To Whatever End

Malaise

2011-09-04T08:50:00.002-05:00

All is quiet around the apartment this morning. Too quiet, actually. For some reason or another I can'tseem to get going; I feel "blah" overall and am deeply fatigued, despite the solid sleep last night. The usual three cups of coffee have only been of limited benefit and I'm tempted to put on another pot, which I'll probably do in a bit. First up is a brisk walk around the neighborhood to see if that clears out the physical and mental fog plaguing me this morning.....

Recent Events

2011-08-30T18:41:00.002-05:00

What an eventful last few days. I returned from Honduras last Thursday and was immediately swept up into the drama that was Hurricane Irene (which included working the weekend), battled a wretched summer cold (from which I'm just now beginning to recover), and today sorted out everything needed for classes which also began this week. At this rate, I'm going to soon need another vacation.

I went to Honduras earlier this month to celebrate my birthday with some friends there. The main event was a fiesta complete with lots of traditional foods and entertainment provided by a mariachi band that lived up to their reputation of being one of the better ones in the Copan area (partly due to their hotshot accordian player being both present and sober). Friends wanted it to be a memorable occasion and they certainly succeeded. What a wonderful way to spend ones ~~21st~~, ~~30th~~, ~~35th,~~ 40th birthday.

Update

2011-08-30T14:34:00.002-05:00

Over a year since my last post. Remarkable just how quickly time passes....

At any rate, all is well with me. A few changes have occurred since my last update which I may get around to discussing at some point in the near future....

Completion

2010-08-14T06:28:00.002-05:00

I am happy to report that the masters degree is finally finished. All that remains is to deliver the five copies of the thesis to the Registrar first thing Monday morning along with all the associated paper work, the last step which will bring this endeavor to a welcome and satsifying end. This is long overdue. I should have finished it up in 2007 upon completion of my research, but alas became distracted at that time with work and sundry other things and before I knew it, three years had passed before I began to consider seriously the data analysis and writing. Sure, at various points along the way I tinkered with this or that, wrote a paragraph or page here or there....but the serious work didn't begin until May of this year. Despite the distractions and delays, it's a great feeling to have this thing behind me.

Panang Curry

2010-03-28T09:41:00.002-05:00

Panang curry(with beef and topped with fresh diced chilies and Kaffir lime leaves) from a few nights ago. Served with steamed rice and lightly wilted watercress (cooked with garlic and tomatoes).

Monday Blurb

2010-03-22T07:06:00.003-05:00

Off on sick leave today due to pesky allergies. Something wicked is blooming and I would love to discover what and kill it. I hope too the rain and showers will soon clear the air of whatever nefarious pollen has done me a mischief.

I have given a lot of thought lately as to where I am in life and where I want to be. For quite some time now I haven't been entirely happy with the present state of things and have recently resolved to make some changes for the better. I've explored some options and put a few things in motion so if all goes well, 2010 will be a year of change, of calculated risk in pursuit of greater happiness.

Travel Bug

2010-03-13T15:24:00.004-05:00

One would think that having spent a good part of December in Honduras, followed by a long week there in February, the travel bug would be cured for the time being. Unhappily (only from a certain point of view) such is not the case. The urge to travel abroad has returned stronger than ever. I want nothing more than to strap on the hiking sandals, throw on the backpack, and disappear for a while into some little corner of the world. It is there where my soul is the happiest.

Chicken Adobo

2010-03-11T18:43:00.003-05:00

Chicken adobo made a couple nights ago. I used a three step cooking method for the chicken (boil, fry, simmer) which left the chicken super tender. Served with sides of bok choy and shitake mushrooms and rice topped with fried garlic.

Dinner: February 25

2010-02-28T11:26:00.002-05:00

Stir-fried beef and bok choy in a spicy sauce along with fried rice, into which I added a handful of fresh Thai basil.

