Words here

Wednesday, grey and warm welcome to February...

2012-02-01T16:45:00.001-05:00

So, as I am wont to do, I have all sorts of little projects I want to focus on in this, the 2nd month of 2012.
Thing that will go hand in hand with things I AM going to do - say, try to be less amped up over things (bad drivers on my commute) will go nicely with my attendance at UNC's Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction classes. See? It's like I'm knowing what I'm doing!
Like turning down the volume of news I'm gonna follow - perhaps I'll stick with Jon and his take on the events of the day. Xtopher seemed to value the less dizzying pace of news by only hearing it from friends and loved ones.
I think I'll stick to playing my tunes from my phone on my commutes - of course it plays to what I know and love, and I won't find new new stuff - but isn't a peaceful singalong drive better than shitty commercials?
Of course, as I type this and Jon's interview with Jonathan Macey is kinda spiking my 'god I hate these fuckers' levels - though in the end it was well reasoned and a good primer on what we're all going to face as these times of ours move forward.
Mindfulness. Kinda afeared for what I might actually notice, but if it helped Xtopher and Blood, what harm can it do for me?

I'm lucky - I'm really lucky to have the love and support of my Boo, my family and my friends. I'm looking at a calendar from Matt and Jo-Anne - pictures from their fun times, including a pic for February of the Grand Tetons and two heart shaped cobbles from the Mohawk River. I hang that calendar at work, as I did last year's from them. It makes me smile to think I know peeps who will go adventuring to see beautiful things, and yet find such beauty in their own back yard. Very very cool.

So, perhaps I'll get to writing more, as it is something I would like to do. I've been scribbling some 'stories' on a theme of my two-wheeled life - this just may be (why can't I say 'this will be' ???) the moment when I get my act on the road and let the public see my amazing skills!

We'll see - it's certainly doable. What do YOU want to be doing that you aren't yet? Give it a try this month - hell, it's a short month at that!

Wonder what blue's gonna do this month ...

ciao,
s.

kanin, kanin, Hvid kanin

2012-02-01T00:10:00.000-05:00

May February bring you much luck and happiness my friends...

s.

Saturday morning sunshine...

2012-01-28T10:56:00.000-05:00

splashes through the windows onto the floor, offering warmth and illumination, not just light.
I stand in front of our front door, watching the squirrels scamper, for though it's bright and inviting, the app on my celly says '34 feels like 39' ... er, ok - it was mid 60s yesterday, windows down rolling home under fluffy clouded skies. Changes.

As I've written before, as I'll write again sky and road for me are strong markers in my memories.
Bright, if not sunny - light reflecting off the snowy ground, WOUR plays Bowie's 'Space Oddity' after the DJ shares the tragic news that the space shuttle Challenger has exploded ... I continue from picking up my check towards ... well, towards the first push pin that was hammered into my personal 'where were you when' memories board.

The day ... well, we didn't check our CNN feed on the computer like I would do 15 years later. My next recollection is driving Blood's big ol' hunk of american steel slowly into the bumper of the man in front of me on the on ramp to 12 south - we were heading down to Binghamton to see Lisa Koch (can't recall if Pat Cook would also be there...) - ok, as I try to recall I get these snap shots, no real timeline - we made it to SUNY-B, it was dark, I hit a parking sign in the parking lot of her dorm(?), we went out to eat (chinese?) ... all missing, not even a blur. Odd...

We made it back to Trinity, where a note was on the table indicating that Shari had given birth while we were out joyriding - can't recall if mom told me, but I found out I had become an Uncle with a nephew named Justin.

And thus on the 28th of January I get to feel the heights of amazement (a fucking Master's degree!!! how the hell did he do that??) that help balance out the really sucky lows. Guess I appreciate that in a day. Perhaps it's evidence to the balancing nature of our reality? At least it's an example I get to look at and ponder, eh?

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On a foggy day, a grey day, we drive ... into the fog.

2012-01-24T00:05:00.007-05:00

It's like driving into a different realm. Where will be when we make it through? How long will the fog last? How long until we forget what the sun looks like? Better take a pic, just to be safe.

Ah blogging. The pressure to make it interesting, the joy of accidently putting together a few words that really do rock.

We're media nomads, Boo & I. No cable, no dish - just the pure unadulterated rush of the stream! We're watching the first few episodes of Torchwood - kinda fascinating really. Sadly, it sinks away at the end of the month.

Viv & Rachel had a wonderful reception over the weekend - a big ol' log cabin that's part of the Durham city parks department - in the woods off the busy road, a porch that looks out over Lake Mitchie. They had a good time, their friends had a good time, and I certainly enjoyed the event. Want to head back during the daylight/springtime - think the place will be lovely to wander around.

Then we had an outing with Carrie and Nate 'cause Oscar was in from LA to catch a Glass opera in Raleigh, so we took him to The Pit in downtown - odd place to take the vegetarian, but hopefully he enjoyed. Seemed to be having a great time, so yay!

So many things to chit and chat about - hey, finally watched Superbad - wow, what a great movie. Just heard today that I'm going to be a great uncle this year - always thought I was a decent uncle. Caught up with Morgan and Beth and Izzy tonight - Izzy's getting chubby little cheeks, looking around the room with her eyes, the occasional in-advertant smile that makes Morgan quite happy - moving right along towards 2 months in a week or so!

So many things that aren't really that important, not when you compare them to the big things. Say a friend feeling low over the loss of a beloved pet. We have had the incredible luck of having friends who made a world of difference for Boo and I when Canela passed. If I had a wish, I'd wish for R&C to feel the same exact overwhelming flood of love and care and support and understanding and 'okay'ness ... but we will do what we can and hope that in time their hearts are not aching as much. We'll miss you Logans.

So... I hope you're doing well with your loved ones close, your dreams in focus and being made real.

Here's blue!

ciao,
S.

Sunny and crisp Saturday morning...

2012-01-14T09:30:00.002-05:00

totally realize I'm a grown up, because I want to share the joys of listening to NPR.
On today's Weekend Edition I tuned in as an expert suggested an information diet, followed by a reporter was wrapping up his 2 year stay in Russia, and my mind gets to tie in my 4 weeks of Russian language training, plus hopes and dreams dashed upon the shoreline of Monterey, plus a solid remembrance of Andy and Charlotte, who helped me have the correct phrase just in case things went poorly in the late 80s.

However the reason I got pushed to make an entry is this - an educated introduction to the meaning behind what we all know as the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme song ... which is called properly Also sprach Zarathustra. I can't link to the podcast, but I found it enlightening, for it's a musical interpretation of a Nietche writing. Whoa!.

EDIT: - ok, and then they throw in an audio postcard from a late-season Adirondack hiker describing the great roaring falls as winter waits to visit Upstate. Nice. so very very nice...

Hope your weekend is going well!

ciao,
s.

Yessshhh....

2012-01-13T09:38:00.001-05:00

Mutts Daily gives me this quote to ponder - We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us. - Joseph Campbell

One of my other 'daily' inputs is a cartoon called 'Gaping Void' - today's looks like this:

Since it's the new year, I've been trying to note how my day begins, what actions (coffee coffee!!) help, which are automatic (things such as SpiderOak and Dropbox and John's Background Switcher on my work computer), which are ingrained (work email via Outlook at the office, via web pages at home), and then the little surprises - I seem to be in Windows Explorer by the third or fourth click, I really like having music playing (Grooveshark's explore is kinda working for me, but I do self censor away from electro-funk described unknowns...), how the rhythm seems to be the same either at the office or at home (get going, check mail, check mail box, drink coffee, delve into project 1 of a billion..).

Hmmm... neat? who knows.

Ok - go have a hell of a friday, have a great Saturday, and ponder MKL - I like to play U2 songs loudly.

ciao,

You got to love Mutts...

2012-01-03T08:31:00.000-05:00

Today's Quote:

My goal in life is to be a person as good as my dog already thinks I am.

~ Unknown

Rabbit rabbit, white rabbit!

2012-01-01T00:12:00.001-05:00

May the new year bring you lots of good luck!

Bringing comfort to the world...

2011-12-31T21:04:00.001-05:00

Since 2011!

And we bit adieu to 2011…

2011-12-31T12:23:00.002-05:00

Though it's only a little after noon here, I did my best to start the 'see ya, thanks a lot!' sentiment last night. Headed over to hang with Betty & Sean and friends - promises of smoked butt and firepit time were made good.
I decided to risk a motopickle run, both for my own enjoyment and for the sake of MickeyMatt's vicariousnessity (sp?) -

yes, much fun can be had as long as the weather co-operates!

did I mention nighttime croquette?

Sean is a master of English yard games! see how things glow? it was awesome.
Did I mention Boo and I got a home improvement project taken care of?? Well, we did!

And so we get ready to round out the year with friends, friends with family, friends with baby, and more friends.
oh - of course - Blue -

Here's to having a great New Year, and to having friends and family who love you and whom you love.

See ya next year.
ciao,
s.

Movies on vacation...

2011-12-30T01:06:00.002-05:00

Nice to be able to take a few good stories in over the past few days. I tried to balance with it with at least one bad one...
On the good side:
The Best and The Brightest - Hodgman reading seyx chat transcripts - nice!!
Elizabethtown- liked it a lot...
Limitless - liked it too ...
and then Fireplace for Your Home: Crackling Yule......

On the not too good side...
Main Street - wow, the Indy's cover critique was spot on!

Did you see anything interesting??

ciao,
s.

5 years on ...

2011-12-29T08:47:00.001-05:00

I'd love to say I'm used to the concept of being a homeowner - since we closed on Hobbit House 5 years ago yesterday. (Woot!!)
I'm thinking that actually going in and signing papers - having a 'life event' as Facebook marks them - is going to be a better hard point for me to measure success against.
We shall see, now won't we?
Everyone ready for the new year? Hope you are...

ciao,
s.

"I kinda want a drink" says Alicia...

2011-12-26T13:35:00.001-05:00

"I think I'm gonna have one"...

Cheers to all on this wonderful Boxing Day

s.

Where are the strong ... and who are the trusted?

2011-12-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

So here we are, on the other side. Sunny outside, though chilly.
No snow though, so pics like this:

won't show up any time soon. Sad.

What's not sad, however, is my mood. I have to say that I'm in a self-aware mood of 'hey, this is all pretty damn good' of which I've been pondering over for a few days. I ponder "when did I last feel this way at the end of the year?" - some recent years are much more obvious than others to have earned my ire. yeah 07, 08 - looking at you guys. 09 and 10 had serious issues that caused me to be done with them, but 11 - got to tell you, not perfect, but I'm sitting here listening to music (and feeling good even when it's the Studio 60 rendition of 'O Holy Night', and the plot line behind that will cause a lump) -and still feeling hopeful. Optimistic. And I'm not even on meds anymore!

Other audio that's working it's magic (and isn't music magic?) on me includes "what's so funny about peace, love and understanding?"
Thanks Elvis. & Steve. & Keith. & Feist. & John. & Willy ... cause played really loud I can almost see the answers to all the problems we're facing... but they just don't seem to make it into focus. Darn.

So as I plan the final rearrangement of my 'office space' for 2011, and I take the luxury of focusing inward on my memories and thoughts, I sincerely do hope that your year has been good to you and yours, and that 2012 will continue that trend. I hope that the good cheer I'm experiencing is universal, that we're mostly mostly good, and the coming change will elevate the general, remove the focus from the people who don't deserve it and turn it to those who've never sought it in the first place.

Cheers everybody.

s.
oh - wait -

How I love movies...

2011-12-24T10:58:00.001-05:00

Truly do love the joy of a movie theater - such total immersion if you go on the right night!
However, Netflix makes things so much 'drop of a hat' (or more likely 'huh, 2 hour nap has me up at midnight, what shall I watch?') - and with sites like StreamingSoon - which also has a list of 'expiring soon' movies - I find jems like this:
The Eiger Sanction (1975) - Clint Eastwood plays retired assassin, now art professor, recalled for one last mission by C2! Will he sleep with his art student? (no) Will he have multiple meetings with an ex-nazi Albino in charge of performing 'sanctions' on rouge agents? (yes) Will he run around Monument Valley in Arizona as a film crew takes in the beautiful vistas that immediately make me (and you) want to pack an overnight bag, steal a '67 Ford Bronco, hightail it West to be amazed by how alien-like the desert SouthWest is, while thinking "hey, Blood needs to see this film 'cause it's got great scenery!'. (yes) Will he enjoy the company of few multi-racial free-love feeling ladies (it is the 70s after all) (why yes, yes he will...)

Ah, now I see why I'm not the featured reviewer of cinema for the Durham Times!!

I also caught Senna - "A documentary on Brazilian Formula One racing driver Ayrton Senna, who won the F1 world championship three times before his death at age 34."
Senna, who challenged fellow driver Alain Prost for the early 90s 'best driver in the world' label. The movie shows the drama from behind the scenes - fairly contentious period for the whole F1 circus. It is one of those 'I really liked it, but it made me sad' kind of movies.

Ok - off to get some stuffing for dinner tonight.
Hope this finds you filled with joy and peace, with friends and family, reflecting on the good things...

Also, can you believe they let me hold Izzy?

ciao,
s.

Hello Winter, how ya doin'?

2011-12-22T14:23:00.002-05:00

So, solstice has sprung!
How did you celebrate the 12:40 AM Eastern event?
Me - a Bruce Willis / Half Dolla' / Phillippe cinema extravaganza, a slice of red velvet cake, and a Pepper/Bacardi mixer!
Darkness, my old friend? Bring it!!!!!
s.

also -

Kinda chilly here the other day...

but Blue survived - thanks to the acute coat.

and isn't isis cute?

So, I occasionaly like to read up on things...

2011-12-21T00:49:00.001-05:00

Like reading the review on my evoShift tonight, 6 months after i got my hands on it. Yup - I'm amazing!!
Watching some OG Battlestar last night (1978!!) & i was noticing the graphics used in the cockpits - all mono color and wire frame; hell, they were using analog altimeters (or roll/pitch/yaw display). What i hold in my hands is much more detailed & powerful & futureristic, all for essentially couch change.
Kinda amazing all of this, as i get ready to transmit an update wirelessly to my personal publication viewable to all of humanity (at least those with an internet connection) - commadore PET user just 25 years ago.
I hope your life is filled with amazingness. If not, then at least puppies!

Ciao,
S.

chilly sunday afternoons...

