i text

my new phon pln has free in txts :)

I finally prevailed upon Verizon Wireless to sell me a shiny new cell phone. This new one does text messaging better than the crumby old one I was using. So I splurged on the plan bolt-on that adds unlimited "in" and 500 non-Verizon texts. Exchanging text messages, it turns out, makes the long holiday drive pass quicker. May be a way to keep in touch better.

Family Holiday Hockey Game and Ice Pageant

My extended family is big enough and my uncle generous enough that we rent some ice time each Christmas for the family hockey game and ice pageant. Some years we've plugged in to the ice rink sound system for our own game announcements and music. Good times. Most years someone gets at least a little bit hurt; I'm hoping for no injuries this year.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, one and all.

Tremendously enjoying vacationing with the extended family in northern Michigan. One of the most fun advantages of getting together is it provides a critical mass of people for playing games. One of my cousins received Blokus, which is a lot of fun and has depth. Hit the Deck and Swap are mostly the same game but they're both quick and easy to learn. Upwords is a perennial favorite (and very Scrabble-like).

The Playstation 2 experience advanced this year to include Guitar Hero and some kind of karaoke game. My uncles crooning out songs was a highlight of the evening. Might have to get me one of those PS2 things.

Christmas dinner was, as always, tremendously delicious. The sweet potatoes were particularly delectable this year. After dinner we took a walk in the mud. This has not been a white Christmas. It made for a suitably muddy foodball game on the lawn, though. It turns out I can sortof catch and throw a football. Becoming slightly less Charlie Brown like.

Taking the fight to the bees

So, I know bees are good for the universe, and polinate our crops, and all that good stuff. Supposed to love them and live in harmony with nature and all that.

Fine.

This story of taking out some bees still appealed.

I don't get it

I mean, it's cute and all, but really, I kind of just don't get it.

Will you defeat them, your demons

Basically, life is defined by whether and how you cope with your demons. That's it. That's the key.

I've been hearing My Chemical Romance's Welcome to the Black Parade on the Edge lately. The intro is kind of cool, I could do without the rest of the song.

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band.
He said,
"Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken,
The beaten and the damned?"
He said
"Will you defeat them, your demons, and all the non believers, the plans that they have made?"

Heat

I haven't turned my heat on yet in my apartment. I don't expect to have to. But I'm prepared to be reasonable if it actually gets cold in here. Still, President Carter asked that we set the thermostats to 55 degrees in the energy crisis and I expect it will stay at least 55 in here without benefit of the furnace, so it may be a low energy usage winter.

Sophomoric Telephone Humor

I don't know why I'm reminded of this, but sometimes when I was working as a casual at Technology & Planning I would answer the phone (not my phone; I didn't have a phone at my desk, another story) "TP morgue, you stab 'em, we slab 'em". I thought it was awfully funny at the time. I picked up that line from my seventh grade science teacher.

Las Noches De Las Luminarias

My grandparents, parents, and aunt and uncle visited me and we went to Luminarias at the Desert Botanical Garden. It was really neat to see everything lit up at night, and the barber shop quartet was pretty good.

New Goldfields Hiking Guide

There's a new hiking guide available at Barnes & Noble bookstores and elsewhere about hiking in the Goldfields. Looks to be a good one.

Winter Wonderland

“WINTER WONDERLAND” – AZ. STYLE

PALM TREES WAVE, ARE YOU LISTENIN?
IN THE POOL, WATER’S GLISTENIN’, A
BEAUTIFUL SIGHT, WE’RE HAPPY TONITE,
LIVIN’ IN A PHOENIX WONDERLAND.

GONE AWAY IS THE BLIZZARD, HERE TO
STAY IS THE LIZARD, A WARM SUNNY
DAY, WE LIKE IT THAT WAY,
LIVIN’ IN A PHOENIX WONDERLAND.

IN THE DESERT WE WILL HAVE A PICNIC
CACTUS, SAND & RATTLESNAKES IN
THE SUN, CHRISTMAS IS AN OLD
TRADITION: IT’S PINTO BEANS AND
TACOS BY THE TON.

LATER ON WE’LL PERSPIRE
TEMPERATURES RISE EVEN HIGHER,
A WARM SUNNY DAY, WE LIKE IT
THAT WAY, LIVIN’ IN A
PHOENIX WONDERLAND

Forever Feels Like Home

No one ever tells you that
forever feels like home
lying all alone inside your head

Despite the maudlin lyrics I can't get out of my head, today was actually a pretty good, if excessively long, day.

Parable of the flood

Sometimes God gives you several opportunities to get it right, and you still mess it up. Horrifying, really, if you think about it.

A man is on top of a roof during a great flood. A man comes by in a boat and says "get in, get in!" The religous man replies, "No I have faith in God, he will grant me a miracle."

Later the water is up to his waist and another boat comes by and the guy tells him to get in again. He responds that he has faith in God and God will give him a miracle. With the water at about chest high, another boat comes to rescue him, but he turns down the offer again because "God will grant him a miracle."

With the water at chin high, a helicopter throws down a ladder and they tell him to get in. Mumbling with the water in his mouth, he again turns down the request for help. So he drowns.

He arrives at the gates of heaven and says to Peter, "What happened? I put my faith in God and He let me drown!" St. Peter responds, "We sent you three boats and a helicopter, what more did you want?"

(adapted from the version on the Aha Jokes website)

Mayfair with a friend

I met up with a good friend this evening at Mayfair Mall, where we enjoyed the extended holiday hours. Those new iPod shuffles are indeed drool-worthy (no, didn't buy any, so don't get any ambitious ideas if you think you're on my holiday list, and no, please don't get me one, while I like drooling about them, I doubt I'd actually use it. I have a hard enough time engaging in the real world without music running in my head all the time to distract. But thanks, it was a nice thought). The pomegranate juice drink at BarnesBucks was interestingly novel. And the micro magnetic Scrabble-on-keychain game actually is pretty fun. Which just goes to show that fun is basically entirely in company.