Chu Chee Curry

2010-02-21T10:58:00.003-05:00

A shot of the chu chee curry I made a couple weeks ago. The fish was cod, which worked very very well. The only substitution I would make would be to sprinkle kaffir lime leaves over the dish when done and not cilantro as pictured here. Cilantro worked, but lime leaves would fit the overall composition just a little better. Happily I found the leaves today during a trip to an Asian market in Virginia Beach...so guess what's on the menu again tonight? :)

Espanol

2010-02-21T07:48:00.002-05:00

After several years of it remaining little more than a good idea left unfulfilled, I enrolled in a beginning Spanish course at a local college back in January. While the class has been a bit of work, I am thoroughly enjoying the time; not since the anthropology courses of the distant undergradute years have I taken a class as rewarding and as interesting as this one. I regret waiting three or four years to finally begin the language after deciding I want to learn it, but as they say: better late than never. While I feel as though I am learning a lot, I harbor no delusions about becoming fluent in the near future; that aspect is probaby years away. And that coming to pass only with regular and diligent study and practical use of the language.

Proof

2010-02-20T12:38:00.001-05:00

Just proof for the more incredulous that we did receive snow here in Virginia a few weeks ago.

Back

2010-02-20T11:13:00.001-05:00

Remarkable how long it has been since my last post. Certainly doesn't seem as though that many months have passed since I last posted the usual nonsense on here.

Back to the Grind

2009-06-22T05:23:00.002-05:00

It's back to the grind today after a delightful four day weekend during which I did little other than read, purge some junk from the apartment, visit the parents, and cook. It was nice. Very nice. Calls and/or text messages from work were kept to a minimum (mostly) and those that I did get I generally ingored.

An interesting observation though: usually a little time away from the office restores my energy and enthusiams for it and increases tolerance for all the daily nonsense and pettiness that transpires. But it's a little different this time around. I have no desire, no interest in returning to that wretched place. Tendering my resignation and starting anew somewhere else has a powerful appeal, but it's not realistic at this time, at least not until other employement is secured. Were it not for bills to pay and trips abroad to plan, I would almost risk being unemployed for the short term.

Anyway...off to have more coffee in hopes of fully bracing myself for the terror of the day.

Dinner June 21

2009-06-21T19:38:00.000-05:00

Thai style beef and basil along with rice.

Writersblok

2009-06-20T11:14:00.003-05:00

On a whim this morning, I headed over to Norfolk Stationery to spend a little time lusting over their broad selection of fountain pens and inks. Almost immediately upon arriving, I noticed on a shelf behind the endcap full of Moleskines, a collection of notebooks unfamiliar to me.

"Whazzat?!?" I said to myself.

Writersblok notebooks they were and, as they seemed a viable alternative to Moleskine, I picked up a pack each of the smaller (pocket sized) and medium soft-cover sizes to try out. As to paper selection I chose the dots, which seems a novel concept for those who like blank pages but have the singular inability to keep the lines straight without some sort of guide sheet placed beneath the page. What's more, the dots are somewhat narrower than the lines found in ruled Moleskine journals which is a Godsend for my miniscule handwriting.

So today I've a new thing with which to experiment. I'll write a review of sorts later today or tomorrow after I've put the Writersblok notebooks through their paces.

Today's Wisdom

2009-06-13T08:22:00.002-05:00

Tourists don't know where they've been; travelers don't know where they're going.

-Paul Theroux from The Happy Isles of Oceania

Burn baby burn

2009-06-07T18:21:00.012-05:00

Have been somewhat out of sorts today due to a rather severe case of sunburn acquired during a photo expedition to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge yesterday. As it turned out, I egregiously miscalculated (no surprise as I'm bad at math) the sunburn threat. Low and heavy clouds? Pfffft! Will leave the sunscreen at home. As a result of this error, I'm red today, the degree of which is several steps beyond lobster red. It's more along the lines of a mean and angry red. A Republican red.

As yesterday was my first Free Day in ages, I decided a photo expedition was in order and, thus, early in the day I gathered the camera and sallied forth to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge just south of Sandbridge in Virginia Beach. With the low clouds and spitting rain, it promised to be an ideal beach day, when conditions are dark and moody and I'm the only person for miles around. This is much preferred to those sunny and hot days when one can't take a shot without some overweight and frightfully under dressed tourist from New Jersey wandering into the frame.