2011-12-18T15:27:00.001-05:00

boo and I huddled over two laptops on the dining room table, blue cuddled into a blanket on the blue couch, the squirrels all tired out from climbing into boo's happy land bird seed feeder - damn those squirrels!!
Boo's huddled over her new hot and sexy XPS 17 incher, while I'm merrily typing away on her soon to be not current work laptop, a fairly nice Acer. I'm trying to see if the chiclet island type keyboard is useless for me to type on, or if it's ok.
Thus a self focused blog entry - I have other entries for the various 'important' things - the end of the year, the end of the war in Iraq, the arrival of Izzy, the hope and dreams for the upcoming year. You know, the usual.
But for now I just keep typing to see if I can adapt - humans are fairly adaptable, aren't we? we've adapted to being able to live with just power windows, but not heated seats. Phones we can now talk into, and get them to do something ( apparently that's now what we've been doing these past 100 years or so),
Boo's trying not to pull out her hair while making GameTap work on the x64 install of Windows 7, and also the not Firefox 3.6, nor IE 8. Er, GameTap - what are you guys waiting for? The GOP debates to actually address the real problems that real Americans are facing with useful solutions that can be implemented with the bonus of helping everyone out? Well, that's not going to happen!! Mark my words - 9! 9! 9!
How about a pic?

from our office holiday party last week - focus on the out of focus mug, which is, as eagled eye pottery afficiandos will note, is a nancyOriginal! and the happy peep in the handle would be LAW, who had one of Nancy's mugs, but then somehow gravity jumped up and grabbed the mug out of her hand and... well... now she's got another one. yay LAW! yay nancy!!

Ok - gonna pus this, then maybe go and finish up one of the others I have on deck to compare keyboards. Or not. You never know what's going to happen on the end of the weekend.

ciao,
s.

the cold moon calls...

2011-12-11T03:19:00.001-05:00

across the clear December sky - looks like today is going to be an awesome day - weeeeee...

s.

Hello. How are you?

2011-12-08T07:54:00.001-05:00

Oh the choices of things to write about!
Do I start with the fun Boo and I had last night over at Durham's Museum of Life and Science, where we enjoyed a fairly brisk ride on the Santa Train??

Or do I lead with the fun Morgan & Beth & Boo & I had running to Raleigh (!!) last Sunday as the 2011 installation of The MuseCrew, visiting "The Story of North Carolina" at the Museum of Natural History, where I got to see a Buggymobile, along with getting a much better understanding of the state I call home (5 years in, now!)?

How about our fun evening of holiday crafting over at Raymond & Christopher's?

Family dinner night over at Viv & Rachel's?

Kinda gets us back to Thanksgiving (really? wow) where great food and good people met and enjoyed over at R&Cs... or how Boo and I made it out to the Eno River State Park, as opposed to the City park we've been to a number of times. Ah, fall ...

Of course, I could on a rant about what's going on in the world - NPR is both a blessing and a curse that way. But I think I need to figure out how to balance that - cause do you really want to come and visit my blog and see how shitty things are turning out for deceased soldiers making a visit to Dover? Or how a leader of a US agency should not really impose their personal feelings on the certification of drugs as given by another entire agency? yeah, figured so...

Well, I hope to be tickling the keyboard a bit more frequently in the coming weeks & months, so I'm sure I'll figure out the 'give to the universe/bitch about the universe ratio' sooner or later.

Hope things in your neck of the woods are going well.

ciao,
s.

iepure iepure, alb iepure!!

2011-12-01T00:10:00.001-05:00

Why hello there December. How lucky we are to have you - and on this, the Great Union Day in Romania (1918)!!

Luck has also shown down on Shari and David - congrats on another year together guys!

Also of note would be that World Aids Day is celebrated today, with 30 years gone now since the 'discovery' ... things have improved, and with any luck they'll keep improving.

So I hope you and yours will continue to have the luck you so rightly deserve.

also -

isn't blue cute??

ciao,
s.

After eleven, Tuesday night before thanksgiving...

2011-11-22T23:07:00.001-05:00

or 'steaksgiving' as Chris N. used to proclaim.
What ever floats your boat, as long as you do it with gratitude, I say.
Certainly plenty to be thankful for this year. I've been going through a few of my pics from this past year with Boo, and with pushing pics from my cell phone into my Picasa work stream - wow, we did have a great year.

Yet, with too much NPR being listened too by me, I have much trepidation about where in all that's good we're running headlong towards.
Our friend Frech Alex has been part of Occupy Cal, keeping the protest spirit going at Berkeley -

I dig the 'money can't speak ... but it can shut the other person up' sign top right...

As I've spoken before in my blathers, I'm concerned that today's America is on the brink of self-destruction due to greedy stupid people - the last time there were such protests that captured the general public we were sending 18 year old boys to challenge fate in southeast Asia, and picked them via a lottery!! Got under the skin of the 'youth generation' then - but from what I can piece together there wasn't much fear in the economy crumbling - be it staying at war, or coming home defeated... not a history buff, so I could be off there.

Probably my angst comes from the 'what the hell can I do?' position - sadly I don't see a big play that fixes or changes things. Ugh.

Thanks goodness I have blue to help me sort these things out -

Dig the old timey effect!

Hey - did I tell you? Boo and I had the most excellent adventure last Saturday! First we nibbled with amigas at Rick's Diner - hashbrown caserole - involves delicious cheese! Then as the amigas went on their way, we headed off to take in ART!!!!
IN A GARDEN!!!!!
yup - we're classy like that.

don't we look cute?

Our local botanical gardens - part of UNC in Chapel Hill - had a sculpture exhibit set up all over their grounds. I had briefly swung thru last month with Aunt Wendi while she was here, and Boo got the full on walk about...

It was totally awesome, and my pics just give a hint of how cool the exhibit was. Also, Boo got a bird spotting guide for North Carolina birds!! she'll be all set to sit and look out our front window and spot birds with blue.

Well, much continues to go on this year, and I'm feeling almost on top of my game for this blogging thing.

Hope this finds you doing well, enjoying friends and family and loved ones, waiting for the big meal on Thursday.

ciao,

:s:

What a damn fine day ...

2011-11-19T17:08:00.001-05:00

After a pretty nice Friday, including dinner down in Cary-town with amigos, we were up a little to early, out and about to help more amigas with their needs, took in lovely brunch at Rick's Diner, then had a wonderful afternoon with Boo at the botanical garden's sculpture installation exhibit!!

Only down side - 492 pics!!! time to sift and sort!

oh - how about a pic?
well, got to sift so - here' one of leaves!

ciao,
:s:

how cool... crafting for Morgan!

2011-11-17T09:13:00.000-05:00

So, Morgan had a crafting baby shower, and owls are the theme of Button's nursery.

We had fun making this craft board covered with the best 'arts & crafts' style cut-outs. some cut-outs are better than others, but what I really found so cool was how everyone was able to add to the picture. Even me!

Hope you like woodland animals Button.

ciao,

:s:

drops on leaf

2011-11-17T09:02:00.000-05:00

How's fall treating you?

Have you, like us southerners, just had a week or so of lovely weather, followed by tornado warnings that probably knocked the rest of the beautiful leaves off the trees?

are you befuddled by how the powers that be put up with protests for a few weeks, then swept them away like so much trash? Be careful French Alex, Berkeley is a great place to make a stand, but ... well, be careful. I'm not sure the people in charge care at all about you, or me, or anyone who's not as greedy and as power hungry as they are.

Wonder what happens when we 'occupy' the intersections outside their walled enclaves?

Maybe that's the point of this season - change.

I'll try to fill you all in on the goings on here in Hobbit House land, but if I don't get to it - thank you. I'm very thankful for all that i have, and all the good in my life.

Still think the pic is kinda neat.

:s:

Coinín coinín, bán coinín!

2011-11-01T07:35:00.001-04:00

Do we need the luck of the Irish rabbits?
Do we not?
Howdy November.
Howdy NaNoWriMo.
Hello longer nights, shorter days.
Hello and WELCOME my friends & family, I hope you all will visit or think of us, and that in a few weeks you will be able to have a very long pause thinking of the good things in your life for which you are thankful.
Now I'm off to feed blue!

s.

does the week end? or start?

2011-10-31T00:06:00.000-04:00

Wait - what's a week? A demarcation of convenience I say ... but to fit in I guess I'll keep using the Gregorian calendar - gots to work on the Scottian calendar I think - can't be any more far fetched than the Tranquility calendar!
So I just spent about 10 minutes at wikipedia reading up on Gregorian calendar, which is a papal bull that modifies the Julian calendar. Two things - wow I'm easily distracted. 2 - no reason not to create my own calendar - the thinking behind our current calendar (adopted in the 1500s) was that Easter, and the equinox, was changing dates and was kind of messy... odd how a faith based institution had to deal with the hard facts of science, eh?

So, how are you?
Winter seems around the corner - you ready for that?
I've been on the road for a while... making friends and family worry a bit. Hate doing that, but I wanted to see my sisters, spend some time upstate, and my friend matt - well, he's generous to his friends and family, and helped me acquire his motorcycle ...

the run north was occasionally challenging, but with Beth as co-pilot, I at least had a witness to the oddness of a mid-day Friday stripe painting session in West Virginia ... and at the end of her time in the chev' Malibu I was in Vermont! at a gas station owned by Hemming's motornews! woot!
Getting in to Upstate kinda late, seeing the 1 Trinity Ave posse - yay!
Time both expands and contracts on my trips - seems I did a millions things - eatings, visits, sights and happiness; but it was just a few days...
so, let's montage!!!

the trip back south was an adventure - long day in the saddle, too many months since I've done that!

so to all who worried, I'm sorry - had a blast, but don't like making people worry.
I hope you adventures are all worthwhile, and you have lots of loving people worrying about you.

ciao,
s.

simple joys #72

2011-10-30T22:53:00.000-04:00

Birthday cake - as much as you want. Sad to say, it's good enough to end up sick over it. But what a way to go ...

quiet reflections, quiet tears...

2011-10-21T00:02:00.000-04:00

The pic I snapped is non-specific.

3 years ago.

My sisters and I went out and had a regular lunch - seems to me it was a greek joint, and there were greek hot dogs involved - but hey, that's just one guy's memory.

My mom's life was filled with adventures and oddness, loving family and trying times, just like everyone's really. I'm somewhat focused, fixated probably a better word, on how ordinary things were that day.

Playing her music I thought she'd like (dolly parton, really? cool...), taking our turns by her bedside, the fine staff at the hospital. Do I block out the hospital - the fact that it - they - are not buildings that bode well? Mom's trials and tribulations over the years with them seemed to have dampened my mistrust of them, and the cool crisp fall day in upstate new york wasn't any more or less special.

Just like our lunch.

hard to see, but a frost has covered these gorgeous flowers ... harsh + beauty - some how very very fitting for that morning...

Huh - why do I share this pic - is it because the ones of mom in the hosptial bed hurt too much? I'd have to say it's because I see beauty here. Beauty is what the world needs more of ... so here's a little to help the world out!

From my 'historical records' I also have a picture a butterfly on the lawn of the Becky's House. Nature's original phoenix, eh?

Wendy wasn't there with us in person. She's often off to the side - misfortunes of life and family - I worry about her a lot, and hope she knows we all hurt and we all love ....

I don't miss mom as much as I did. I still smile when I look up and see her 'ball' sitting on a shelf in our living room - think I'll carry her on my adventure this weekend - show her the joys of Interstate 81 in PA!!.

I think I understand, just a little bit, that .... she's with me in my heart all the time. Well - I knew that before, but I think I'm able to breathe a little easier, knowing that I'm still standing, that blood is still standing (and is very zen!), that shari - wow - how the hell she does it is anyone's guess - she's still standing and fighting, as is wendy. We all stand, surprising at least myself from back then, who had bets on complete disintegration.

Love ya ma. Miss your calls, miss your smile, miss you like crazy. Thanks for all you did for me, and for all of us.

scott

The very first computer I ever owned was an apple IIc.

2011-10-17T23:00:00.002-04:00

For some ungodly reason, mom thought I was serious about crushing the SATs with the purchased SAT-prep software. I recall there being mac paint - so I could use the mouse. The IIc had a cool matching monitor. Again, no idea why mom thought it was a wise move, but she had a great heart.

Think it lasted two weeks at 1 Trinity before it was returned to the store. I recall it had some horrific static/interference going on - I think I blamed the overhead fluorescent in the kitchen for a bit.

Wonder where I went from there? My motorcycle? My stereo? Both - in hindsight - maddeningly poor choices for anyone in my family to have put money up for.

Our friends Nate and Carrie got me an iPod shuffle for my birthday a few years back - incredibly kind gesture, but also my only other Apple product. It totally rocks. Simply elegant - not sure if that's the credo of the designers at Apple, but they nailed it.

I aspire to have and to hold a Mac Book Air one of these days. On the presumption that its nearly perfect - from it's mag-safe power cord connection, to its pulsing glowy apple, to the way it sleeps when you close the lid - I have no idea if it's even practical, but damn would I love one.

"Damn - would I love one" - probably not the only person who's ever thought that.

I happened upon the precursor to the Apple Macintosh in the early 80s - on display in Rome, NY was a Lisa - all too techy, in lovely beige with ridges, it looked - right. Apprently it didn't sell well, but the Mac took care of that.

Helping a co-worker of Tenessee Mel move from some part of DC to across the river, Mel's 323 stuffed with garbage bags full of clothes - but in its own travel case was Moving Girl's Mac - the keyboard, the mouse - it was like an over-sized soft-sided lunchbox - but what a fruit inside!!

Overseas I hung with Andy and Charlotte, and they had a Mac II GS - graphics AND sound!!

T-dog shooling me on the awesomeness that is The Matrix, spinning it on the new 17" mac book pro he was setting up for a friend of his, as we sat in a booth at the Beverly Hills Hard Rock Cafe. Terry certainly loved his Macs.

I have an original attempt at a resume, post USAF, saved to a Mac formatted disc - got it done at Sears in Sangertown I belive - pretty sure I requested IBM format, oh well.

Steve Jobs was an icon, a visionary, a trendsetter. Bill G. wanted to be him (hell, returning empties for money for a McDs lunch once in Sarasota takes new meaning in that Steve did the same thing once...) - between Steve and Pepsi, Bil knew what he liked. He owned TRS-80 & IBM PCs - but loved what Steve was doing.

Once I gave props for an ad campaign that used an image of Rosa Parks - perhaps it was Apple's homage to her when she passed. For the ones who are different. Think different.

Read the Rolling Stone article on Steve and his death. Think it paints Steve in a very human way - how he never got to see Dylan when he was building up Apple, because it was all his life was - building Apple. Think there's a really strong lesson there - pursue greatness, don't forget to live.

Steve will hopefully be remembered in a positive light - he helped the human race move forward. How far, how fast, where we will ultimately go - no clue. On the back page of the Rolling Stone issue is a blank off-white page. "Steve's legacy 1955 ~ " it reads. copyright Sprint 2011. 100 years from now Obama will be spoken of. Adele's music will hopefully still be loved. Perhaps there will be a history course on the protests of Wall Street Greed and the over-throwing of the demons who terrorize us. And Steve Jobs will be likened to Thomas Edison.

Not too shabby, Steve. Not shabby at all. Thanks.

:s:
ps - how about a picture of blue, not using any apple products at all? ok...

Wednesday night, 12th of October - here goes nothing...

2011-10-12T19:38:00.001-04:00

well, about $80 bucks, but really - if it helps, I'll be completely fine with it.

Also - P-Tut is "'Da Man!!"