And continuing birthday celebration! I may actually become addicted to these chocolate caramel truffles.

Turkey was great, the fish fry was worth trying once, the run this morning was an, um, adventure, but I'd say meeting up at the mall was a highlight of this trip to Milwaukee.

Footlocker Nike Open

I watched my cousin Peter run in the Boys Jr./Sr. race at Footlocker on the UW-Parkside campus today. Then my cousin Brian, my uncle Tom, and I ran in the Nike Open race. They ran pretty well. I didn't run so well at all, I should take this as a sign that I need to work out more.

Thanksgiving Feast

I think my favorite is something we call "Grandma Clark's Salad", a cool-whip-and-Jello salad with celery and cherries. Very tasty. Sweet potatoes are a close second.

We missed Elizabeth this year. The first Thanksgiving where mom and dad and my sister and I were not together for the holiday.

After dinner we took a walk. Hales Corners hasn't changed much since last I was home. On our walk we met up briefly with a childhood friend of mine, Chris. He's married now and in graduate school and wow have I lost touch. I should do a better job of staying connected with people. Connections between real human beings are important.

This evening we played Word Thief, my parents and I. Lots of fun. I won both games, but my parents made them close games. I suspect if Elizabeth were home she'd have given me a run for my money.

Birthday festivities

I ended up celebrating my Sunday birthday on the following Monday this year. Probably best to get a day of separation from the weekend anyway -- takes another chunk out of an already-short week.

I had a delicious homemade Indian dinner, saw Casino Royale, and enjoyed birthday cake. Life is okay.

And it turns out Indian and birthday cake makes a fine breakfast.

A Quarter Century

Today's sermon was on hope. I thought it was a very good sermon.

Today I turned 25 years old. While it had some highlights, overall, it was a kind of lonely day.

3 pounds 13 ounces

A coworker recently had a healthy baby boy, weighing in at just over nine pounds. On the occasion of my birthday, I reflect on starting life at a little less than half that size, a hefty 3 pounds 13 ounces.

Pre-Birthday Partying

Today I slept until noon, which was a treat in itself, catching up from days of inadequate sleep and recovering from a disappointing Friday.

Then I went to the Zoo. The Phoenix Zoo isn't as nice as the Milwaukee County Zoo. For one thing, the Milwaukee zoo has polar bears, whereas the Phoenix zoo does not. I recall having more fun at the Madison, WI zoo, where admission is free. Admission at the Phoenix zoo is decidedly not free. But it was an okay place for lunch and it was a little fun being around all the people, all the children running around.



The zoo closed at 4pm, but the Desert Botanical Gardens remain open until 8pm and are right next door, so I headed over there afterwards. I took the opportunity to explore the wildflower gardens, which were beautiful despite being largely not in bloom. I took about a bzillion pictures. I wonder if, besides giving me a hobby, they'll actually ever be of use to anyone. In theory a teacher could use them to teach plant identification or plan a trip to the gardens, maybe.



On my way home I stopped in at Arizona Mills to check it out. We certainly do like our shopping malls out here in the Valley, don't we? Wow. I got another cheap pair of sunglasses. I never seem to have one handy when I want one and I figure I'm eventually going to saturate my space with shades. They had a gourmet popcorn store but I resisted temptation. I think my love of popcorn is waning. I did stop in Gameworks and played a few games for the novelty of it, but the flashing lights and noise is too much to take for very long. The virtual reality beachhead protection game was kind of fun.

That's quite the movie theatre in the mall. Didn't see any movies, since there's some chance I'll have a chance to see one over Thankgiving break and I wouldn't want to have already seen it. Thanksgiving break. I talk like I'm still in school.

After that detour I went home and tried to see Leonids. This evening I didn't even think I saw any. Disappointing. Light pollution probably made it much harder to see anything interesting, but I didn't come up with an alternative.

Better uses of judicial resources

Maricopa County Attorney General Andrew Thomas proposes dedicating additional judicial resources to fast-tracking death penalty cases in Arizona, so wrote the Arizona Republic this Friday.

There are 118 capital cases in Maricopa county. Thomas would dedicate 5 judges to a panel exclusively to hear these cases. Somehow that doesn't sound like a good use of judicial resources to me.

"Thomas wants to rein in defense attorneys' ability to interview witnesses or probe some issues after the death sentence."

Because thorough review before the state murders its citizens in cold blood isn't justified?

Maybe instead of rushing death penalty cases, we should take some care to address them more slowly and with more care. Re-trying them after the United States Supreme Court sends them back because they weren't constitutionally handled the first time (Ring vs. Arizona) would appear to insert more delay than the speed gained by rushing them through the first time.

Eight people from Arizona's death row have been exonerated since the 1970s, according to the Death Penalty Information Center, by way of the Arizona Republic article. Now that sounds like a good use of judicial resources.

We have real problems in the state of Arizona. We are rated dumbest state in the country, and sure the study and metrics were flawed, but they also weren't, in that we know it's true: education here isn't what it should be. We have an overwhelmed healthcare system, particularly emergency healthcare. We have fatal vehicle accidents so often they're commonplace, a way of life. Which is more important, fixing the problems that affect many people, that claim the lives of some of the best of us? Or rushing to kill the worst of us?

Opening Pandora's Box

Pandora Internet Radio is pretty cool. My dad introduced me to it. It proves a decent way to set up some radio-like background music for work or hanging out at home. I'd probably prefer listening to The Edge at home, but I can't seem to get good real radio reception.

