I was looking for cheap fares to Toronto. Still reeling from an actual vacation to Mexico, I am going to go and visit Toby in July once the dust settles at work. the last few times I'd been to Toronto it was cold and winter-like. We still got out and did things. I am looking forward to a place that is Summer in the summer-time. Pretty much like the time I went to visit Jerome, Anne and the kids in Minnesota one Christmas. I got that White Christmas I wanted and then some.
So back to Toronto. When West had moved there, we went to see Ron Hawkins, the former lead singer of Lowest of the Low, a rock band of local Toronto boys. Ron's got a great voice and I managed to get hooked on him even with his melancholic leanings. Well just to make my day, I went out to do a search for some background information and it appears the band is back together. Now don't be thinking I'm going to let this go to my head. I know my desire for more of their music didn't bring them back together. I know you just can't keep good music down. Now if only I can make a Ranch 1 restaurants appear here in San Francisco, like I could in New York. That would prove that I am indeed all powerful.
Even though most of their songs rock the house, this ballad Subversives, with it's catchy lyrics is still one of my favorites. Of course you can listen to more of their rowdier songs, many performed live on their audio page.
Tuesday, June 8, 2004
Happy Birthday Lili
Today is Lili's birthday. Last October in my music blog, Tune Talk, I wrote about how a favorite CD came to mark the events of my life at the time. I think we all have a couple of those albums, that we listened to until we wore the magnetic tape off the cassette or the grooves off the vinyl (not sure how to wear out a CD).
A few weeks ago I get an email from Lili, who stumbled across my little piece of the Internet and decided to write back. I don't have any grand thoughts that this site will do more than it's intended purpose - to keep my friends and family up to date, more or less, with what's going on in my world and head. So you could imagine my surprise to get this email from someone whose work I admired. It's been fun exchanging email and such and getting to know Lili.
While I do try to keep this space to telling my stories and letting others tell their own, I am especially pleased that Lili has started performing again. I am hoping to get some guest writers either here or in Tune Talk, to share their songs or their side of the story. Oooh just imagine the depths this little online journal could achieve. Okay okay, back to the story.
I always hope to be able to inspire people with my actions. When it comes to my words and rambling stories, I often assume that you are all just placating me when you post complimentary comments. You are all just nice that way.
Other than being inspirational, things around here have been quiet. I've mostly stopped whining about my allergies. I did hear that the wind was up to 40 mph which is a little crazy. I can only hope that it's always blowing me in the direction I am walking. I haven't seen crazy crosswind like this since I worked in Mid-town Manhattan. Actually I stand corrected. Once we thought it a good idea to walk a few blocks to dinner in Minneapolis in February. We had to stand next to the building to avoid being blown into oncoming traffic. Now that is crazy!
A few weeks ago I get an email from Lili, who stumbled across my little piece of the Internet and decided to write back. I don't have any grand thoughts that this site will do more than it's intended purpose - to keep my friends and family up to date, more or less, with what's going on in my world and head. So you could imagine my surprise to get this email from someone whose work I admired. It's been fun exchanging email and such and getting to know Lili.
While I do try to keep this space to telling my stories and letting others tell their own, I am especially pleased that Lili has started performing again. I am hoping to get some guest writers either here or in Tune Talk, to share their songs or their side of the story. Oooh just imagine the depths this little online journal could achieve. Okay okay, back to the story.
I always hope to be able to inspire people with my actions. When it comes to my words and rambling stories, I often assume that you are all just placating me when you post complimentary comments. You are all just nice that way.
Other than being inspirational, things around here have been quiet. I've mostly stopped whining about my allergies. I did hear that the wind was up to 40 mph which is a little crazy. I can only hope that it's always blowing me in the direction I am walking. I haven't seen crazy crosswind like this since I worked in Mid-town Manhattan. Actually I stand corrected. Once we thought it a good idea to walk a few blocks to dinner in Minneapolis in February. We had to stand next to the building to avoid being blown into oncoming traffic. Now that is crazy!