:s:

Edit - impressed. simple, focused, let's hope it proves useful.
:s:

sungura sungura, nyeupe sungura!

2011-10-01T01:51:00.001-04:00

as it is said in Bantu along the Indian Ocean coastline ...
may we ALL have much good luck in October.

ciao,
s.

a pic from the NC Pride Parade last weekend.

Ah TED ... hope. such simple hope.

2011-09-30T16:03:00.000-04:00

Compassion and the true meaning of empathy: Joan Halifax on TED.com

I wonder what our world would be like - how wonderful it would be - if people of love and compassion ruled?

ciao,

Battling Bad Science: Ben Goldacre on TED.com

2011-09-30T11:06:00.000-04:00

Hope comes in 15 minute speeches by brilliant strangers.

Battling Bad Science: Ben Goldacre on TED.com

roberson-and-blackstone-halloween-1997

2011-09-30T04:05:00.001-04:00

roberson-and-blackstone-halloween-1997, a photo by ttocsland on Flickr.

too long ago, but not so long that we forget.
Mazel, sir Dave ... the best for you!

s.

early in the morning...

2011-09-30T04:02:00.000-04:00

sublime riffs fill the air. also - zen for twins.

May you get to your journey's end with a peaceful and happy heart. Ohm....

ciao,
s.

beauty

2011-09-29T19:26:00.000-04:00

Beauty in nature...

Beauty man made...

Nature, or tasty treats - both quite enjoyable.

So, 10Q is a 'new year' thing (perhaps tribal?), and the concept is simple - 10 questions. 10 answers. public or private. see ya next year.

Which is awesome, but as with last year, this year the question "over the past 12 months, what has happened" left me with the freshest memories crowding out ones from 50 weeks ago.

Like going to the Skyline National Park (Thanks blood - didn't pay a dime to visit!), being amazed by the butterflies and the black cherry ice cream!

So, perhaps in the next week I will pull a few pics (to make the new blogger layouts pop) and share the past year with you all.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

accidentally spending too much time on my blog!

2011-09-28T15:42:00.001-04:00

So you take a minute or three to stop staring at database options, and peruse Lifehacker, say. Where you see a note about Blogger getting new dynamic designs.
Curious, you click one too many times, and you can't get you blog back to what you thought you had.
So - welcome to Scott's blog, version 2.0.3.5.7.8.c.f.TED.com!or some such.
How about a picture?

How about a link?

10questions

Hope your day is going great.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Blessing & curse...

2011-09-24T19:31:00.000-04:00

"the greatest gift of all ..."
so mi amigas are running off to the Pinhook soon - that would be the cool bar in Durhamtown where Kym R. rocks the bar back from time to time. Something about a NC Pride afterparty - wonder how much fun that's gonna be? ;-)

Kym R. & Catherine E. are the Midtown Dickens.
They are singing 'The Road, Pt. II' from Lanterns as I type this.
That song sits in a playlist I'm able to enjoy 'cause I'm somewhat all together again, at least for the digital detrius of MY life - pics and tunes, all on one hardrive.

my blessings are so great, so grand and often overlooked by a brooding angry soul these past years (decades?) - but I have a hunch that it's just me - not the world, so there's hope. I see things I'm sure I'd have missed in my rush through my 20s, headlong into a 30s that led me about and around, if not astray.

back to those blessings, eh? Haven't been alone in so many years it's amazing. Lonely, sure. solo, often. As in this short weekend, where I relish the 'fuck it - I'm gonna do this NOW' attitude (take that, dishes. I'm looking at you, laundry!!) - and I'm lucky to have the wherewithal to choose.

But I still miss Boo, and hearing that family time isn't necessarily Disney-esque (she hates that appelation!) makes me sad that I'm not there to at least offer a shoulder and/or comedic relief. Thankfully, "Cylee likes me" was a text I got earlier - look for the bright spot hon, plus she'll keep you warm on those cool lake wobegone nights... Ok - making a serious heart opening post while Steve Martins shares his 5 wishes for Christmas is kinda a challenge!

Been with boo for a long time now - probably for the best really.

Curses are easy to list - lack of focus, gumption, follow through, poor timing, cluelessness, impossible paths forward, distrust of yourself, greed, anger, pettiness. Little me stuff, not Big me stuff. But, have to say, sometimes the consideration for those not directly in my life, probably need to let that shit go.

Ok. Started with the best of motivations, but now I'm off to investigate a rumor of weather (storms make great photos) and Mac & cheese. Can I possibly go wrong? no idea...

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

kinda late ... or kinda early

2011-09-22T04:02:00.001-04:00

3:47am, and all is a lovely stormy morning in Durham, north Carolina
boo sleeps to my left, i hear her breathing. I hope she's sleeping soundly, with dreams of hope and sunshine
blue is tucked in on my right - I'm a lucky guy to have this much love around me.
"hope everyone has the same thoughts and problems, and hope no one has anything like this"
insomniacs motto?
the flashes of lighting have been peeking through our drapes in the living room - I'd see the flash, then hear the rumble in the distance. here in the bedroom I can hear the chirps of the night insects along with the rain that weeps through occasionally. the different heaviness of the rain you can tell . not sure if I've noticed that before.
makes the quiet seem alive, the blank becomes filled with so much we don't know, don't notice, sleep through.
I pick up the voices of the shows I watch - Michael from burn notice filling my head with ways to breach the wall adjoining a fortified door, or Mary from in plain sight engaging the basic sides in the ongoing struggle of man versus his own nature.
they occasionally are joined by my voice - hey dad, I love you' ' hey pops, how's things?
"hey, I made you this book so you can see what your son's become - hope I've made you proud..."

the nights are sometimes filed with a cacophony of the universe screaming past my solitary outpost, leaving me wondered and diminished; sometimes I ride the dark winged beast away from the human tragedy, and into the fires that burn in the hearts and dreams of man. sometimes I get kicked in the kidney by blue as she has a puppy dream, chasing a ball with her puppy friends, maybe finally getting all the treats the deserves.

I hope you get all that you deserve, and that you know you are loved .. unconditionally, and with all the joy you so rightfully deserve.
what was it S.E. wrote - stay golden, ponyboy
or at least celebrate the international day of peace that I so sadly failed to do ...

namaste
s.

It is good to have great people around ...

2011-09-22T00:49:00.000-04:00

Typing away on my celly for this post. See how that goes.
Tonights sleepblogging will be matinee stlyle, but unsurprisingly blue will still be my copilot/idea checker.
How does she decide on which corner of the bed to flop? Is having a king size bed for us a trauna inducing matrix of too many choices for blue? Why oh why does her ass keep a poofing, even after we've changed he food? Good questions if you ask me.
How the hell did it become fall???!!! would be another.
Spoke briefly with blood tonight - apparently seattle area had a Jan-Aug without it hitting 80 degrees. Not sure how i feel about that.
I do know i'm happy to hear that a new Toy Van is entering their household - believe blood called it her metal tent. This one has 4 wheel drive! Can't wait to see pics from their shake down run ...
Well, typing isn't too much of a problem; as always ideas & words tend to be the bigger issue.
How does one know the level of sanity in one's own life? And is relevance an issue? How do the good days and the not so good days balance out? If you can ponder if there's a concern, is that good or bad? All hypothetically speaking.
How do you make sure the very good people who keep you safe & sane know that you appreciate it.know that you love them even when expressing it is tough? Little birdies? Cookies & brownies? Heartfelt blog posts? Hmmm...
Ciao,
S.

Avast! ye DADT parley demands arrak all around!*

2011-09-19T20:35:00.000-04:00

*Stop and Pay Attention - the Don't Ask Don't Tell conversation between opposing sides to discuss a halt to the fighting deserves a strong drink made with fermented fruit or palm sap, rice, or molasses for everyone!

{so the combination of International Talk Like A Pirate Day with the announcement of the cessation of the 'don't ask, don't tell' policy for the US Armed Forces leads me astray...}

In case you had any doubts, the security of the United States of America lays in the hands, hearts and minds of people who live homosexual, gay, lesbian, transgendered, queer or "just curious" lifestyles.

I can attest to this statement as fact based on my interactions with some fine folks at the Defense Language Institute, Presideio of Monterey, Monterey, California; Goodfellow Air Force Base, San Anjelo, Texas; Hahn Air Base, West Germany.

Sadly, I suspect the peeps who read my chatter will not in the least be surprised.

So, share if you need to - Tim, Kelvin, & Bruce served the US Air Force proudly during the Cold War. We as a country were better off for having them on our side. What they choose to do on their own time had no impact on their ability to serve their country in the intelligence divisions - some might say they were better prepared for the challenges they faced.

It certainly couldn't have been easy to live the life you wanted in a world that wasn't prepared to let you be happy. I'm only saddened that here we are - 25 years later, still dealing with this bullshit. One battle at a time, I guess.

So find the Picaroons, share a plate of Salamgundi, and tell them not to have the Davies any longer - thar be swashbucklin scallwags of types aboard this here great bit ship called 'Terra", me lily-livered mateys!

We're all in this together - each and every one of us doesn't get out alive - we really should focus on happiness - for ourselves, and for everyone else.

Hope you're doing good - miss chatting with you. You should send me a note, or give me a call.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

monday evening...

2011-09-12T23:48:00.000-04:00

A few years back mi amigo Mickeymatt got me over to the comic strip Mutts. Through the years it's been spot on - like this one:

a small collection of comics

what I really dig is how there is so much more than just a good comic - like quotes!

This is a world of action, and not for moping and groaning in.

~ Charles Dickens

A world of action - yes, that is what we need. that is what I need to contribute!

That, and your moment of zen:

Be good to each other.

ciao,

Sctt

great to know the world's a little better ... Baby Faces

2011-09-12T10:48:00.001-04:00

Baby Faces, a photo by Lalitree on Flickr.

congrats to John D. and Lalitree.
Makes being a Durhamite that much better; can you imagine being lulabyed by the mountain goats? wow ...
s.

9:04pm, september 11th, 2011

2011-09-11T21:23:00.000-04:00

ah, fate - you crafty devil ... just got back from sharing some Patriot Day Brownies with morgan (thanks for the icing!)... boo and I discussing what the actions of September 11th were really all about - she had mentioned that a guy had posted on line that his day of celebration was going to be doing the things the terrorists wanted to take away - so he was going to do some 'net stuff, eat some, watch a ball game. that's a concept I have issues with - and spoke at length with Boo about it.

On NPR they play Amazing Grace from the end of the Concert for Hope in D.C. Then the WUNC dude plays a Peter Ostroshko tune...

Blood and Mom, July 2004, MWP in Utica, NY. Peter Ostroushko performance

and I think of ma, blood, shari and dave and an incredibly travel weary scott catching him perform at munson williams proctor art todo ... his songs are hearty, heartful, of soul and soil. mandolin resonating the dreams that hard work and toil will get a people to.

We continue to work and toil. Our leaders presume we are afraid, and treat us that way. The cartoons over at Cartoonists Remember hit the nail on the head that we exist in a chaotic state of strength and fear, hope and sadness. One runs down the list of crap that has become the status quo in the US - attacking the wrong country, removing American's freedoms, while molesting children and elderly at our airports - way to not show the strength that our country should stand for.
But we toil and work, continue the dance that we've danced for hundreds of years, through thick and thin, if only I believed we knew where we were going. At least there will be lovely music to listen to, as we think of our family and loved ones.

Be good to each other - we deserve it.
ciao,
from your newly wordy friend, Scott.

Hope survives. maybe the tears help clean off the crap ...

2011-09-11T19:34:00.000-04:00

Comic courtesy of cartoonistsremember ...

"andthe winds are blowing, and the skies keep turning grey…"

howdo you know it's grey, if you can't see the blue?

WatchedJon's Sep 20 opening from '01 - and now, your moment of zen - a puppy!

Browsingthrough the past, through time that doesn't exist anymore - kinda a lot likethis date - it doesn't exist anymore. Because. Things have happened since, andpushed the memories off the long road of life ...

Onthe road - Beauty at the twisty road sing - followed by Goldie at the twistyroad sign - followed by Amigo at the twisty road sign - followed by Wolfie atthe twisty road sign ... see a pattern?

Quietamazing - http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2011-281

Ponderingthings I thought I knew, or suspected - seems the pentagon strike is moreaccepted as an airplane versus the concerns that there weren't enough debris -was chatting with Boo and saying how our collective memory has the images that... well, don't solidify xyz happened.

ButI feel better, 10 years on, that the 'truth' is now supported. Debris foundoutside the Pentagon, eye witnesses who are USA Today and AP reporters. Allgood. Glad to know we now know ... more?

Wow?Have I paused for 5 years? my site goes to 2006, then ... nothing. Probably upas posts on LJ or blogger... time to check.

Cause,you see, if I'm not vomiting all over the intertubes, then I'm not alive!

Isit here, lovely day outside, my love in the other room, digging and diggin anddigging thru the past - cool pics of Mickey matt's collage days - why? What ami getting besides a sense of nostalgia?

Readingcomics about the 10th anniversary - leads me to Ted Rall, who has a particularway.

Isthe massiveness of the situation helpful in making sure you can see 100different takes on it? 30 comics in, only one mentions flt 93. All the horrific-ness,and tragedy, but so much hope, so much humanness - 10 years in, the rebuild isgoing ... well? We stick it to those who did what most of us wouldn't have done- and we tell them we're not going to take care of them. Is America the countrywe think it is, or is it just so much more mediocre, so much more mundane andpathetic?

Hatsoff to our heroes, and remember to volunteer. & please, give blood if youcan.

heroesvs. professionals, eh? FDNY and NYPD are the pros - trained, practiced -competent. Perhaps the Iron workers, the complete strangers - Don - those arethe ones we really really need to remember, to find hope and strength andhoptimism in their stories. because they along with those who knew what to do -hell, am I trying to describe actors/actions/action heroes?

Weremember. we Recall. We recollect - repeat the stories, make sure we know thelegend. a phone call, chaos, dads saying don't go - stay home - be safe. thefeelings that there's too much distance, and even with loved ones too alone -the fear of the unknonw future grinding into the emotional sinkhole of knowingtoo much of the moment at the moment - they look - will they find and rescue?yes? great! wait - what ? no - crap ...

neverforget flipped to say forever remember - I really like that.

"timeheals what reason can not" - seneca, roman philosopher ...

rippingviloently flailing against the cottony embrace of the clouds of emotions andfacts and songs and music and feelings and emotions and hope and love and bluelays on her new bed and paul sings a stirring version of sounds of silence andthe sun pierces my revere, the sun with green, the multicolored rainbowbelow...

tearsslip past my eyes, trickle down my cheeks and onto my shirt...

pressurizedyet expanding into cottony billowy confusion and softness ... do I go into thebedroom and close my eyes - unconscious against the pain?

As I have these last 10 years, I hope you and your loved ones are safe, and I believe we can be better - this is our chance.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

3,650 days, nights ...

2011-09-11T00:18:00.001-04:00

boo & I were chatting about how today, the 10th anniversary of the attacks on New York City and the Pentagon - well, how they should be commemorated, not celebrated.

