Brian's Head

Knee Surgery - One Year On

2011-05-15T22:49:00.000-07:00

It has now been just over a year since I had my knee surgery. I rehabbed through June and July (very limited cycling and extremely limited running). I was able to do a little running in July, but not much. In August I ran a bit more, but it was never very far and fairly hit and miss. I plugged along through September, October and November.

This year, I am finally able to run as much as I want. I'm currently running ~4 days/week, and I'm now able to run 10 miles! That's a BIG improvement over the last 3 years of only being able to run once or twice per week, and only a few miles at that. In the last week I've managed a total of 36 1/2 miles with NO knee pain and no swelling.

I am so glad that I decided to have the surgery. The results are FAR better than I expected.

The first 4 months of 2011

2011-04-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Yikes! I have seriously been neglecting this blog! I suppose that's a good thing, because it means I've been very busy.

Work has been keeping me plenty busy. Lots of long days and some big changes (all of them good), but my personal life has suffered because of it. I see about 3-4 more months of craziness before I'm back to my normal stride. But I absolutely LOVE my job - it's fun, exciting and mentally stimulating.

My knee has healed very well from the surgery last year. I'm now running as far as 7 miles at a time. I'm contemplating a couple of half-marathons this summer, and definitely planning on running my favorite 10k in July.

I had a great trip to Maui in February, which was the first real vacation I've had in about 3 years (not counting a trip to AZ for my dad's 80th b-day). It was very relaxing, and I'm officially in love with Hawaii.

I like to think I'll be posting more. I'll definitely give it a shot. I think the summer is going to be pretty awesome now that I'm living on the lake, so hopefully I'll have some cool stuff to share.

What's up with Brian's Head?

2011-01-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

I've been notably absent from this blog for the last several months. A move, a promotion at work and a busy social life have kept me from doing much here. In fact, all of my social media has taken the back seat. I'm hardly ever on Facebook, and my activity on Twitter has waned quite a bit.

I'm not giving up on this blog. I often think about posting, but life just gets in the way. So when I have the urge, the time, and something to write about, I will be posting.

The G2

2010-10-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

Mostly I am not much of a phone geek. But when the iPhone came out, I wanted one. But not badly enough to switch phone carries. So when HTC released the G1 Android 2 years ago, I bit. I preordered my phone, and received it right after the official release date.

From the first day I owned it, I loved the G1. It was close enough to the iPhone to satisfy my phone-lust. But it did have its shortcomings. It had a smaller screen than the iPhone. The earbuds used a mini-USB connector instead of a standard 3.5mm headphone jack. It wasn't quite as cool or smooth as the iPhone. It did have some features the iPhone does not have - a pull out keyboard and a track ball. But still...it was no iPhone.

Enter the G2.

When T-Mobile announced the G2, I was hopefully optimistic. I read the press on the G2, and as pre-ordered one as soon as they were offered. Mine was delivered on October 1.

The G2 is much improved over the G1. They have made several improvements in creating the G2:

The pull out keyboard is much more intuitive to open and it works much more smoothly. The keyboard is smaller than on the G2, a feat they accomplished by removing the number row, so to type numbers you have to hit Alt plus a the corresponding letter key.
The headphone jack is now a 3.5mm standard jack, which is a big improvement.
The track ball has been replaced with a track pad. The track pad is much more user friendly.
The screen is larger and clearer. It is actually larger than the screen on the iPhone. They managed to do that while essentially keeping the same dimensions to the phone. the G2 is a couple millimeters wider than the G1 and a few millimeters thinner.
The camera now has a light.
There are programmable keys built in to the keyboard.

The G1 was constructed such that a larger, high-capacity battery could be used. The G2 is not designed to allow for a bigger battery. But the G2 has a very easily accessed battery compartment, so swapping batteries will be a snap. I will be getting a spare or two for mine.

Three days into it, I love the G2. I do have a couple of complaints. First, the G2 uses a micro-USB for charging. The G1 (and my two previous phones) used a min-USB. They include a micro-USB charger, but the cable is only 47", making it difficult to talk on the phone while it's charging. It also means that I will have to buy a new car charger, and at least one additional wall charger (I like having at least one for home and one for work)

The other issue is bigger, and seems to be a growing problem on the forums. The G2 has reception problems. T-Mobile is apparently telling people to use the new SIM card that is included with the phone, but from what I've read, that solution is not fixing the problem. HTC and T-Mobile will have to act quickly and get ahead of this problem.

All in all, the G2 is a big improvement over the G1. HTC did a great job in making major improvements in the phone. Hopefully they will be able to address the connectivity issue with a software upgrade. This is far and away the best phone I've ever owned.

Speed Dating Take 2

2010-09-19T10:35:00.000-07:00

I signed up last-minute for another speed dating session. I hadn't intended to go, but the organizer emailed me because they didn't have enough guys for the evening. I had no plans for the evening, so I figured why not.

I decided that this time I'd wear a suit, mostly because I don't get dressed up as often as I'd like.

When I arrived at the location, I ran into a woman that I know in real life. We each thought the other was attached (now that I think about it, the first time I met her we were both seeing other people). The event organizer was just over 30 minutes late, so the two of us had a chance to catch up before the event. Since we already know each other, we agreed that we're not going to match each other and she said that I already know how to get in touch with her if I want to ask her out, which I'm taking as an invitation to do so.

There were 9 women at the event. This time the organizer was much more quick on the timer, sticking to precisely 5 minutes, which wasn't enough time with some of the women. In a moment of awkwardness, there was a woman there from the other time I did speed dating. We "matched" at the last event, emailed back and forth and set up a mid-day coffee date...for which she no-showed. It's the only time in my life that I've been stood up. She apologized for the no-show that evening, but we never ended up going out. Anyway, she was pretty shocked to see me. She was clearly embarrassed about what happened. She did say that she'd still like to go out.

I didn't walk away with any new matches from this one (other than my friend, of course). There were some very lovely women there, just none that rocked my world.

Aventures in Speed Dating

2010-08-07T23:57:00.000-07:00

I've never tried speed dating before, so when an opportunity came up to give it a shot I jumped at the chance. For those who are not familiar with speed dating, the concept is that you have approximately 5 minutes to meet with several different people (in our group tonight, there were 9 women and 8 men - they were shooting for 10 of each, but there were a few no-shows). When you arrive at the event, they give a scorecard with the name and corresponding number for each person. After you spend the five minutes with a person you circle either Yes or No, meaning you either want to see them again or you don't. In the case of this event, you take your scorecard home and log in to the organizer's website and enter Yes or No for each person that you talked to. If you both said Yes, then they send each of you the contact information for the other person.

I really like the concept because in my experience, I know within the first few minutes whether I have an interest in a woman. So this eliminates spending a ton of time exchanging email with somebody, only to find that they're not what they portrayed. And it eliminates the awkward time between when you figure our you're not a match and when the check comes.

There was a broad mix of how people chose to dress. There were guys in jeans and casual shirts, and one guy was wearing slacks and a sports coat. Most of the men were in dockers or slacks and button down shirts. Nobody was wearing a tie. The women were also across the board, from jeans and a sweater to a very nice dress.

My one logistical criticism is that there was really not a break between "dates". I'd have liked a minute or two to scratch out a note about each date. It would also be nice to have a 5-10 minute break midway through the evening to use the restroom and refresh drinks.

Out of the nine women I met tonight, I'd be interested in setting up a date with 2 of them . We'll see over the next day or two whether any of them were also interested in me.
Overall I had a nice time. There wasn't anybody there that I couldn't fill the time talking with. If you're looking for a way to meet potential romantic interests, it's definitely worth trying.

Duck! In Which I Experience Another Tourist Adventure in Seattle

2010-06-03T21:26:00.000-07:00

I've lived in Seattle for about a dozen years now. Recently I've had the good fortune of experiencing some of the tourist side of the city - you can read about a couple of them them here and here. In every instance I've had a good time and would highly recommend the tours to others (unlike my Luau experience in Hawai'i a couple of years back...yuck!).

Today's experience was part a celebration for a project we recently wrapped up at work (to be fair and honest, my participation in the project was pretty marginal). Anyway, we were treated to a great lunch followed by the Seattle Ride The Duck tour.

I've actually wanted to do the duck tour for a long time. I had a couple of near misses, where plans fell through at the last minute. So I was very excited to take part in the excursion.

The Ride the Duck tour is a 90 minute trip through Seattle on a 1940s vintage duck boat. Our tour was conducted by Capt. Clair Voyant. She is a very witty and up-beat woman who has a Masters in Education. I guess the Ride the Ducks people have steep education requirements.

The tour is as fun as you let it be. To enjoy it, you kind of have to accept it for the cheesy fun that it is. Participation is expected. There is singing, dancing, yelling and clapping along the way. If you can't break out of your little shell, then this probably isn't for you. The tour starts with a brief tour through Seattle music history (oddly, the tour drives within two blocks of Sub Pop, yet never mentions their existence - even though they were a crucial piece of the grunge scene). The Captain points out every Starbucks along the route (Cha-ching!), which was fun at first, but this is Seattle so it got old somewhere around the 234th Starbucks we passed.