But if anything, I was the one decidedly under dressed yesterday given the brisk north wind and grey skies spitting rain, that overpriced-camera-hating rain which seems to follow me on every photo expedition. Shorts, sandals, and a light polo shirt. Under dressed, yes, but not frightfully so. I had dressed for summer and yesterday was more akin to October. But the rain had stopped by the time i arrived at the preserve, so I decided to press onward along the trails of the Back Bay side in hopes the tangle of bushes and stunted trees would serve as a wind break at least until it warmed enough to allow beach wandering in comfort.

I pressed on along the bayside trails and discovered the open areas within the bushes and shrubby trees teeming with dragonflies of various makes, models, and colors. This pleased me greatly as as I've long been fond of those seemingly clunky, over sized insects. Alas, they weren't particularly cooperative to photographic endeavours save for one which, I would later discover when reviewing the day's photos, was missing a wing. So there it was. Less in the way of photographic prowess, and more in terms of a damaged insect probably in need of a breather. Dragonflies were soon to rise even higher in my estimation when I forayed out along the marsh trail boardwalk where I encountered the wrath of those wretched biting flies-the bane of picnics anywhere near the coast, which soon had me in full retreat back to the sheltered areas of bush and trees. Finding me very much to their liking (or perhaps delicious), the biting flies pursued me into the sheltered clearing. And here the air duel began. As the biting flies swarmed me, the dragonflies swarmed them, those big and surprisingly unclunky insects diving here and there in close proximity to me, presumably picking off their lunch. Within moments the biting flies had vanished as had the dragonflies and I was left alone wishing I had studied Odonata and not Diptera for the masters in biology.

Having been cleared of biting flies by my new Odonatan friends, I wandered back towards the trailhead and onto a low wooden platform over a pond and immediately noticed to my lower right a log floating in the water. A brown scaly log slithering among the light gray branches at the water's edge.

Snakes. Why does it always have to be snakes.

And not just any snake, mind you. A cottonmouth moccasin about three feet in length and with a diameter larger than my arm. As is often the case in predator/prey relationships, I froze in place, trembling like a field mouse. A six foot two field mouse. The snake paid me little interest and began to swim out towards open water.

Go away, please. Just go away.

Whether attracted by the clicking of the camera, or perhaps my mouse-like whimpering, the snake stopped, turned and, waving its head left and right, flicked its bifurcated tongue a few times in my direction. A moment of hesitation, a moment of assessment, and serpentine decision.

Help me, Obi-wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

With alarming speed, the snake launched in my direction. It's robust body undulating upon the calm surface of the water, leaving a wake in its path. I took defensive measures, but the Vile Serpent was undeterred by the heavy curses hurled in its direction. I then considered my options.

A. Wet my pants
B. Scream like a schoolgurl
C. Run away! Run away!
D. Both A and B
E. Stay and fight like a man

Thankfully I have long legs and with but a few great strides I found myself on the beach, a half mile away, where I spent the remainder of the day photographing waves and shore birds and horseshoe crabs long dead. And getting sunburned. Terribly, terribly sunburned. Even with the by then partly cloudy skies. But at the time, sunburn was the furthest thing from my mind. The beach was deserted save for a few Clean the Bay Days folks in the far distance, visible only because of their bright orange trash bags fluttering in the breeze. I was alone on that beach, with the constant roar of the breakers, blowing sea foam and the smell of salt air, and the flight of birds and sand crabs scurrying here and there, cautiously peering at me with stalked eyes from the safety of their burrows. Here one feels a certain connectedness with their surroundings, where two worlds meet, aquatic and terrestrial, and the life that flourishes at the angry and malleable juncture of the two. There is something restorative about time spent in this setting where life is reduced to things elemental, which, for those so inclined to look deeper at things, constitutes a meditative endeavor.

Summer Begins

2009-05-25T15:59:00.005-05:00

Ahhhh. The Memorial Day holiday. The official start of summer fun. The incessant laughter and high-pitched squeals of small children playing in the pool next door brings to mind this song....

A New Dawn

2009-05-10T08:22:00.003-05:00

Having had a late night out with family and some friends, I allowed myself to sleep in a bit this morning, finally crawling out of bed at the ungodly late hour of 8am as opposed to the usual 5:30-6am time frame. I was slighly out of sorts when I first woke due to last night's alochol, but after copious amounts water and coffee I'm feeling back to normal, or at least very nearly so. In a bit I'll ready myself to foray to the parent's house for a Mother's Day cookout, which is the primary activity on today's agenda.