Or some such where the build up by the media and all the voices we hear - it's too much.
But to just let it slip by without some form of additional notice, well that's just stupid too.
I'm sure I'll write more, even make links to shit like this - ttocsland 2003, or this ttocsland 2005, or even this Sars & Don

be good to those around you, let your friends and family know you think of them.

Ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Far thee well, August. We'll miss ya.

2011-08-31T23:49:00.005-04:00

Probably won't miss the earthquakes. Nor the hurricane. Sweltering heat? Nope.
Wonderful weddings? well, yeah ...


congrats again, guys

So, I sit here with the windows open, letting the cool evening breeze flow through our house. Playing some Crash Test Dummies while pondering what to write. What to share.
Just got back from catching Captain America with Bethy - much better than I thought it would be - and we stayed in the theater long enough to see the future - next summer is gonna rock!!

I'm crafting this pithtastic update using an alternate home computer setup - my trusty HP tablet decided it was done with my line of 'net surfing and Picasa abuse - so a mere 6 weeks later I've pushed my life onto the Toshiba I had in reserve, did some magic with the RAM from the HP, a 500gb drive from an portable drive I had, threw Win 7 Pro onto it, and ... it seems to be doing ok.

The good thing about tripping over something so very everyday as the health and ability of your own personal computer is that I had to face the question - does it really matter? Why would I tie my happiness to a collection of silicon and plastic? Also, where are all my files? my installation discs? my music? my pictures? and when I can't place my hands on these files, what does THAT mean to me and my life? Ah, the questions of the ages, eh?

In other news, in my mail I get links to cool websites via the fine people at 'the webbys' award organization. Recently they showed me Ecosia - a search portal that supposedly giving money to good causes. Previously I had taken a look at DuckDuckGo - a search portal that promises not to record your personal search history.

Speaking of personal history (so that just like how elephants never forget, neither do we) -

Last August Boo and I and Morgan and Bethy headed to lake Mayo. No incidents revolving around scott's Dukes of hazzard impersonation, Ramona and a ditch happened. Just wanted to set that straight.

In other awesome things past? Matty & Jo-anne - happy then!

Hot air balloon. Really Matt, you're awesome! And mucho congrats you guys - hope Tennessee treated you well! Not forgetting. elephants never forget. How about the great unpredictable path that is our lives? The recent National Geographic has a nice spread on orphaned elephants in Africa, and those who become the care takers. Makes me happy to think of people doing good things for others, not only for themselves. We might need more of that soon.

Been watching some movies to kill time while rearranging the home office area, and due to various degrees of 'it's so damn hot outside, but nicely air conditioned here inside' - titles include the short Spider, which is from the same people who made The Square - both Aussie sensible, and both made Boo exclaim 'what the hell' - not feel good hits of the summer, that's for sure! Did end up liking Bryan Brown in Risk, which is also Aussie. I did like and would recommend Blind Horizon with Val, Inferno: The Making of the Expendables with all the tough guys, but really hearing Sly talk about making movies, while seeing the behind the scenes shots is cool; Blitz, which is a Statham vehicle in which he doesn't take off his shirt; Two Hands, which has an extremely young Heath staring in it; The Terminator which wow - flashback to the past - wow!
See a trend here? Neither do I. But yay for Netflix.

Also, sis-in-law is taking to posting some Daily Dalai!
"Some people, sweet and attractive, and strong and healthy, happen to die young. They are masters in disguise teaching us about impermanence. ~Dalai Lama"

Thanks - that's awesome!

Ok, like always, this is but the tip of the iceberg that is scott's ideas to write about.

And like always I hope you are doing well, that you're feeling hopeful and loved. Cause you are. Probably just as much as Tim was, though his Often Awesome Army really kicks ass. Just ask Dan!

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

So, how was the beach scott?

2011-08-20T15:08:00.000-04:00

Ah the beach ... it was nice to get away and be completely chillin for a week.
Not that the beach was the coolest place on earth - but the ocean was always refreshing!
We got to chill with Betty and Sean, got to know Kyle and Jessie better, and met Ferrell & Max & Ruby - yay!


Toes in the sand!

(as I sit and push and select pics for my picasa album... a song that crashed my a few months back. plucks strings attached to my soul through my heart ... from my ears?? Marc Cogman - Chiarscoro... pulls and pushes, up and down through my un-named feelings and fears. so damn beautiful, so damn scary)

+++
so, this is a few weeks old, but a decent entry to recalling our escape to the outerbanks. First time out there, and I can see why people get excited by it (looking at you Leigh-Ann and Amy!)

As mentioned above we went as a group and had a great time.
We stayed here:

Ok, maybe not here...

How about this one?

yeah, not here either.

This is a shot from the house where we stayed...

Where the pups splashed in the pond


and friends hungout

where delicious treats were made!

and tasty meals were enjoyed

we took ferry rides (and smooched)


and we took golf cart rides with our hats


where we were friendly and perl-jam-alicious!


where kite photography was as easy as it seems...

where the quadrupeds were hopeful

and scott got lucky

where we stopped at a scary place

on our way to our happy place


where our puppy was happy to see us!!

Suspect that if you click through these pics will take you to a very large collection of pics from scott on the vacation road (200 or so) - you've been warned!!

It was good, we had a great time, and I look forward to our next visit to the sea!

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

So wait a day, and things change...

2011-08-12T10:16:00.000-04:00

did I mention lately how we've been deep into the heart and heat and thickness of summer? Well, yes. We are. But this morning - I am not a meteorologist, but I was asked to be one once - for some divine reason, it was windows down, sunshine on my soul, damn I wish I could just drive around all day kind of morning. Woot!

Guess the temps are low 70s - the humidity is up in the clouds where it's supposed to be, and ... yeah. A nice way to start the day. So thanks to who ever is controlling our weather (the north koreans??) - I needed this.

Hope you are enjoying your weather, if it's nice. If not, well - feel free to bitch about it. One of human-kinds oldest professions ...

Also, a picture of Blue ...

what a happy tongue!

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

why hello there early August...

2011-08-11T15:08:00.003-04:00

and just how are you, my little sweltering bowl of hot hot hotness??good? great ... though have to say, I can glance to the bottom of my calendar here at work and see 'september' which if I recall correctly is greek for 'holy hell that was a hot hot summer' ... I think.

Heading into work today, rolled past these guys...

got to thinking ... wow - can't really complain about anything - my job, the heat, nothing...also got to wondering - remember how in the late 70's and throughout the 80s we had some 'post-'Nam' cinema - classics like Rambo, unknowns like 'Ruckus', and even worse ones I recall watching on Saturday afternoons on HBO in Upstate... couldn't tell you a title if I had to.

I recall all this frenzied urgent angry depictions of Vietnam era veterans. Billy Jack. Most every Chuck Norris character up until Walker ... any character that needed an edge had ex-military time in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Most everyone on Magnum P.I., right?

There was this sense that we had done bad by the returning vets - that even though the US government's actions in the war/conflict were despicable, treating the vets as badly as they were treated was wrong. From that mindset came the memorial in DC on The Mall. From that memorial came books crafted from the letters, notes, and trinkets left at the Wall.

The US forces have had a hell of a fall so far - ups and downs. Worst month in Afghanistan. Even saw video shot at the funeral of a local soldier on the news the other day. But I have to wonder... aren't we just repeating the shit we did in the mid 70s? Do we treat our vets any better? Is it any different - again? Hell, I'd argue that we have chosen as a country to push them behind the media curtain that BushCo created, and we're thankful for that.

10 years in, do you know anyone who's gone 'over there'? Do you know anyone who's come back not the same person who left? I don't - it feels weird and wrong frankly - and I know I've posted before about how I want so badly to have done something - anything - to show support for the troops, anger and disdain for the puppet masters - but really, I've glided through this shitty time just like everyone else.

Today I saw a small group of military vehicles - the first time I've seen 'up-armored' HUMVEEs in person. They don't look comfy - not that Hummer's are comfortable - but when your window is a 8x8 inch opening blocked by 3 inch thick bullet resistant glass - whoa. Each truck had a full complement of people - humans - Americans - sitting inside, driving along a state highway through Chapel Hill, North Carolina. A six wheeled cargo truck, and a Medic HUMVEE were in the group. A white full size van driven by a uniformed soldier brought up the tail. NC67 chalked onto one of the mudflaps. 10:15 in the morning on a Thursday in august. Where were they going? where did they come from?

Huh - pretty down post - and this after a visit to the Outer Banks for a week of rest and relaxation and friend making ... ah the life of Scott.

Ok - pushing this so that I can prove I'm still here - on the web - doing things, making my mark!!
Enjoy the end of summer mi amigos...

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

42 down, er, many more to go?

2011-07-23T23:55:00.000-04:00

well, got to say I had a great time tonight with my friends, had tasty food, cake and mousse; just really enjoyed.
So to all who helped make the day awesome - Thanks!! A lot!!

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

uh, wow. Spotify. wow.

2011-07-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

Boo got the invite first, and though I had heard of the service, and the rave reviews from the boingGizLifehacker webbage, I kinda dismissed it.

do yourself a favor. Go here and ask for an invite (sorry, no Google+ powers this time...) - set up an account. It's free.
then think of a tune you haven't heard in forever -say, Kim Mitchell's 'Go for Soda' - and become mildly impressed when you get to choose either the album version, or the live version.

Ok - so, been playing a few tunes - call it 8 tracks so far, and just had a Coke commercial play - honestly, one short blip for being able to stream The Torpedo Boyz 'Where's Tony Masao?' ( a track that even grooveshark didn't have, though now it may have it... ) - wow.

So now you know. Really - it's free, and it just might bring you a little bit of happiness.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

patience & waiting ... hope for friends' happiness ... UPDATE - Mazel Tov!!

2011-07-22T10:17:00.000-04:00

relaxing in the cool house, thankful for actions taken after months of angst. Maybe I should call the RamJack folks - really, how much could it cost to lift Hobbit House, slide it to the side yard, dig out a basement for a second bathroom, and then slide HH back on top? a few hundred? a couple of thousand?? ha ha ha

It's been an interesting week ... life has been turned up a little - perhaps broiled? Seared? Is it the heat? Perhaps it's not the heat on the outside world, but the heat on the inside pieces, causing ripples in our senses. Starting with my sadness for the loss of Daisy for Matt & Jo-Anne - I'm so sorry guys, and my heart goes out to you two. I could tell your all's love will take care of you, but I hate that you guys had any pain.

Ups and downs... Atlantis returned safely, the day after the anniversary of man landing on the moon. We haven't gone back - were we that much better in the 60s & 70s? Is there something they haven't told us (just how lucky we were to get there and back?) With the end of success, suffering visits a harbor of our 'best and brightest' - odd odd odd...
Friends celebrating birthdays - cheers French Alex, cheers Sir Karl, my sister's is tomorrow!! A simple bowl of ice cream with chocolate sauce, a gift of joy from strangers.

Was glad to have been pushed to write ever so little about my cool Timbuk2 backpack - except I've got a folder here in my browser titled 'write' - I stash links that I feel I could string together a few sentences to describe how I feel about something. Cool 'Q' laptop backpack helps me control my 'carry everything all the time just in case' urge. Cool HTC evo Shift runs a sweet version of Android, where wallpaper can be 'live' (trippy moving about) & I get to talk to my computer - just like in Star Trek!! Hell, I even listen to my mp3s like I used to listen to my Walkman during my study halls/ in school detentions. (8th grade was the first Walkman? moving away from boombox? hmmm... in NYC with Pat & Lisa & Jonathan(?), picking up a Walkman for a birthday gift, with no headphones in the box - first blush of caveat emptor!)

Probably could write about a million words on the joys of air conditioning!!

Probably need to share the challenge of having my laptop try to give up the ghost last Sunday ... led to a period of disbelief on how I had a few backup plans in place, and still didn't have access to my latest work!! Luckily I got a reprieve (who knows how long!) by following the online instructions of 'wrapping the laptop in a tshirt and put into a backpack' - the goal of that scary scary tactic was to 'reflow' the solder around the graphics processor that has issues with overheating (odd how original from the factory overheating leads to the need to essentially bake the motherboard.... and round and round...). Of course actions like that happen after the friendly tech support dude wants only $350 up front to ship me a box to 'fix' my laptop. Note to self - figure out your online backup plan (dropboxing a truecrypt volume kinda works - but when does the TC volume update? on dismount? If your machine kinda stops, how can you tell if the volume a- dismounted and b- finished syncing to DB? weeeeeeeee .... fret not - I also have a SpiderOak folder that may or may not be backedup and sync'd!!!)

If I come up with an answer that works for me, I'm sure I'll share.
Also - Google+ - think it just may have changed the social media game scape - just trying to make all my online focus end up over there is all about learning how to use a new tool. Like a pneumatic nailer versus a carpenter's hammer.

Well, I hope your late July is going well for you.
oh - blue says hi

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

hot hot heat... or, summertime

2011-07-21T09:11:00.000-04:00

as things wrap up - ciao, Space Shuttle; ciao the answer {42} ...
but ... Timbuk2 is having a sale!! 50% off!! (or, about what you should probably spend!)
and, it's on the bag I have and love - the Q.
If you're rocking out a 13" or smaller lappy toppy, you just may want to take a look.

Things I love about it - it's smaller than most laptop bags. Being small, I have to focus on the crap i need versus the over packing of my life (I blame my boy scout years!)
It is a backpack, so I'm not embarrassed to throw it over a shoulder or two... versus the fine messenger bags I have which make me feel ... less comfortable.
It has a neat compartment for the power brick - so you know it's there, even if you use it once a month or so.
Pretty sure I paid roughly the same amount - ~$60 - and if your gear load is right for it, I think you'll love it.
Scott tested, Scott approved!!

and you? anything you have and love and need to tell the world?
do hope you're staying cool...
hope you're enjoying the good things in life.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Kinda perfect email regarding local music scene...

2011-07-16T09:16:00.001-04:00

As I sit here with the front door open, listening to the voice-mail my sis left of the Avett Brothers rocking out at the Comcrap Arena @ Everett ice rink, I browse my email.
Here's the post from a Chapel Hill club - maybe we should all go?!!!!

================================================
TOPIC: Tonight! Beach-A-Rama Rama / Goth Industrial Dance Night / Trivia / Shit Horse!
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.music.chapel-hill/t/9b9750a96103fbfc?hl=en
================================================
== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Fri, Jul 15 2011 4:08 pm
From: nightlightbooking@gmail.com (Nightlight Booking)

A staycation for these economic times or just another Friday night? Who cares? Come on down for a Beach Party at the Nightlight this Friday!!! Corona and Margarita specials will change yer latitude! A private tiki
lounge will change yer attitude! Beach sounds! Beach music! Swimmin' to follow! This is what you need! And it's all FREE! Come on down!

Plus, Saturday's Goth Industrial Night is a benefit for people arrested at recent anti-gentrification protest at Greenbridge.