Leonids

I spent some time outside my apartment this evening watching the sky for Leonids. Security (locally euphemized as "courtesy patrol") neglected to chain the gate to the pool area, so I plopped down on one of the deck chairs. Convenience outweighed concern

I think I saw one, but maybe it was a figment of my imagination, borne of wanting so much to see one. I know at least the stars were real, and they are beautiful.

Goldfield

Dad and I spent the afternoon in Goldfield, which is a tourist trap very near Lost Dutchman State Park, but a very nice tourist trap. The mine tour was fun, as was the train ride.

We stopped by the Mining Camp restaurant for dinner, which was pricy but a great followup to an afternoon wandering a ghost town.

Costco

This morning Dad and I went to Costco. We picked up several cases of Arrowhead water. It seems stupid but somehow I can tell the difference and like Arrowhead a lot better than the alternatives.

Arizona State Fair

Dad and I went to the Arizona State Fair. It was fun, but not as cool as the Wisconsin State Fair, of which I have many fond memories.

South Mountain

Dad's visiting this weekend. This morning we went hiking at South Mountain, mostly the Pima Wash and East Loop, but a bit on the Ridge Line as well. Beautiful.

Dogsitting

A friend of mine stepped out of town and so I get the opportunity to borrow a couple of dogs off and on for a couple of days. It's awesome! It's like at the Unicon Halloween holiday party, where I could run the extinguish-the-candle-via-squirt-gun activity for the zillions of kids (I suspect it's a sign of a good company that so many of the staff have families) and then, when they get bored with squirting inanimate objects and instead start squirting one another, I could give them back to their respective parental units.






What do books, dogs, DVDs, and Hummers have in common? They're all fun to borrow.

Service

Today's homily was about serice, how to be of service to others, the meaning in service, and the healthful perspective service can bring. Karma isn't the word for it, but there's nonetheless something to it.

I met up with Katie's family for pre-church coffee. Speaking of perspective, having your Sunday best clothes thoroughly licked by dogs puts it perspective. Demonstrating respect for the experience by dressing up seems like the right way to go about it. But it's not about the clothes.

Deposited my newspapers for recycling at church. I wonder what kind of return they get on the recycled newspaper. Not sure. But gives me a place to put it, and the collection policy there is broader -- includes random other paper, juunk mail, magazines -- than it is at the neighborhood collection point. I'm still just a wee bit irked that the apartment complex doesn't itself collect recyclables, especially since there's apparently a market for at least newspaper recycling. Add that high on the list of things to look for in my next apartment.

Dragging the laptop to a cafe to do some work.

Road Rage

I took a walk this evening. Walked the canal over to Dobson, stopped off at Sonic for a milkshake, and then moseyed along the block to Safeway where I wandered the aisles for a good long while not really finding anything I wanted. Finally settled on a chunk of mozzarella cheese.

On the walk home from there some kids decided it would be fun to chuck eggs at me from their car. Nailed me a good one.

I figure they're probably more troubled than I am.

Maybe I should move to a nicer neighborhood. I suspect this sort of thing doesn't happen in Tempe.

Sometimes

Sometimes, when I'm feeling down, I go to a grocery store parking lot and herd errant shopping carts into their corrals.

And sometimes, that helps.

Wallace and Grommit: Curse of the Were Rabit

I watched Wallace and Grommit this evening, courtesy of Netflix. Kind of cute.

Stewardship Sunday

There's a lot of stewardship in life. There's the saw about how we do not inherit from our parents, we borrow from our children. Most work is stewardship -- my time and resources at work are those of my employer, and I apply them as a steward of the company's resources and efforts.

Arizona State Fair and Foo Fighters

I caught the tail end of the Foo Fighters concert this evening at the Arizona State Fair. I think I missed their playing "Times Like These", which is too bad, of all their songs I think it's the one I'm most familiar with and best like. (True to form, however, I don't know the words.)

The cutest aspect by far of the fair was the children's farm exhibit wherein kids could peddle toy tractors to plow a field painted onto the floor, sow seeds and harvest plastic vegetables from a box of dirt, pick plastic oranges attached to wooden tries, and milk fake cows. And, for those tuckered out from all that farm work, there's even a farm porch complete with rocking chairs. So charming.

The fresh roasted corn was delicious.

There were free blood pressure screenings. I'm a little concerned that mine measured in at 140/90. Will have to mention that to the doctor next appointment.

Frank Kush 5K

I ran the Frank Kush 5K this morning, finishing 76th with a time of 25:48. My results are listed as "Andrea Petro" thanks to my excellent entry form penmanship.

It was a beautiful morning for a run.

A good evening

I left work on time this afternoon, got a haircut at my favorite barber shop, complete with the straight razor touchups on the edges. Somehow very satisfying.

I baked a batch of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dinner, with a side of soup.

Caught up with a friend on the phone, that was fun. Shower with relaxing body wash.

All in all a pretty good evening, but somehow still can't sleep. Hoping the the Advil PM helps with that. Some dire warnings on the product packaging.

Climbing Walls

Working harder at climbing the wall doesn't help if you're climbing the wrong wall.

Sins of the Fathers

I read Lawrence Block's Sins of the Fathers this evening, the first Matthew Scudder novel. Dark, very dark.

Burnt black biscuits

I appreciate the efforts of the folks at Pillsbury kitchens, but their toasters must be less exuberant than mine. Baking the frozen biscuits as prescribed burned them black.

Pirates 2

I saw Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (Dead Man's Chest) at the AMC Ahwatukee last night. Ahwatukee is a local name with similar fun properties to "Wauwatosa", I suppose. Anyway, the movie was pretty fun. I hadn't seen it because I refused on principle to go to the movie alone and I couldn't seem to drum up any interest. Most of the fun of seeing the first Pirates was the crowd I saw it with. But I really like popcorn and the movie was pretty good. The little kids crawling around under the seats during the movie was kind of cute too. Not sure I'd want to take kids so young to this movie, but what do I know.

