happenings

so thanksgiving vacation was wonderfully adventurous and fun. there's nothing like camping under old-growth redwoods and hiking the vast forests, rivers, and coastlines that comprise northern california.

now its back to a too-busy routine of pre-holiday events, deadlines, and activities. pictures should increase / continue once a new camera is acquired. other than that, life progresses.

good times

so i passed the LEED examination this past friday and now get to call myself a LEED AP

after a good friday of celebrating, there was soccer tournament saturday where we kept true to form and played down to inferior competition; drawing two games before dominating the last (1-1, 0-0, 5-2) which earned us second in the division, but left us one point short of advancing to the next round. of course that would have meant two more games on sunday, so perhaps it was for the best.

now that studying and test taking are done, its time for thanksgiving trip preparation: Redwood National Park!! so most of yesterday was sifting through post flooring boxes and unearthing camping gear, warm weather clothes, and travel items. most fun will shortly be had. now its just finishing up a weeks' worth of work by tomorrow afternoon and then off for adventure.

i'll do my best to explore thoroughly and take sufficient photos to document random events.

ciao,

jeff

with wind comes a front

so one more day until the home flooring is complete - and it is excellent. so much so that i have forgotten all previous abstractions of the space (which is a good thing).

tomorrow i have committed to take the LEED test in order to become an 'accredited professional'. the program is a good comprehensive design with positive economic sustainable points layered with environmental foundations under the auspice that people are bettered throughout. the good thing is that i get to find out the results immediately afterwards; unlike having to wait 4 months as with my PE exam (although the PE does carry much more weight).

other than that i must recommend the following NYT Magazine article on Daniel Day-Lewis; an excellent piece on all fronts: the prose of the article, the subject, and the quotes contained within.

amazing as it is, next week is thanksgiving. i guess i should begin to plan in more detail my California vacation? perhaps even pack a little...

another late summer weekend gone (and in november none-the-less). lots of outdoor adventure: lakeside lunch / happy hour on friday; evening kickball; then saturday UT football tailgating. sunday brought gold and soccer adventure (our second win in which i played quite well).

hopefully flooring will be complete today and i can get in a good amount of studying for friday's leed exam. and then next week is thanksgiving holiday camping trip. amazing it all comes so fast.

so the great flooring project of '07 is almost done - hurray indeed.

i'm excited to see the complete bamboo in all of its glory and of course to redistribute all my stuff out of its 'very large pile' format. it's kind of exciting.

so that should be this weekend and then the remainder will be the usual outdoor fun; work studying; and musical enjoyment.

oh - and if you're interested, watch Austin City Limits on Saturday night for the Arcade Fire taping that I was able to attend: one of the best live shows i've ever seen. you can see a summary of it here.

so good changes finally. not quite yet in the ideal job front; but finally on the condo. bamboo flooring repairs will commence this week and hopefully be complete by next. should be a great new look (finally). it is odd how one acclimates so well to ones' surroundings. i guess it is a human evolutionary nature to be comfortable and conform to a home; no matter how inconvenient or old certain things become (long after they should be replaced). a good topic to explore later in full.

this weekend's fun included soccer games; an excellent oktoberfest party; more soccer; AND a hoa meeting where we finally chose a new property management company to replace our current ineffective / unresponsive entity.

should be a busy holiday week of fall transition.

cheers,

jeff

so close

so camping was excellent as always. although camping in such proximity to a vehicle always has that lack of 'pure isolation' feeling. take a look at the flickr page for photo evidence of hill country journeys.

elsewhere, work continues to go; new work is still out there, yet appears to be an elusive creature. soon enough i hope.

this weekend is the official fall celebration: oktoberfest, halloween, and the triumph of cool temperatures that allow fires.

i'm planning on making the family's famous german potato salad for saturday, which hopefully will offer great sustenance after playing two soccer games.

live pleasantly,

jeff

eh

well, it is the best time of the year. activities of outsideness with little searing sun but just the right amount of breeze. the ability to wear multiple types of clothes. transition foods and cooking; all the good things that make you want to be productive.

of course that is complemented by work and my continued inability to transition to a job where i can make a difference, challenge myself, and utilize the backpack of skills i've been acquiring. i'm planning on adding one more skill set (LEED accreditation) and then attempting to find a dynamic development position. hopefully something will come up; but after constant searching and evaluation i'm coming to the point of realizing that i might as well just do things myself. you know, throw on the mantel of entrepreneurial spirit and learn from some failures while achieving varying degrees of success.

i have come to realize that organizations and structures are not set up to excel, but to perpetuate; and there's nothing exciting or challenging about the predictable unless it is your passion, which even then can become rote.

so i think i'll have to put on my pants and stride out with a sense of running things instead of convincing people to let me join their team.

fun times as always,

me

need more postings!!

so much to do. opportunities everywhere and obligations about. that and change; some good things, some sad, some hopefull...

something i need to put on the schedule and buy:
illumination

LCRA and water; what we do.

link

fall / summer transition

well, an excellent weekend was had venturing up north for family time and northern fall appreciation. there's nothing quite as great as visiting the chicagoland (and by proxy Michigan, Indiana, & Wisconsin) this time of year. the air is brisk and full of change while the transition of fall takes effect. there is nothing quite as fulfilling as this and makes one greatly consider how much fun it is to experience such seasons; to the point of longingly considering living in the region. of course then one remembers how that quickly changes to short days, bare trees, and the gray sullenness of early and late winter. it is this period after daylight savings time has passed that the memories of outdoor roaming and life hibernate until late march when hope and the explosion of spring and the energy associated with it return.

the good thing is that i now get to look forward to several months of fall here and prepare for camping, soccer, late night softball, and general non-heat controlled outdoor adventure.

work progresses and i am transitioning to more construction activities as various projects move away from design towards construction. this is a nice change and will help the malaise that has overtaken this past month due to ambiguous project management and general office chaos. hopefully this period will provide further experience and ease into a facilitated change towards a yet-to-be found ideal position.

other than that football so far greatly disappointing in both the fantasy and team rooting realm; which is thankfully saved by the cub's push towards the postseason and the inevitable heartbreak associated with rooting for such a team.

vacation!!

so only about 10 minutes until i get to leave work, head home, hurriedly pack, and then head out for nap and travel day.

i'm looking forward to full fall foliage fun

photos are sure to follow

ok - time for updates.

