A Sort of Urban Silence

Okay, I am winding down at the end of the day. I’m sitting in the living room with the patio doors wide open listening to the neighborhood kids play in the courtyard. Most of them are pretty good, but we have one whose volume seems to be stuck on scream at the top of his lungs. The wonders of youth! I remember very well running and screaming at the top of my lungs. At that age that is about the only volume you have. It is not like you have any control over it.

I started the day to day with breakfast with the guys at the Hickory pit. I had a wonderful Santa Fe omelette, which is their special this month. Amusingly enough I just discovered that Dragon NaturallySpeaking and Microsoft word disagree on the proper spelling of the word omelette. For some reason I find that very amusing. In the world of voice recognition software that is just a small example of how difficult the task it is.

After breakfast we made a swing through Fry’s Electronics where I picked up a tiny set of torx drivers to try and fix one of my pocket knives that has slipped off the rail. I am hoping it can be repaired because it is one of my favorite little knives. It may just be worn out though I will know in a short while since I am going to work on it after I finish this entry for my online journal.

From there I swung home and picked up my laundry. I contemplated doing it here at the apartment complex since one set of machines were free but all in all I had six loads so I decided to go down to the laundromat and just do them all at once. That way it only takes about an hour to an hour and a half regardless of how much laundry I have. While I was sitting at the laundromat I wrote a long email to Tony about storytelling based on some questions he had asked during breakfast.

After laundry was finished I came home and folded and hung my clothing. Then, I drove up to Union City, to the Texas roadhouse, to meet Ty and Tony for a steak launch. It’s been a while since I’ve been up there. They have truly excellent stakes. I had a 10 ounce ribeye with a bowl of their chili and a mixed green salad. It was everything I wanted it to be, which is saying a lot for a steak. After that late lunch I headed home and slid into the evening.

I tinkered around the house a bit, but the patio furniture back out onto the patio, set out a new type of bird feed, did dishes, and then settled in with an iced decaf coffee. I watched in episode of mad men, that I watched an episode of the good wife. I love both of those shows. That brings me right into this moment, where I am writing this entry, and getting ready to move into the next task of the evening. It is a truly beautiful Californian night and I’m going to segue into the next part by doing 10 minutes of meditation on the patio. The small army of screaming children has vanished into their own homes with the setting of the sun and so a sort of urban silence has fallen. I’m going to enjoy it.

Well, Wednesday

Well, Wednesday was a busy day. I spent the first couple of hours of the morning working on a report and analysis request.  I did what was requested but, as I was going through it I could see that what they had requested really didn't answer the question they were trying to answer.  So, I had to design and run another report that gave them the answer they were looking for. 

I often wish our director would tell us the question she was trying to answer, rather then tell us the report she wanted. Because she doesn't really have a grasp on the intricacies of the systems or the data, so often asks for data that doesn't answer the question she is trying to answer. Of course, I've long suspected she doesn't under the basics of data analysis.

After that, I had a series of three quick meetings, then lunch with a vendor representative at Tao Tao in Sunnyvale.  It was nice to meet someone that I work with on a regular basis in person. I headed back to the office from there.  Another couple of hours at the office spent working my way through my backlog of email and then homeward. 

I want to get a dual monitor stand so I stopped at Fry's.  They had one, but it was a return and missing pieces.  So, I checked Central Computer, but they did not have one.  I think I will have to order one from on line.  I may check the other Fry's tomorrow to see if they have one there.

Once I was home I made dinner. Then, I watched an episode of Longmire.  I followed that with a brief online chat with TR online, and that brings me right into this moment. I am sitting at my desk in my living room listening to The Pogues and bobbing my head up and down.  I love the Pogues - some of their music requires you to jump up and dance around - which I have already done two or three times as the music has moved me.

If you can listen to "The Sunny Side Of The Street" and not feel the need to start madly dancing around, then you've got far better control then I have!

An Ordinary Day with A Last Stand

A mostly easy day I reckon. An early morning family phone call (no bad news).  Breakfast at the Hickory Pit.  A trip to Fry's. Then, off to see a movie - Tony and I decided to catch "The Last Stand" with Arnold.  It was exactly what it appears to be - an action movie with some snappy (and corny) dialogue. Definitely a popcorn movie and definitely recommended as such.

After the movie we grabbed lunch at Red Robin, then I went for a long walk, initially around the shopping center, then down through San Tomas Aquino park. An afternoon nap, a dinner of left-over pizza, an episode of America Unearthed and an episode of Ancient Aliens, then another walk through the neighborhood in the cool darkness of the winter evening. Somewhere in there I also answered several work email did some prep work for a working session tomorrow, and sorted junk mail.

Jack Reacher

I woke this morning to the sound of pouring rain, that heavy rush of a winter storm, with the deep and long rumbles of thunder providing a magnificent undercurrent. A wonderfully lazy hour with T.R. to start the day, then breakfast with Tony and Tyrone at the Hickory Pit, followed by a walk-through of Fry's, where I managed to only buy a Vitamin Water Zero and a package of mints.

Then, home for a few hours of  laziness and out to see an afternoon showing of the new Tom Cruise movie "Jack Reacher", with the wonderful Rosamund Pike and an excellent little supporting turn by Robert Duval. I was not enthusiastic about the movie, though Cruise is rarely bad - I had read the book and I just could not reconcile Cruise with the character of Jack Reacher in my head.  Still, I was willing to take a chance on the movie and I am glad I did.

I am happy to report that it was very enjoyable, Cruise was good in the role (was he Jack Reacher, uh, no - but I could accept him as an alternate universe Jack Reacher and ultimately that was good enough), and Rosamund Pike was absolutely luminous. All in all, an entertaining film.

From there, we grabbed a bite Buffalo Wild Wings, then drifted home. Tony stopped by and I helped him do a little research on his installation of dual video cards (sweet!) and then I settled in and watched the most recent episode of Fringe.  Excellent as well.

I am about to fire up the DVR and watch the guilty pleasure of my days that T.R. turned me on too - Ancient Aliens - and wander my way into the night, but I thought I would pause and make a quick entry out here.  I hope the rain pours all night so I can sleep like a baby.

Settled In For A Hot Day

We are supposed to hit the low nineties here today - and we are already well on the way.  A morning spent online with T.R., the breakfast with the guys at Hickory Pit.  A walk-through of Fry's where I picked up "Shaun of the Dead" and "Hot Fuzz" for the Blu-Ray collection (the always entertaining Simon Pegg).  Then, a stop at Nob Hill where I picked up baby lettuce, sweet grape tomatoes, Greek God's yogurt, Silk Almond Milk (vanilla, unsweetened) and some organic chicken breasts.  While in Nob Hill I got my banking done at the Wells Fargo kiosk. Then, Petco for an additional bird feeder, a copper topped lantern style one, and some bird seed. Finally, the short drive home (84 degrees at 11:50 a.m.).  Once at home, put the groceries away, poach the chicken breasts, and now settling in to watch "The Guard", which may be followed by a Simon Pegg mini-marathon.