The highlight of the trip is when the duck goes in the water. I was struck by how low in the water the duck sits. On the road, the vehicle is very high - somewhat like riding on a bus. But when it gets in the water, it floats very low.

The amphibious portion of the tour is on Lake Union. We started by cruising past some live-aboard boats moored along the lake. Then we cruised past a two-story building that is legally a boat (to get around Lake Union's limit of 500 houseboat permits). Once per year, they actually take the building for a spin around the lake and are inspected by the US Coast Guard. The other big highlight of the lake portion of the tour is seeing the houseboat from Sleepless in Seattle.

The ducks were designed for amphibious landing soldiers. Given that mission, I was surprised at how slow the boat was and how low it sat in the water. I can't imagine riding one through the surf for a beach landing in the best of conditions, let alone while also being fired upon. It was quite an eye-opener.

They do Duck Boat Tours in many cities. Based on my experience, I'd recommend them as a way to get a decent look at any city in which they operate. It's a fun 90 minutes, and well worth the cost.

What I've Read in 2010

2010-05-31T12:30:00.000-07:00

I did this in 2009, and enjoyed it as a means of keeping track of what I read through the year. Last year, I added books to the end of the list. I think this year I will insert the new books at the top, so if anybody happens to be following my list, they don't have to scroll to the bottom of the post. Last year I read 18 books. My goal for 2010 is to beat that.

10. Raven Stole the Moon by Garth Stein. This is actually Garth Stein's first novel, although he is much better known for The Art of Racing in the Rain. Raven is a completely different story than Racing.

Raven Stole the Moon is about Jenna, a mother who tragically lost her son. Jenna takes an unplanned trip to Alaska and embarks on a trip of learning about the true meaning of her son's death. Along the way she ends up facing her marriage, and resolving whether to salvage it or to abandon it.

This is a well-written and compelling story that involves Native American culture and the supernatural. Stein did a great job of explaining the cultural beliefs while telling a compelling story.

9. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger. This is the second novel by the author of The Time Traveller's Wife. This story is completely different than The Time Traveller's Wife, although Niffenegger does continue to explore the paranormal in this novel. The story is about twins from Chicago who inherit a flat in London from their aunt Elspeth, who twins had never met because Elspeth was estranged from their mother. In London, the twins meet their aunt's long-term love-interest, and a quirky neighbor suffering from OCD, while attempting to uncover the secret of why their aunt and their mother, twins themselves, hadn't spoken in decades.

8. The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski. This is another Boy and His Dog story. The story is about Edgar, mute from birth, who lives with his family in remote Wisconsin. The Sawtelle family raises a fictional breed of dog, and the family lives a peaceful life. Disaster strikes the family, and Edgar's uncle drives a wedge between Edgar and his mother.

The story is very well written and an absolute page-turner. So far this is my favorite book of 2010.

7. American Rust by Phillip Meyer. This the story is set in a Pennsylvania steel town that has been devastated by the collapse of the US steel industry. The book is a tale of the wasted opportunities of the two main characters and how their choices profoundly change their lives and the lives of those around them. The book is dark and sad, but well written and very much worth reading.

6. The English Major by Jim Harrison. This book is about Cliff, a 60 year old English teacher-turned farmer. Cliff's wife, Vivian, a successful real estate broker, leaves him for a man she went to high school with. In the fallout, they sell the farm.

With his entire life suddenly turned upside-down, Cliff decides to take a road trip to tour all 50 states. He takes a puzzle of the United States from his childhood and ceremonially leaves the puzzle piece from the state he just visited when he moves on to the next state.

The story is sometimes funny, sometimes sad and sometimes pathetic. Jim Harrison kind of makes up his own rules for grammar and punctuation. There are many errors that I never was able to figure out were intentional or just bad editing.

The book was enjoyable and entertaining, but far from a must-read. It's the kind of fluff that is best read on a tropical beach over drinks with umbrellas in them.

5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy. This is the book upon which the recent movie was based. I've not yet seen the movie, but I hope that it is faithful to the book. The story is a post-apocalyptic tale of a man and his young son walking south to find warmth, food and supplies. And, ultimately, other "good guys." Along the way they encounter a lot of danger and fear. The story is bleak, but well written. McCarthy has a wonderful grasp of the English language and an enjoyable writing style. The book flows quickly, and is most difficult to put down. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and look forward to checking out the movie.

4. The Associate by John Grisham. I've read many of John Grisham's books. They are dependably entertaining, interesting and well-written. The Associate breaks that trend. The story is too long in the setup and too short in the conclusion. Beside that, the ending is a tremendous letdown. This is the most disappointing and poorly written book by Grisham that I've ever read.

3. Grendel by John Gardner. This book is the tale of Beowulf, told from Grendel's side. It's a very witty look at the epic tale. Grendel is at times lovable, horrific and comical.

2. A Tiler's Afternoon by Lars Gustafsson. This book, set in 1982 Sweden, is about a tile setter named Torsten Bergman. Torsten is a semi-retired 65 year old man with a vivid imagination. The book follows him through an odd day working on a job tiling a bathroom in an old home that is being remodeled. The story is both sad and funny.

1. Hard Rain Falling by Don Carpenter. This is a hard, gritty book following the life of a small-time criminal named Jack Levitt. It moves from his conception in Eastern Oregon, through his troubled adolescence to his transition to adulthood. The book was originally published in 1966 and was out of print for many years. Being written in 1966, the book does not adhere to 2010's political correctness, so if you're easily offended this is not the novel for you. The book is fairly pessimistic, but quite enjoyable. The character development is believable and interesting and the storyline moves rapidly and is a worthwhile journey.

My Knee

2010-05-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

A little over two years ago, I messed up my knee playing basketball. I went to my doctor, and he gave me some advice and recommended some exercises to strengthen my knee.

I spent the better part of that year being careful and doing my best to rehab the knee. The next year, I very slowly and carefully resumed a running program. I was able to run all of last year, although I never made it beyond 8 miles - in a perfect world I'd be doing at least one 15+ mile run each week. Regardless, I was running regularly and enjoying it.

Then in January, I went bowling. Yes, bowling. And the next morning my knee was twice its normal size. Not good. But I knew how to rehab my knee, and went back to basics. Only the basics weren't working. My knee was not responding to rest. It wasn't responding to short workouts on the elliptical trainer at the gym. And worst of all, I was unable to run. Even just a 1/2 mile run was unbearable.

So I set out to find a doctor who could address my problem. I found a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, and focuses on knees, ankles and feet. I had my initial appointment with him this week. Based on my symptoms, he suspects a torn medial meniscus. This is pretty much what I expected based on my research. So he ordered an MRI, which I had the following day.

The MRI was pretty much everything I've ever heard. Lots of noise. And trying to be still. Followed by more noise. I should get the results early this week. Assuming the MRI confirms the initial diagnosis, I will likely be having surgery in the next few weeks. The surgery is really a pretty minor outpatient affair, followed by a couple of days off work.

I will post updates when I know more.

#ff - Why Follow Friday sucks and how to fix it (and #ww/Wine Wednesday).

2010-04-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

If the words Follow Friday or the hashtag #ff mean nothing to you, stop reading and go back to your life.

Follow Friday, if you don't already know but are curious enough to read this far, is a way that Twitter users suggest other users for people to follow.

Why it Sucks
There are numerous problems with Follow Friday. First, some users #ff wayyyyyy too much. In the example below, @WinoMagazine #ff'd 37 users. 37 users. WTF? That's WAYYYYY too many (and I suspect that @WinoMagazine will not be #ff'ing me next week).

Does this mass #ff make me want to follow a single person? No! It makes me want to UNfollow @WinoMagazine. It's ridiculous. It's like saying, "here, I'd like to introduce you to my 37 closest and most dear friends." How disingenuous! DON'T DO IT. For the love of god DO NOT #FF 37 PEOPLE IN ONE DAY!!!!

My apologies to @WinoMagazine if they feel singled out. They are far from the only violator of the rules of common sense when it comes to #ff. They just happened to be an example that jumped out at me today.

My other big gripe about Follow Friday is that people tend to throw up the same people week after week after week. We all have our favorites on Twitter. But sensible people do not #ff the same people week after week. Mix it up. Suggest new people to us. Look for people who are cool that we may not otherwise find.

How to fix it!
So here are my proposed guidelines for Follow Friday (and Wine Wednesday and Moron Monday or Tranny Tuesday or whatever other trends may be happening on Twitter):
1. Limit your recommendations to NO MORE than 5 users per week.
2. Do not recommend the same user more than once in a 90 day period.
3. Do not #ff a company who you have not personally used their services. So don't #ff a winery without having sampled their wine, don't #ff a restaurant without eating there, don't #ff a hotel without having stayed there.
4. Give a reason as to why we should follow them. What is more compelling - "#ff @abc @def @ghi @jkl @mno" or "#ff @abc is a great resource for information on xxxxxxxxx, @def is hilarious and brightens my every day..."?
5. Spread out your #ff love. If you are decide to #ff 5 users, don't #ff them all at once. Spread them out over the course of the day. It will make them feel special, not like one of your horde of #ff.
6. Make sure the people you #ff are active Twitter users. Before you #ff somebody, make sure they are still actively using Twitter. Why recommend a user that hasn't tweeted in the last six months?
7. Do NOT ever think that RTing someone else's #ff is a good idea. How lazy!
8. Party foul! Do NOT #ff yourself. @Gift_girl, I'm looking at you!