ACL weekend just finished which doubles as a local music vacation and the opportunity to enjoy all that is local music culture. so counting labor day and this weekend's trip to door county; i have three 4-day weeks in a row; which is quite nice. it is especially nice because of the amount of work and 'interesting' prioritization by group leaders of various projects. we still seem to be understaffed with those in charge seemingly unconcerned with project delays and client reactions.

on the job front: the Airtricity job didn't pan out, which i anticipated after they were less than communicative in the post-initial interview process. so i'm slightly disappointed, but i plan on continuing the search for a position where i can better apply the full breadth of my knowledge, experience, and passion. its probably for the best that the wind power position didn't pan out as it involved quite a bit of travel, and if their communication in the interview process was of any indication of the company's operation; things might not be all that well run. so hopefully something local pans out here in the time leading up to the end of the fiscal year.

this weekend brings more adventure as val and i head up to door county in wisconson (which is apparently on the lake - i always figured it was an interior county for some reason). so hopefully i'll get a great taste of fall in time to return for the great end-of-summer stretch here in austin.

take a look at flickr for pictures of this weekend and i should post the northern excursion pictures next monday or tuesday.

ah yes, the first day of school. plus extra work - so assured busyness continues.

hopefully air work opportunities present themselves after the traditional end of vacation times.

weekend events were mostly relaxing and festive; i believe pictures might even be in order...

so this weekend should be quite a bit of fun:

saturday offers relaxing, grilling, and flugnacht

sunday has the austin hot sauce festival in addition to the usual happenings

plus all the fun the rest of the week...

has it been this long?

to sum up: too much work, not enough free-form thinking and fun time.

no advances on new employment or any other major changes.

in short; the summer progresses.

weekending

well that was quite pleasant; a relaxing and productive weekend.

so summer has finally come in all of its radiating glory. i am still in the process of physically acclimating to my usual riding and running activities of 90+ degree heat. usually, i'm able to accomplish this in june when the heat transition begins; but this year i've had to wait two extra months. so i look forward to yet another lunch ride today in 100 deg. temperatures and possible an evening commute in the same.

this week promises much excitement with condo board meetings, possible job interviews, the above-mentioned outdoor merriment, as well as home renovating.

too much fun?, one can only hope.

ah, the joys of condo board meetings!

but tonight - fun. no reservation movie & food event at the Alamo. here's a rundown on the simpson's one last week: link. this one will be a bit more high brow, but just as tasty. plus we're going to see a comedy commentary on conan (the movie) afterwards just to balance everything out. fun night out!

a barton springs proposal

Austin Parks Department link

weekending

so another weekend gone:

i was able to see both the new bourne movie as well as the simpsons movie at the alamo.

saturday featured TWO fubol games back-to-back in humid hot weather. one was lost by two goals and one was won 13-0 (nice, the team beat us 7-4 previously).

i attempted to play cards again and realized that i just don't have the patience to play rote percentages. i would play the table and in an aggressive manner if i cared enough; which i don't.

and of course, i almost caught up on sleep.

now on to an excellent this week

interview results

so it went well - 1.5 hours of discussion and more of a 'preliminary' in-person screening that a comprehensive evaluatory meeting.

so hopefully I will get a call-back next week and follow-up after that. the wind-power industry does certainly intrigue.

Airtricity

interview day - hopefully it goes well. i've done a bit of research and am quite excited about the possibilities associated with the company and the sector in general. hopefully all goes well...

ah, home again

well, my home day of rest and preparation has been disrupted by normal work chaos. one of our projects is starting construction on monday and is still in permit review (just received comments yesterday); so time would be paramount. ah well, i'll put in time and prepare for my sunny future.

plus, its almost the weekend anyway. now, only laundry and planning to get caught up on.

the beach; the bay

well, long island is quite a relaxing and amazing place. it reminds me of a mix of southern gulf coast florida (the beach and sea mentality) mixed with northeast culture and money.

so far we've had a chance to circumnavigate the far eastern portions of the island and see various beaches, lighthouses, wineries, islands, etc. i was even able to go clamming for the first time yesterday.

pictures and stories are sure to follow.

this expresses my sentiments on cycling and the current tour de france. nothing signifies summer better than the most glorious of races through what can only be described as a vacation of pain. it causes wonderment in most who follow the sport and watch it constantly that athletes are able to accomplish such a race; and therefor it comes as little surprise that shortcuts are taken in order to obtain an advantage over both the race and one's body's limitations. the short of is it cycling is one of the few sports to take doping / performance enhancing / drug use seriously; and it has paid a frightening price of publicity, scorn, and humiliation. hopefully the sport will either be able to clean itself of its history of doping, or adopt a uniform code of prescribed enhancement.

for sports themselves, few things cause us to examine that which we find beautifully athletic and motivating. it is in this frame of mind that sporting agencies allow certain 'oversights' in the supposed enhancement of competition and entertainment ruse. if one takes athletics too seriously then all sorts of sordid complications arise; so i find it best to appreciate those sports you find beautiful and expect that there are always people who take shortcuts; because that is the nature of any situation that combines performance and money.

well - this week is certainly going by quite fast. super busy fun deadlines again at work.

of course i'll have 75-80% of my week in by the end of day today; which bodes well since i'm leaving for vacation tomorrow. ah, vacations - i don't really even recall what they entail or their meaning. i both long for adventure and a break in the rote week to week routine. of course, with all of the unusual rain and 'summer' excitement it has been difficult to establish a consistent routine.

i still have no idea of activities; and since i have never been to the actual northeast coast, i have no expectation of people or events. most assuredly fun will be had though. and hopefully a clam bake.

current happenings

so another fun weekend past.

a good friend left work and the current situation of chaos. management is slowly realizing that overworking an understaffed group on multiple rushed projects is not a wise move. hopefully they can make it through the current rapids and readdress the organizational structure that would allow more efficient project design and control. but that isn't really my place and i still search for an opportunity to utilize my finance skills; which necessitates a pseudo career change.

a great greenbelt hike (and swim) was undertaken on saturday - see the flikr page for impressive sights

the tour had two of its most exciting days yet sunday and yesterday. there's nothing quite like the two leaders attacking mano-y-mano up a hor category mountain.

i work continually and attempt to prepare for this week's vacation. perhaps i'll get a chance; perhaps i'll just end up in new york and be forced to relax.

possible trip - thinking...

greenbelt

this afternoon; time to do more swimming and relaxing while seeing how its changed from last week. will post pictures as usual.

That's On Point: The Web Site: My big fat David Beckham post

That's On Point: The Web Site: My big fat David Beckham post

Not that many care; but this is probably the best written analysis of MLS and its integration of Beckham in all of his aspects.

I mean; who can't be excited by the following description?

"Hilly? Chablis? Burgandy? It's a winning combination and certainly the press room buffet is well stocked, but the racing is even better than the wine, with narrow back roads, short steep climbs and twisting descents, continue all day, with a twisting 6km descent preceding the finish in Autun. This town of 18,000 has a Roman amphitheatre and a medieval cathedral among its tourist attractions." - From VeloNews live report.

Chablis to Autun

Finally - a stage that isn't all flat.