Tuesday, June 1, 2004
Too Much of a Good Thing
A few weeks ago I found myself wasting some time in the Powell St Shopping Plaza in Emeryville. Some stressed guy was debating jumping off the Bay Bridge and I was hoping to wait it out while getting a retail therapy fix. By the time I was done and with refrigerator food from Trader Joe's I attempted to leave the worst designed parking lot in the world. If you've ever been there you would agree. If not, just take my word, I'm really correct. In any case, I was heading out and encountered a group of three people deeply engaged in conversation. So deeply engaged that they didn't notice me behind them. For about 2 minutes. I wasn't in a rush, and was curious how long it would take to notice me if I didn't beep or make any noise. 2 minutes, 4 seconds. A lifetime really. In those 2 minutes and 4 seconds, I realized that it is in fact possible for intense focus to be a bad thing.
Many of us attempt to multitask on a regular basis with varying success. Chances are you are doing something else right now as you read this entry. If I focus on one thing at a time (writing distractions down on a list to get back to later) I can often accomplish more and with better results. When doing work that I dislike I will take on any task possible - a welcome distraction, but still a distraction from my primary task. But when I'm doing something I really enjoy, I get caught up in it and lose complete track of time.
If I'm working on a painting, things just happen, ideas just flow out of me and I am often more pleased with it than one I start and stop again and again. That flow is what I look forward to when I sit down to paint. Observing that same deeply engaged flow in the form of a conversation walking slowly down a parking lot is just damn annoying.
Now don't get me wrong, I love a good conversation but is it because they dragged me in on it inadvertently (for 2 minutes and 4 seconds) that makes it selfish and wrong? I mean there is no way for me to get that time back.
Okay, you all have been quiet. Engage me in conversation and tell me about times you've been focused to a fault. Was it good? Bad? Embarrassing?
Many of us attempt to multitask on a regular basis with varying success. Chances are you are doing something else right now as you read this entry. If I focus on one thing at a time (writing distractions down on a list to get back to later) I can often accomplish more and with better results. When doing work that I dislike I will take on any task possible - a welcome distraction, but still a distraction from my primary task. But when I'm doing something I really enjoy, I get caught up in it and lose complete track of time.
If I'm working on a painting, things just happen, ideas just flow out of me and I am often more pleased with it than one I start and stop again and again. That flow is what I look forward to when I sit down to paint. Observing that same deeply engaged flow in the form of a conversation walking slowly down a parking lot is just damn annoying.
Now don't get me wrong, I love a good conversation but is it because they dragged me in on it inadvertently (for 2 minutes and 4 seconds) that makes it selfish and wrong? I mean there is no way for me to get that time back.
Okay, you all have been quiet. Engage me in conversation and tell me about times you've been focused to a fault. Was it good? Bad? Embarrassing?
Monday, May 17, 2004
Getting in touch with one's natural abilities
Sleeping, napping, catching a few Zs, these are a few of my favorite things. No, I'm not a narcoleptic, I just love to sleep. Without meaning to sound excessively boastful, I'm actually good at this too. I've been noticing that people seem to lose the ability to sleep well as they get older. I often worry that this will happen to me too and feel the need to sleep as much as possible. Crazy? I think not. Most mornings I wake up regretful that I can't fall back in my pillows and wrap myself in the still warm sheets to sleep some more. Even when I get a solid 8 hours of sleep and wake well rested, I love the sensations of lying in a warm bed.
Cancun was a magical vacation in that I was able to indulge in slumber-like activities for days at a time. Here's a typical day:
Wake up around 7 am to the bustle of Mom and Karen (up for hours before) looking to get lotion on hard to reach spots. Get up knowing that after a quick bathroom visit, lotioning and suiting up, I could grab a quick breakfast and be on the beach for my morning nap in no time. I brought 3 books but read only one. I typically lasted about 35-40 minutes before being lulled to sleep by the warm sun and mild breezes coming off the water. I'd wake up for a bio break and a snack only to return for the afternoon portion of the nap. If I found myself restless in the afternoon, I'd go workout until I was tired and get a small nap in before the cocktail hour. After an evening of activity, we would return to the room to read and then sleep some more. Interestingly I had no problem sleeping after all the naps I took early in the day. That's how good I am.
I do believe that we should do what we are good at, but do you think that perhaps I've taken this all too far? Leave a comment, I'm off to take a nap.
Cancun was a magical vacation in that I was able to indulge in slumber-like activities for days at a time. Here's a typical day:
Wake up around 7 am to the bustle of Mom and Karen (up for hours before) looking to get lotion on hard to reach spots. Get up knowing that after a quick bathroom visit, lotioning and suiting up, I could grab a quick breakfast and be on the beach for my morning nap in no time. I brought 3 books but read only one. I typically lasted about 35-40 minutes before being lulled to sleep by the warm sun and mild breezes coming off the water. I'd wake up for a bio break and a snack only to return for the afternoon portion of the nap. If I found myself restless in the afternoon, I'd go workout until I was tired and get a small nap in before the cocktail hour. After an evening of activity, we would return to the room to read and then sleep some more. Interestingly I had no problem sleeping after all the naps I took early in the day. That's how good I am.