I'd love to hear feedback, comments, criticisms and suggestions from other users. I know that Twitter is full of vocal users. Speak up! And if you choose to comment, it'd be cool if you include your Twitter handle so we can all follow you!

@BriansHead (aka @BrianOnWine)

A look I won't be adopting this spring

2010-02-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

While I'm not exactly Mr GQ, I do try to display a bit of fashion sense. I received an email this morning from one of the better known classic men's clothiers. Seriously? You want me to wear THAT? No. Going. To. Happen.

Even the model looks uncomfortable in that outfit. Or maybe he's constipated.

January 2010 - Month in Review

2010-01-31T18:00:00.000-08:00

As I turn the page from January to February on my calendar, I'm struck that 2010 is now 1/12th over. What with the suckitude of 2009, I thought I ought to take 2010 in chunks so as to make course corrections as needed.

So far 2010 is looking good! Far better than 2009.

At this time last year, I was really questioning whether I would stay with my employer. The company was in the midst of a shakeup at the executive level, and there was a certain level of paranoia and discomfort. This year I am thrilled with my job! Things are going very well, and I'm getting recognition for my accomplishments over the last year.

It was also this time last year that I was reaching the agonizing decision to end a long-term relationship. It took another two months before I ended the relationship, but by February 1st I felt that was the direction I was heading with it. Valentine's weekend was pretty much the nail in that coffin. I've not yet found Ms Right, but I feel very positive that I'm in a position now to make good choices in that respect.

So far, 2010 is a vast improvement to 2009!

Seven reasons I don't think I'll be buying an iPad

2010-01-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

Apple unveiled their new and much anticipated tablet computer today. The press buildup was at a fever pitch, and Apple aficionados and detractors alike breathlessly awaited the grand entrance. And the tablet was welcomed with...a giggle? Apple, in what may have been the most unfortunate naming decision not involving Frank Zappa's offspring, chose to name their new product the iPad. Immediately the press, innumerable blogs, and Twitter were all flooded with comments that iPad sounds distinctly like a feminine hygiene product.

After my initial wave of giggles from the aforementioned name wore off, I did a little research on the iPad. Keep in mind that I have neither touched nor seen an iPad in person. But at this moment, I don't see myself purchasing one. Here is why.

1. It's an e-book, uh...make that iBook...reader. I read quite a bit. But I am not ready to leap into the eBook world for several reasons. First, I find I have better retention reading material in print versus on a screen. A bit has been written about this phenomenon - some claiming it's true, and some claiming it's not. But my personal opinion is that there is a difference. Based on my personal observation, I'm not making the leap soon. Add to that the fact that I enjoy the tactile feel of a book in my hands and love being able to physically see the progress I am making through a book, and it's a no-brainer for me to remain firmly planted in the paper age.

2. It's a web device. I have ample access to the internet. I have a G1 phone, which gives me internet access on the road. It also gives me a GPS, and pretty much everything else I would get through the iPad PLUS a phone. I have my MacBook, which gives me internet access at home and in WiFi hotspots.

3. It's a game console. Much like the iPhone (or my G1) and the iPod Touch, there will be the ability to play games on the iPad. I'm not much of a gamer, so it's not something I have a need for. And if I was, that need would be filled with devices I already own.

4. It's a photo album. The interaction with photos looks pretty slick. For me, that is the most compelling reason to buy an iPad. Is it enough to convince me to buy? I doubt it.

5. It's a music player. I have an iPod Nano and an iPod, plus my MacBook and G1. I don't need another music device.

6. It's a video player. I don't don't really have a need for a video player. When I travel, my MacBook is perfectly fine for playing videos.

7. It solves a problem I don't have. My opinion of the iPad is that it fills the gap between an iPhone (or similar) and a full-blown computer. If I didn't have a web-enabled phone and/or a MacBook, I would be interested. But since I have both, I just don't see where it would fit into my life.

Just because the iPad doesn't seem to be a device that I need in my life doesn't mean that it's not a fine device, or that it's doomed to failure. I am an Apple fan, and have gone against the herd several times (I think I was one of about 17 people who owned an Apple Newton MP100, and I opted for a G1 instead of an iPhone)

I was really hoping that the iPad would have some killer features that would make me drool. I was hoping for something that was heavier on the business/productivity end. I was hoping that Apple was innovating like only apple can do. But what they delivered appears to be an oversize iPod Touch.

That said, I am confident that this spring you will find me at the Apple store trying one out and challenging the sales staff to show me just why I cannot live without one.

My Resolutions for 2010

2010-01-09T12:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, first of all, I don't like "resolutions". It is so confining. I do not like being confined. I think of these more as goals or ideals. And I don't normally do resolutions at all. But there are a few areas that I've decided I want to focus on. So...in no particular order, here are my 2010 resolutions.

1. Complete my little software project. This is a project that I've worked on fairly sporadically over several years. So I need to see it to its logical end (develop and launch, sell it, or abandon it). Regardless of the outcome, this year I will wrap it up one way or another.

2. Take a class. In my job I'm constantly learning technical things. This year I want to take a class to learn something just for fun. I'm thinking about maybe a dance class (Salsa or Swing) or some sort of art class (drawing, creative writing or music).

3. Take a trip. 2009 was a busy and strange year. I didn't manage to take a vacation (nor use a single vacation day). So 2010, I am going somewhere. I just haven't decided where. Greece and Italy are high on my list.

4. Eliminate 100% of my debt. I don't carry much debt, but I intend on ending 2010 with absolutely no debt.

5. Read more than I did in 2009. Last year, I kept a running thread on what I read through the year. This year I will do the same, hopefully beating last year's 18 books.

6. Yet another purge. Three years ago, I moved from a large house with an over-sized 2 car garage to a 2 bedroom townhouse with a much smaller garage, so I purged a lot of stuff. Then I moved to a smaller place with no garage, befitting a single man. That meant another purge. I'm not moving this year, but I have been noticing that I still have stuff that I just don't need or use. This is especially true of my closet. It is full of clothes that either are too big, or that I just don't like. So it's time for another purge.

I Survived the Holiday Trifecta

2010-01-03T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, the holiday season has come and gone. As previously mentioned, this was the first year in a very, very long time that was spent the holidays out of a relationship. And I survived.

It was actually very nice. I spent Christmas with my family (Christmas eve with my kids in Seattle, and Christmas day with my mom and my siblings in Portland). I wrote about that previously, so I won't rehash things here.

I spent New Years Eve at my friend Tom's house. We decided to make it more of a formal event this year. Most of the guys wore suits, and most of the women wore cocktail dresses or other dressy attire. Everybody had a great time! It was fantastic spending New Years Eve with such incredible friends.

Oh - I called this the Holiday Trifecta. My birthday is sandwiched between Christmas and New Years. I mostly ignored my birthday. My kids and I agreed to celebrate after my actual birthday. I had an obligation for work in the early evening, then spent the rest of the evening alone. Lest you think it's pathetic, it was purely by choice. Several people tried to wrangle me into dinner or a party, but I wanted to spend the time reflectively, so I dodged their suggestions. It was time well spent. I thought long and hard about a couple of issues that I hadn't resolved in my mind (one of which I blogged about, then pulled down because I decided that this was too public of a forum for it).

It was mostly good being on my own for the holidays. There were moments that it would have been great to have been celebrating with a love-interest. But it was nice to focus my energy and attention on my friends and family. It was nice to be free to do what I wanted - to stay as late as I wanted, or leave as early as I wanted - without having to consider another person.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T22:06:00.001-08:00

So Christmas 2009 came and went. As I mentioned in a previous post, it was my first Christmas in many years that I was not in a relationship. It made for a strange holiday. It's the first time in ages that I haven't fretted over finding the Perfect Gift. Nor was there any discussion of whose family we spend time with. In that respect it was nice. But, frankly, I missed both of those things. I missed shopping for that special someone. I missed sipping Champagne by the light of a Christmas tree. I missed all of the elements of being head-over-heels at Christmas.

But I did have a wonderful holiday. I spent Christmas Eve with my kids, which was lovely. My kids are both totally awesome, and I love spending time with them. I absolutely adore the people they've become!

On Christmas day I drove to Portland. I stayed at my Mom's place, and had dinner at my sister's. All four of us siblings (and all of their kids) were there for dinner, which is an all too rare occurrence. With our varying schedules and conflicting responsibilities, it is difficult to get the four of us together. I'm very thankful to have such great siblings!

My cousin, Dave, also made it for dinner. Growing up, he was always my favorite cousin - he's a cool free-spirit and always had a great vehicle (from a retired milk truck to a passel of BMW motorcycles). He's about a decade younger than I, so I'm sure I annoyed him to no end early on. Fortunately he's forgiven all that, and we have a great time together as adults.

Anyway, Christmas 2009 was very nice and enjoyable.

In A Pickle (Pickled Salmon, that is)

2009-12-21T21:13:00.000-08:00

I am a man on a mission. And I'm coming up empty. I'm looking for a Christmas Miracle. I am in search of Pickled Salmon in Seattle.