The joke goes after the first Pirates movie we came back to the house and were so giddy with piratical excitement we went to download that pirate song, "A Pirate's Life for Me". And entered "pirate music" into the music swapping engine of the week, and back came a result set of a million entries, because, hehe, it's all pirated.

Traffic getting there was awful. I mean, I suppose it was normal, but it wasn't the non-traffic I prefer. Sometimes I really miss the similicity of the not-owning-a-car, walk-to-work lifestyle. Google Maps said it would take 15 minutes to get there, it took me more like 50 and I didn't manage to get into the right parking lot, just one that was close enough I could walk there. Missed some of the beginning, and that's always annoying. Better to get it all from the start, and ideally to catch a few previews first. Chalk it up to an off night, I suppose, but the whole driving thing is a stress source. I keep telling myself I'm getting better at it.

I've optimized my living location for short commute to work. The Sunday WSJ article on happiness advises this, that commutes tend to be a significant source of lost time, stress, and chaos. I think I could stand to live a few miles further west, though, in more of a Tempe area. More coolness per square inch over there.

Desert Botanical Garden Afternoon

This afternoon I went to the Desert Botanical Garden for lunch and to peruse the gardens. I think of it as my virtual yard in this apartment in Arizona lifestyle. It was Native American Recognition Day -- though I didn't see anyone I knew. The monarch butterfly greenhouse was amazing.

Lunch on the patio, a chicken chutney with a strawberry-adorned salad, was pretty tasty, and lemonade staved off the thirst of another bright beautiful Arizona day.

Errands

Parents still in town today, being parents. Cereal on the porch reading the Sunday paper at breakfast. Joe's Real Barbeque for lunch. We went to CostCo to stock up on water, Fry's to stock up on foodstuffs, Ikea for a bookshelf for my stray books. It's been a great weekend, getting so much done. I have groceries!

Hummer tour of Sedona

My parents are visiting this weekend and we went up to Sedona. On a whim we took the Hummar tour. Fun! Adventure! Near-tipping death-defying Hummer tricks! They also have a program wherein you can rent and drive a Hummer on such trails. I'll have to try that sometime when the parents aren't around.

CIGNA Health Assessment

Health fair at work today. I signed on for the cholesterol test. I scored a total cholesterol of 180 mg/dL and a blood glucose of 95 mg/dL. Blood pressure of 112/72.

Chandler Public Library doesn't mess around

"These items are very overdue. If not returned, account may be submitted to our collection agency."

44 ounces of Pepsi

Okay, so maybe the 44 ounce Pepsi from Circle K was a bad idea.

Such Men are Dangerous

I read Lawrence Block's Such Men are Dangerous this week. Picked it up at Booked For Murder, a really cool mystery bookstore in Madison. Thrilling.

Forever

I read Jeffrey Deaver's Forever last night, the pair to Keller's Adjustment in a Transgressions paperback I picked up for the flight out here to Milwaukee. I think I've latched onto a new author; I'll have to see what else Jeffrey Deaver has written.

I wonder, though, whether reading mysteries is actually good for me, or if it's just another pseudo-drug distraction in the way of applying myself to the real world. Maybe I'll ease off on the reading for a while.

The Great Train Robbery

I saw The Great Train Robbery this evening with my parents. Played it on the Mac mini with those delicious Harman Kardon speakers. A really great movie.

On Courage

What is courage? Courage is often thought to be the flashy, daring, risky, momentary choice. And making such choices well under pressure is some kind of courage.

But there is another kind of courage, a quiet, continual kind, the one that affects the small choices and actions that add up to a life, a personality, a character. Courage is in the unkind word that is not spoken, the honesty where a lie would do, the extra initiative for a small act of good that makes a small difference. Courage is in getting up in the morning and going to work to support a present or future family, or to support others through the work. Courage is in facing decisions and making them well, not just in split seconds, but when you have all the time in the world. Courage is in considering the consequences of a choice before making it. Courage is in taking the time and effort to learn something, knowing that it will make one more capable of good in the future. Courage is in doing whatever it is that you do, well. Courage is in finishing the task today rather than putting it off tomorrow. Courage is what you do when no one is looking and it doesn't seem to matter very much, but it matters a little, and it adds up.

I would have such courage.

Breakfast

I had breakfast this morning with Colleen. I'm glad I did.

Run by Lake Mendota

I took a brisk run by Lake Mendota this morning, along the path between the school of medicine buildings and the Union. Absolutely beautiful.

Keller's Adjustment

I read a relatively new Lawrence Block story last night, Keller's Adjustment, about Block's hitman character Keller adjusting to a post-September-11th world.

2 miles slow jog

2 miles slow jog around my childhood neighborhood.

A Hales Corners Saturday

Farmer's market, art fair at Trimborne Farm, Boerner Botanical Gardens (to which I conveniently get free admission by virtue of Desert Botanical Garden membership).

Salt River Tubing

Salt River tubing was awesome today. Beautiful weather, remarkable scenery, lots of excitedly partying college/grad student aged people about, and two, count 'em two, herdlets of horses right in the river as we tubed by.

Illusionist

I absolutely loved seeing The Illusionist this evening. What a beautiful and compelling story.

New York Times at Gold Bar

I spent the early afternoon reading the New York Times (conveniently sold there) at Gold Bar after a sub-of-the-day lunch at the nearby Subway's. Subway was a major food source when I lived in New Haven.

Treating people with dignity

Today's homily was the basic message I go to church to hear: treat people with dignity.

5.5 miles of running bliss

Five and one half miles this morning on the Mesquite High School track. This run felt the best of runs since I've been here in Arizona -- I think it had a lot to do with getting some solid meals in yesterday.

Don't Make Me Think at Gold Bar

I spent the late afternoon and early evening devouring Steven Krug's Don't Make Me Think at Gold Bar. What an awesome book!

