Your Mileage May Vary

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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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

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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.

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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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You take pictures of Odd Things

Background Noise: California Stars
Last Visited: the T round: Snorg, Noisebot, Threadless
Random Thought: that's the way I roll
Mood: flirting with the edge

I, apparently, take pictures of odd things; or, rather, some people think the things i take pictures of are odd subjects: coffee cups, flowers, barbed wire, grasses, other people's children, portions of statues, stickers, mirrors, fries, strangers, other people's jewelry, random performance art, etc, etc, and so forth.

I would argue that these things aren't odd to take pictures of at all; that they're quite normal, and all in their own way quite beautiful, and descriptive of the world i live in; or, rather, the world i live in when i have my camera with me (which is not entirely the same thing).

Anyways. I suppose i'm saying i generally like my pictures. Sure, some of them may be strange, but, well, whatever. I have a digital camera with usually more storage than i need: i can take whatever pictures i want to. (Golly i'm petulant this week.)

Sort of along these thought lines, I ordered about 70 prints of pictures i've taken recently last night. Partially because 4x6s are $0.12, partially because i realized the most recent pictures of mine that are up in my apartment are practically 5 years old (with one exception). And while they won't all end up on a my walls (well, maybe), I'm heading to Aaron Brothers tonight to pick up a ton of cheap frames and using them to add color and depth to my apartment.

Because i've been places, man, and it's time my home space reflected that.

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Where the sunsets are all breathtaking

Background Noise: Last Five Years
Last Visited: John Adams the mini-series based on John Adams by David McCullough
Random Thought: note to self: get massages more often
Mood: not quite out of vacation mode

I went on vacation! To one of the most beautiful locations in the world! And stayed in an awesome house! with a hot tub! and a fireplace! and a pool table! and i wrecked my ankles and shoulder learning to snowboard! er, um... yeah, actually that was really bad. I take back the exclamation point. Anything that provokes pain, jealousy, and more pain isn't really worth hyping up. Hmm, back on course: and i went to the spa! and the weather was wonderful! (see, isn't that better?)

Of course i have pictures, a ton of them, in two galleries:

	Tahoe & Squaw Valley Gallery; aka, even after i narrowed down the number of pictures i liked, i still had over 100.
	48Straight, Girl in a Box; aka, pictures of the art installation at 48Straight of, well, a girl in a box.

I'm so glad i went; i honestly didn't want to come back, but, such is life (darn my stubborn sense of responsibility). And, a few days of pain aside, i had time to read my book (John Adams, amazing), cook for the house, take a ton of pictures, and generally not think (too much) about work. All in all, i can't really complain. Ok, so, sure, we didn't get to stay in the house we originally reserved - but our replacement wasn't too shabby itself, so, all's well, etc. Sometimes it's just better to go with the flow.

I will absolutely have to return to Tahoe in the summer, for hiking, horseback riding, boating, and visiting Valhalla; but that's a different vacation.

Expression:

Just an excuse for a dream sequence

Background Noise: FoodTV
Last Visited: mars
Random Thought: have yourself a merry little christmas...
Mood: ready for sleep

I have a wonderful new camera! A Canon XTI which took a little longer to get here than i would have liked (grumble, grumble, ups, grumble), but that doesn't matter because it's here! And since i wanted to play with my new toy, i needed some victims. So to Dave, JR, Olivier, Puff, and, well, i suppose myself, thanks for stepping in front of my new glass. And i'm sorry.

Though i have to say, i'm really pleased with the results so far:

Ok, i really actually need to sleep as tomorrow is an early meeting day... but i had to share. Oh, and, I actually think the pictures of me look better full size. Though i suppose i could have made sure they looked better by actually wearing something besides my pjs when i sat in front of my mirror. Oh well, hindsight and all that... sweet dreams!

Oh, and if you have a suggestion for Puff's LOLCat, let me know! Ok, really good night now.

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Take me Over

Background Noise: Candleburn, Dishwalla
Last Visited: Mail: Notes
Random Thought: there is something outrageously soothing about yellow lined paper
Mood: so much better

There are moments in life that can revise how we've looked at entire months; today i had one of those moments; luckily for me, the last few months are looking so much better right now. I'm not really going to elaborate, but, i had to say something.