My grandfather was, among other things, a commercial fisherman. And as such, he always had a steady supply of salmon. One of my family's Christmas traditions was Grandpa's Pickled Salmon. Just between you and me, it was my favorite part of Christmas Eve (even better than the traditional Fruit Soup and Lutefisk...even better than my sister's clam dip).

Unfortunately, the supply of Pickled Salmon has been very sparse since Grandpa died. For awhile it was sold at Costco. Their's was nearly identical to Grandpa's. And my mom has made it a couple of times (but...sorry mom...it wasn't nearly as good as Grandpa's).

This year I've been on a mission to find a source for Pickled Salmon. I want it for my Christmas Eve celebration. For me, it completes Christmas Eve. But, it seems, there is none to be found in Seattle. Had I thought about it sooner, I would have made my own. Next year I'll have to make sure to make it, with plenty of extra to share. But that does me no good for this year.

So if anybody can help me locate a source of Pickled Salmon by Christmas Eve, I would be most grateful!

Holiday Party - RSVP for 1?

2009-11-24T23:18:00.000-08:00

It's the holiday season. I've been sitting on my invitation for ~~Christmas~~...uh, make that Holiday party for my office. I haven't had a good reason to not RSVP sooner - I've been sitting on the invitation for over a week. Today I went to RSVP. And I froze. I realized that this is the first holiday season in MANY years that I've been "single" for the holidays. I guess I've been in denial to a certain extent - thinking that Ms. Right was lurking right around the corner. But even if *POOF* the relationship fairy bestowed my perfect match upon me right now, there is NO way I would subject her to the tribulation of a company holiday party so soon.

Don't take this to mean that I'm sad about not being part of a couple. I'm really not. I don't want to be in a relationship just for the sake of the relationship. I'm being selective and taking things slowly.

This is unknown territory for me, though. I really don't know what to expect with the coming holiday season. I don't remember the last time I spent Christmas or New Years as a single person. So it's a new experience. In a lot of ways, I'm excited about it. I have great plans for Thanksgiving, New Years, and a Christmas party with friends in between.

So while going it alone through the holiday season is a big new change in my life, I'm really looking forward to it.

What I've Read in 2009

2009-11-22T12:21:00.000-08:00

This is more for me than for the rest of the world. I thought it would be interesting to keep track of what I read this year. Too bad I didn't think of this back in January. My intent is to keep updating this as I complete books.

The Appeal by John Grisham. Typical Grisham - Southern Lawyer, battling the odds. In this book, a lawyer was fighting the appeal of a lawsuit he'd won.

A Christmas Story by Jean Shepard. This is the book upon which the movie was based. I love the movie, and love the book. The book was originally released under the title In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash. It was renamed several years after the movie was made.

Traveler by Ron McLarty. This is the second book by this author. His first was Memories of Running. At first this book seemed to be too much like Memories of Running. But it quickly diverged and McLarty proved himself to be a diverse writer. The story is about a man who returns to his hometown after the death of his childhood sweetheart. The book turns into a mystery and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Very good book.

Bearing the Body by Ehud Havazelet. I hated this book. It was about a bitter old man and his son going off to bury his loser son. The whole book is a downer.

A Spy By Nature by Charles Cumming. This was a decent book about a 20-something loser who becomes a spy and screws that up. Interesting, but too much time spent in the set up and not enough in the actual meat of the story.

The Shack by William Paul Young. I bought this book mostly because it is set in Oregon (Portland and Wallowa Lake). The story is interesting, but very preachy and religious. And parts of it are hard to deal with (the kidnapping and murder of a young child). The main character ends returning to the cabin where his daughter was killed and spends the weekend with God.

I Killed Hemingway by William McCranor Henderson. This is a fun book. The story is about an elderly man who writes to a book publisher with a chapter sample of a purportedly true story about how he murdered Ernest Hemmingway.

The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum. The story upon which the movie was based. The story in the book is far superior to the movie.

The Kill Artist by Daniel Silva. This book is about an Israeli assassin who is coaxed out of retirement to assassinate a PLO terrorist. Daniel Silva's writing style is not as fast paced as Robert Ludlum's, but he uses far less words to tell his tale.

The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum. The story upon which the movie was based. Ok, not really. The only similarity is they have the same title. And are both about Jason Bourne. Skip the movie, read the book.

City of Thieves by David Benioff. At first blush, the plot of this story seems pretty lame and contrived. At it's essence, the book is about a young man in Soviet Russia during WW2 who is arrested for breaking curfew and, rather than being executed, is given a chance to win his freedom by delivering a dozen eggs to a Red Army Colonel, which he needs so that his wife can make a cake for their daughter's wedding.

The book is interesting and well-written, though not destined to be a classic work of literature. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and look forward to seeing more from Benioff. Looking back at my 2009 list, I'd have to say that this is the most enjoyable book I've read so far this year.

Arkansas by John Brandon. If this book had a point it was totally lost on me. It is an uninteresting story about some low-level criminals. The characters were well developed, and the story was fairly well written. But when I finished the book, I was left wondering what was the point of the book. This is one story that, had it never been written, nobody would have missed it. Brandon just didn't make me care about the characters.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. This was an amazingly delightful book. The story is told through the voice of a dog, Enzo. Enzo's owner, Denny, is a race car driver whose path to the big time is delayed by long-fought custody battle.

Stein did a marvelous job writing through the eyes of the dog. He captures the thoughts, behaviors and motivations of the dog extremely well.

Truck: A Love Story by Michael Perry. This book is the true story of how Michael Perry restored his International Harvester pickup. It is also the story of how he fell in love and got married. I loved this book. Perry's writing style is light and witty. He comes across as on of those plain, good mid-westerners - unassuming and unpretentious.

The Dip by Seth Godin. This is an interesting book. It's a book about figuring out when to quit and when to push forward. It's definitely worth a read, and I'll probably read it again...and again (some lessons bear repeating).

Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. This is a different sort of book than I normally read. I read it mostly because the upcoming film adaptation looks intriguing to me. The book is an incredibly fast read. The story is interesting, though fairly predictable. It's a decent read, and I am looking forward to seeing the movie.

Strengthsfinder 2.0 by Tom Rath. This book is about finding - and developing - your strengths. When you purchase the book, you are given access to an online test that identifies your top 5 strengths and identifies how you can apply these strengths to your career.

The Bourne Ultimatum by Robert Ludlum. This is the third and final book in the Jason Bourne trilogy. I found it to be the weakest of the series. The storyline was forced and trite. At 662 pages, the book dragged on a couple hundred pages too long. As a fan of the first two books, the third installment brings closure to the story, but it should have been written 10 years sooner. Having a 50-something Bourne chasing an even older Jackal came across as farcical.

I'm looking forward to seeing the movie treatment. I haven't seen it yet. I can't imagine it bearing any resemblance to the book since in the movie Marie was killed off, and she is fairly prominent in this book.

A Night of Indulging in Sex and Drugs

2009-11-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

Seattle, being a major city, is a very diverse town. We have ballet, many fantastic play companies, and several major sports teams. Being an open minded single man, I thought it was high time to see what Seattle has to offer in the way of drugs and sex. And, as those who live in Seattle know, there is no better place to find sex and drugs than Pioneer Square. Specifically, the Underworld Tour.

I had the good fortune of being invited to join a group that was organized by @SeattleMaven, who works for the Seattle Convention and Visitor's Bureau. If you're in (or travel to) Seattle, I highly recommend following her on Twitter. And use her services! She can recommend fun activities, help you save a buck or two, and make reservations for you. All at no charge! She has gone over and above the call of duty for me on several occasions.

The Underworld Tour is run by the same people who do the Seattle Underground Tour. But this, rest assured, is not your mother's Underground Tour. Your mother would be red-faced (well, mine would, anyway). This tour is definitely not for the little ones. In fact, you have to be 21 to go on this tour. Which is good because the tour concludes with a complimentary drink.

The Underworld tour is a lot of fun. But it's really not for everyone. We had some people drop out early on. They did not realize that the tour went under ground. Hello? So they bailed. So if you have some strange religious or psychological aversion to being below the streets of Seattle, this tour is not for you. This tour also is full of bawdy stories, and is generously peppered with adult language. Kim, our guide for the evening, has a magnificent ability to swear. She weaves a delightful tapestry of expletives to make any sailor envious. Which is funny because Kim seems like the sweet, adorable, take-home-to-mom type of woman. To test the open-mindedness of the crowd in her tour, she begins the tour with a joke about masturbation. If you are unable to enjoy a good masturbation joke from your (female) tour guide, then you probably should not take this tour.

All warnings aside, the tour was very enjoyable. It's an interesting look at Seattle's seedier side. It's edgy, fun and interesting. It's a grown-up version of the underground tour. If you're one of those people who are so uptight that you cannot allow yourself to enjoy the regular Underground Tour (lawyers, accountants, librarians...I'm looking at you) you probably won't like this one much better. But if you are a fun-loving, open-minded person, you will have an enjoyable evening learning about the bawdy side of Seattle's history.

If you go, wear good walking shoes, take a camera, and dress appropriately for being outdoors and underground.