So it is that wonderful time of year again where it officially becomes summer: baseball season transitions to its post-break importance where your favorite team either stretches to compete or swoons back to mediocrity (if lucky) and relevance only in the observation of futility and sport. Also, one of the best events of the year is upon us: the tour de france! it is oddly enough on a cable channel that few people can access; but there is something magical about watching one hundred eighty-odd cyclists race their way across some of the most beautiful landscapes. its just a bit of motivation to go and appreciate the outdoor country and culture available to us all.

other than that work continues; career leads continue to stretch out - but with the traditional summer pacing, things move just a bit more slowly.

hopefully everything will trend back towards a regular summer soon; too much outdoor activities have been cancelled by the continued rains. so i've resolved to gather as many folks as possible and go frolic in the creeks and rivers until the usual outdoor activities are able to resume.

onward to the Alps.

truesday

another fine morning commute finished; before 8am as always. now i am freshly showered and ready for work. although i think the piece of cold morning pizza (leftover sausage and basil) was a bit much prior to the ride; i'll have to go back to bananas for the hard morning ride stomach gentleness.

well, i finally was able to visit the greenbelt / barton creek this past weekend and see for myself what a month's worth of rain brings: river like rapids and greenery. take a look at the pictures on flickr and see for yourselves. the most awing thing is that i know every foot of that trail from my extensive mountain biking; and the extent of the sustained flow is very impressive. i'm quite familiar with the flash flood flows that occur; but i've never seen the creek this high with sustained flows (which will of course dissipate over time as the watershed drains; net of any continuing rain). i'll have to go back and relax on one of the limestone projections into the creek soon and take advantage of it.

work; well it goes. i've finally been able to make some headway on prospective jobs and have several good leads that might not only be opportunities; but ideal fits. i'll update as things progress as i wish not to inflate any projections.

now: to work and deadlines!

well, it is one of those mid-week holiday fridays - always an odd creation in our traditionally created weekly routines.

this evening i will learn to make pizza dough and cook pizzas; also a friend's 30th birthday. perhaps the weather will cooperate and i'll be able to play futbol tomorrow? one can only hope.

other than that - i'm progressing with mid to end of summer vacation plans. hopefully i'll have completed my career transition by then and can use the energy usually absorbed from such vacationing to a useful goal.

freitag cheers!

American Birthday

so happy birthday America! another 4th come and gone; with the now traditional rain and overcastness. this new tradition i like not at all; but i have figured that it does have its advantages: all-day fireworks. therefore i will be ready next year: in case of rain - fireworks starting at noon (no chance of wildfire); if no rain - then the traditional hot outside 4th of grilling and pools.

now a mini-week of work with no interruptions as half of my group is out for some sort of holiday. considering there's an 80 percent chance of rain today; i see no reason to skip out on work.

a gray lady

or just a gray day as it were. it is truesday mixed with friday - a holiday tomorrow; so who knows what comes.

of what i do know:

• being paid for one's opinion (focus group) is very nice; $100's worth of nice for 90 minutes of rambling to be exact.
  
• watching a 90-foot metal dinosaur eat cars is the perfect monday evening activity (see my flickr account for more info).

holiday week!

so a new week begins.

summer has finally showed itself and i was able to commiserate with it in true lounging fashion these past several days; poolside of course.

i still need to go hiking along the greenbelt to fully appreciate the amount of rain we've been getting these past several days - hopefully this week sometime. for a good idea of what the area is like, take a look at my flickr site (sidebar right) and the most recently posted pictures of the town lake trail. i've seen flooding before during rainfall events, but not often do all the lakes fill up and then necessitate continuous floodgate openings and the mass movement of water throughout the system.

items of note: i was able to grill various fishes for the wine tasting on saturday and introduced the tastiness of wood plank grilling to friends. i'm going to take up rock climbing soon enough as i actually have a group of friends that go regularly. i was able to see ratatouille yesterday - an excellent pixar movie about cooking.

and as a new week begins things move along as always: my job search / career change leads to new contacts and opportunities (of which one will hopefully pan out). I will get paid to offer my opinion later tonight for a marketing research company (always a fun thing to do); and following that i'm going to bike over to the alamo drafthouse in my neighborhood and see a 60-foot fire breathing metal robot eat cars (a transformers the movie tie-in). it'll probably be good times.

pictures to follow for sure.

rain can't keep me down

so the watering and lake filling season continues: which is good; although I'd much prefer a balanced rain schedule every year rather than this monsoon / drought yearly trade-off.

i was able to frolic in the park yesterday along with throngs of other people: it is odd and refreshing how the middle of summer can approximate a northern spring when everyone goes outside at the earliest sign of allowable weather.

my lunch ride just concluded and it was quite enjoyable; especially considering the extreme side winds (with gusts!) and a mid-ride flat tire.

these rides accomplish several things: the allowing my mind to clear itself; physical release; and the almost free thinking that can occur as those two processes progress. usually i can consider matters of life; solutions for work projects and complicated designs; or nothing in general.

now to smoked chicken and a pond design.

good times

so some quick thoughts from a busy weekend of fun:

• somehow the rain last week was able to prevent futbol games on a 90-degree saturday.
  
• waiting until a front moves through to go cycling is both good and bad: ideal drop in temperature with a rise of wind.
  
• i was able to see both the last and first mystery sinus theater / master pancake show at the Alamo Drafthouse; how times have changed.
  
• between two bad chicago baseball teams; the cubs are clearly superior
• the Polyphonic Spree are an amazing live band
• U.S. futbol managed a good win against Mexico in a game that should have been lost. two open goal misses were offset by a goal of beauty by Feilhaber. also - the U.S. defense was quite deficient.
  
• it has already rained more in austin this year than the entirety of last year

just another day

so the deadlines have passed (somewhat). i still need to do much follow-up work on design and verification, but the architect (and client?) is satisfied. although i do expect quite a few changes and revisions through the permitting and construction process.

other than that - i was finally able to get a lunch ride in yesterday: humid mid-morning that transitioned through thunderstorms during the ride. such rides end up being almost even more fulfilling.

so now its time for the next deadline and some type of weekend fun.

the last master pancake theater, bowling, soccer, music, and other fun festivities.

yeh mornings

so another day. good happenings yesterday other than just work: i was finally able to find an excellent local pizza purveyor. there's nothing like homemade pies with fresh ingredients by someone that knows how to make a good crust - especially when a large pie runs $10. its been too long since there was such a deal. but that's the essence of any business - its a great thing that makes thin margins for the owner until it gets popular enough that demand outpaces production capacity. at that point the owner usually expands and/or raises prices to take advantage of this situation and at a point, prices out the core customers that had are the foundation of the business. done properly, this can be a smooth transition. done poorly, the old base and organic marketing crashes before the critical mass of new customer base is established.