So my mom reminded me this evening that i have three weeks before i go home for Christmas. Now, on the very major upside, that means i'm a) going home and b) going to London!! in the very near future which is seriously happy news, but, that also means that i need to get cracking on Christmas presents and other general errands related to both trips. Dude, at the very least i'm pretty sure i'm going to need a coat. Just a thought.

And of course, December being here means that December will almost be over (hey, i'm going out of the country here), which means January is soon, which means if i want a prayer of getting everyone to go to Tahoe for a week in early February i need to get cracking on looking at vacation rentals. And February leads to spring which means NAB and New York again for more theater and wonderfulness and... you see how my year is already folding in around itself? I'm kindof horrifically impressed by how quickly i can blow through 2008.

But before i wander out of this year, i have to play with at least the concept of sending out Christmas cards - especially since iPhoto has that fun greeting card feature (lord, with how much i talk about Apple stuff you'd think i worked at the company or something...). Now if i only had a picture a *bit* more appropriate to send to my family....

Expression:

Morning Briefing

Background Noise: Keep Holding On
Last Visited: my lovely bed
Random Thought: i should be more tired than i am; interesting
Mood: it's still monday though

So, just figured i'd give a quick update before my day starts for real (go 10am meetings - at least it's not 9): so, i did get my iPhone engraved this weekend (Brett's laser is fricken awesome), but i didn't get the pretty design below.

Not because i don't love it, but honestly, it was because i just couldn't get up early enough saturday morning to come into the office and make sure i had an image prestine enough to actually get lasered. I just couldn't. I was up too early as it was. Actually, it was pretty funny, all last week i was positive it was saturday every day... until saturday. Then it felt like monday. Maybe that's why i'm not in such a grouchtastic mood just now. Anyways.

I came up with some phrases i could engrave on the back instead - of course the standards were there, Oscar Wilde, Emerson, Shakespeare, Gilmore Girls, Sex and the City, the Once soundtrack, the german philosophers... er, well, ok, so they're not all standard. Shoot me. Regardless, i finally (with much help) picked the following:

Anne Elise Swenson October, 1980 thou art to me a delicious torment

Anyways... i figured i might as well let you know. Because you might want to, or, maybe i just wanted another way to shout from the rooftops "I love my phone!!"

(and for the record, the free one will be going to my little brother for his birthday. Hopefully that will put him in a better mood - because he was being a little brat when i was home. Rising above it? Lording it over his head? Isn't that what big sisters are for? *cue the evil grin*)

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Sweet Cream Biscuits and Thimbleberry Jam

Background Noise: The Kill
Last Visited: the 10-second interview... which, took much longer, actually
Random Thought: Thimbleberry jam: cheap at $19.99/ jar
Mood: nope, still doesn't feel like a work day

I so should be updating my Leopard install right now - on my laptop, the desktop is (kinda) done. ish. Yep. I should start that.

... But i need to find another ethernet cable... and... well, i'm trying to figure out what to make Brett engrave on my iPhone with his nifty spiffy laser. I mean, my name, obviously. But... he has a really cool programmable laser... i kinda want an image of some variety aswell. Because goodness knows i'd never normally be able to get an image so that means i'm pretty much required to now do so.

I could go with the block M (go blue!). Then again, that seems a bit too easy. How about this?

Sure, it's a bit girly, but it would be distinctive. What do you think?

Should i get this design engraved on my iPhone?

• Yes! I love it!
• Yes to the name, kill the bird
• Don't get either

Created on July 6, 2007

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more at twiigs.com...

But enough about phones; lord knows things have gotten out of hand with this whole thing - there's even (gulp) an iPhone Musical. Kinda. It's both brilliant and horrifying.

Besides, there are other things going on: my parents bought a boat for the little yellow house (to go along with the dock, the new windows, new appliances, new floors, paint (colors!), and hopefully a deck replacement. There are a whole bunch of movies out to see, and plane tickets to buy and books to read... really, there's more to life than technology.

... though i have to admit... having background music while reading a book in the park with no headphones necessary is really nice....

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