I Need To Heavily Invest In My Wardrobe

2009-11-09T19:56:00.000-08:00

About 8 years ago, I lost a significant amount of weight (as of today I'm 84 lbs below my known peak). I tired of losing, so I quit working on it with about 20 pounds left to go (which, at nearly 6'6" is a drop in the bucket. I more or less maintained what I'd lost, but really bounced around in about a 25 lb range. Over the last 6 months or so I've been half-heartedly working on losing weight again, with an eye on my final destination.

This weekend, I had a memorial service to attend. No problem. I put on my suit that I purchased about 2 1/2 years ago. Now, last time I wore it (about a year ago), it was a bit roomy, but wearable. When I put it on, I discovered it is no longer wearable. I looked like David Byrne ala Stop Making Sense. So bagging the suit, I decided to go for slacks and a sports coat. First pair of slacks - no can do...too big. Second pair - also too big. Finally I found a pair that were appropriate and fit well.

Next I went to my dress belts. The first had no holes anywhere near where I needed. The second was only slightly too large, but was also all cracked and shredded. The third barely worked, and was a little shabby. I tied my necktie long enough to cover it and hoped for the best.

Finally I put on my dark blue sports coat. Last time I put it on it was nearly too small. Now it's too big. It was wearable, but just barely.

So at this point, I know I need a couple of new suits and some new belts. I also am verging on needing new dress shirts. At least I have a nice selection of shoes, although I am still on the hunt for an awesome pair of Italian spectator wingtips.

My quandary, now, though is how to get through the holiday season. I'd like to have a nice suit for Christmas and New Years. BUT I really don't want to invest in a suit that I can only wear for a few months (Goal - drop 25 more lbs by the end of February). With where my weight is now, 25 lbs will make a big difference in how a suit fits. So do I go with a cheap "throw-away" suit, or do a super-diet and lose as much as possible between now and early December and hope I can maintain?

Decisions, decisions.

He messed it, messed it, messed it, messed it up

2009-11-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

This morning I was experiencing a bit of tenderness in the upper part of my lower left leg - just below the knee. As a runner of many years, I know these things can either be benign and you run through them, or they can be a big deal. So I contemplated this morning as to whether this was a big deal or not. Walking around my place this morning seemed to help, so I decided that I was okay to run.

Walking down to the trail, there was no discomfort at all. And the first mile went without incident. I was running fairly quickly (for me!), and having a great run. At nearly exactly 1 1/2 miles into the run, my leg tightened up very suddenly. I took about 4 or 5 more strides, then put on the brakes. Then as my left foot hit the ground I felt a pop. Then came the pain, radiating from the center of my calf.

The mile-and-a-half walk home pretty much sucked.

In the reading I've done since I got home, I'm pretty sure this is a calf strain or tear. I am very likely done running for the rest of 2009.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

2009-10-28T18:51:00.000-07:00

I live alone. No roommates, no pets, no dependents. Alone. Sure, I have a couple of plants but they don't talk very much and rarely cause any problems. I've lived in my current residence for about a year and a half. Alone and pet-free the entire time.

Apparently the kind people at the Pet Licensing division of King County have, in all their collective wisdom, come to believe that I have a pet. Or perhaps multiple pets. I know this because I arrived home this evening to find a red notice taped to my door stating such.

The notice reads (in part):

72-Hr. Courtesy Notice to Pet Licensing

Records indicate that you may be in violation of King County Code. It is important that you take care of this matter within 72-hours of receipt of this notice or a $75 (per unlicensed dog/cat) non-compliance fine may be assessed.

I'm wondering how much time and effort King County has spent in trying to track down why I do not have my non-existent pets properly licensed. The license fee for the pet(s) I do not have is $30 per year (or $90 if the non-existent pet has not been "altered", by which I assume they mean "spayed or neutered." And by "they" I mean the "rocket scientists" who "work" for King County). King County spent actual taxpayer money to send one of their people to tape the notice to my door. So we are looking at fuel, wear and tear on a county-owned vehicle, and the salary for the person who delivered the notice. Add to this whatever costs are involved in erroneously determining that I have unlicensed pets and dispatching the the person to tape the note to my door.

It seems to me that the costs borne by King County in attempting to convince me to license my imaginary pets would quickly exceed the $30 license fee that I am apparently stiffing the county on.

Can somebody please explain why King County thinks I own one or more pets, and how it's cost effective for them to willy-nilly run around posting red 72-Hour Courtesy Notices on doors of pet-free homes?

Panic Moment - Am I Going Blind?

2009-10-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

In preface to this story, I'd like to state for the record that I'm not normally a hypochondriac. Sure, there was the caffeine "incident" in Washington DC several years ago. But other than that, I don't tend to worry about the little aches and pains in life.

This morning I went out for a run, as I do most weekend mornings. There was a bit of a monsoon washing through Seattle, but I donned my sunglasses as I always do when I run. I prefer running in sunglasses because they prevent my contacts from drying out. By the time I walked down to the trail where I run, the torrent had tapered to a drizzle.

I was having a very nice run, though I was a little off my normal pace mostly due to the rain, and partly due to the beer and pizza I had with a friend the night before. About a mile and a half into the five mile run, the oddest thing happened. I noticed a black spot out of the lower corner of my left eye. It was like a spot that wasn't quite there. It was there for just an instant, and then vanished. I thought maybe it was a bug or lint on my eyelash or some other innocuous anomaly. A few minutes later it happened again. Exactly like the first time. And then again. And again. And again. I slowed my pace a bit, and did kind of a physical inventory - Headache? No. Blurry vision? No. Dizzy? No. It was definitely only affecting my left eye. Everything else was normal.

I just had a physical a couple of weeks ago, so I knew that all of the normal health indicators are perfect. So I was relatively confident that I was not having a heart attack or a stroke or anything along those lines.

Since it was only one eye, I made the rational conclusion that I must be going blind. Blind.

Holy Crap, Mom was right! Doing THAT does make you go blind. I knew I'd been doing too much of it recently, but thought thought that it was just an old wives tale (reading in an improperly lighted room, that is).

But anyway, I kept running, and that black spot kept appearing briefly. The frequency was irregular, and I couldn't seen to control whether or not it occurred. I considered whether I should stop running - if there really was something seriously wrong, would continuing to run make it worse? Or is it better to keep running and get home more quickly?

I approached the halfway point of my run, and as I turned around to head back I checked my watch to note my running time. Then it struck me. I had started my run with my sunglasses on. They kept fogging up, so I removed them. The black spot was my sunglasses, briefly entering my field of view on my more energetic armswings as I ran. I felt a bit like an idiot.

Back It Up

2009-09-28T20:07:00.000-07:00

In over twenty years of computing, I've been very lucky. I've only had one hard drive fail (and I have owned a lot of computers, and used many, many more in may career). The one hard drive that I'd had fail was a secondary drive on a computer and I didn't lose any data. So I became complacent. I knew, logically, that hard drives fail. But I also had my positive experience. So I didn't back things up.

That changed this week. On Friday, the hard drive on my MacBook died. Without warning. No flakey behavior, no strange noises...nothing. It just quit.

The good news is that I, contrary to my usual behavior, bought Apple's Protection Plan. And I still had 4 months left on the plan. So the new hard drive cost me nothing.

The bad news is that they could not recover my data. I lost nearly 3 years worth of photos - parties, my dad's 80th birthday, holidays, trips...everything. I lost two manuscripts that I've been working on. I lost the electronic version of my patent paperwork (fortunately I have a hard copy of that). I lost my tax returns for the last two years. I lost hundreds of hours of work on various projects.

What about my music collection, you ask? Don't you worry. It's all safe. I have multiple redundancies on my music. It's all on my PC, my external hard drive and my iPod. And I still have the original CDs. Sigh.

So learn from my error and back up your computer.

Me? I'm eying Apple's Time Capsule. Until then, all of my documents and photos are being backed up to my external hard drive.

Market Ghost Tour

2009-09-18T21:53:00.000-07:00

Last night I went on the Market Ghost Tour. The tour is a fun, historical look at the paranormal side of Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Whether or not you believe in ghosts, the tour is a great historical look at Seattle. Seattle has a rich (and sordid) history. The tour goes into some of the darker side of Seattle's history, including a serial killer, moved burial sites, and plenty of crime. I started to include some links to some of their stories, but decided that it would be wrong to undercut the tour's business. Take the tour for yourself, then go home and do your own research on the stories.

We did not see any ghosts on the tour. Not that I expected to. The only evidence that we saw of any ghosts is in photographs taken by one of the guests on the tour. He has promised to send copies of them to the rest of the guests. If I get a copy of them, I will post a couple here. The photographic evidence is in the form of orbs. Orbs, as photographic evidence of ghosts, are a controversial subject. The pure scientists explain them away as light reflecting off of dust or pollen. Those who believe in the paranormal see them as photographic evidence of spirits.

If you do take the tour, make sure you bring a camera (if you're hoping to photograph orbs, take a decent quality camera - the orbs apparently nearly never appear on photos taken with a camera phone...which was my experience).

Believer or non-believer, this is a really fun tour. It's well worth the $15 they charge, and is a lot more fun than the tired Underground Tour. In fact, our group enjoyed it so much that we are planning to do it again in October.