EKOT (crumbling acid-leached concrete from P. Maier - NC debut!)
YOHIMBE (skin-clawing gothic folk)

followed by goth/industrial/EBM/synth pop DANCE PARTY with dark queens DJ Lmgrovllum and DJ Furina

Lastly, we have just added SHIT HORSE to next Wednesday's show with John Wesley Coleman and Rayon beach! $6 gets you in at 9 pm..

Dont' miss it!!

xo,
Nightlight
--
Nightlight Bar & Club 405 1/2 W. Rosemary St. Chapel Hill, NC 27516
(919) 960.6101 http://www.nightlightclub.com

... or maybe not.

Hope your weekend is going well...

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or
"Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

A lovely evening ...

2011-07-14T21:49:00.001-04:00

Nice to hang outside & enjoy peeps & pizza, watch the pretty clouds drift by.

Ah summer.

10 til midnight, midweek, mid July...

2011-07-14T00:00:00.002-04:00

so, things in the googleverse have been all a changing lately - as i type this in at the Blogger webpage - things are different!
Google+ seems to be a hit with the kids.
I'm a tad concerned with the G+ and Picasa interactions - I think pics should be allowed to be held close...

Things here in the hot hot south are... hot. but speaking with blood today - we could be out in the Pacific Northwest. Being happy where you are - it's a damn fine life skill to work on.

Wish i had lots and lots of fabulo-mundo things to report - really just chipping along. There are LOTS of things I need to be writing about - Yay Nevada for allowing autonomous road vehicles!!! Congrats Matt and Jo-Anne and peeps for the successful boilermaker weekend.

But nothing really outstanding. Perhaps a picture?

Of course it's a pic of blue!!
be good to yourselves and your loved ones - if not you, then who?

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

so, will it change anything?

2011-06-29T22:04:00.000-04:00

10pm on a wednesday
Google+ - can it take on facebook? It's slick, it's functional, it's a little madcap - but I can see where it might just rock.

stay tuned!

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

between the dark and the light... happy solstice!

2011-06-21T12:16:00.000-04:00

fear and sadness, I bid adieu.
courage and happiness, 'ello!
also, post-it notes do not burn as easily as one might think they do.
also, seemed like the sun was right overhead.
and last a heartfelt thank you to Boo & Blue & Morgan+Beth & Blood. If you don't know why, well, we're both kidding ourselves.

did I tell you about the turtle?

Did I tell you about the deer?

Well, I'm sure I've told you about the Blue...

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

with blue at my side...

2011-06-17T23:58:00.000-04:00

the birds chirping outside. a general comfortableness inside Hobbit house. pursuing ... a less agitated place ... hiding in sorkinworld ... where things of import matter...

a day / evening / life of comfortable relaxation, pointless pondering, silly sketching on doodle pads strewn about a room in the house of life.

also - Dig This - I told you so!!! ;-)

also, blue is kinda cute -

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

friday evening, listening to the thunder ....

2011-06-10T21:55:00.000-04:00

you know it's a good storm when you're inside a closed up house (A/C ROCKS!!!), and you still hear the rumblin' of the gods.

quickly, for I really want to share - cars! you may not know this about me but I'm a fan of quality automotive expressions. Luckily enough, over the past week, I've caught a glimpse of:
a) new Nissan GTR (in white, not so stunning) - but is sits there with a purpose that can't be denied.

+++
b) First an honest to god rolling example of VW's Corrado! Woot!! Mickeymatt enjoyed the hell out of 1990 model, if I'm correct. Still looks purposeful.

+++
c) for no real good reason, the next day I saw a Generation 1 Scirocco, also from VW. I had earlier in the day recalled my purchase of a white Scirocco over in Germany, and the slight dash fire that occurred after I had the window broken to steal my radio. sorry Andy - didn't mean to startle you...

+++
d) ok - just last week (while Boo enjoyed a getaway to the beach with Morgan) I took the time to read through a short story about a motojournalist's pursuit of a new motor for his 2nd gen Scirocco. Much shenanigans occurred. And what do i see rolling on Roxboro today? That's right - a 2nd Gen Scirocco - Zoiks!!

Just so you know, it's considered that the Corrado was the replacement for the 2nd Gen Scirocco when it arrived; why it didn't continue with the name, no idea...

Generations - I love the idea that a 'car' can evolve and get better (most of the time). Seeing the VW 3-door coupe family parade before me in real life was quite nice. Now if they'll only import the 3rd Gen Scirocco from Europe.

Also - a pic of a Ford Festiva. On the interstate. At speed. I salute you!!

oh - yeah - also, first sighting of a Fiat 500!!! yay!! (this is a press photo - I didn't have a chance to snap a pic!) (actually, all but the festiva are from the intertubes...)

So yeah, I like cars. Just in case you didn't know that.

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

well, that's an awfully nice present!

2011-06-06T12:18:00.000-04:00

sister shari gets to road trip today!! woot!! Enjoy the scenery sis, and I'll swing by to visit you as soon as it's doable.

{thanks}

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Wow ... 5 years!

2011-06-05T21:54:00.001-04:00

Thanks for all that & so so so much more Boo!

Thank you

2011-06-03T01:34:00.003-04:00

Thank you
Thank you

Waiting...

2011-06-02T00:30:00.001-04:00

It wears you down. If you're paying attention it's crushing. If you've successfuly distracted yourself, it's surprising.
Either way it sucks.
Shari's in Buffalo, having surgery. All I can do is distract myself {typing this note @ 12:24 in the morning, while waiting for the temp to drop into the high 70s!} and wait. Catch a friend of a friends TNT debut {frederick & Bass, I believe} & enjoy the show. Try not to think, but still have those quiet whispers "what if? What then? Are you ready for anything?"
Stupid whispers - as bad as the yapping dog.
Love ya sis. Hope your day goes quickly & quietly.

Ciao,
S.

EDIT - u gotta have hope - temp is 79!! Also, used the blogger app to compose/publish this note - ain't tech grand?

Coniglio Coniglio, Bianco coniglio!!

2011-06-01T00:01:00.001-04:00

and now it's june.
pretty heavy month in ttocsland - lots happening, or happened.

so I will hope the luck will befall the little bunny who's been chilling in our yard, eating the bird seed (and other stuff I suspect), and running it's white little butt off to the safety of the tree line when Blue gets her walk on in the side yard.

luck
bunnys
june
respirare...

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Inspiration - comes in all sorts of packages

2011-05-31T22:11:00.000-04:00

my wife's laugh as she speaks with SMO re: "when else can you try human flesh without it being like murder?". that was after the exclamation that "of course Johnny kept his leg!"

Or standing in the kitchen, looking at my calendar hanging on the fridge (thanks Ma!) Noting that apparently we've returned to the same place in the orbit about our sol, where two visits past we sadly said our goodbyes to our friend Alex.

I recall the times he was sooooo excited about the videoing of bands he loved, catching all the shows he was pursuing - all sorts of happy about that. His enthusiasm was contagious. Even when he allowed me to be close to the pain he was in, a visit to the 7th floor (?) of Duke, subdued and not at all comfy. But happy to see us, happy to be with his friends.

Boo told me that last year we made art. I vividly recall the craft event, with my hopes and joys as a graduate of The Little Red Schoolhouse (Maynard/Marcy, NY) art curriculum class of (damn I'm old) ... the paste kept the pics on, my painting wasn't too 'outside of the box (and on the table)' ...

what am I doing this year to remember?
(5/12)

and so words crafted but unseen for 2 weeks, until another week passes by. In that time memories of JohnParker, the Bear; thoughts for Kimmy & Matt & Dani, for Tom & Linda's continued happiness, of a birthday for dad, who I got to see just last week.

happy birthday dad!!

I sometimes wonder why I pause - it's not like I'm empty of things to write down and share. heck - i suspect some of the things are even goodly written!

but pause I do. & sift. & listen to JohnD sing, with all his heart, about Going to Georgia... I hope I have and will express myself with as much heart.

how about a pic of blue to make it up to you??

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

1:25 in the morning... thinking and writing...

2011-05-31T01:54:00.000-04:00

2LT Richard D. Bartley, USAF.
TSGT Bennie L. Dexter, USAF.
Gone, but not forgotten.

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

36 hundred ounces of broccoli! - part 2

2011-05-08T20:23:00.001-04:00

so, chatting with MickeyMatt today, and he shared that Jo-Anne had a mid slumber declaration regarding the above mentioned ingredient. She was unable to recall the recipe once she awoke.

So, I type this while listening to "'Merikash Express" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Boo and I have discussed if Bieber will ever be able to match the harmonies. I say no way.

woke up this morning and felt quite a lot like crap. So I went back to sleep. Sorry Viv & Rachel - I'll make ya pancakes soon, I promise!
I felt blech due to how awesome it was to catch the triumphant return of the Future Kings of Nowhere last night at Motorco here in Durhamtown!! woot woot!!

Ask yourself this - what would a mosh pit/crowd surfing scene look like in hipster dive? Oh yeah ... it was unbelievably ... er, ... something!!

Short & sweet - cancer fought Shayne and Shayne won. Fuck yeah.
Longer more fucking heartbreaking version can be found over this way.
the show was awesome, and if YouTube gets me hooked up I'll have some of my patented 'scott wallace live concert cam' footage to link to.

It was such an overwhelming roller coaster of emotions: the joy of his successful battle, his return to being a damn fine musician and artist, the Durham scene's community showing the love and support, and the crowd's ability to join in all of it. Really glad I sucked it up and headed out.

sucked it up from what you ask? well, you see... Boo & I had fun and adventures yesterday (Saturday) morn!
I got up decent hour, and made some tasty cakes -

and as I discussed the options to our Saturday morning argument of "why aren't we doing something already?" I mentioned I have been wanting to go to a local junkyard to look for some bits and pieces for Ramona. Boo shocked the crap out of me by saying "that sounds cool - let's go" (cue flashback to 'hey, wanna go to Vegas tonight? circa 2000) - hell yes let's go!
We ended up at the junkyard, where I found no parts for Ramona what so ever, and Boo pondering cool art materials and stubbing her toe :-(

Afterwards, since adventures can't live on sun stroke alone, we headed to get some nibbles in the new awesome "NoCo" area of Durhamtown. Which would have given us a wide choice of places to nibble at. I was shooting for Kings Sandwich Shop. Sadly, it turns out, lots of Durham was out at the area of happening!!

so we rolled through and to our back up plan - Nosh!

One thing I love about durham, and has happened a few times this weekend, is the serdipitous 'hey - Iknow them!' - so when we were driving behind Raymond & Christopher - happy, and slightly odd - but yay! Making it to Nosh, we put our order in and then - hey - Viv and cartel - how are you guys!! yay!

Lunch was tasty, and boo wanted to pick up some spray paint for some flower pots she wanted to colorify. Off we drove, in the general direction of 'that way' - it was a lovely day for a drive. We ended up not at the Goodwill Thrift store, on the way to Loewes, but actually at a store call Ganny's Panties.
Oh such a store of special stuff and junk and cool things all over the place. Boo's finest purchase - a stunning red and black purse. My best catch? Well, the coleman stove makes me think of glamping, but really - this -

Got home, unloaded the goods -

and started to feel not the best. Some inner ear dizzyness - kinda sucked. But Boo did good for me - nibbled a tasty tasty pizza, some chips, and an episode of Top Gear on Netflix. Or perhaps it was the hour nap I took - all in all, felt good enough to make it to the show.

Actually, our great weekend started out I guess Thursday night'sh - Boo and I made it to the Pinhook for a show by "girls in trouble" - Boo had see them when last they were in town and is kinda fond of them. So, I moaned and groaned about going out to a show I wasn't already all crazy about, and once again Durhamtown delivers - wow. Totally awesome group out of NYC with an Alicia as the lead singer, who plays the violin. Nice indie melody girls rockin' kinda group (we are horrible at the whole name the genre in thirteen words or less game)

Before we hit the show, though, it was the first of a few 'hey - we know YOU!' moments - we thought we'd check out the Beer Garden on Geer St. in 'NoCo', and lo and behold we ran into Brent there. had a tasty (if slowly delivered) meal, and jetted to the pinhook and loved the show.

Friday we noshed with Morgan @ Hong Kong Cafe post chatting with Carrie & Nate, then sat morn, and today.

Whew!!!
tired I tell you!
just like blue -

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

36 hundred ounces of broccoli!

2011-05-08T17:35:00.000-04:00

Sunday, late afternoon.
Mom's day ...
miss ya.

Miss helping you out with your Celiac group's efforts - the website, the newsletter, the hopes & dreams of good design for totes and what not.
Miss walking from trinity ave to your apartment - how you loved that apartment.
Miss the phone calls - the checking in cause you heard there was weather (or earthquakes, or snow!). Letting me know it's time to set my clocks ahead or back.
Miss being able to hopefully make you smile with an unexpected call, or a gift that struck me as just right. Or some crazy ass'd scheme to hide out in the trunk of your new Saturn. (and boy did you love that car)
Miss being able to sit with you and listen to you play the piano - you were really a very good pianist ma - hope I mentioned that to you.
Had a chat about "Music Box Dancer" - the tune I heard on 'your' radio station as it turns out back in '79. I had the myth that the musician was an unknown, self-taught luckiest truck driver in the world!! Ha - well, the internet pegs Mr. Mills as a Canadian pianist. oh well - old times make better stories than modern truth.
Miss the smile in your voice when we connected ... as I'm sure your friends also miss.
Love that blood's given me a touchstone - hell, 2. One's at work, eye level when I stand and do 'work'.

Not to sure about the incredible marketing blitz to 'don't forget mom' - yes, canvas people, I won't. Nor will I paperless post. or ebags. Or staples (?!!) - I won't forget my mom.

won't stop missing her. won't stop loving her. won't stop quietly blaming her (at the same time thanking her) for the guy I turned out to be.

cause she's my mom.

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

on a positive note, from the wikipedia place...

2011-05-05T16:20:00.003-04:00

"1961 – Project Mercury: Aboard the American spacecraft Freedom 7, astronaut Alan Shepard made a sub-orbital flight, becoming the second person to travel into outer space after Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin."

Tip o' the hat, Mr. Shepard. Just maybe what America needs are more heroes that, you know, do heroic things? Not that an excellent catch with 3 seconds left on the clock in the 4th quarter of the Superbowl isn't an enjoyable event, but you know it's not really progressing the community of man in any measurable way.

And yes, I'm completely dismissing the global pissing contest that was the context in which great things were accomplished by great people for a variety of both great, good, and evil reasons.

hey - I could use this as an example of my 'do better america' campaign/attitude!

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Honorable Rabbit - Rabbit - RABBIT!!!