well, that's the end of my finance interest today. now back to good old engineering project management and design.

ok - super productive work time. there's nothing like working simultaneously on two deadlines. i also need to make some time for outdoor fun; but haven't been able to as of yet - which is unfortunate. i should start commuting again as that is a bit easier to mandate; but i prefer the lunch ride combined with a commute (it helps me to bring in food and clothes in a more orderly manner).

but this week is busy as usual and it looks like it'll be another fun weekend.

well a fun weekend all around. great thai food on friday along with one of the best bloody marys that i've ever had. all that and farm fresh eggs! nothing like a true quaint family owned restaurant.

saturday was drizzle and rain fun that caused futbol to be cancelled; but allowed for quite fun criterium (cycling) racing downtown. that plus good music and much frivolity. ended ok as i took a decent spill on the way home due to too much race watching and celebrating; but there's nothing like bruises and cuts to illustrate why riding is so much fun.

i was finally able to relax yesterday and get some good food in: lamb shank in homemade stock from last week along with some mini tomatillos and mushrooms. i forgot to add the cilantro sauce to go with it; but i think i should be able to combine that with the sweet corn into something great.

now to look forward to a week of extreme busyness.

joy.

happy thursday

well, a fairly productive day as it were. I was able to make good progress on a site design; manage some project variables that have been up in the air for far too long; and talk a inspection ticket from $135 down to $10 (which is always a refreshing experience).

now its time to finalize a schedule and prepare for tonight's 6:30 softball game. nothing like listening the cubs take the lead in the 8th to motivate one for outside ball playing (provided they can hold on of course).

perhaps i'll even watch the final (assumed) game of the nba playoffs tonight. who knows what fun awaits.

Update: "CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!, YES!" nothing quite like the radio transmitted excitement (XM Radio - thanks Mom & Dad).

movie time!

so it has been a long slog of a work day today; just one of those constant task - intermediate goal days. at least its almost over.

and for this evening i'm going to see knocked up.

i'll carry the same expectations that I did for the 40-year old virgin: very low. let's see if they can be exceeded yet again.

Update: spot review = quite funny. its a mix of hilarity with reality - a la 40-year old virgin but on a much more relate-able level. the only scene i have an issue with is the draft scene: who doesn't look for a car outside the 'house of concern'; and how are there not at least 10 vehicles present in a suburban neighborhood? a semi-necessary plot point that could have been done better.

that is all.

mitwoch!

so HOA meetings are fun as always; we are slowly coming together as a board / collection of individuals. it is always good when a general understanding and consensus develops; ours currently is that the management company's choice of contractor for all repairs and monthly maintenance has, and continues to overcharge us for a nebulous scope of services provided. odd how a foil or rallying theme is needed to unite a group and overcome the egos, flaws, and bickering of individuals; but that is the way things have always been with groups of people.

and billy's was excellent as usual; i need to somehow gather a community group and begin socializing out with them as well. not a bad idea with a brew pub and excellent bbq within walking/biking distance. that and the spurs continued their dominance of the nba finals; which offers a bit of amusement. it is entertaining to live in a collage town with such proximity to san antonio where a great percentage of basketball fans are die hard spurs fans. as with all true non-local teams; it is intriguing to see this connection between locality and fandom. also, i was able to watch a bit of the bulls - jazz nba final from back in 1997; which seems like forever ago. it is odd to see an event which at the time was thought paramount in its importance and focus; only to be revisited with perspective.

well, a fun day of work awaits.

Billy's tonight

reminder time…

It's that time of the week. come by anytime in the mid-early-or late evening. good food shall be had and two dollar beers will be sampled. for those of you inclined, there will be a game of sport on the television depicting an anointed cavalier attempting to tame a spurred horse.

jefe

see the link for uncle billy's on the sidebar for more info.

tasty morning

well, as noted - there is nothing quite like a morning ride to enliven the soul and prepare one for a day's toils.

and for some odd reason I am still here at 7:30; before 80-plus percent of our office; go figure.

well, a busy day of thinking: complex designs at work are oh so much fun.

time for a nice ride home in order to force a waking morning commute.

cheers!

soup contest

well, funny enough - i for the first time; am more that happy to have received 2nd place in a contest.

David (of soup peddler fame: see link on sidebar) solicited suggestions for visionary ideas concerning the future of his soupie empire. As usual I enjoy analysis and contemplation of successful situations and enterprises. With commentary and input solicited I mulled options and ideas over in my head as I often do for most issues: during a lunch ride through the hills and along the creeks of west austin. After initial thought I actually put my ramblings to paper while relaxing at O'Hare airport (I've found it odd how airports are such a muse for writing, but it is there often the mood does strike). Final transcribing and one further edit produced the second place winner; more so because the focus was reasonable analysis and usual recommendations rather than options I thought too out-of-the box or small scale.

The winning vision was a CO-OP; which I dismissed as untenable in my inner evaluation. I view them as this more so because of my participation on far too many committees and groups where the frailties and conflict aspects of personalities tend to show themselves. While I am sure a small collaborative is possible, I have yet to see one operate effectively over a long period of time with a singular vision and agreement on how to implement such a vision. The frailties and egos of the human condition present problems that cannot often be solved without a strong leader; which defeats the true spirit of a CO-OP.

Well, for those interested further: please go see the contest results.

so another good weekend; almost summer.

it always good to help friends celebrate promotions; especially when you some day hope to move 'up' yourself. it gives a glimmer of hope for corporate culture and organization. plus i was able to make some excellent chicken-mole themed appetizers; which were quite good.

of course celebrating until the wee hours of the morning is always best followed by awakening at 6:30, driving 30-odd minutes, and playing a soccer game in the morning humidity. but it is a great way to begin a day; especially when i can anchor a defense that keeps a clean sheet and goes on to win 3-0. oddly enough the late night - early morning activity make for a forced relaxing afternoon and added incentive to sit by a pool, cool off, and relax. the height of the afternoon was visiting our semi shut-in friends and grilling with them and some of their relatives.

now we return to work; it should be a productive week full of the usual things. hopefully something new and unusual as well.

freitag!

finally the end of a full work week - odd how that works during the summer.

so a good softball game last night; we ended up winning in extra innings:
0 0 0 7 0 0 1 11 | 19
0 2 0 1 1 0 4 6 | 14
pretty crazy and fun as always. nothing quite like 11 runs in the first extra inning (one-pitch) to put things away.

other than that things return to normally schedlueness around here. soccer on saturday likely followed by toobing (the true harbinger of summer).

my new job search continues at a typical early summer pace. spring and fall always seem more motivated in hiring, but I will continue to look.

well, time for a re-fill on my morning green tea and then back to some cemetery and school designs.

here's a quandary: how beneficial is it to be a good problem solver? my participation with the various committees on which i serve along with work projects have gotten to the point where all I do is solve continuing problems on projects. now the fact is that i'm fairly good at this: i can spot critical variables, see the big picture, and articulate a defined position while forming a group consensus in a positive manner. the thing is - its frustrating and quite tiring. i need to work with a greater purpose on better managed tasks (read more time) with a group that can divide work and make decisions.

i guess i'll just press on and continue to look for a position where i can be truly affective and contribute equally to a lofty, challenging goal.

someday

Powered by Air (hot or cold)

Just for some random links as I research various things (this week its rainwater harvesting and wind power; for separate reasons of course).