For the Twitterers out there, this trip was arranged by @SeattleMaven. If you live in (or plan on traveling to) Seattle, I highly recommend following her.

The Weekend on the Lake

2009-09-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

I spent this weekend house/dog sitting for my friend. He has a great house on Lake Washington, and was kind enough to throw in the use of his Sea Doo.

I planned on leaving work early on Friday so that the dog didn't have too much time alone. But it turned out that I didn't leave work until after 6:00, and by the time I grabbed clothes for the weekend, it was nearly 7:00 before I got there. The dog was not happy. She actually seemed kind of depressed. Usually she's thrilled to see me. And she was happy...for a few minutes. I pet her for a few minutes, fed her some dinner and she spent the rest of the night sleeping in the hall until bed time.

I brought my laptop with me, thinking I'd do some research and planning for my impending Brian On Wine rewrite. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember the password for their network. I thought about calling or texting them to get the password, but then I decided to treat the weekend as a vacation. So I shut down my laptop and watched Good Luck Chuck. It's not a deep movie, by any means, but it was a fun comedy for the mood I was in.

On Saturday I went out for a 5 mile run, then had to run home to do some work (for work) and to pick up a few things that I'd forgotten in my hurried packing job on Friday. I got back mid-morning and pet the pup for a bit. She still seemed lethargic, and didn't each breakfast for at least a couple of hours after I put it out for her. She eventually did eat, but just was in a big funk.

Finally, around noon I went out to hang out on the dock. I expected her to follow me out, but she didn't. After I was outside for 30 minutes or so without her coming out, I went in and coaxed her out. Soon after she joined me on the dock, she was back to her normal self. She was happy and smiling, and tried to get into some mischief. I sat on the dock and read for a long time. It was a beautiful day, so I tool the Sea Doo out. The weather was perfect for it. After I rode for a long time, I headed back to the dock and started to put the Sea Doo away on the lift. Then I realized that there aren't going to be many more nice weekends this summer, so I headed back out on the lake. After another half-hour or so, I headed in for the night. Putting the Sea Doo in the lift is my LEAST favorite part. The Sea Doo does not steer well at low speeds, and the area feels really tight. But I'd have to say that this was the most smoothly it has gone. I impressed myself. I spent the rest of the night hanging out with the dog, reading and watching TV.

Sunday was a much more relaxed day. I didn't have to do any work. I got up, went for a run then showered. I went out for coffee, then hung out with the pup for the morning. We were out on the dock by 10:30, and stayed out until around 5:00, when it got chilly. I planned on taking the Sea Doo out again, but a strong wind kicked up and it was just too choppy to be fun. So I decided to finish the book I was reading, instead.

I got home around 7:30, red and tired. It was a very nice, very relaxing weekend.

Batter Blaster

2009-08-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

A few months back, I noticed Batter Blaster in the grocery store. If you haven't seen it, Batter Blaster is a pressurized can of pancake batter. It looks like a can of whipped cream. Besides being uber-convenient, the big marketing points it that Batter Blaster is 100% organic and the can is recyclable.

I scoffed at the idea of spray batter until I read Nancy Leson's review. For those who aren't familiar with her, Nancy is a Seattle food critic. Her reviews are broadcast on KPLU and published in the Seattle Times. She had nothing but praise for the Batter Blaster.

When I read Nancy's review, I knew I had to try it. I enjoy cooking, but when I'm cooking for just myself I like to keep things simple. I bought a can of Batter Blaster last Sunday ($4.99 at QFC), and anxiously awaited today's tasting.

So this morning, I fired up the stove and set about to "cooking". Latte in hand, I shook the can of batter very well (fortunately the caffeine was already working, and I shook the can, not the mug), as the instructions on the can dictated (yes, ladies, he cooks AND reads instructions!) and shot 4 blobs into the pan. The pancake batter seemed a little thinner than I'm accustomed to, I'm guessing that they have to thin it out so it will dispense properly.

Cooking the pancakes was kind of fun. Spraying batter from a can just felt so wrong, in a good sort of way. The pancakes were not as thick as home-made from scratch but they were fairly airy.

I ate the first pancake au naturale (the pancake, that is, not me). The texture and flavor compares were similar to pancakes from a mix. They were fairly thin on the edges. I topped the rest with a bit of butter, a load of blueberries and a bit of maple syrup. They were good plain, and the toppings just made them all that much better.

Perhaps tomorrow I will make waffles with them. I love waffles, but making them from scratch for just myself never seems worth the effort.

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit it, but I will probably buy this again. They are convenient, quick and tasty. The cleanup is minimal - a pan and pancake turner (home-made would mean measuring cups, measuring spoons, whisk and a couple of bowls). It's perfect for a single guy (or gal!). And it's really nice to be able to make as many or few pancakes as you want - no dealing with leftover batter or stacks of leftover pancakes.

UPDATE:
I've finished my first can of Batter Blaster. For $4.99, I got 7 breakfasts out of one can. I made 4 waffles and 12 pancakes.

I used the can over the course of 3 weeks. The batter stayed fresh throughout the 3 week period. So far my favorite use was making blueberry pancakes by throwing fresh blueberries in the pancakes right after spraying them in the pan.

Oh So Suave!

2009-08-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went out for a 5 mile run. It was the first cool weather that I've run in in several weeks. It was a comfortable 68f when I headed out.

For some reason, I felt very slow tonight. I expected that the cool weather would equate to a fast run. Tonight's run was an out-and-back trip on the Burke-Gilman trail (which runs along Seattle's Lake Washington).

At the turn-around point, I checked my watch and saw that I was nearly 2 minutes behind my expected time. So I stepped up the pace, hoping to make up the time.

With about 1/4 mile left to go, I was fairly winded. I was pumping hard, still trying to make up for a slow start. Then it happened. A very attractive woman was running the opposite direction.

Attractive Woman: (smiles and waves) Hi.
Me: (losing control of my ability to speak, exacerbated by my attempt to speak while breathing in through a dry throat) Hhhhhnnnnnggggnnnnnllllll.
Attractive Woman: (giggles).

Yes, I AM Mr. Suave.

Catch Me If You Can

2009-07-31T20:24:00.001-07:00

I had a true once-in-a-lifetime experience this week. I had FRONT ROW tickets to the world premier of a musical...Catch Me If You Can. That's right - I was in the first row of the first public showing of a brand new musical. I guess this is my 15 minutes. :-)

I wasn't supposed to have front row tickets. Nor was I supposed to be at the World Premier. But an unexpected family emergency of a cast member along with my being at the right place at the right time conspired to put me in that position.

Catch Me If You Can is a great musical...and I don't normally go for musicals. Sure, The Pirates of Penzance was a fun show. And I am a big supporter of theatre. But, again, musicals...not so much. In fact, I kind of jumped the gun with Catch Me If You Can. I bought tickets on pre-sale, without fully researching what I was buying. I did not realize this was a musical until several weeks after buying my tickets. But my mistake was a fortunate mistake.

CMIYC is a musical adaptation of the movie by the same name. If you haven't seen the movie, it's based on the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. He was a kid who wrote something like $2.5M in bad checks. He passed himself off as an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. He was eventually caught, and subsequently found himself working for the FBI.

The movie started with Abagnale appearing on the old TV series What's My Line. The musical totally ignores the WML connection, instead focusing on Frank Jr's dream of a TV show about his life. It works. It works well.

The Seattle production of CMIYC is presented by 5th Avenue Theatre, and stars Tom Wopat (Luke of Dukes of Hazzard fame). The production was very tight, very fun, and very polished. All of the players are very good. I was highly impressed. And I see enough shows in town to be amaturely critical, IMHO.

The music and choreography of the musical were fantastic. I expect to see this musical have a long and highly regarded future, both on Broadway and off. It is The Musical of the 2000s. When it comes to your town, make sure to get out and see it!

Oh, and contrary to a previous post, and despite the near-100 degree temperatures the day of the show, Seattle art fans were on their best behavior. I don't think a single person left before the house lights came on AFTER the cast took their bows. Thanks, Seattle!!!!!

Seattle Theatre-goers are Heathens (or am I a snob?)

2009-05-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

Tonight I saw Frost/Nixon at the Paramount. It was a great production, starring Stacy Keach as Nixon.

The production was fantastic. The set was very well done and the cast did a very good job. I've not seen the movie, and I have no idea how closely the play follows the movie (or vice-versa). I was a little bit afraid that the play would be a dull reenactment of Frost's interviews with Nixon, but the play was fun, light, entertaining and interesting.

What I was unimpressed with is the behavior of the audience. There was a woman a couple of seats to my left fidgeting with a water bottle the entire play (crushing it, peeling the label and generally making noise). The woman next to my guest at the play fell asleep and was snoring. And there was a cacophony of Swine Flu victims spreading the love (or is that ca-cough-ony?).

But the most egregious of Live Arts No-Nos was the mass exodus of patrons while the cast was taking their bows. It wasn't one or two people. It an was aisle-filling sprint for the doors. Like the 45 seconds of showing their respect for Stacy Keach and the rest of the cast was keeping them from something critically important.