Yesterday proved to be highly productive in terms of the issue mentioned in my last post (the "control my life and not have my life control me" thing). A good portion of the day was spent evaluating this issue, which included reviewing daily journals and diaries and giving serious consideration as to patterns that are so much more apparrent when documented in such a format than, say, via memory alone. To say that the endeavor was a real eye-opener is a bit of an understatement. I've long been convinced that the task of daily journal keeping, though at times mundane and tedious, has merit which was confirmed during yesterday's evaluation process. But at any rate, the key point I want to make here is this: a number of key factors were identified, from which I was able to develop a work plan (or road map, if you will) to regain control of my life. I cannot begin to describe the peace of mind, the excitement, the determination I now have. It's a new dawn, a new chapter of my life beginning to open as long as I maintain the discipline necessary to see the endeavor through to a happy conclusion.

Saturday blurb

2009-05-09T06:18:00.003-05:00

Been up for about an hour and am working my way through the third cup of coffee. Not much on the day's agenda other than some assorted chores (laundry...yay!) and such. There is a pronounced need to go to the office to do some things today, but for once I don't see that happening. I've worked the last few Saturdays and want this one to be my own.

The need to claim today as my own is symbolic of a much larger issue going on in my life. My traditional iron discipline has slipped and I feel as though I'm letting things control me and not the other way around as it should be. This has been vexing me for quite some time and it has finally gotten to the point that I have to say no more. So beginning today I'm putting into effect a more vigorous attempt at being in control of my hours, my days, my ultimate destiny.

Quote of the Day

2009-04-28T18:32:00.000-05:00

Most people would sooner die than think; in fact, they do so.

- Bertrand Russell

Obama's Address

2009-04-19T21:44:00.003-05:00

President Obama's address at the Summit of the Americas. One familiar with the United States' long and painful relationship with Latin America cannot help but to take heart with the following words:

"All of us must now renew the common stake that we have in one another. I know that promises of partnership have gone unfulfilled in the past, and that trust has to be earned over time. While the United States has done much to promote peace and prosperity in the hemisphere, we have at times been disengaged, and at times we sought to dictate our terms. But I pledge to you that we seek an equal partnership. (Applause.)

There is no senior partner and junior partner in our relations; there is simply engagement based on mutual respect and common interests and shared values. So I'm here to launch a new chapter of engagement that will be sustained throughout my administration. (Applause.)

To move forward, we cannot let ourselves be prisoners of past disagreements. I am very grateful that President Ortega -- (applause) -- I'm grateful that President Ortega did not blame me for things that happened when I was three months old. (Laughter.)

Too often, an opportunity to build a fresh partnership of the Americas has been undermined by stale debates. And we've heard all these arguments before, these debates that would have us make a false choice between rigid, state-run economies or unbridled and unregulated capitalism; between blame for right-wing paramilitaries or left-wing insurgents; between sticking to inflexible policies with regard to Cuba or denying the full human rights that are owed to the Cuban people.

I didn't come here to debate the past -- I came here to deal with the future. (Applause.) I believe, as some of our previous speakers have stated, that we must learn from history, but we can't be trapped by it."

President Obama's Address on Cuba at the Summit of the Americas.

Che: A Review

2009-04-19T19:58:00.003-05:00

Today I broke from my self-imposed exile of home to scurry forth to the Naro Theater across the street from me to see the movie Che (directed by Steven Soderbergh). One word can sum up the experience: OMFG (ok..so maybe not a word, but who cares); it was absolutely brilliant! Benicio del Toro's portrayal of Che alone is worth the price of admission (not to mention the four hours and a bit of sitting- Parts 1 and 2 back to back- talk about butt fatigue-thankfully a souvenir Che movie pamphlet was provided to commemorate the experience). Equally stellar is Santiago Cabrera's portrayal of Camilo Cienfuegos in Part 1, both physically and in character portrayal. Camilo was one of the stand-out figures from Anderson's Che biography and it was really nice to see such an portrayal on screen.