I also devoured a slice of pumpkin pie, which was heavenly.

Heart Attack Grill lunch

I met up with a couple friends from work for lunch at Heart Attack Grill today. Kind of fun and worth trying once.

Hiked South Mountain

This morning I met up with Lyndon and some of his church buddies for a short three mile hike at South Mountain.

Back to School Sales

I like Back to School sales. More generally I like office supplies.
I generally try not to be a material possessions person. Things aren't important, people are. But I admit sometimes buying things makes me feel better. It doesn't have to be something big -- small will do. A box of paperclips. Index cards.
Back to school sales make it pretty affordable to pick up a couple composition books.

Clear Flour Bread

I visited Michael and Wei-Ying this weekend and we stopped by the Clear Flour Bread bakery this morning to pick up delicious French pastries. Chocolate croisants and pecan rolls were delicious.

That's quite the dessert

Signing up on the website for the thing that will give me free food on my birthday, I encountered the following non-parsing sentence:

Join our BA Prime Club and receive a free dessert including a Free Steak Dinner for your Birthday!

Nice vs. Good

There's a difference between being nice and being good. Nice people refill the copier and do other nice things and generally try not to offend anyone.

Good people make a difference for the better in the world.

They're not mutually exclusive. But they're also not to be confused.

Or, "living well is the best revenge."

Meeting People in Grocery Stores

Apparently I've been going to the wrong grocery store: this Safeway is supposed to be the cool people hangout.

Raising Arizona

This evening I went to the Netflix Rolling Road Show showing of Raising Arizona. I hadn't explored that far east before today and checked out the "ghost town" near the state park before the show. The show itself was great fun, complete with inflatable screen and pre-show antics from the scavenger hunt teams.

An Aqua Kind of Day

Today I splashed around a bit at Sunsplash waterpark and caught the Aquabats concert at Venue of Scottsdale this evening.

w + o = wo.

Just Breathe

No one can find the rewind button girl,
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe, just breathe,
Woah breathe, just breathe

...
Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while,
But my God it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Wanna hold him, maybe I'll just sing about it.

Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe, just breathe,

Sedona

Today dad and I drove to Sedona and hiked the Little Horse trail.

By the Wayside at Yuca Tap Room

Dad and I caught By the Wayside at the Yucca Tap Room this evening. Lovesick Suicide remains their best song.

someday in the mist of time

As far as my eyes can see
There are Shadows approaching me
And to those I left behind
I wanted you to Know
You've always shared my deepest thoughts
You follow where I go

And oh when I'm old and wise
Bitter words mean little to me
Autumn Winds will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time
When they asked me if I knew you
I'd smile and say you were a friend of mine
And the sadness would be Lifted from my eyes
Oh when I'm old and wise

As far as my Eyes can see
There are shadows surrounding me
And to those I leave behind
I want you all to know
You've always Shared my darkest hours
I'll miss you when I go

And oh, when I'm old and wise
Heavy words that tossed and blew me
Like Autumn winds that will blow right through me
And someday in the mist of time
When they ask you if you knew me
Remember that You were a friend of mine
As the final curtain falls before my eyes
Oh when I'm Old and wise

As far as my eyes can see

Old and Wise. Alan Parsons Project.

A story about a parking lot

A few weeks ago, I finished a late-evening workout at the gym and was returning to my car when I noticed a woman repeatedly setting off her car alarm and acting very frustrated. I walked over and asked if there was anything I could do to help. It turned out that she'd put her car into alarm mode somehow and couldn't figure out how to turn it off and so was stranded in this parking lot. We called her son, who apparently knew how to turn off the alarm, and then waited for him, not so very long, talking about life in Arizona, about the challenges of raising teenagers.

I tell my mother this story, and she tells me what a good person I am to have lended help in this way. Maybe, but I don't think that's it.

I tell my sister this story, and she tells me how creepy it is, hanging around people like that, the woman could have just waited for her son in the gym lobby, it being open to the wee hours of the night and all. And while I hope I'm not a creepy person, she's right, that would have been a fine solution to the problem of waiting alone in a parking lot at night.

But here's where I think it's at: that wasn't the problem being solved. Sometimes you just need someone to talk to.

Transfiguration Sunday

I'd have to admit I didn't get much out of the homily today. It was fairly deep about the transfiguration and all I grasped was the punchline -- something about needing to listen to God rather than merely look for or at God.

But I figured something else out at mass this morning that's probably more immediately and personally important, anyway. I set my alarm last night planning on going Church-hopping again today looking for a church, and I ended up just going to Holy Spirit. I think I've found a church and now I need to figure out how to really be a part of it.

Doesn't mean I won't still check out some other churches every once in a while. It's kind of fun to see some different approaches and perspectives. And there seem to be very many of them around here to be visited.

Chase's Diner Breakfast

I treated myself to a Chase's Diner breakfast. In general Lyndon was right in telling me that post-hike, I'll just feel hungry all the time for a couple days. Part of the fun of exercising regularly.

The french toast combo was very tasty but I tried the eggs over easy instead of my usual over hard and I think I'll be going back to over hard from now on. Don't want to be too adventurous.

Even though it was busy they let me take up a seat and read some Zodiak over a leisurely breakfast. Cool. Also, the coffee was really very good.

Humphrey's Peak

Today I hiked Humphrey's Peak with Lyndon and the Arizona Trailblazers hiking group. I had an awesome time, got to visit the trees, and met some new people.





I've posted more photos from this expedition.

The First Day of the rest of my life

Today is the first day of the rest of my life, as the saw goes.

I will endeavor to be more honest, more open, and more courageous.

Tough afternoon

This was not a good afternoon. It helped chatting with my sister and mom. And getting a hot fudge brownie blast at Sonic. Apparently you're not supposed to eat right before bed for health reasons, but it sure makes it easier to fall asleep.