Seattle - show some respect! It's not a football game, where it's okay to leave when the game is decided. It's the live arts. Spend the few extra seconds to properly show your appreciation and respect for actors. It's just plain rude and disrespectful to walk out before the house lights come on.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

2009-04-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at Seattle's ACT Theatre. The theatre that this play was in at ACT (they have two) is in the round, and very intimate. They have somewhere around 300 seats in this theatre.

The stage in the theatre is fairly small, which, combined with the fact that they are doing the productions in the round forces them to have to get creative with their sets. They imply sets more than actually create full sets. I find that to be rather cool. They have a trap door in the stage which they use to raise sets up from the floor. They can also lower set pieces down from the ceiling. The coolest set they used in Jekyll/Hyde was a laboratory that raised up from the floor. It was small - about the size of an large bookcase - but clearly gave the impression of a laboratory. It was filled with test tubes and beakers with the requisite colored liquids (glow-in-the-dark, even!).

The adaptation of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was very well done, and had an added twist. They had four separate actors (three men and one woman) play Mr. Hyde, each of whom looked different than the others and represented different aspects of Hyde's psyche.

The actors all did a fine job, as did the director. It's a very nice production. Very much worth checking out.

Portland!

2009-03-22T20:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to Portland for my mom's birthday.

I got a later start than I intended - I had some work to do before I hit the road, and I slept in a bit. I got on the road at around 10:30, and got to Mom's house at around 1:30. Of course, I strictly complied with the posted speed limit the entire trip. You're not buying that, are you?

On Saturday afternoon, I had lunch at McMenamin's Roadhouse with my sister, Julie. The food, beer and conversation were all very good. Julie and I talk on the phone fairly regularly, but it's always nice to sit down and chat in person.

Saturday evening we had the Great Gaze and Graze extravaganza - an evening of great food while looking at some of the slides that Grandpa took over the years. All the kids were there except for my oldest sister, who had other commitments. But she took Mom out for dinner on her birthday proper, so we'll forgive her (THIS time). Two of my cousins showed up, too. It was very nice to have the family together. We picked out some special pictures of the AWOL sister that are bound to show up on Facebook soon. :-)

And Mom can still party like a rock star. We were up until after 3:00 a.m.! She probably had another hour or two in her, too.

I had to head out of Portland early, as I had get back to Seattle to attend a fundraiser that started at 4:00.

On my way out of town I made a stop at VooDoo Doughnut. They specialize in unexpected things in their donuts. I opted for the Bacon Maple Bar. It was delicious - far better than it sounds. The Sweet and Salty contrast works very well. Your cardiologist would NOT approve.

I was hoping for a stop at Powell's and Sokol Blosser, but I just didn't have enough time. Driving to VooDoo made me remember just how cool/hip/fun/weird Portland is. I miss it. I may have to make a weekend trip to soak up some the Portland in Portland soon.

Following your dreams: Daniel Seddiqui

2009-03-01T19:54:00.000-08:00

I enjoy stories of people who are following their dreams. Daniel Seddiqui is one of those people. Daniel is working his way across the country. Literally. He is on a mission to work at a job in all 50 states in 50 weeks.

What I find compelling about this story is that the guy is just out there following his dream. From all appearances, he's not getting rich off of this. He simply had an idea, and he's following it. I find that to be inspirational. It challenges me to think about my own life.

So what is your dream? Are you following it? If not, why not? Be a Daniel. Follow your dreams.

Because Nobody Messes With Joe

2009-02-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight President Obama addressed Congress, and the American People, for the first time of his presidency.

Despite the gloom of the economy, the hall seemed filled with hope for the first time in many years. As President Obama made his way to the podium, smiles filled the chamber. It was something that has been seriously lacking in the last several years.

As expected, the message was one of plans for reversing the bad economy. The focus of fixing the broken economy is on creating new jobs and saving existing ones.

There were no big surprises in the speech. As I fully expected, banks and the auto makers are getting the support of the administration, which is as it should be. There was quite a bit more emphasis on education than I was expecting, which was very good to hear.

In his first address, President Obama was very poised, confident and relaxed. He showed some wit and spoke at a level that is clear to the everyday man.

Nancy Pelosi seemed to have some sort of shock device on her seat. She looked like a jack-in-the-box the way she kept popping up. She was a bit overzealous. And her suit looked more like a track suit than attire befitting of the Speaker of The House.

Joe Biden appeared at times to be completely bored, at times to be fully supportive, and at times took on the appearance of a proud parent. But mostly he looked like Sam the Eagle from The Muppet Show. I never noticed it before tonight. But when he's not smiling, his mouth turns down and he looks just like Sam. Tell me I'm wrong.

I think the biggest thing to come out of the speech is a change in tone from Barak Obama. He shifted from a tone of foreboding about the state of the economy to a hopeful "chicken in every pot" tone.

Get your very own bailout, or send one to a friend

2009-02-23T20:26:00.001-08:00

Short of cash? Want a new car? New house? Plastic surgery? A yacht or private jet? Here's your chance. The Bank of Obama allows you to get your very own bailout, or send a bailout to your friends. How much do you need? One Million dollars? Are you crazy? Dream big. The big banks are getting billions. I think I deserve billions, and so do you. So give yourself and your friends a little treat. Send a bailout from The Bank of Obama today.

The Buffalo Nickel Controversy

2009-02-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

I learned something interesting today (cool!), and then discovered that it may not be true (bummer). I ran across a picture of Chief Two Guns White Calf. The photo had a blurb about him being the model that was used in the design of the buffalo nickel. I thought that was kind of interesting, so I wanted to know more.

A quick check on Wikipedia pretty much said that it's not true that he was the model. Both Wikipedia and the US Mint claim that the image is a composite of 3 Chiefs.

I really wanted the image on the nickel to be Chief Two Guns White Calf. Comparing the two images side-by-side leads me to believe it's not him. Chief Two Guns White Calf has a less pronounced brow and his jaw sags a bit (although the jaw could be due to the unfortunate effects of gravity on one's jawline).

What do you think? Is the man on the nickel Chief Two Guns White Calf?

My Economic Stimulus Package

2009-02-17T20:38:00.000-08:00

This weekend I released my own economic stimulus package. I think the economy should be fixed now. This was a targeted package aimed at injecting cash into the general economy. It was totally unlike me to spend so openly. But I found some great bargains. Everything I bought was paid for in cash (no credit), and all are lasting, quality items. Oh, except for the meals. Here's a rundown. Prices are omitted because that would be gauche. And I really don't want to think about how much I REALLY spent. Like I said, this was outside of my normal spending habits.

Friday:
Dinner out.

Saturday:
Breakfast out
Tea pot
Shoes
Cashmere/Wool coat
Leather gloves
Dinner out
Drinks out
Cab fare (wayyyyyy cheaper than the possible ramification of drinking and driving)

Sunday:
Breakfast out

Monday (President's Day Holiday):
Night Stand
Lunch out

So the good thing is that this was all in cash, so there will be no interest charged. And all of the non-food/drink items will last for years. And nearly everything was purchased at a deep discount. But still...I'm choking on the total amount spent.

My favorite purchases were the night stand (my bed now has balance - matching nightstands on both sides) and the coat.

So come on, America! Loosen your wallet. Spend, spend, spend! Let's kick this recession!

Native Americans

2009-02-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

In the work that I've been doing, I've looked at dozens of pictures of Native Americans over the last several days. Photographs of famous figures that I've heard lots of stories about, and photographs of people who I've never heard of before.

I've always admired the culture, despite Hollywood's best efforts to portray them as "savages". Growing up, I recall watching movies with pasty white guys playing the roles of Native Americans. And they were never portrayed with respect or in a positive light. The first film I ever saw that I felt treated Native Americans with respect and dignity is Dances With Wolves.

Seeing the pictures somehow makes them more real. Less of an abstract concept and more of a tangible part of history. I've seen pictures of US soldiers observing a valley of "hostile Indians", pictures of Sitting Bull, Chief Joseph and Geronimo.

This has all made me think about how we really screwed over the indigenous peoples of our country. Here they were, living a good existence in what was essentially Eden. They managed the natural resources and treated the land with respect. Then we came along and found this great land full of untapped resources. So, under the battle cry of Manifest Destiny, we took, and we took, and we took some more. We were the invaders, performing ethnic cleansing. Then we forced the Native American's to move to reservations. We gave them their own little parcels of the land that we stole from them.

It was bound to happen. They were living a life far less technologically advanced than much of the rest of the world. Once the New World was discovered, it was all a matter of time before somebody conquered them. But it's sad. What was lost can never be regained.

So, no, I'm not suggesting we give the land back and go back to Europe. Just appreciate what we have, and consider the sacrifices that were made by those who were here before you. And maybe learn something about respecting this land from those who were here first.

Oh, about the picture. It's disturbing, true. It's a photograph of a warrior who was killed at Wounded Knee. I like it because it puts a face to the proud people who valiantly fought for their home.

Separating the wheat from the chaff

2009-02-09T20:20:00.000-08:00

I've been spending the night trying to find the right developers who responded to my ad soliciting for free developers. It seems odd to be rejecting people who are willing to work for a cut of the company. It feels as if I'm the lottery telling people that they can't buy a ticket.