2011-05-01T09:29:00.000-04:00

certainly something to ponder -
"When a radical marching band crashes a hoedown shit gets primal."
The wisdom of Mrs. Dawson folks - you have to count yourself as lucky to have had this kind of knowledge shared with you. That's all I am saying.
Also, at 9:27am Sunday morn, as quiet U2 plays in the kitchen (new kitchen radio - very excited!!) I notice to my right a flash of high-energy Jack Russell - oh, seems Jackson/edna is out. again.

weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

hey - blue!!!

ciao,

}S{ | dona nobis pacem |
"Keep Calm and Carry On"

8:55 am saturday

2011-04-30T11:36:00.000-04:00

"this dream is driving me insane..."
"in some corner of some foreign field the gunner sleeps tonight
we cannot just right of this final scene
take heed of the dream // take heed of the dream..."
"you can hide hide hide / behind paranoid eyes"

inspired by the pros and cons of hitchhiking, i amazon'd a hard copy of Pink's 'the final cut'

who's gonna write the epic poems of 'our' generations tribulations in foreign fields hot on the heels of the pursuit of freedom and victory for all...

LiveJournal had a field for music - and the editor program would grab the title/band from whatever program was playing tunes. I miss that.

lost in the haze of alcohol soft middle age...

hmmm - wasn't there a great scene in Rocky Horror that addressed the cast of thousands? could work as a mash up.

so it's a bit chill this a.m. - nice, quite nice. boo's tucked safe under the fuzzy green blanket, the living room has it going on, though the finishing touches will be applied this weekend. Boo wants to spray paint some more. Blue is kinda awesome, though we need to find out why she turns her tasty food and sunny disposition into level 5 bio-hazardous gas. brings tears to the eyes.

the son is in Afghanistan, having spent time in south iraq, the same place his dad spent time back in '90. he remembers dad coming home, but not being back. a reason he left?

+++
holy fuck epiphany can be awesome. a tad unsettling, but awesome none the less. today's pondering thought - is my emotional strength a result of deep deep immersion into Pink's late 1980s catalog? huh - all those hours watching 'the wall' had to leave a mark, and now listening to 'the final cut' ... wow. it just may explain a whole lot.
Or, I need more coffee. either way, you see..

Think I'm gonna find out more about mr. waters. Can't hurt.

so, April wraps up. May starts soon. took some time to poke about for live music shows of people I would go to if I could. Like Peter Gabriel at SPAC in upstate, Paul Simon at the 9:30 club in DC. (the 9:30 club!!!!!). Rush in Seattle. Felt good - think I now know it's important to 'see them live' - youTube does a decent job of describing what it might be like, but I've stood off stage at a Mountain Goats show. I've watched from a few feet away as Kimya offered her humanity to a friend. Live is better. Live if life. (ahhhh - poetic. prophetic. pathetic? hmmmm)

I just told my dog that she's the essence of possibility. Sitting alert, ready to bark, or nap, as the situation deems necessary. go blue!!

and from a message on one of the listservs I follow...
"The value of a man or woman resides in what he or she gives, not in what we are capable of receiving" - unknown

Ok - Saturday is ours to tackle and enjoy. Hope you're out there enjoying life too.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

hey - thursday - why not TED??

2011-04-28T08:44:00.000-04:00

TED. Technology. Entertainment. Design. Ideas Worth Spreading.

Hope you take the time to watch this one - it's only the history of the universe as wonderfully, simply and entertainingly told.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

10:43 on a wednesday night...

2011-04-28T02:19:00.000-04:00

I'd love to say the cool evening breeze was wafting in through the newly installed front storm door screen. Sadly, the breeze that's wafting is a bit warm, with hints of humidity!!

Oh well ... as I sit here safe in the knowledge that my water and garbage, either electric or gas, and the phone/'net are paid for, I can think back over the last few days and report.

Like how a very nice lady yesterday morning kept me from getting to work on time. At Club and Roxboro she kindly hollered at me "you know you have a flat tire?" to which I replied "no, no I didn't". She was right, so I put a dollar worth of quarters in the air machine, pumped up the passenger rear tire, and headed up to the tire place where Ramona's been taken care of before. Like the tune up after she started hiccuping pretty badly. Or the inspections north Carolina deems are important to have. The waiting room was overflowing, the clouds were threatening, and I said "hey, got a flat. can you fix it?" "sure, but it'll take a while..."

Actually, it takes .28 of an hour for a trained tech to pull the tire, pull the screw out of said tire, then plug and refill the tire. Probably would take all of .01 of an hour to ring my cell and tell me they were done. ugh...

Gladly though I paid my 12 bucks and got Ramona home just as the clouds burst - again!

During my work at home time I watched the storms blow thru our sleepy burg, with a blast of wind, then torrents of rain, the the glaring sunshine - blazing down upon the wet asphalt, making it steamy outside. Ah, springtime.

We were over at Morgan & Beth's the night before, I think, for a satisfying burning event - I do believe the holiday tree of 2010 finally met it's maker that night - all crackle and blaze, filling the air with the scent of pine, the wonderful flames licking higher and higher into the night air, the branches overhead thrown hither and yon from the heat rising up into the starry night sky.

boo & I both got shiny new cell phones yesterday, thanks to me almost crawling through the cellular airwaves and braining Sprint Customer Diservice Specialist number 133234421 ... also known as Jay, the 6th Sprint CDS I spoke to last Thursday. Got to say, having actual quality hardware is really really nice. touchscreen that works when you touch it. no ghost ringing even when the cell reception dips to nada at the work locale. shifty moving wallpaper - god, it's the 21st century after all!!

Boo is rollin' with the Samsung epic 4G, and I got the EVO Shift 4G. Odd how rewarding it is to have quality tools. Guess I've put up with less than stellar hardware for a while - the rugged guy, followed by a very nice HTC touch, which I ebayed, then got a fresh replacement for (yay), then the attempts to make the HTC an android and not a windows mobile phone, finally last October a nice shiny android phone. February, the promise of upgrade and more happiness instead gave me 8 weeks of fairly hellish treatment by Sprint, and a buggy phone. let's put those issues behind us and stare at the cool moving wallpaper - groovy!

Tornadoes, rain, wind, springtime - watching Top Gear on Netflix while nibbling papa john's pizza and downing a very tasty rum & coke. poking about on the net trying to make the dropbox thing work better, watching a TED talk, looking at my pics, and sorting through the sad mountains of duplicates on my various external hard drives.

How's your week going?

here's a pic of blue guarding my toes from the inclement weather!

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Feeling better and better, minute by minute...

2011-04-22T02:18:00.001-04:00

though I got to say wow - it's been a heck of a day.
For those who've been paying attention, I was somewhat productive last night - moving furniture around, watching important movies, expressing myself, and laying with my loves.

This AM had it's rough parts - why is it a multifunction printer is in actuality a schizophrenic machine where it may or may not act as a scanner from time to time? too much time and not enough attention was given, and I jetted to the workspace. lovely lovely day to drive with the windows down...

got to work and thought I'd see if Sprint has answers for my concerns over the not quite ready for prime time release of a software update I have on my phone;

After a great lunch out with Betty and Morgan at Torrero's, I proceed to the closing scenes of "Scott versus the Volcano of Sprint customer service spewage", in which I'm near tears, Jay saves the day by setting me up to trade out both Boo & I's phones to upgrades, with only a moderate bottom line payment. Oh, and of course an extention of our contract terms, and dual bumps on the head with the "$10 Premium Data Fee" - cause OUR data is gonna be prettier and shinier that YOUR non-premium data!! take THAT!!!!

It was / is a very very very long and painful story (how is it at the end of multiple hours I've engaged 6 (SIX!!!!) Sprint employees only to be let down repeatedly?)

Check in next week when Boo expresses her displeasure with me due to me yet again causing grief with her phonage! That is until she uses the 4G speeds to watch cool shit on her shiny, new, fast, big-screen phone. Perhaps I'll be content with a functioning HTC smartphone running Android Froyo ever so nicely!! Hope-timisticly I type these fateful words.

I did have a lovely drive home with the windows down, and then a nice chat with boo (we've been walking about our lawn these past two nights - really really nice to be out in our yard). She's excited about her office being moved and her getting a space of her own in the 'marketing pit' as she calls it - I'm excited cause I can shop for fun office stuff to send to her!

I had a Rob Lowe flick on tonight via Netflix streaming - called "For Hire" with Joe Mantegna. Thought it wasn't too bad - always have enjoyed Rob's acting.

Then I somehow stumbled upon some Roger Waters music videos on YouTube - apparently, unbeknownst to me, his album Radio K.A.O.S. has a video feature associated with it! Thanks to kind Slovenians I was able to see some of it. That led me to looking for a song or two I didn't hear on the net in my vast collection of mp3s. No dice - apparently I haven't ripped that (and as I type this I wonder - do I own the cd??) - but I do have his "Pros & Cons of hitchhiking" in my collection, and thus I was somewhat inspired to start this post due to these lyrics -
"I thought we were safe home in England / sleep sleep I know I'm only dreaming / through closed eyes I see west German skies on the ceiling / I want to get back ... I want to be there... see the sun going down behind Krups steam-works ... on the outskirts of some German town"

The album also ends oh so abruptly in what can only be referred to as inspired.

Of course - all of these musical cues have me floating half-absent-mindedly in my 20's in Germany- West Germany (see above) to be exact. White Wolf and all that shit. I'm sure it's part sleep dep, part feeling much better thank you, but there was something about the time and the place that I can't dismiss as being super significant ONLY because I was experiencing the world for the first time then and there. Wish I could speak to the bigger truer picture/story - though if I could, would it even matter?

"Tell us again old timer about the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth and America only had one enemy..."

ha ha ha

in a moment of clarity - to make sure in the darkness that you're still there... I had a bit or weakness and I couldn't take another moment alone.

so on a complete tangent - how do I go about offering to be of any assistance to the veterans coming back from our war zones? do i ring up the uso? the va? seek out a meetup and then say 'hey - thanks. wanna talk?' cause - and here's a little secret - a long time ago, I passionately spoke of a problem that, as a perfectly naive high-school-er, I thought my peers needed to be told of. it was a factoid (who the hell knows where I found it or if it was real) that by 1985 more American soldiers had died at their own hands than had been killed in the war. I had a nice speech with visual aids (ahhh ... teacher's name escapes me, but his nickname was spike, he did theater in clinton for the christmas story annual production... hmmm... Speech was the class - took it twice I recall). All sorts of things wrong as I look back now - really scott, that topic for high schoolers? but at the end of the class, all stern and serious or really what ever I was, a girl mentioned a somber thanks. I can't recall if perhaps she said her dad, or uncle, or brother - seems to me a family member perhaps had killed themselves, and my speech had touched her emotions. so long ago, so fucked up really. Sure it had to be scary to teenager-Scott then. Terrifying to me now.

Why, 25+ years am I pondering this deep trench of shit? Well, you see, on the way home today, before a touching story of a nun in Mississippi who has a community approach to running a hospital (she calls it 'whole-istic' medicine; in trade for a man's $1,000 bill for his wife's medicines, the nun asked 'do you hve a chainsaw? can you use it?' - he said yes, and the nun got the tires that were around the bases of her Willow tress - put there when they were but saplings to prevent lawn care damage to them - removed. Everybody's a winner - read the story, listen to the story) was the tragic story of United States Marine Corp veteran Clay Hunt - here's the link to the NPR All Things Considered story - he had struggled with PTSD after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, had honorably separated from the service, and had championed the cause of veteran mental health issues in the capital. Somehow, though, it was all too much and he killed himself at the end of March. That story - that fact - has me thinking I want to help, if there's anyway that I can.

Hey - so, two nights of scott's full force blather, and you're still here. You deserve a treat -

And this one -

What's that? You haven't seen a pic of Blue today? Well, here ya go -

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

I've got a cute dog named Blue

2011-04-21T02:11:00.000-04:00

right this second she's comfortably ensconced between me and Boo. earlier tonight I spun the bed back to it's original position, thus exposing the windows which when opened overnight in the North Carolina spring allow beautifully cool air to wash over our tired bodies.

Blue, having had the lucky day of being over at M&B's, seems a tad tuckered out, probably due to Boo's focus on running her in their backyard. Tuckered, broken, but oh so cute.

She's a comfort to me, both the physical warmth and fuzzyness, and the mental chess piece that says "hey, if you could get me a biscuit, it'll be all alright!" - her simple pleasures make my life that much richer.

I'm not ashamed to say I love my pup. her place in our lives is a good place, and makes us better because she's here with us.

I like watching her eyes as she tries to stay awake, but is just too sleepy to succeed at it. I even like her thrashing as she has puppy dreams and goes a running in her sleep.

She lays atop our green blanket, with fresh sheet below, the outdoor scents blowing in through the window - I hope she's happy and content. She deserves to be.

Unlike this the other day:

Not quite enough room to be comfy, but enough for her to perch there for a bit.

Why, you may ask, am I going on and on about Blue tonight, with it being quarter 'til two in the morning? Well, you see, just finished watching a movie. I love movies. Even love a good documentary from time to time.

I watched Restrepo.

Tragically, the Oscar nominated director, Tim Hetherington, was killed while in Libya today. I had wanted to see this film - the title didn't give me much of an idea about what it was about. Unlike, say, The Hurt Locker, which I just saw the other week. Restrepo is gonna be the movie I think about in the years to come.

Documentary can be very powerful. This movie has me thinking that for the last 10 years or so I've not thought of nor cared much about our war fighting in Afghanistan. Now I'm interested. Interested in the people who live in a country that apparently has an endless supply of rocks and bullets. How do they do it? why do they do it? what the hell are we fighting for over there?

Isn't that always a good question to ask?

TED this week - watched this:
Most of us will do anything to avoid being wrong. But what if we're wrong about that? Kathryn Schulz makes a compelling case for embracing our fallibility. Watch now >>
Loved the ideas she presented - how does it feel to be wrong? Actually, you're describing what it feels like to realize you're wrong - when you're actually doing the wrong thing, it feels just fine.

Also this one - ties in nicely with Restrepo.
By leading his audience step by step through an unfamiliar worldview, sociologist Sam Richards asks: Can anyone truly empathize with another? Watch now >>

And finally this one -
Using wikis and digital fabrication tools, TED Fellow Marcin Jakubowski is open-sourcing the blueprints for a self-sustaining village (starting cost: $10,000). Watch now >>

cause really all I ever want anyone to do with my TED blather is to take away an idea worth sharing. I tell my peeps here in D'Town, hopefully Blood says something to her PacNW peeps, maybe MickeyMatt has a chat in Upstate... cause at the end of a day - hell, the end of a week of scott being miserably sick, a tornado or 10 sweeping through my state, the world being kinda hellish to everyone, a year after BP oils up the gulf, years after home grown terrorists try to make a point about the problems we're having in our own country, let alone worlds away - there was a pup at OP Restrepo, a black pup with a white patch. The guys there seemed to be happier with the pup around. A pup like blue. Blue makes the world a better place for me to be in. A better place for Boo and our friends to be in.

Oh- a pic from the tubes today - not my pup, but gosh he's a cutie -

not sure what's supposed to go out like a lamb...