Loaves and fishes

Today's sermon was about the loaves and the fishes, about being fed and feeding others. I guess I'm in a pretty selfish stage right now, mostly receiving, seeking nourishment in the form of getting established in my new job, new place to live, a new church of a faith of which I'm not even really formally a member, trying to keep and make friends, figure out how to live here in Chandler. I try to think of ways that I've spiritually fed anyone else lately, and I'm not thinking of many. Which I guess is the point of a sermon (should I call them "homilies"?) to remind to reach beyond.

Shepherd me oh Lord,
beyond my wants, beyond my needs,
from death into life.

Rhapsody in Gershwin

I went to the Chandler Center for the Arts this evening to take in Rhapsody in Gershwin. The Rhapsody was the portion before the intermission - I headed home at intermission to avoid the larger traffic outflow and to get some rest before tomorrow morning's run.

It was pretty good. Some novelty.

Neat that there's a free concert series. The August 26th Brid Dower Band performance looks good.

I had planned to head to the Desert Botanical Gardens for the last flashlight evening walk of the year, but the Rhapsody seemed to have more novelty.

Waterpark day

I spent a good chunk of today at Big Surf waterpark in Tempe. It was kind of fun, a couple good slides. The surfing/wave pool was no fun at all without a rented raft, I didn't try it with.

Basically it was fun from the perspective of reminscing about myself six years or so ago, and it was fun to be around a bunch of children having fun, but mostly it just felt too small.

I'll have to find new amusements.

Chill out

I don't buy Shaunti Feldhahn's opinion that breast feeding in public is wrong.

Would it be rude and creepy to stare at a woman feeding her child? Of course. But then again, it would be rude and creepy to stare anyway, right?

Let's ease off on the trying to regulate every aspect of life so fully. What is to be gained by this, versus what do we stand to lose by failing to acknowledge people as they are? Focus on how to structure situations to support women who support children, rather than trying to hide them under a rug.

Thunderstorm

A tremendous and beautiful thunderstorm this evening, complete with rain. I ran outside into it and was drenched pleasantly.

We don't get much rain here in Phoenix, but when we get it, we get it in style.

Less cool is the water leaking through my bedroom ceiling and dripping down onto the bed. No fun. Dragged out the sleeping bag and will report the problem to the super in the morning.

On Being an Apostle

This morning's sermon reminded of the obligation to act as an apostle in the world. It reminded me a bit of the subway "See something? Say something." campaign.

Ian Anderson w/ Orchestra

I got to hear Ian Anderson play the flute and sing at Interlochen this evening. The music was awesome.

Also performing was Lucia Micarelli on violin. I think it's fair to say she was the star of the performance.

Chandler Museum

I visited the Chandler Museum today. I didn't know much about the local history so it was kind of fun to catch up on the adventures of Dr. A. J. Chandler.

On defining marriage

It looks like on this fall's ballot here in Arizona there will be an item about narrowly defining marriage in order to hedge out same-sex marriages.

I couldn't agree more with Sandi Glauser's commentary in the Tribune:

Our national charter was intended to grant freedoms, not to narrow the scope of those under its umbrella.

Indpendence Day Fireworks in Gilbert

Beautiful Independence Day fireworks in Gilbert, AZ.

Desert Botanical Garden

Tonight I visited the Desert Botanical Garden for the after-hours flashlight tour. Way cool! Saw bats and beetles and night hawks.

Incarceration

I read in the paper today (Arizona Republic) that 1 in 136 United States residents is incarcerated. That seems like an obscenely high figure to me, with some states (not Arizona) incarcerating more than 1% of their populace.

I've never been in jail. I guess that's something.

Working from home with a totally unreasonable fever today. JavaMail is a little more amusing on NyQuil. I'd try to tie things together with a line about being cooped up with a head cold (?) being a little like being jailed, but I imagine it's truly nothing like it. I can't even imagine.

Free T-Shirt at Tempe Dodge

Tempe Dodge sent me a flyer promising a free t-shirt just for showing up. So I did. And got a free t-shirt. Kind of fun.

Les Miserables

I saw Les Miserables this evening at the ASU Grammage Auditorium. It was fun but it wasn't Broadway.

The Sentinel

I saw The Sentinel at the AMC movie theatre on Stapley today. I don't remember it as being all that good. Maybe okay-ish.

Lasik @ Home

While so far I've been blessed with decent uncorrected vision, many people I know use glasses or contact lenses. However, with Lasik@Home, Lasik corrective vision surgery is becoming more and more acccessible.

Youth is wasted on the young

Downside of being young.

Hummer

Confession: I'd like to try out driving a Hummer sometime.

Why blog?

This essay renewed my desire to blog (and to blog more effectively).

Google Acquires Writely!

Google acquired Writely. Awesome.

Blingo

Maybe you need to be bribed to search the web.

On the meaning of consent

I worry that this jury's decision will send the wrong message.

So let's review: people who are drunk are incapable of giving informed consent. Period.

Also, I really just don't get this jury's decision. Even if the young woman were enthustiastic about the enterprise, it's still child pornography, isn't it?

This jury was just wrong.

In other news, Italy found that women wearing jeans by definition cannot be raped. I worry this will send the wrong message.

So let's review: informed consent is sober, considered, and explicit. It is not implied by protesting too little, fighting back too little, or lacking the forcefulness to repel an instructor in a position of power and responsibility over the person being assaulted.

Italy's supreme court is just wrong.

Which leads to another point: even otherwise informed consent is tainted by a coercive relationship (instructor-student, laywer-client).

So just don't do it.

The Best Indian Food in Southeastern Wisconsin

The best Indian food in southeastern Wisconsin is pretty good. The naan was great, the rice pudding dessert particularly excellent. Chicken tika massala was okay. I didn't care for the non-vegetarian appetizer sampler -- was mostly fish sticks reminiscent of my grade school lunch hours.