I do believe that we should do what we are good at, but do you think that perhaps I've taken this all too far? Leave a comment, I'm off to take a nap.
Sunday, April 18, 2004
Did anyone see where my March went?
I'm sorry but I seem to have misplaced the month of March. It's a large month in size, even though it seems smaller, must be the shortness of it's name. In any case, it's gone and while it wasn't my responsibility to keep an eye on it, I do feel badly that it's gotten away so easily. I know I was busy, more or less, the entire 31 days. Perhaps I was too busy. Nah, there were plenty of slack days there if I recall. Hmmm...so let's see, what did I do? Hey I feel a list coming on -
Things I did in March
• Volunteered to do taxes for working poor at work
• I saw some live music at the Mystic Theatre with Ruth (Keller Williams, Deborah Pardes and Dave Wilcox)
• Still working out with Esther 4-6 times a week
• Bought myself a Tivo (I'm in serious lust with this little box)
• Spent a bunch more money on the Miata in order to get a clean smog test (sorry y'all for spewing noxious gases into the environment for so long as my cataytic converter was void of anything that resembled a filtering baffle)
• Working like crazy (not like the old days, but pretty darn hard keeping track of my 11 minions, I mean, direct reports). I'm trying to develop a plan for myself to keep myself more organized and less easily distracted at work.
Ah nothing like a little list to see how busy or lazy you've been. Whatcha all been doing? Because you may have noticed that returning email or phone calls was not included in my busy list.
Things I did in March
• Volunteered to do taxes for working poor at work
• I saw some live music at the Mystic Theatre with Ruth (Keller Williams, Deborah Pardes and Dave Wilcox)
• Still working out with Esther 4-6 times a week
• Bought myself a Tivo (I'm in serious lust with this little box)
• Spent a bunch more money on the Miata in order to get a clean smog test (sorry y'all for spewing noxious gases into the environment for so long as my cataytic converter was void of anything that resembled a filtering baffle)
• Working like crazy (not like the old days, but pretty darn hard keeping track of my 11 minions, I mean, direct reports). I'm trying to develop a plan for myself to keep myself more organized and less easily distracted at work.
Ah nothing like a little list to see how busy or lazy you've been. Whatcha all been doing? Because you may have noticed that returning email or phone calls was not included in my busy list.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Cell-free Zone
It's mid-week, halfway through the vacation, and I've completely lost track of days or dates. It's easy to settle in to an easy going routine. We did some snorkeling on Monday which was fun. I got a little burnt on my 'flounder side', y'know the pale back part of your body that never sees as much sun as the front side.
This evening after our regular cocktail hour we went out to do a little shopping. For the first time in days I heard a cell phone ring. I hadn't missed them really, but it was weird all the same. Living in an urban environment I hear cell phones all the time. Unless someone has a ring tone that is the same as mine I can filter the noise out. Something similar to a mother penguin and her baby. Even in the office, personal cell phones go off more than our work phones. It's an invasive aspect that I find annoying even though the convenience is undeniable.
I really do like the fact that I can do things without being tethered to my home waiting for calls. If I'm busy or with someone I don't have a problem turning off the phone and letting calls go to voicemail rather than interrupting my plans or company. I do get annoyed with the way that you get subjected to all the gory personal details of some random stranger because their appropriateness filter is broken and their phone rings. It's fascinating and horrifying. It's a lot like finding out your friends are the sort that like to talk while viewing movies in a theatre. You want to know why are they like this and how can they feel it's okay.
And while I'm hovering on this side of a rant, I thought I'd share a little rant by Foamy the Squirrel on low carb diets [click on the Fat-kins toon]. It's how I feel mostly about this. Go out and have a nice bagel with cream cheese and then just eat like a normal person with some sort of control over what you put in your mouth. And turn off your cell phone 'cause we don't want to hear it. Sheesh!