2011-04-18T21:29:00.001-04:00

certainly not a nice lamb.
We survived our first serious tornado event - but North Carolina wasn't spared. 20 plus killed, 130 plus injured. wow.
how was it for boo and I at hobbit house? well, it was windy. boo said the internet got knocked out. and I? I was in the midst of a NyQuil fueled, alka seltzer laced delirium fighting the good fight against 'flu like symptoms' - so, I'm kinda lucky I didn't have to do any high level thinking, like 'should I lift blue off the raccoon?'

So, wow. I've been here for the ice, been here during some good amounts of snow. Rains like the dickens from time to time, with wind and stormy thunder boomers. But ah honest to goodness 'we ain't in kansas anymore' twister? wow.

so, for those who've poked me - I'm here. Boo's here. Blue's ok. It was stupidly nice Sunday, the day after.

for some amazing reporting, pop over to Carrie's Blog - she's done a great job of recapping the event.

Ok. Hope everyone is doing well.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

So this is a Friday morning...

2011-04-10T14:53:00.000-04:00

Wait - Saturday morning. Nope - Sunday morning it is... well, afternoon.
Link sausage -
Ted talk by dude from MIT who recorded his son saying water for the first time - so much more than just that, but you understand.

Aesop Rock with John Darnielle - kinda fabulous pre-Mountain Goat show watching. Kinda gross video - zombies and what not... but John's awesome as the closing act of the vid...

how to steal like an artist - fascinating read this morning - perhaps I'll use this for my weekly focus to see if it helps ...

and how the hell are you?
So much popping about inside the brain bucket these past weeks - such as watching 'The Great Robot Race' on Netfilx/Hulu/Nova ... featuring the Grand Challenge DARPA funded - kinda fascinating, and gave a look at the beginnings of Sebastian Thrun who did the Google self-driving cars TEDtalk I posted last week.

Let's see - fun has been had - went to see the Mountain Goats at the Cat's Cradle - great show.
Boo & I went for a short bicycle ride yesterday.
Will shortly head out to enjoy a wonderful day today - have you seen our cute dog?

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

so, here's the future - it's gonna be fucking great...

2011-04-01T12:58:00.000-04:00

I love TED. I find that every time I take the few minutes of my life / work / rest and allow my mind to intake what is actually possible by our fellow humans, by people who happen to be doing things the rest of us will enjoy - I'm just left saying 'wow' over and over again...

I have this idea that if we can get robot cars, and we can deal with them, we might even get the one thing none of us have enough of - time - to use as we want to. Have a drink on the way home, watching the Daily Show... nice, eh?

and speaking of time, and what people do with it - the ending of this vid kinda says it all, eh?

Hope everyone's april is starting fabulously ... tune in soon for an update on "Fuck you all" february, and "me my mine" march.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Sunday morning, quietly listening to Sinead rip out her heart...

2011-03-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

funny how this:

got me to buy an album sound unheard, review unread, and how much it really worked for a 19 year old kid living in a foreign land.

Getting to see here perform lo these decades later - wow. Nice to see a personal choice vindicated, eh?

+++
Sunday mornings - for some odd reason we're choosing to emulate Upstate new york with the chance of snow overnight into Monday - really? ok. We need the rain, so we can do backyard fires at M&Bs, but wow - so chilly, right after I futzed with the windows so I could have a nice breeze last weekend. Odd. Makes for enjoying soup a bit more...

Glad to see my sis has enlarged her flock - I'm sure there is much love to be had, and i can't wait to visit with the new(ish)girls when next I swing thru the Pacific Northwest. Chatting with blood is always wonderful. can't wait to get back there (soon I hope)

so - have you see our Durham Bull?

looking SHARP!!

Oh - Travel Monkey is going viral ... er, social! er ... um. yeah. Travel Monkey will be offering his opinion on things, be it mine, boo's, or others - here's the blog - I'm sure he'll have pics up somewhere sooner or later.

So yeah - March - glamping, spring time blooming, things going pretty well.

Hope you're doing well too.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

10pm it is, then ...

2011-03-24T22:19:00.000-04:00

a Thursday night, post nibbles and shopping with amigos. Boo might even have a case for her nook that she likes - skullies if I recall correctly.

How's your life been going?
Mine, as typical, is filled with great things I need to write about and share with all my friends - things like hail during our first thunderstorm of spring (just last night), or our fun and happy glamping trip this past weekend (Friday to Monday - very very nice indeed), or the flowers all a blooming in and around our world here in the Triangle. did you hear blood got herself some new hens? Lucky chicks in deed! Or that Shari's off to visit a good friend three states away - go shari go!

I could go on and on about how LastPass is a great addition to our internet enabled life, allowing you to safely store your logins and passwords in a browser extension, thus saving you the challenge of trying to have both hard to guess but easy to remember passwords for the websites you like to go to. How about android phones? still really digging mine, even if Sprint had me at wits end for a few hours last week.

Want to hear about Boo and how she loves her job even still? how they bought her a fancy-schmancy trackball for her work laptop? Or how she failed to learn from our early spring beach trip '09, and toasted herself pretty badly during our glamping trip?

How about this cool fact - on march 23, 2009 boo didn't have this -

so, yeah - I need to get some words down toot sweet - but it's gonna take me a minute or 7.

check back soon.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Hey Travel Monkey - tell me about glamping…

2011-03-16T07:59:00.000-04:00

Glamping is fabulous and wonderful and all sorts of fun!!

All sorts of things happen in the great outdoors that happen right inside your house every day. You'll sleep, get up to go to the bathroom, have a delicious breakfast of toast and eggs, Coffee with cream, bailey's, sugar or splenda, then read your email and fight over who's done more chores for the 'household' this weekend!

Once your mid-morning 'pep-talk' (1 part triple sec, 2 parts pineapple juice) is taken care of, a care free afternoon of sunburn and bug bites follows.

Looking at sears outdoor catalog or cablea's - REI is just the pictorial of people about to have a penthouse forum experience with a few Scandanavian AT thru-hikers - we see lots of plaid, and lots of well fed people.

morning - awake!! bagel & coffee. wash and dress
daytime - work or fun
evening - meal & relax
night - sleep

Hair - either have a hair dryer that works on propane, have a hat or three, shave your head, or go 'full Monty' {pic of boo at snuzie camping epic}

Don't forget tiki torches for anti mosquito work (plus lovely evening lighting!)

Let's walk thru the house, shall we?
Bedroom -
Air matress?
Linens
Blankets
Pillows
Slippers
Night-light
Reading material
Tissues

Bathroom:
Towels
Soap
Shaving - mirror? Foam? Razor?
Women's stuff
Deodarant
Teeth care
Eye care
Blister bandaids
Foot powder
Monkey butt powder
Gel insoles??

Hallway -
Dirty laundry bag?
Full length mirror?
Dust!

Dining room -
Comfy chairs and a table to eat at
Spirit central - Vodka even w/o freezer?
Rum
Cinnamon and peppermint for cocoa
Tequila and irish crème for coffee

Kitchen -
Ah, the big one!
Running hot and cold water for cleanup
Soap and sponges
Towels
Plates, bowls, glasses, spork-knife
Spatula, serving spoon, stirring things, sharp knives,
Salad bowls, tongs
Cold place for milk and eggs and soda and beer
Place to warm coffee, burritos, hot dogs, bagels, toast,
Spices
Containers for left overs
Foil
Baking pans
Flour
Salt sugar pepper
Hot pot holders
Bananas potatos
Mapel syrup for pancakes
Powdered sugar
Ketchup
Mustard
Mayo?
Chocolate
m&ms
Ziplock bags
Dog food and biscuits
Drinking water
Cereal
Microwave to clean cleaning sponge
Trash can
Calendar/planner
Binder clips to close snack bags

Living room:
Chairs - camp chairs v. z g chairs (closer to fire)
Cooler to sit on near fire
Tools to roast marshmallows and hot dogs over fire
Games?
Game table?
Candles and romance?
TV and blanket snugglies
Pillows
Feet up
Feet and back rubs
Doggie beds
Place to watch birds
Books
Couch to lay out and take an afternoon nap
Ceiling fan
Speakers

Front yard
Chairs
Plants
Lights
Picket fence
flagpole with flag/banner

Garage -
Car jump starter/ emergency ac/ air compressor
Small meds bag
Anti bug stuff
Tiki torches
Camp chairs
Bikes
Bike lock
Bike pump
Helmets
Rollerblade
Camp fire cooking stuff
Umbrellas
Sand toys
Guy lines and stakes
Shade?
Posts to hang lights from
Rope
Extension cords - monster one plus decent length 3 outlet ones
Power-strip - yellow 'block' design?
Conversion plug adapters
Water tight plug boxes?
Tape to hang lights up - blue tape?
Para cord to string things up
Binder clips to clip things to the para cord
picnic table parts that put together form roof "rack" or "basket" for ramona

Black small trash can to turn into shower resevoir … on roof of ramona? Hose from ??? Hmmm…
Food quality containers in the 5 gallon range - fluids? Oils? Lard? Hmmm… restaurant supply shop?
Jerry cans

We should go to the surplus store in carrboro - oh, and the outdoor place to get travel mugs
Folding table - hmmm - didn't we have a 4 foot one?

Solar charger for electronics?
Folding shovel to put out fire?
Fire poker made of metal?
Watering can to rinse fire?
To rinse dishes?

When it rains - we'll be wet - rain coats? Rain pants? Boots and shoes? Towels?
Poncho's for everyone, umbrellas?
Maps to enjoy where the hell we are - topos? History of area?
Jug to keep drinking water in? or just get the 2.5 containers at the store?

Find a led light with 220 lumens on 4 AA bats then pick up eneoloop pack to keep things recharged…

Camera stuff
Cleaning kit
Tripod
Battery
Charger

Inside every train wreck ...

2011-03-12T01:53:00.000-05:00

is a lovely chandelier!

I have no idea what boo meant by that, but in the discussion there was expression of thankfulness and gratitude for how the assassin weavers have read the loom of fate. Certainly much gratitude.

oh durham town...

2011-03-11T15:08:00.000-05:00

I've been pushing my livejournal posts to my blogger account, and just last night got to the point where boo & I bought hobbithouse, and me and the pups had landed.

I'm certainly sure that I'm happy to be a Durham-ite 4 years in, and just one of the reasons is that one of our hometown bands is awesome. Actually, most of our bands are awesome, but the Mountain Goats are awesome, no doubt about it.

see?

Power In A Union from JD on Vimeo.

Thanks John. Sucks that Wisconsin is gonna have to fight for rights that seem to be presumed. We'll see if my ~100 a year adds that one needed voice to the people's voice.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

it's strange that she should be offended ...

2011-03-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

the same orders were given by her" ... "it's the home of police that hit black boys on mopeds"

a voice from too many lifetimes ago, singing truths that I fear have sadly turned out to be fact. Sinead from the song 'black boys on mopeds' ...

had the joyous ability to run youtube videos thru my PS3, so I was watching/listening to Sinead on 'mother' from Pink Floyd's The Wall at The Wall concert, circa 1991 - 20 years has it been? wowsers...

could explain ed ludwig's kickin afro I recently saw. or perhaps that was the drugs.

migraine drugs, which do a fabulous job of making the stabbing pain in the back of my left eye go away (yay!); not as good at leaving me anything other than a tired zombie after though (boo)

so i sit and listen to music in earphones that are really really good, while enjoying a cool drink that I made using this:

A cocktail? well, no ... needed to chill the ginger ale I was making my shandy with - tada! using tools - it's what makes me smarter than the average bear.

a respectably chilled shandy, a mp3 mix from '06 or so (sounding excellent), and an update at the temple of the blogosphere - oh, and blue being soooooo good and protective when I'm a drooling bafoon laying about in bed - all pretty damn good if I do say so myself.

Have I mentioned that I've been culling my photos (at least for size - woot - 40+gb recovered and going strong!!) and it's been kinda cool to glance over the last year and a half. Being out to Seattle to see blood, the tacoma glass museum, matt and jo-anne's wedding, blood's visit to d'town and a run to DC for a RALLY; all so very very cool. Hope you all take time to reflect on good things that have gone past...

Ok - think I need to get to other 'to dos' tonight - but wanted to say 'hey there' ...
have you seen my dog?

and so the weekend starts ...

2011-03-05T14:22:00.000-05:00

just finished a mid morning snack of milk and cookies ... well, milk in my coffee - does that I count?

I've spent too much time this morning looking for widgets to tell me the time and weather on my phone - realized that we have in our hands the possibility of enormous amounts of information and design opportunities - I was intrigued by a widget that used scrap paper as the background for weather and time -

I think this one has a nifty crowd scene for the wallpaper, eh?

If you peruse the icons at the top of the screens - if there's a connection to the cell tower or wifi, how much juice is in the battery or if it's charging, time, if you're connected via a usb cable, if you have any notifications - all in the palm of your hand.

I can recall hoping to get an LED watch for my christmas present when I was 9 or 10 - and I DID!! it would show the time when I pressed a button, it had a black plastic/rubber band, and I'd hold that button down to watch the minutes change from 58 to 59 and then both the hour and minutes change at the top of the hour!! oh, the enjoyment I had...

Speaking of enjoyment, not only is this one enjoyable, but the quote from sir Lennon I like - "time you enjoy wasting was not wasted" - as for the chances I would have wasted way too much time and not made it out of high school if I had a phone with this wallpaper - very high indeed!

smart phones for dumb people - could be the title of a chapter in my life!!

Hope march is treating you well - I'm having a good one so far. Just finished up having lunch that I heated up all by myself! Now I'm gonna go have cookies I 'made' by myself! Look at me - I'm awesome!!!

Look at my dog - she's awesome too!!

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

really really hot cookie sheet - 1, scott's oh so tender left hand webbing - 0

2011-03-02T23:50:00.000-05:00

###BREAKING NEWS### ###BREAKING NEWS###
In an attempt to capitalize on the enjoyment found in the typical colonial village kitchen, scott commenced with a 2nd round of oatmeal choco chip cookies (from a mix - don't be too impressed) this evening, what with the few remaining examples from last nights successful cookie cooking having been enjoyed by boo and/or set aside for Beth.

When I attempted to remove the first batch from the oven, I was shocked - SHOCKED I tell you! - to have the piercing pain of a thousand suns concentrate on the tender underbelly of my left hand, right in the junction of my thumb and pointy finger - right where there was a tear in the oven mitt I had on to remove the GBD'd (golden brown and delicious) circles of choco/oatmeal goodness ... hell, I even lost two cookies damn it!!!! I thought I only hurt myself when I worked with Declan on theater shit.

now back to your typical Wednesday night blog post...

+++

So I often gather a number of web sites that I note that I should go and read - today I read this one on a study of "... how individuals use a relationship to accumulate knowledge and experiences, a process called “self-expansion.”

I like the idea - how instead of a marriage of socio-economic imperative, things are less concrete than they have been.

Have been pondering a review/report on the stuff I'm using in my life that helps - things like my laptop, or my Timbuk2 lappytoppy backpack, or my love of my android phone

(now with Android 2.2!!! woot!) - which takes me down the path of the apps I've grabbed that make things good/better. Can't tell if I'm just mimicing what I read on the web, or if I'm trying to make sense of my oh so complicated life, or if I sense it's a good thing to do - what people like, and the reasons they like the things they like are an easy way to get to a decision point quickly.