Executive Ramblings: Windpower 2007
The Age of Windustry
And of course pictures, because everyone loves them.
EETimes - U.S. Fastest growing...

- thanks to Instapundit for the tip

"
Boris say hi.

So another weekend gone; And summer continues to fast approach.

Fairly productive overall. Friday was a great day of work (which didn't seem at all like a Friday because of the short work week and associated busyness) followed by an evening of relaxing by the pool and reading with an evening birthday party thrown in for fun.

Futbol started up again on Saturday and I was rewarded by being placed in goal against the top team in our division. Despite my efforts we were bested 5 goals to 3; which wasn't too bad. We played well enough despite being a man down the whole match with no girl subs. Plus the fact that it was the first 'real' summer afternoon I can remember (read scorching hot sun). Needless to say the afternoon was full of pool relaxing and little movement. A Moroccan supper and annual diablo luau rounded out a full evening of fun. There's nothing quite like a fully diverse party: age, demographic, background, etc... especially when you show up halfway into it.

Yesterday was a day of early waking, cooking, and relaxing. All combined with me finally finishing painting my bathroom. Its the detailed edge work that I am quite fond of, but takes forever. So the day was a good mix of watching the Cubs finally win; household improvement; stock making; and reading.

Now yet another week. It is the time of the year when I slowly develop my summer schedule and begin to implement my goals for the year. Should be fun.

memorial day game

back again

so i am back again form my northern sojourn. good times were had by all and as always i was able to squeeze far more activities into a short time that i should.

such trips are always a flurry of activity and interaction, rarely leaving time for relaxation and routine. so now its time to relax and return to my daily life as summer begins to show its warm head.

pictures from my trip are up (less than 300!) so have a look at some good family shots; photos from wrigley; and other randomness.

time to catch up on work, check in on job opportunities, and prepare for my pirate feast later tonight.

cheers all,

jeff

another weekend come and gone.

was able to attend val's half sister's high school graduation in fort worth, which was all kinds of entertaining. there's something about that point in your life that is almost perfect: the ability to go in any direction at all with little or no real responsibilities. it only happens once and is usually under appreciated and over dramatized.

this weekend was also the first camping weekend of the year with perfect conditions presenting themselves. afternoon swimming in a waterfall grotto, brief hiking, campfire cooking, game playing, night cycling, kayaking, etc. all this in the wild flower covered fields and spring / fall like conditions. very hard to beat. this thanksgiving camping trip is planned for redwood national park in california - combining two of my favorite things. i can hardly wait: coastal beech camping, majestic forests, AND potential amazing cycling?? yeah, that could be fun.

but the week begins yet again. hopefully i'll progress and get some more info on a job lead i have (hope and praying). other than that - i'm preparing for a fun family weekend up in chicago and the associated pleasant spring northern journey.

unfortunately limited pictures are available from the weekend (limited camera battery; but they would have been magnificent). but all will be well.

happy end of may,

jeff

ah, there's no better way to start a day than a morning cycling commute. i brought my bike along yesterday for a lunch ride and then rode home after work. its a trick i learned from a co-worker: a good afternoon ride home necessitates a morning commute; and the biggest challenge to a morning commute is usually the motivation necessary to get on a bike at 7am. the only caveat today was that some thunderstorms came through the area around 2am. i vaguely recall semi-awakening and thinking that i would have to either call some co-workers and request a ride, or step up and embrace riding through the rain (actually not that bad of an activity if you discount dealing with rain auto traffic). but it turns out that all was well, and this morning's commute was ideal: fresh rain scent, a great sunrise, and the joy of passing people backed up at stoplights. plus the benefit of still arriving at 7:30 and beating most of the office in.

so now its peaceful work time. well, my projects at least; there are some projects i have the pleasure of pitching in on that have become troublesome. but that's usual.

so - a semi-good day. the project manager on two of my jobs is out for the remainder of the month for his wedding and honeymoon; so i get to go back to running my own show & projects for a short while. nice, but it won't last.

and with the return of regular scheduling: lunch rides and bike commuting. it is the perfect weather for it; and there's no better way to spend rush hour - passing stand-still traffic while enjoying a ride, saving gas, and clearing the mind.

well, about time to head out now that traffic has hopefully died down just a bit on the 'fun' parts of the ride.

so - birthday week and vacation week are done; phew! there's only so much fun and relaxing a person can take before it becomes too much.

now its back to work, cycling, and relaxing in preparation for the next two weekends of adventure.

I just have to keep plodding along and job hunting for a chance.

just as always. pics from this weekend should be up by tonight.

time for south austin wonderment and relaxing by various bodies of water.

the day starts with excellent jasmine green birthday tea and reading by the pool. soon moitz and steve shall arrive for transition to adventure. schedule is maria's for tacos; walk the greenbelt and relax at cambel's hole; then barton springs for immersion and respite.

and if the day progresses as planned: juan's naturalization party, p-funk all stars at stubbs, and who knows what else.

good times indeed.

the clouds break

well, through the windows of my office i see the sun breaking up the mass of clouds that have settled over the area for the past several days. the leaves gently rustle and the seen is of gentle pleasantness.

for my 29th birthday the day progresses: early morning work start 6:30 with much accomplished so far (complete runoff quantification for my Dallas VA cemetery project leading into the storm sewer design). i still need to figure out what the after work / evening celebratory events are to be, but perhaps i'll take a moment in a bit to figure that out. likely something on a deck outside.

so the weekend was quite nice: i've finally got the smokey and the bandit song out of my head. and as a side note: it is an excellent movie in its uncut entirety: the first time i had ever seen it that way. that and there is something transcendent about a full house and the sound of people randomly opening cans of original coors (part of the movie event) in a dark theater; comically transcendent.

so i figure i'll arrive home at a decent time, park the car, and set forth on foot or bike for a relaxing evening.