This evening after our regular cocktail hour we went out to do a little shopping. For the first time in days I heard a cell phone ring. I hadn't missed them really, but it was weird all the same. Living in an urban environment I hear cell phones all the time. Unless someone has a ring tone that is the same as mine I can filter the noise out. Something similar to a mother penguin and her baby. Even in the office, personal cell phones go off more than our work phones. It's an invasive aspect that I find annoying even though the convenience is undeniable.
I really do like the fact that I can do things without being tethered to my home waiting for calls. If I'm busy or with someone I don't have a problem turning off the phone and letting calls go to voicemail rather than interrupting my plans or company. I do get annoyed with the way that you get subjected to all the gory personal details of some random stranger because their appropriateness filter is broken and their phone rings. It's fascinating and horrifying. It's a lot like finding out your friends are the sort that like to talk while viewing movies in a theatre. You want to know why are they like this and how can they feel it's okay.
And while I'm hovering on this side of a rant, I thought I'd share a little rant by Foamy the Squirrel on low carb diets [click on the Fat-kins toon]. It's how I feel mostly about this. Go out and have a nice bagel with cream cheese and then just eat like a normal person with some sort of control over what you put in your mouth. And turn off your cell phone 'cause we don't want to hear it. Sheesh!
Sunday, February 22, 2004
Retro Mexico
[I've been back a while but this is an entry I wrote while on Vacation in Mexico. Isn't it nice to know that even blissed out in a tropical dream I was still thinking of you?]
I think it's Sunday. Saturday was a fuzz of sleepy ever blinking sights. It wasn't that cold in New York, even the ever breezy JFK airport, so I was able to slip through unscathed in my red-eyed zombie state. Mom and Karen had just checked in and were waiting for me as Dad dropped me off from one terminal to the next. This was a good plan as I was totally on auto-pilot. The thought of coffee sounded good. However I didn't take into account that my head thought it was 3am PT and it just made me chatty yet unfocused. Sorry guys!
I felt funky all day and managed to get in a short nap in the afternoon which did help. We had a low key evening, snacking at the cocktail hour, taking a short walk before heading back to the room and to sleep. The next day, today really, I felt so much better and well rested. We headed off for a day at the beach.
I suspect most beach days will be the same. So here are some images from over the top of my book - baby blue skies, clouds dotted here and there, more an accent color than a threat. The wind blows in from the Caribbean Sean so it's never too hot on the beach. The sea is inky black on the horizon but softens to a rich turquoise as it rolls in with white edges onto the soft, pale beach. The sand is so fine and soft as our the waves. Nothing like the cold and brisk Pacific waves at home. The beach is littered with sunbathers, round thatched umbrellas and seabirds looking for a snack. Those little buggers are aggressive and will quickly snatch a baggies of goldfish crackers or a hamburger bun from an unsuspecting child. My visual palette is filled with Yellow towels, blue and white chairs and bodies ranging from white, pink, red and brown wandering along the shoreline along with speed boats and their colorful para sails bobbing up and down the coast.
I think it's Sunday. Saturday was a fuzz of sleepy ever blinking sights. It wasn't that cold in New York, even the ever breezy JFK airport, so I was able to slip through unscathed in my red-eyed zombie state. Mom and Karen had just checked in and were waiting for me as Dad dropped me off from one terminal to the next. This was a good plan as I was totally on auto-pilot. The thought of coffee sounded good. However I didn't take into account that my head thought it was 3am PT and it just made me chatty yet unfocused. Sorry guys!
I felt funky all day and managed to get in a short nap in the afternoon which did help. We had a low key evening, snacking at the cocktail hour, taking a short walk before heading back to the room and to sleep. The next day, today really, I felt so much better and well rested. We headed off for a day at the beach.
I suspect most beach days will be the same. So here are some images from over the top of my book - baby blue skies, clouds dotted here and there, more an accent color than a threat. The wind blows in from the Caribbean Sean so it's never too hot on the beach. The sea is inky black on the horizon but softens to a rich turquoise as it rolls in with white edges onto the soft, pale beach. The sand is so fine and soft as our the waves. Nothing like the cold and brisk Pacific waves at home. The beach is littered with sunbathers, round thatched umbrellas and seabirds looking for a snack. Those little buggers are aggressive and will quickly snatch a baggies of goldfish crackers or a hamburger bun from an unsuspecting child. My visual palette is filled with Yellow towels, blue and white chairs and bodies ranging from white, pink, red and brown wandering along the shoreline along with speed boats and their colorful para sails bobbing up and down the coast.
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