Perhaps I'll ???

Well, I do hope you are enjoying your life with all your heart - there's happiness to be found out there - or even to be made. Say, at a starbucks, while looking at the near by creek flow merrily along...

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

why hello march - how the hell are you?

2011-03-01T13:41:00.000-05:00

rabbits of white
rabbits of night
rabbits in twos & threes
rabbits hiding up in the trees
why do I care so much about rabbits?
why do I care so much about them -
don't I know where I'm going
I can get there without them?

The West Marginals play quietly in the corner of my office here at work (thanks blood for turning me onto them!). I'm sitting at the table I somehow inherited - it's too often just another flat surface for me to stack too much shit on. today, however, I just enjoyed a microwave-cooked meal while finishing one of the endless websites I whole heartedly intend to 'finsih' - this one how ever has some awesome quotes about our digital life that I'd like to share.

Why I don't care very much about tablets anymore in which Jon Stokes mentions "but after the initial "wow" factor wears off, these apps mainly serve to remind me that there's already too much good stuff to read out there, and that my life is slipping away from me in an infinite stream of interesting bits about smart animals, dumb criminals, outrageous celebs, shiny objects, funny memes, scientific discoveries, economic developments, etc.. I invariably end up closing the app in a fit of guilt, and picking up one of the truly fantastic dead tree or Kindle books that I'm working my way through at the moment, so that I can actually exercise my brain (as opposed to simply wearing it out)."

Exercise my brain as opposed to simply wearing it out. Bravo sir, bravo.

For my next trick I'm gonna try to exercise me - my being, my life, my wants and focus - by setting aside my overwhelming (at times) pursuit of other's concerns. I think it's gonna be as difficult as I make it - but I think I have a few things I need to do, and now's as good a time as any.

such as getting myself into the kitchen - like I did last night with the support of Morgan, and together we crafted a nice meal for our co-worker Rachel who's at home with a newborn. Hope the little guy likes sweet potato & black bean burritos! ;-) if not, he'll love Morgan's salsa I'm sure.

so look at me - cooking. and really having a few eye opening moments - such as a garlic head will easily be smooten (smighted? hmmm) with a typical frying pan. Just like on tv, but with a much more surprised look on the chef's face. Also, using a food processor to get out of hand mashing sweet potatoes, to use an analogy I've been throwing around as I poke about in EpiData software, is like hanging a cute puppy calendar with a pneumatic nail gun - sure, it'll get the job done, but perhaps the just plain regular hammer will do the job just as well.
{if you care, EpiData seems to be a perfectly fine hammer, with witch to build birdhouses or your summer cabin; even hang a calendar in either one. As opposed to say SAS or MySQL or even Access databases - which are all very much the pneumatic nailer of the database realm.}

Boo's been enjoying the feburary of scott's content, and hopefully she'll share all the things that have made her happy happy happy with the world in a blog post soon.

Springtime seems to be creeping up on us - thought today is a nice sunny high 50s that I'm more accustomed to as the winter fades away. Unlike the high 70s and incredible storms of yesterday/last night. I'm at least paying attention to what's out side - yay!!

Ok - thought I'd get some words out so those of you who are pleasantly distracted by my mutterings have an idea of what's what - we shall pursue a scott focuses action plan for the month of march, with a late month glamping excursion followed fairly rapidly by some live music - definitely John D/The Mountain Goats at the Cradle on the 8th of April, and who knows - the trio of hard rockers out of Canada just may get an audience with me!

Hope your springtime is bringing you the happiness you deserve.

Feel free to look upon Blue if you need a pick me up!

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

12:15pm last day of february...

2011-02-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

still not sure what to do when it says 68/71 degrees out at 10:05 on my drive into work. Really? 70? um, ok. Guess I'll just work with it.

I'm finding that the time I spend solo commuting tends to be some 'deep' thinking time - such as my two new favorite acronyms I crafted this morning on the way in (or was it the heat?)
MBN - for 'must be nice'
WAYAFM - what are you, a fucking moron? Might also restate that as wruafm?

I've had a good month of hearting myself, though not with any incredible epiphany. I think I'll continue my personal mindfulness with a "me my march" tomorrow - I've expressed a desire to only be doing the things I need to be doing, and worrying not at all about those around me. You might see me NOT asking if the temp's ok, or if someone needs a coat. Feel free to ask ME about things, and I know I'll continue to be a 'good' person, but really - I have soooo much shit to work on, I need to get to it.

'cause I just witnessed the amazing awesomeness of a focused effort by Boo and Morgan. Sheer terror was circumvented so that the universe could be humbled for an evening by the shining stars in my life. So, who knows what I'll be like at the end of March - more glittery perhaps? Not that that's what I'm hoping for. Hoping to have my shit sifted and minimized, the fence painted, the landscaping not 'free-form jungle' inspired, really enjoying the shit out of biking here and there.

Hope we get back to Raleigh and the museum -

And since it'll be spring, I can almost be certain that we'll have smores again!

And firepit fires!

And just so ya know, Blue kinda digs the new warming too - she loves to sun dog!

From 1102 My Life

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

2:57pm wednesday afternoon, in the middle of february...

2011-02-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

in the middle of scott heart's scott month.
in the middle of life taking things,
in the middle of fun games of ping pong at motorco
in the middle of learning to dance!
in the middle of wondering if I'll die in my cubicle and be forgotten for a day or so
in the middle of listening to songs from times gone by
in the middle of seeing pictures from years ago of friends at the beach
in the middle of wondering what has happened to those same friends
in the middle of
a thought
a hope
a dream
a scream
a stand
a demand

70 degrees out on valentine's day - leaves me confused, but smiling.
watching movies about the pain and sorrow of our soldiers makes me confused, and frowning.
"we are grateful for our problems" - no, I suspect we are grateful that we are alive to experience life, which will have problems. I'm grateful for the family I have, and the friends who love me.

I'm happy to see my wife be so happy about her new job. She deserves to be happy.
I'm happy to have our pup be a lump of comfort stretched out in our bed, leaned up against us, flopping into a classic J-dog, or even just donuted off to the side at the end of the bed. Her being makes me feel good.
I'm happy I have the good fortune to be in the place where my unbalanced life is tended to with a small pill every day, and the rough edges that threaten to spin me haphazardly towards the edge of the abyss aren't overpowering my forward momentum. 'ever onward, sometimes forward!'
I'm happy that the world continues to change and challenge our expectations and presumptions - there's a bit of suspense to see how we'll pull it all off - it's our only choice really, and looking around our big blue marble things are all sorts of interesting and in chaos. Entropy - Woot!!
oh yeah - happy that a global TV audience heard good things about the town I call home. Go Merge Records!!

snow is a good thing -

A place to have breakfast with Boo and Blue is a good thing -

Futzing about with a new place to 'work' at the house is good -

being lucky enough to time a visit to the outdoors just as mother nature does something incredible - that's really good.

knowing what love feels like - that's good too.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

11:11 01Feb11 ... some sort of numerological arrangement there ...

2011-02-01T23:43:00.001-05:00

Scott Hearts Scott month - that's what my cohorts in this non-criminal enterprise have tagged it.

The day started with a somewhat yummy breakfast - eggs and bagel, then a kind and thoughtful memento to indicate the start of the 'new me' - paraphrased, the note reminded me to show the love and generosity I typically have for others to myself this month. perhaps easier written then done, but it is a wonderful sentiment.

Off to the office, where I switched up how things have been (sitting at my desk, lights on in the office) to see if i can find little momentum there. Stayed in and had some soup and a banana for lunch, thus not going to Wendy's as I have been for a while. Then a short stroll around the 'campus' in the mid afternoon to make sure I'm not just thinking about the things I need to be doing - but actually doing them. Actually doing them - that's what I have to remember.

As a start to an 'experimental' phase I have to say not too bad. 'experimental' in that I'm not sure what I'm trying to do EXACTLY - just that I have to change things or else end up no further along the path to my own private Idaho; and frankly I've been not making any progress for far too many years. Probably cause I didn't realize I wanted my own private Idaho, but that's not the point.

How far along this path - bringing my future into focus, reigning in my burning need to buy stuff, making my family and friends realize how much they mean to me - though I could be daunted by the amount of forwardness I am hoping to get to, I'm not. It's not like I've landed in Tokyo with no means of survival - I'm just trying to get back to where I've been before. Letters to people, telling them the current chapter of my story. Spending part of my awakedness being physically active (274 on the scale this morning - I'm sure there's something amiss - perhaps fresh batteries? yeah... that's what it needs...) - embracing the fact that the money in my pocket is the money I have to spend. yeah things will be a bit challenging at first - getting out of your rut always is challenging. focusing on what I want though should be all the motivation I need.

I want things to be better - not perfect - that's a fools errand, but better. where I have 400 in savings, have 500. where there are some dirty and some clean dishes/laundry, have more clean and less dirty; where I have crap all over the place, centralize it, and then visit and sift through it - it's why we have all this space to begin with - otherwise I can just try to get back to my first apartment in LA - someone's back porch they converted to TWO apartments - i got the one without the kitchenette!! but it was all i needed - simple life of riding to my Merrill Lynch gig, riding to see movies in Pasadena, then hanging out with amiga Alex - all quite fun and enjoyable just not sooooooo complex.

Head up, eyes clear and looking forward, one step at a time towards what I want. Happiness and freedom from stupid shit - debt and worries. Got all the time in my life to succeed at this, right?

step one - smile.

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

a present before the end of the month ...

2011-02-01T09:20:00.000-05:00

for saying 'rabbit, rabbit, rabbit' three times the first thing in the morning on the first of the month. Not a bad offer, frankly.

February has arrived. I'll flip calendar pages for the next few days. I'll focus on the future, a mere 27 days from now. what would be the present I'd choose to get? Hmmm...

Here's an interesting thought - what if when I'm at my desk at home I'm producing something, versus just 'soaking in it'? How about making selections and edits to the numerous pictures I have on my hard drive? I'm looking at cloud storage costs in a pursuit of a 'once and for all' collection and collation of all my far flung digital files/life... is that worth the effort? or just have all my drives scanned and just search for the file I think I have? hmmm... storage is cheap.

Listening to the protests in Cairo via BBC Newshour on NPR ... the female reporter is describing the crowd and the security at the march. Makes me ponder what we could have accomplished at Jon & Stephen's rally, if only we had desired to demand change and not leave until it happened. instead we have a Florida judge claiming health care shouldn't be a law. Hmmm...

So does anyone want to know the focus of scott for the month? what goals I'm heading for? or shall I just speak my mind and see what happens next? whoa - isn't 'not caring so much about other's' one of my goals? and here I am, a mere 9 hours in and already tripping over my 'typical' skills.

Ok - i'll get back to that point soon enough.

Eggs and toast, coffee and a shower. That's my morning, then to work with friends while Boo wraps up her gig so she can hopefully be happy healthy and wise starting tomorrow at her NEW gig! Go Boo!!

hey - blue - cute - I have proof!!

ciao

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

1101 Hi There Puppy!

2011-01-30T15:44:00.000-05:00

How about a slide show of the puppy? How about a soundtrack that's a clip from maybe 1984 WOUR morning show? I can do that...

ah, what a long strange trip it has been... (warning - rant-opia)

2011-01-30T11:53:00.000-05:00

as the dead sang of years ago.

watched the end of a biography show on Bruce - iconic is a really good word.

R&T has a redesign, Peter writes about a friends tailsman, and I have those odd quiet sunny Sunday ponderings of 'whoa - what the hell was I thinking?' as I remember blood offering me a ticket to a show out Syracuse way for bruce's born in the USA tour. 'naw, not sure I like his music' muttered a young and foolish boy.

c'est la vie, oui?

How's 2011 started for you?
Have you had the joy and fun of hanging with your friends, celebrating the new year, and years passing by?
Has the weather been all you wanted and more?

Have you continued working on the things and activities you loved last year, or taken up a new challenge? Finished a project or started a new one?

Have you heard a simple chord progression of an organ, almost inaudible 'cause you had the stereo turned down while you were rocking out to a youTube video (of tom petty's 'southern accents') and then cranked the tune cause you were immediately transported to a snowy west texas, living in dorms but unnoticed, playing compact discs on your very own compact disc player for the very first time, pondering if you'll ever end up where the streets have no name, and wondering why a passionate song of wanderlust makes you feel so ... deep?

yeah, me too.

So February is right around the corner, and my confidante is accepting of my exclamation that I think I'm gonna make it all about me. Kinda of a 'fuck YOU' February, if you will. Probably more like a 'pardon me, but please fuck you, ok?' February. See, I have this insecurity - a nagging feeling if you will - that I've put a lot of effort into focusing on others,helping them out, thinking about their problems and frustrations - instead of focusing on me, and it's getting late in the game and I really need to work on me.

Work on not being 265 lbs of ache and apathy, being more like 180 lbs of 'I do like to bike around interesting towns, just like I did in Pasadena in '99', or 'Matt says he has a shortcut to delta that only has ONE hill!', or 'let's scramble up this hillside here in the hills above La Canada - cool, what a view' ...

Work on getting notes out to people so that they have in their hands an expression of my appreciation, thankfullness, and joy in knowing them - placed on paper because I took a pen and said 'hey friend, have I told you how much you mean to me? How awesome my life is because you're part of it? Let me tell you the details of how you make my life great ...'

Read more »

baby giggles vs. puppy dog ears...

2011-01-29T11:02:00.000-05:00

apparently that's gonna be the death match to win.

Boo's chasing the green dragon while enjoying meeting her newest niece in the winter wonderland that is MoVil.

Hung out with MnB @ Motoroco last night. damn we heart the Dickens. also, the old ceremony new how to keep things going. and megafaun certainly had a great time - with shout out to ian - someone to watch. as soon as he gets his driver's license. Wonder if he knows the kid who brought tobbaco road to their feet with his inspired cover of whole lotta love (zep); maybe 9, crazy hair, very very cool parents.

what's that? where have my posts been recently? er, well, good question. got stumped by trying to be poignant for MLK, then wandered the internet in search of a good idea, or at least a great deal.

but here I am.

did you see the pics of the pouch who came a visiting for few days?

Yeah, she was kinda super cute. Boo has more pics and better captions over at her blog -
Protodoom: The Doom That Comes Before All Others!: STOP: Puppytime!

oh - hey - have you seen blue today? kinda cute I tell ya...

ciao,

~ S ~ || dona nobis pacem ||

"Keep Calm and Carry On" or "Keep Calm ... and Cupcakes!"

Lola and Blue play

2011-01-27T11:51:00.000-05:00

and here's blue playing with lola a bit..

Lola fetching the ball

2011-01-27T11:46:00.000-05:00

Here's Lola having fun fetching a ball.

Sparky and the gang

2011-01-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

So, this is what you get when a friendly pup invades your life, and your awesome dog is cool with it. Yay!!