day of birth cheers,

jeff

the great friday birthday week kick-off

so the revelry and celebration begins. not that all days and moments should not include the embracing of life and enjoying of its variations, intricacies, and offerings; but one does have an obligation to gather and celebrate specific events as they occur. honestly, it doesn't really matter what event can cause people to congregate and join in shared moments and happiness: weddings, funerals, birthdays, holidays, and religious events are traditional with harvest, solstice, civic, tribal, and hunting gatherings illustrating the historic gatherings.

i guess i bring this up because of this weekend's various events that have significance to me: cinco de mayo, derby day, mother's day, and my birthday all offer memories of gathering and celebration. these same dates and events; because they are annual, afford me the chance to remember all those past times and invite current friends and acquaintances to share those memories and create new gatherings.

so it should be a great weekend and a fun week next week.

i'll update with all (some) of the fun details.

ah, mitwoch

so the week progresses. things have been busy as usual, which prevents me from updating this here blog as often as I would like. but such is the nature of things.

so the last week: I discovered trail running down on the greenbelt. It turns out that my lack of excitement over standard track running is balanced by the excitement and additional concentration required of trail running. Plus I think that it has multiple applications: good exercise plus contribution towards futbol skills and of course the ability to run over rocks and through streams.

also - from last friday's happy hour: I was able to run into some old acquaintances whom I had not seen in several years. its always interesting to see people reactions to the current you. so that was quite fun: and Billy's is still a great venue that is perfect biking distance from home (they've finally added live music as well).

my friend damon had his birthday this past weekend and we were able to hold the first of the south austin tour de taco - an excellent event that consists of biking to various taco establishments over south austin and enjoying some of the best breakfast tacos available. plus we were able to see a camel (local auto dealership promotions are so much fun! - see my photo site for more).

post tour was a great soccer game: we won the game and thus the division which is pretty nice. and after that was a round rock express (AAA Houston) game appropriately preceded by tailgating and grilling.

as for current times, the rains have returned to Austin; and for that I am thankful: it will be nice to have water in the creeks for a substantial part of the year (unlike last year's drought).

work progresses as usual and my job transition continues to dismay. one other thing i've come to learn this past week: recruiters are pretty much useless - they are the real estate agents of people: fit someone in and get a commission. if one does not fit into the simple form-based system, then everything resents to the default position. complex analysis and cross-field corroboration are apparently not in the sector's skill department.

but as birthday week kicks off, I choose to not focus too much on that and hold my usual view that somehow this will fall into place and somehow I will be able to shift to a job where I can continually challenge myself and accomplish something.

So a quick redux: the movie mentioned on friday was excellent - there's nothing like the subtle comedy and smart writing to enliven a film.

A good weekend overall - saturday's soccer game was a tough loss (2-1), but we played well as a team and had a sense of continuity which was nice. This weekend is our last game of the season, so hopefully we can go out with a win. Great wine tasting on Saturday night as well, which reminds me I have to send out a thank you and brief notes. Argentinean wines are quite tasty and varied; with Malbec being the best known. Its nice to be able to do a reasonably priced region for a change; Calafornian and French regions are just too expensive nowadays.

And I enjoyed grilling yet again on sunday with cheap quality ingredients from Fiesta; a local 'ethnic' grocery. There's just one in town which makes it a bit more tough to visit; but there's something refreshing about being able to shop in a market type atmosphere with real, fresh ingredients.

Spring has again brought a front though which while providing needed rain, continues to hide the sun. This, as always, slightly depresses the mood of all. But it does provide for a more indoor atmosphere. I was able to attend my second Engineers Without Borders meeting yesterday. I figure I need to participate somehow in using my career and skills to contribute to areas of need. Our chapter focuses on Central America; with a group traveling to Panama next week to install a water distribution system in a village. The chapter is just getting off the ground, so it seems to offer good possibilities.

As for the job transition: it continues in earnest with no real leads. I know eventually a contact will open up an opportunity; but there is nothing of solid promise I have found.

Today offers more of the same: intermittent work; brief job searches; hopefully an afternoon of soccer (rain is promised); and evening NBA playoffs. Should be fun.

'Hot Fuzz' a different genre of foreign film - Life & Arts

'Hot Fuzz' a different genre of foreign film - Life & Arts

So today's activities: work; greenbelt hike / bike; relax with brew and bbq; a good kickball game; and then the aforementioned movie.

Should be a fine friday. Oh - and thursday turned out great as well. I was able to visit my latest design - a large multi-staged wet pond / storm system that is under construction in conjunction with a elementary school. After that - service awards at the oasis on Lake Travis (it is amazing how different it looks post-fire). Finished the night with a great softball game - it went 11 innings (6 extra innings of tie ball with my team ending up loosing by 2 runs).

Machen Sie zu viel spass on diesen Freitag.

Mid-week ramblings

So work continues to keep me quite busy. I do enjoy the ability to focus on a task and grind it down to completeness without being interrupted; which is a rare thing as of late. But it seems this week has been a productive one for current work at least.

I continue to search for a transition into the financial realm; with varying degrees of progress. I have made several contacts in the banking committee, but do not have any solid local prospects. It seems everyone I speak with suggests starting with a major corporate bank and being trained at one of their financial centers. Were I to re-insert myself at the base of that ladder in Dallas/Houston, San Fran, Chicago, or NY; I would have to re-evaluate quite a few things. I am looking to get experience in the field rather than drastically change my life. But in this slow revelation I am considering that if drastic change is necessary, why not strive and create the ideal change? Such thinking leads me to possibilities such as the World Bank and organizations which I have actual interest in that would be of some benefit through my participation. I fear major change to a corporate bank would only serve to mortgage my life for 5 years while I accrue experience that allows me greater flexibility. I have noticed that the cultural question persists: how much effort should be made to make oneself happy in the idealistic future at the expense of current happiness and contentment?

Briefly sequining to the topic of the week: the Virginia Tech massacre. I finally was able to read detailed reports and then digest and briefly contemplate the event. Initially I abhor the sensationalized coverage of today's 24-hour news market and tend to ignore all ''shocking update'' type stories. But after finally reading the Washington Post's narrative [LINK] that focuses on the routines and lives that were interrupted, I have a great sense of sorrow. The Post's account brings the reality back to the story and allows me to relate to the scene; up until the shooter enters the room of course. The description of college life and people are striking, and the classrooms that were hit were of many courses that I took in college: advanced hydrology (my major); german (one of my minors). It saddens me to consider many good people; potential colleagues that most likely had similar interests and abilities as a younger me - now never to be realized; are now gone. And all this by the acts of one person; through an event that no one ever considers possible. So while many now will focus on how to prevent such evil acts, or who is to 'blame' for something so unfathomable; I urge you to visit the above link and scroll down to the full list of those that have left this earthly plain of existence. It is an odd sense of voyeuristic grief; but say a quick prayer and transition back to the drudge of regular life knowing that life is fragile and the unthinkable, while always possible, should never be focused on for too long. Hopefully some good will come of this; although I can think of nothing right now.

