. Actually, i'll just leave my day with that image of a leisurely drink outside; that and the thought it's almost time to put the boat in the water. Wonderful.

Now, i'll leave you with the following yes-it's-true-good-lord-we'll-have-to-try-it announcement: Bacon is the new hot flavor in Vodka; also the hot meal replacement in xkcd. Could the love of all products pig be related to May Day and the start of BBQ season, an early backlash about the looming start of swimsuit season, or is this just a random convergence of the interwebs? One wonders.

Expression:

Alex Trebek really wants to be Sir Ian Mckellen

Background Noise: Rebellion
Last Visited: the interwebs
Random Thought: No, apparently we aren't over it; Suck it, Trebek!
Mood: goooood morning :)

I actually heard this on the radio when i was driving into the office this morning; freaking awesome:

Many an evening my dinner is a salad from the salad bar at my local Whole Foods; i like the arrangement: they clean and prepare a myriad of fruits, veggies, and other randomness, i choose what i want that evening, season as i like (salt, pepper, a little olive oil, and way too much balsamic), and pay by weight. Every time i finish making my salad (after tossing frequently to mix the ingredients) i pick a fork from the friendly little fork jar; now, i know that Susie's little girl or Jenny or Jeff who's hands have been lord knows where have possibly touched my fork before I actually chose it, but i try not to think about that.

Instead, i concentrate on making sure from the time I choose my oddly ivory plastic fork it doesn't get dirty - it doesn't touch the cardboard container hosting my salad, it doesn't touch whatever drink i've selected, it doesn't go on the check-out belt and i don't let the checker-outer person handle it. As the smiling person rings up my salad, I keep a hold of my fork, only throwing it in the little paper bag now holding my dinner after said person has finished loading it up.

Usually this bout of childishness gets a smile, a smirk, or a laugh.

But i don't care: it's my fork, dammit, and my dinner, and i'd like to believe that it will be clean when i get it home. So there.

Expression:

Sneaky Red

Background Noise: Love Song
Last Visited: reddit, etc
Random Thought: hail to the victors!
Mood: goooood morning

Holy Cow, Batman, Anne didn't post again last week! No way!

... You're all shocked, i can tell.

Well, um, not to over use my "holy crap last week became insanely busy" but, well, it's true. It became busy in the best of possible ways, and i'm thrilled, but that doesn't exactly mitigate the fact i now really don't actually have time to write this post here. But i had to say something; after all, i promised.

Also, i need to say: Happy Birthday (last week) to Heather and Mike, and Congrats to my totally awesome Brother for graduating from U of M! Here's to the parents being done paying U of M after a full decade! (lord, i should send the parents flowers or something.)

Oh, and, of course: Red Wings for the win! Go continue to destroy the Avalanche, boys, they deserve a beating.

... and one last thing: congrats to the big man Jake Long for going #1 in the draft this weekend. Go Blue!

Expression:

Color and Light

Background Noise: Moving On, Sunday in the Park with George
Last Visited: iphoto, sigh
Random Thought: back with a greater understanding of the term "benediction"
Mood: so. tired. need. sleep.

There's a greater post that needs to be written here about my weekend in New York... but honestly, i'm exhausted and this gallery (in it's mostly incorrect form) has taken forever to get up at least this much, so, well, i'm going to give up for now.

Enjoy this little glimpse of people in and around the park and i'll get back to you with the rest in the morning. [Cali translation: some time before friday; hopefully].

Please leave your message after the beep.

Expression:

Some Enchanted Evening, aka, Friday

Background Noise: Midnight Coward, Stars
Last Visited: StubHub!
Random Thought: where did this headache come from?
Mood: i don't really care that Survivor will now be in HD

All hail the powers of the interwebs! They have delivered (relatively) cheap(ish) decent tickets to South Pacific at Lincoln Center friday night at 8!

So, B, you have to forgive me for up and committing us to that show, but see, they were available (a start), we can pick them up in NYC (better than sweating over them being delivered here), they were available, I'm actually getting a refund from the government which i must spend on something fabulous, and, well, i figure that the extra cost is the price i pay for not having to wait on line on friday for tickets after a redeye the night before; and believe me, that is something I'm very very willing to pay for - especially with my current headache (yowza, it's a doozy.)

Plus, you know how much i love getting the ungettable ticket. Besides, if some how we've been screwed, StubHub has us covered, so it's mostly a no-harm-no-foul situation.

Besides, it looks like saturday is the day to spend outside - so that'll be perfect for being on line forSunday in the Park with George tickets, which there seem to be plenty of; those tickets also start at $36, so, i'm sure they somehow slightly balance out the others. Or something like that.

Yeay NYC!

... Now i just have to work, shop, play poker, run, pick up Dave from the airport, work, pack, clean my apartment, and hitch a ride to the airport. No sweat. Er, um... something like that.

But we have tickets! All will be well.

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