India Palace in New Haven remains my favorite Indian restaurant.

Omega Burger

Omega burger for dinner. Snickers sundae dessert was delicious but overkill.

Out of step with ordinary people

What does it mean to be "out of step with ordinary people" and is being in step with ordinary people really something to aspire to? I'd be worried if the best of the universities were in step with ordinary people -- and equally worried if that were their goal. Ordinary and average are way over-rated -- they get a middling 2.5 out of five stars, for instance.

Can UW use its staff better? Of course. Does that mean it's over staffed? Having seen some layoffs and their effects, I'm forming the opinion that merely cutting staff isn't a way to make something more efficient, and that a far better alternative is to invest in improving the staff you've got and using them effectively. Do not be quick to level the charge of "over staffed" at anyone -- investment in staff, in quality people to professionally invest in solving the problems you exist to solve -- is an important investment. How much of the value of your organization is embodied in the staff that make it up?

Microsoft iPod 2006 Professional Edition

A great video showing what iPod packaging would look like if Microsoft sold them.

Interview at Epic

I spent the day interviewing at Epic Systems. Beautiful campus and very interesting to learn more about Epic's environment. Would be exceptionally different from the OO Java object-junkie world I'm used to.

Sweet Chili Chicken at Noodles for both lunch and dinner. The irony of a noodle-free meal at Noodles is almost as delicious as the dish itself.

Hard Disk Music

Some hard disks are music to the ears.

Unproductive weekend

I end the weekend feeling a bit guilty on lack of productivity.
I finished my first SEN book review submission and have started in on the next book. Took a long walk today and picked up some books at the library. Vegged watching some Law & Order flavors with my dad this evening. The Skinny Cow pops were fun. There was a sale at Walgreens today on petroleum jelly, got the biggest container with the plan of refilling my small containers, which only sort of works because the jelly tends to air bubble.
Created my first page using Hypercontent today: a Java CAS client doco page. The Java CAS client has never looked so good.
Gave the Matrix some thought.
Got some good sleep. Maybe that's enough purpose for the weekend, charging up on some sleep for the week.

Being legally employed isn't a credit to your university?

Apparently being legally employed isn't a credit to your university and is in fact grounds for dismissal from a cheerleading squad.

Prance around in a cheerleading outfit, okay. Work as a waitress in a similar outfit, not okay?

Is this the kind of needless and harmful government moralizing that George Will was talking about?

Zero tolerance is intolerable

The Mayor of New York fired a low-level office worker for playing Solitaire at work.

I find this worrisome for several reasons.

1. Retaining an employee is not a yes-no decision. It's a matter of "Do I need this job done?" and "Do I really believe I can get someone else to do this job better?" And "Will they do it enough better, and stay long enough, to make it worth the overhead of the staff churn?"
   


2. This is exceptionally egregious micromanagement. What happened to the model wherein the mayor makes demands of, say, high-level city managers, and manages them. And these mangers manage some middle managers, all the way down to whoever supervised this random office worker. And the question that matters is not, what kind of office environment do they have, do they play solitaire for a few minutes each day, do they have a Playstation in the break room, etc. The question that matters is, is this office performing? And if it's not, yell at the supervisor. And let him figure out that he needs to get this worker to quit screwing around and get some work done.
   
   Maybe this fellow was low level enough that a supervisor should be
   micromanaging his time. But the mayor?


3. It's not clear to me that playing solitaire violated any policy here. Is taking a break using a program installed on the computer really inappropriate? Certainly seems open to interpretation. If the purpose of the computer is getting work done, and throwing a couple solitaire cards around encourages coming up with euphemisms for the latest crime spree or whatever this fellow's job was, then it was appropriate. Would he have been fired if he'd had a GMail window open and was firing off a quick email his wife to say he'd forgotten to buy diapers for his kid on the way to work?
   
   Why was Solitaire installed on the computer if it was by definition against policy to play the game?
   
   Would he have been fired if he'd just been eyes-glazed-over staring at a spreadsheet?
   


4. Two words: progressive discipline. Have enough respect for an
   employee and for your hiring process to implement a means of
   encouraging, warning, disciplining, and eventually firing an employee
   if necessary.
   


5. This appears to be exceptionally myopic. A US-Robotics-style "no employee ever makes a mistake twice; he is fired the first time" approach. No consideration of the larger context.
   
   Is someone going to discipline the mayor for inappropriate use of his time?
   

On the other end of the spectrum, a Milwaukee police officer idly watched some other Milwaukee police officers beat some guy (who was not under arrest). The police chief fired him on the grounds that this was gross dereliction of duty. He was re-instated by the police and fire commission on the grounds that he didn't do anything. He did receive a 60 day suspension.



Play solitaire when your job is office work, get fired. Fail to intervene or report a violent crime when your job is law enforcement, keep your job.

What of the officers who did something?

"Three fired officers ... have all been charged with felonies in connection with the beating. ...

The officers were fired May 24 but have continued to receive full pay and benefits under a 26-year-old state law that applies only to Milwaukee police officers. They are paid until their appeals are exhausted with the commission."

A blog about drinking

So, a friend of mine started a blog about drinking and it's clearly a project he's excited about and all sorts of posts are popping up there. The only problem from my perspective is that, well, I'm just not that interested in drinking.

Owning Michigan

I now own
one square inch of land in the state of Michigan.

Berkas family ping pong tournament

I'm still in after the first round, narrowly defeating my uncle Paul in a close and exciting match.

Time Management

I could learn to be better at managing my time.

more than a piece of paper

The Constitution is more than a piece of paper.

Get over reporting the Bush administration as though it were a credible source.

things like this happen

Maybe there's something deeply wrong when the response to an eight year old bringing a gun to his daycare and that gun shooting a seven year old is "things like this happen".