Apart from that, the week continues. I think I shall go for a relaxing lunch ride on 360 and enjoy this beautiful spring day.

Post work service awards at the Oasis restaurant should provide some great picture opportunities of which i'll link to tomorrow and then an evening softball game should provide the perfect way to round out the day.

windy spring

so a great ride today. they actually cancelled the 'official' ride which means we ended up riding the route with no support. a very hilly hill country course with crosswinds 60% of the time and headwinds 30%; usually uphill as well. unfortunately I wasn't able to get the full 80 b/c of lack of support; but 30 miles and a brewery tour and bbq afterwards more than made up for it.

plus, i get free registration next year. not half bad.

saturtag

so another early morning and getting ready for a ride-race.

storm moved through last night dropping rain and temperatures. hopefully it isn't too windy today; but i'm sure it'll be great.

80 miles of hill country, blue bonnets, and relaxing to bluegrass music with real ale relaxation.

freitag!

ah yes, another spring weekend. so first the not-so fun part: work.

but then it shall be relaxing and riding the greenbelt (now full with water, which is great!).

and then relaxing and games until I prepare for tomorrow's 80-mile charity / brewery ride. hopefully its not too windy...

should be great weekend regardless.

doh!

i did not win yet again. the sadness is palatable.

i guess it just wasn't meat to be. full price tickets again!

for all those that like to be winners though; here's the link

so the weekend - it is over; eh?

nothing of note; just the typical late january musings and lusting for sunlight. i was able to finish one of my books: Freddy & Fredrika by Helprin, and as always he did not disappoint.

of course saturday was so miserable that no outdoor adventures were possible; well at least by bike. i was able to visit the new brewpub that just opened down the street though. unfortunately they don't have any of their own beers ready and the setup of the space is conductive to patio lounging; but it was still good to get the meet-n-greet in.

other than that, i enjoyed easter: a bit of scripture in the morning followed by neighborhood biking and a futile attempt to get a haircut. but after that tea and newspaper time at flipnotics which was nice.

so i hope tomorrow brings a return of spring and the sun. i plan on lunch biking regardless in preparation for this weekend's fun.

Midnight Thursday

hmmm - so who would be interested in such a show?

ATHF - Movie Link

spring ice storm

well, the possibility exists: so i am quite excited.

of course I scheduled the attendance of an iowa cubs v RR express baseball game; so that should be great. should be some good tailgating.

right now its a relaxing morning watching Liverpool v Reading on foxsoccer. it must suffice because my team has the weekend off due to easter.

so it looks as if it'll be a relaxing weekend; perhaps i'll even finish my taxes!

also - in my morning Internet journey:
ATFH - movie comes out next weekend. it appears to have the mix of evil dead army of darkness crossed with adult swim: it intrigues.

but next weekend is the Real Ale Ride benefiting the Kelly Davidson Pediatric Cancer Foundation.

it better transition back to spring before then though; because 80 miles of hill country climbing in 40-degree temps with wind does not have the appeal of the same route with mid 70s through bluebonnet covered fields.

good friday

it is a sunny good friday. i miss the days when this was a half-day of school aligned with the budding of spring.

regardless - my work will be short today and i will retire to nature to enjoy the creation and take in life. perhaps i will even spend time in a garden and contemplate.

have an excellent weekend.

enjoy family & lilies; avoid chocolate, ham, and indoors.

- jeff

morning

I listen to kmfa and transition into the day that is today over a morning cup of chai. today's sage tea wisdom is this:

"to be calm is the highest achievement of the self"

good to know.

until later,

jr

mittwoch

as promised: last weekend in austin = spring.

so work continues and i am realizing that in order to find a suitable career i must become proactive and take risks; something i'm not all that adverse to, but which goes against my general demeanor.

for some odd reason i have the ability to be happy; to let very little bother me; and to have a positive mentality about most anything. i believe that comes from the beauty of life around me: found in nature, people and their interactions, activities, and creations. perhaps it is just the season, but i currently have a heightened appreciation.

the only detriment to my constant good mood is my tendency to avoid conflict and to ignore negativity in others and in potential situations. such ability to transition to 'detached views' can be insular: both in a beneficial and detrimental way.

i suppose the difference in philosophy i have can be summed thusly:

carpe diem versus Memento vivere


well - i must return to work.

live your day,

jeff

beautiful day

so this weekend was one of the best in a while. one of the most beautiful collection of spring days in quite a while. as work is quite demanding right now, i will summarize and link to photos later.

cheers!

it rains.

well, i'm exited to visit the creeks once the weather breaks; but until then it shall be relaxed indoor periods observing the dark outside of steady light rainfall. so it appears that my outdoor weekend activities will be postponed. although the botanical garden festival might still be on; i can't think of a better venue than this for the warm fragrance that accompanies ferns, flowers, and trees clouded in warm moisture.

Something I've always wanted to do.

And never will.

Flickr address

the usual - The permanent address

I enjoy the program; and for a small yearly fee; it is quite useful. I've uploaded a decent amount of photos so far.

Drafthouse to move to Ritz - Life & Arts

Drafthouse to move to Ritz - Life & Arts

Well, the only way to properly pay respect to this move is by taking in as many events before the June transition; such as this one this evening:

the original: TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE

so thunderstorms and busy days: quite a way to start a week.

everything is fresh and damp; I cannot wait until the trails dry a bit more and I can go ride the greenbelt. hopefully the water will be up, because there's no better place when it is.

yesterday I got to attend my first engineers without borders meeting. a local chapter was just started the middle of last year and I finally got in touch with them. seems like quite a rewarding and fun group. now I just need to learn spanish: I know it can't be that hard; I just have to figure a way to get started... It is one of my goals that I've been putting off now for a while, but soon enough. here's the site for the EWB ; seems like they don't have a local chapter site up yet.

so the remainder of this week should be good: perhaps soccer or wine bar tonight and then the original transformers movie tomorrow at the Alamo in honor of this summer's new release. Thursday should be fun with a co-workers art showing (provided it isn't like an episode of the Office that is) and softball. and then more weekend fun; I can hardly wait.

ciao

the rain of spring

well, it is here again - and welcomed it is. there's nothing quite like the warm needed rain of spring where when you walk outside the air permeates with the warm musty growing of plants and leaves.

so i finally put together more of my pictures. take a look

this weekend was fairly fun: got to play an exciting game of kickball on friday and enjoy some excellent local clam pizza afterwards. saturday was fun with soccer (we won 6-1) and an afternoon of reading and picture sharing followed by an excellent meal of seafood at a restaurant that i've been wanting to try for years. and the weekend finished yesterday with a relaxing day of cooking, reading, and just a bit of sports watching. not too terrible a way to prepare for a busy busy week of work.

picture time!

rough set of vacation pictures (partial)

take a look if you get a chance and comment as desired on the site

cheers,

jeff

back again

well, my as my jetlag and english accent wane I return to work.

short summary:

• beautiful trip surpasing expectations
• in taking 808 pictures i have 100 odd amazing shots that i will share soon
• the 8 person crew interacted quite well together
• i acted as scout and lockworker and was able to hike about 20 miles of canal apart from riding on the boat.
  