I'm pretty much rejecting everybody overseas. This is less about location than about the responders not reading or understanding my ad. I specifically stated that there is no money involved. Yet I received many replies asking for an hourly rate (some obscenely low by US standards). But if any qualified people from abroad respond and are willing to meet my terms, I'd be more than happy to interview them.

I was very much hoping to find a couple of young Microsoft retirees - somebody who isn't working, but is bored and looking for a fun project. No such luck. It appears that everybody who responded (who is not looking for $$$ up front) is working full-time. There's one person who responded who I WISH I had room for, but I really don't. They're a college student who doesn't have quite the skills I need. I'm keeping their contact information just in case I can find room for them. I know what it's like to need a break to get into the software industry, and would love to be able to give back.

All in all, I'm very impressed and excited by both the quantity and quality of people who are interested in my project.

More later...I hope.

Centcerno.com Relaunched

2009-02-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

This weekend I rewrote the Centcerno website from the ground up. I still have some work to do on it, but at least I got the first cut posted. If you've looked at the site before, you'll recall that the old site was nothing more than a copy of my business card.

The reason for the update is that I get deeper into my project, I'm finding I'm needing to add a little more credibility to the company than I had with just a single-page website. And if a little side-work comes my way as a result, so much the better, as it will help me to fund the project.

My one little frustration with the new website is that I can't get the icon to show up in the URL. I am SURE I have the code correctly written for it. I have the icon file where it's supposed to be. I've tried a dozen (or more) different things, but it just isn't working.

Busy week!

2009-02-05T19:38:00.000-08:00

This week has been very packed for me both at work and at home.

I'm busier at work than I have been since starting there. I kind of have too much to do - don't read this as a complaint, because it's not. I totally love my job, and I far prefer to have too much to do than not enough. But I've very busy. Very, very busy.

In my non-work life, I spent Sunday watching the Super Bowl at my friend Tom's house. Monday I was working on my personal projects. I spent Tuesday evening with Jenny. Wednesday night was spent with my brother. Tonight I'm going to see The Cherry Poppin' Daddies at The Tractor Tavern in Ballard. Friday night is another work night for me (news on that project coming soon). Saturday and Sunday will mostly be devoted to project work, too.

Busy, busy, busy.

Dinner with my brother

2009-02-05T18:54:00.000-08:00

My brother has a new job that requires quite a bit of travel. He is in Seattle this week, so we arranged to get together for dinner. Now, saying he's in Seattle is kind of like saying that Disneyland is in San Francisco (okay, that's hyperbole). He's in Pacific, which is 41 miles from where I live. The drive there was amazingly easy. I told him I'd pick him up at 6:00. I got hung up at work, and left about 20 minutes later than I planned. I was able to drive the legal speed limit of EXACTLY 60 MPH all the way there (give or take 10 MPH either way...unless you're in law enforcement, then I stick with the 60 MPH story). I managed to get to Pacific right on time.

Surprising as it is, there are not a lot of dining options in Pacific. We ended up driving to the Applebee's in Auburn. The food was decent. Very Applebee's.

I don't see enough of my brother (or the rest of my family, for that matter), so it was really great to be able to spend a couple of hours with him. I'm looking forward to him having more trips up this way so we can see more of each other. I think I've seen more of him in the last three months than in the last couple of years.

Superbowl XLIII

2009-02-01T21:25:00.000-08:00

As far as a football game goes, this was one of the best games in years. The Cardinals far exceeded expectations. They really made it a game. It looked like they were going to walk away with this one and get retribution for the Seahawks fans for the Superbowl XL debacle. But the Steelers had other plans in mind. Congratulations are in order to the Steelers.

The commercials this year were by and large boring and unmemorable. I did like the Cheetos commercial with the birds. The lady on the cell phone deserved it. Beyond that, there were no commercials worth the money they paid for the air time. I did like the ingenuity behind the 1/2 second Miller commercial. Cool and innovative. Not terribly memorable, though.

I watched the game with some friends. The true highlight for me was spending the time with good friends. Oh, and Katy's Pulled Pork sandwiches ROCKED.

Mean Joe Green

2009-01-31T23:26:00.001-08:00

I'm pretty bummed that Coke is re-doing the Mean Joe Green commercial using Troy Polamalu. This had nothing to do with my disdain for the Steelers (and the HORRIBLE officiating of Superbowl XL). No, it's all about tradition. The commercial was a classic. It is one of those inviolate pieces of history. Coke should have left well enough alone.

Thanks, Mean Joe.

Experiment with mixed results - looking for developers who will work for free

2009-01-28T18:29:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I have a software project that I've been working on. I'm to the point that I need help with it. But I don't have money to actually pay developers to do the work. So I turned to Craigs List, posting an ad stating that I was looking for two developers in the Puget Sound area who are willing to work for a cut of any profit that comes from the project. I received a bunch of replies from developers in India and China who will work for very little money. Not quite what I'm looking for. I also received replies from developers in the US who want to work for money up front. But I also received a handful of replies - seven at last count - from people who genuinely seem interested in working under the terms I've spelled out.

So over the weekend I'm going to narrow the field to the top several candidates and hopefully arrange some interviews for next week.

If anybody who reads this wants to be considered for the position or knows somebody who may be interested, drop me a line. I'm looking for an experienced SQL developer and an experienced C# developer. There is no pay unless/until the system is either sold or starts bringing in money.

Non-Resolutions

2009-01-25T21:00:00.000-08:00

Back on New Years Jenny asked me if I do resolutions. My answer, as is often the case with me, was not simple. The short answer is, no, I don't write resolutions. But that's not entirely an accurate statement. I don't do traditional resolutions. I think they're kind of dumb. People usually forget about them by the end of January, and then feel like they've failed.

Before I go any further, I should elaborate on what I consider to be "traditional resolutions". When I think resolutions, I think of a list of things that a person is either going to start or stop doing. Things like: I'm going to quit smoking. I'm going to exercise every day. I'm going to find a new job. I'm going to stop blogging about inane things that nobody cares about. You get the idea. Restrictive absolutes.

So what do I do? I tend more towards what I think of as themes for the year. Often times the themes stem from, and center around, my running life (although those have tended to spill over into the rest of my life).

So this year my theme for the year is follow-through. For a variety of reasons, far too storied, personal and boring to expound upon here, I've been lacking when it comes to follow through. So this year that is my theme.

I came to this area to focus on because I feel that for the first time in a long time, I am fully and solely in control of my life. I am finally ready and able to be in a position to make decisions and know that the only impediment to my success is myself.

A big contributing factor to this year's theme is that I've been doing a lot of reading of a variety different books (biographies, business, success, self-help) and I've seen a common chord through them all that the difference between successful and mediocre people is follow-through.

Oh, and another BIG influence in this has been Jenny, who has many times over the last year said things along the lines of, "Arrrgh! This is a brilliant idea. JUST GET IT DONE! (See? I told you I was paying attention).

The interesting thing that I've noticed thus far is that I'm finding that the more I'm committed to following through on my commitments (both to myself and to others), the more time I'm finding I have in my life. It seems quite counter intuitive, but it's a life-permeating trend. And it feels good to get things done. Not 90% done, but all the way done.

I've already started on this. I actually started back in early December. There were a handful of small things that I'd committed to that I hadn't followed through on. So I made a checklist and worked through them all. And I have a plan in place to work on follow-through in bigger areas. I have a three fairly large projects that I'm working on - trying to nurture them from concept to reality - and I have a handful of smaller things that I'm working on.

Maybe next year I'll quit blogging about inane things that nobody cares about. Nah, probably not.

Wine and Cheese Party

2009-01-25T13:14:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended a wine and cheese party on the 33rd floor of a condominium on First Hill in Seattle. This is a party that is thrown a few times per year for a group that I belong to. The building that the party was at is one of the few places in Seattle where you are actually above the Space Needle's observation deck, so the view is spectacular. There were probably about 90 people at the party, and over the course of the evening I talked with a lot of very interesting and diverse people. All of the guests are supposed to bring a bottle of wine, so there is an incredible assortment of wines to sample. Being a wine guy, I approached it as a kind of a wine tasting and opted for little samples of lots of wines, and came up with a couple that I would like to review in the future on Brian On Wine. Most of the wines were fairly good, although one guest did break the "no two-buck-Chuck" rule.

I now give you...Brian's Head

2009-01-22T21:17:00.000-08:00

Yes, another blog. But it's replacing a couple. I'm getting rid of The G1 Experience. It was a good place for me to write about my new phone, but once I was a few weeks into the new phone I kind of ran out of things to say. And this replaces Brian On Stuff, which I killed off several months ago. Oh, and it's also going to replace my Twitter account. Twitter seems to be dying off. Twitter has become a vast land of advertising for MLM folks. Yawn.

So what will you find on this blog? Who knows. Some days you might read about a cool place to check out in Seattle, other days you might find a picture of my brother dressed for prom back in '80. And on other days you might find me waxing about something cool, absurd, or touching. Who knows? To the best of my ability there will be little filtering of what you see here. Some of you may learn things about me that you've not known before. So if you learn new things, don't take it as a slight that you didn't know these things before. If I've kept parts of my life compartmentalized, it is my own personal flaw, not a knock against any one person.

Be well.

Brian