Things like this do happen, and I mean no criticism of a mother who, rightly, is looking for a way to recover from and move on from this incident. Clearly best for the children involved to find a way to continue to feel safe. But what do we do to make things like this stop happening?

A new blog on electronic security

Sorry, yet another blog, this time on electronic security.

I proliferate blogs in an effort to provide subject-specific forums. A place for everything, and everything in its place.

Michael Swaine is my hero

I'd love to write like Michael Swaine.

The network is the computer

Writely, a free online word processor and Word-like document host, with collaboration and permissions. Wiki-like, but more document-centric.

And yet another service-on-the-web model.

My dad now has a blog

I just helped my dad set up a blog .

Unicon is hiring

Unicon , for whom I work part time, is hiring .

Using del.icio.us to track reading

I'm trying to figure out what del.icio.us is likely to be good for. I like very much the idea of these generic mostly free-form tools that can be put to adhoc uses. In general in IT this is a way we succeed: delivering general, flexible services (email, web hosting, a portal) that the end users can figure out how to get value out of. (Contrast the approach of building very specific tools for particular purposes, highly instructionally-related technolgy applications, etc.).One thing it might be good for is quickly tracking what it is that I'm currently reading and what I've read .

Now I just need a portal to bridge all these tools.

del.icio.us/microcline/reading

I'm trying to figure out what del.icio.us is likely to be good for. I like very much the idea of these generic mostly free-form tools that can be put to adhoc uses. In general in IT this is a way we succeed: delivering general, flexible services (email, web hosting, a portal) that the end users can figure out how to get value out of. (Contrast the approach of building very specific tools for particular purposes, highly instructionally-related technolgy applications, etc.).One thing it might be good for is quickly tracking what it is that I'm currently reading and what I've read .

Now I just need a portal to bridge all these tools.

del.icio.us/microcline

I discovered de.icio.us today. I'm not sure if this will be useful. Another random place to stick links?

Restaurant Empire

I wasted a large chunk of my weekend playing Restaurant Empire , which was oddly addicting and a little fun. Mostly just numbing.

Snowmen with issues

This vintage snow sculpture on Yale's campus takes Seasonal Affective Disorder to a new level.

Wit's End rematch

Played a rematch of Wit's End this evening with my sister and father. Elizabeth won. Questions that tripped me up included identifying Emile Zola (influential French writer), Borris Karloff (legendy actor) and Baby Love (a hit by The Supremes). I also didn't know that Moscow is closer to Los Angeles than is Hong Kong than is Sydney, and I didn't know that My Fair Lady was released in 1964. I could probably live without knowing these things. Still, good to pick up some tidbits.

Apple to Apples

Played Apples to Apples this evening for the first time, with my sister and parents. Tremendous fun! Would be even more fun with more people. It's a very simple game, but the social interaction and the "what would [particular family member] think here" elements give it depth.

Bean Mush

Delicious bean mush for dinner today. A favorite. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• half pound bacon, diced


• one pound hamburger (or more)


• 1 T prepared mustard


• 1 t salt


• half cup chopped onion


• half cup brown sugar


• half cup ketchup


• 2 T vinegar


• 2 pounds lima beans


• 15 oz kidney beans


• 32 oz pork & beans


• 15 oz butter beans

Directions:
Brown bacon; drain on paper towels. Brown hamburger and onion; drain fat. Mix bacon and rest, except beans, with buger. Drain lima, kidney, and butter beans; rinse. Add all beans and pork & beans with juice to burger. Bake uncovered at 300 degrees for 90 minutes. Serves many.

But not really simple

The December-January issue of Real Simple magazine weighs in at 387 pages. Simple?

All things in time

Received today:

Dear Mr. Andrew Petro,

Our records show that you haven't yet registered for the benefits of AARP membership, even though you are fully eligible.

...

As a member, you'll have the resources and information you need to get the most out of life over 50.

Getting the most out of life over 50 is a challenge I hope to eventually have, but in the meantime I'm going to try to focus on getting the most out of life under 25.

Crashing with Minh

My friend Minh has generously taken me in this evening. Workout, shopping, groceries, a delicious dinner of roast beef sandwiches, asparagus, and chips with queso. Early meeting and long day tomorrow with the flight back to Wisconsin.

Egregiously Interesting

An "egregiously interesting" adventure.

A Fabulous New Year's Resolution

One of my New Year's resolutions is to stop saying the word "fabulous" so much.

On the nature of Stupidity

On what it is to be stupid. Characterization of stupidity purely in terms of harm.

I don't agree with this article's outlook on life. People are imperfect and make mistakes, to be sure. But I don't know that many people make so many mistakes, perform so poorly, as to warrant being called stupid. Are the stakes often high enough for that?

Usinger bratwurst, hotdog buns, apples, and brie

Visiting New Haven. Anthony has generously taken me in for a few days. This evening we enjoyed a dinner of Usinger bratwurst on hotdog buns accompanied by apples and brie.

For some reason the heat in the frat house isn't keeping up, so we're relying upon a really quite powerful space heater. I don't think the pipes are actually in any danger of freezing -- it's still warmer here than in my "55 degrees like President Carter told us" parents' house.

Breakfast was the oddly satisfying fried egg on a hard roll from Educated Burgher. This was a frequent meal the summer after my junior year when I lived here on Lynwood place and worked at YSOC.

Lunch was a turkey sandwich from Koffee. The bacon helped. Really very good, thanks for introducing me to this, Fran.

Lots of good food, but the highlights of the day were QAing Drew's new GuestReg (very cool, Spring WebMVC is a beautiful thing), working on the course reserve channel (JUnit is a beautiful thing), and discovering Spring's BeanUtils and their usefulness in the context of copy constructors.