• there are many, many sheep and ducks - and both are very tasty

above are two pictures to tease until i am able to sort, annotate, and post the rest:

no cars go

so this week is too long. three 11-12 hour days in a row so far and counting. almost burned out...


i'm planning on getting a morning's worth of coordination work in tomorrow and then transitioning to vacation mode. i need to pack, relax, and get ready for enlightened travel and new experiences.(and practice a bit of an english accent)

only a short bit longer.

Arcade Fire leaves its mark - Life & Arts

Arcade Fire leaves its mark - Life & Arts

One Very, Very Indie Band

well, I pre-ordered my copy on Amazon this past Sunday (and free S&H with Amazon Prime) so I should get this tomorrow in time for my trip!

Oh - and I checked the forecast for next week: typical england. highs in the 50s with misty rain / clouds; so its time to layer up and bring all of my biking/camping clothes that are so very well suited as they are light and water resistant.

the weekend in pictures; probably the best way to sum up the spring and reasons i love this town.

town lake on my return home.
taken from congress bridge

afternoon kite festival
picnicking families, dogs, & couples

the sky teems with kites.
and as almost every year; it is a perfect day for kit flying

the demolished intel building from last sunday

yes, implosions are fun!

very large professional kites as well.

one week from today i will be UK bound!

so two work deadlines; usual commitment craziness; and the remaining packing and planning. should be quite fun.

canal boat trip is the broad classification of this vacation. i need to finalize a bike rental and figure out what kind of exploratory fun is in store.

pictures from last week

Speech Pictures: note the wonderful sunshine...

regional science fair judging; note the still and title - this project took
first place, all while producing 98.6% ethanol at home.

downtown austin - on an actually sunny thursday.

two greenbelt pics - the first wednesday ride of the year.
creek is only about half full even with recent rains.

intel inside / ' go boom '

intel implosion

happenings

quick recap:

barack last friday at auditorium shores. ~16,000 people in the misty rain listening to a good boilerplate speach.

am soccer win 3-1; friend's baby's 1st birthday (purchased a card written in spanish and a wiffle ball bat - thought about a cactus, but decided against it. everyone needs a 'my first cactus'.); bus to spurs-sonics game all on saturday

intel implosion at 7am on sunday = the cumulation of the dot-com boom and bust. quite spectacular.

this week is crazy work deadline preparation week. only 8 1/2 more days until i leave for the UK!

recovery

oh - and my shoulder didn't really hurt at all after yesterday which is good.

i have some photos of the trail and will post them once they upload.

post ash wednesday

So spring is finally here - hurrah! Although the color that accompanies it is delayed, the sunshine and warmth will suffice.

I was able to duck out of work 'early' (odd that I consider 4:30 early when I start at 6:50 or so, with minimal breaks) and finally got back on the greenbelt. It was nice to get a good ride in again; although unfortunately no water below twin falls - last months rains have drained or run off. The ride was good; the terrain semi-barren; and the weather perfect. I finished after sunset so the last several miles transitioned from low light dusk to pitch blacksingletrack through wooden canopies; always a fun experience.

So early work today and then I get to judge the local AISD / Austin Energy run science fair. I got assigned Environmental & Transportation for the Junior division (7th Grade). So it will be refreshing to get out of the office and interact with the community and be able to contribute. It's much better than being stuck in an office all day plodding along on all my regular jobs.

So i'll head home; transition to my surly 1x1 (bike), and ride over to the parmer events center where i will interact with participant, judges (usually 10yrs older or more than I), and the mass of attendees in general. after that its shopping for a friend's birthday party tonight (i thinki'm going to make bourbon pot pies) and then relaxing.

enjoy the best day of the week,

jeff

a monday with sunshine

which is very nice. so friday after-work activities went well. there's nothing quite as fun as being free on a bike and being faster from location to location than friends in cars. all in all a relaxing night of food and drink; capped off by a post-midnight ride along the lake on my way home in the nice 30-degree temps. now that i know to bring my lined winter gloves and hat instead of the summer
riding gloves and cap it works much better. there is something freeing and individualistic about riding trails at night through the city.i've done the same thing while camping as well: long solitary hikes early in the morning or late at night when you are isolated, yet still able to observe things from a distance.

other than that soccer was fun; odd to watch rather than play, but only another week or two before i'm back out there. i went to my team's game - it helps to be more a part of the team that way. as i've noted; its easy to move in and out of groups, but hard to become extremely familiar with friends, so this type of thing helps. saturday night was wine and chocolate tasting which moved venues from my place to adam and maggie's. it was a great time with various fruits dipped in chocolate; tasty blue cheese (as well as sheep, gouda, and others); my re-created lamb with chocolate-cayenne sauce; and maggie's espresso brownies (addictive).

sunday
was a day of relaxing outside on the porch while reading and taking in the warmth of a sun on a brisk, somewhat chilly day. the spring is coming and it will be wonderful; but now the middle of the day is ideal with understood threats of cold, freezing nights and frequent reminders of late winter with cloud-hidden moments of wind aided late-winter cold. but while the sun is out - excellent! andborris got to roam as well outside. he spent a good 30 or minutes or so stalking a squirrel. and i'm sure he curses me for the bell on his collar; but as i explained - its for training. if he can become stealthy enough with the bell he can sneak up on anything without one.



and valerie and i celebrated chinese new year yesterday night with a visit to a restaurant that i've been meaning to try for quite a while. it did not disappoint: an authentic menu and clientele along with excellent food: chicken corn and crab soup and salted fish with eggplant pot. there's something guilty about liking fish sauce and the fermented bean aspect of the cuisine.

but now its back to work. quite a productive day so far. these next three weeks prior to my vacation will be quite busy as both my cemetery jobs have upcoming deadlines. good thing i function well underpressure.

i've got our company's service awards tonight (a cocktail hour and presentation honoring the milestone's of employees service). kind of a nice reflective gesture that illustrates the humanity and personal stories of my company. of course my goal is to move on before i hit my 2-year milestone (1st of April); so its a bit of a different view. I was supposed to attend an Engineers Without Borders meeting as well; but it has been pushed back to next week to fit a speakers schedule. Its a new groupi'm trying to become involved with - should be rewarding.

viva monday,

jeff