At times the movie did get a little tedious. After all, how many times can one watch a rag-tag band of guerrillas stalk about in the jungle: lush tropical foliage of Cuba: check and check again; the more arid foliage of Bolivia: check and check again. But this minor drawback is more than offset by the powerful acting by the principle characters.

Each of the two parts were good in their own way. Part 1 deals with the Cuban Revolution and is generally the better of the two in terms of pacing and overall presentation. Those not familiar with Che and his writings would find this the more accessible of the two (though honestly I think for the average American moviegoer, the films are generally inaccessible). That being said, I preferred Part 2, which dealt with Che's failed Bolivian campaign and was based on his Bolivian Diary. I read this diary late last year and was impressed with Soderbergh's ability to capture and portray the feelings of hope and then despair one gets from reading of the failed expedition in Che's own words.

So at any rate, Che was certainly worth the afternoon spent in the theater and it's equally certain that it will be one of the rare additions to my collection of DVDs. Four stars out of four.

Coincidence

2009-04-18T14:23:00.005-05:00

How's this for a coincidence:

Having finished Don Quixote, I moved on last night to Eduardo Galeano's Open Veins of Latin America which I picked up from Barnes and Noble earlier this year and on which I was eager to get started. Whilst reading the news just now I ran across this from an AP story about the Summit of the Americas (emphasis added):

"As the first full day of meetings began on the two-island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, Obama exchanged handshakes and pats on the back with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who once likened President George W. Bush to the devil. In front of photographers, Chavez gave Obama a copy of "The Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent," a book by Eduardo Galeano, which chronicles U.S. and European economic and political interference in the region."

El Presidente Chavez must have somehow obtained a copy of my reading list. :)

Quote of the Day

2009-04-18T07:34:00.000-05:00

"I have lived with several Zen masters -- all of them cats."

- Eckhart Tolle

Teabagging

2009-04-16T15:47:00.002-05:00

Keith Olbermann having some subtle fun with the teabaggers. ;)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Monday Missive

2009-04-13T13:19:00.002-05:00

"Should be the envy of the lunchroom tomorrow" -me, April 12, 2009

Less prophetic words have seldom been spoken. As it turned out, the presumed bout with allergies with which I've been condending the last couple of days was actually a cold and one severe enough to force the expenditure of a sick day from the office. Given the prevailing climate at work, I didn't mind not being there for once.

So anyway...the rest today has been nice, as has been the time to get some reading done. Also in a period of Benadryl-free clarity I finished up and filed my taxes. At the moment, it's a cup of coffee slowly sipped, after which I'll get back to the primary purpose of the day: rest.

Dinner April 12

2009-04-12T20:22:00.003-05:00

Thai-style roast pork with coconut mushroom sauce over garlic/ginger rice. All topped with a fresh salsa made from green onions, cilantro, thai chilis, and a variety of spices in perfect proportion. Should be the envy of the lunchroom tomorrow. :P

Sunday Update

2009-04-12T13:48:00.006-05:00

It's been rather the eventful week. First of all, my grandmother shuffled off this mortal coil on Tuesday, which set off the requisite chain of events that culminated with visitation on Friday and funeral yesterday. Her death was expected, as she had been in declining health for quite some time. When I last saw her Tuesday a week ago she was incredibly tired and ready to go. She was at peace with the course of nature, which, in turn, served as a balm of sorts for the family.

Meeting with the extended family and old friends over the last few days was a bit of an adventure in its own way. Most of these people I had not seen for probably 15 to 20 years, so polite conversation (those generic things one talks about with total strangers) was amiable, but admittedly awkward given the fact that I knew these people at one time, but now...well, not so much. Most of my cousins are married now with children of their own, but their collective world view was of the small town sort that for the most part doesn't extend beyond the boundaries of their hometown, immediate family, and church, safe from the "other," the unknown that occurs beyond, which, once encountered and understood, necessitates the casting off of old ways and the adoption of a more liberating world view.

The funeral yesterday was well done save for the memorial service, which started out as one (a memorial service), but somehow ended up as this obnoxious fire and brimstone sermon, an inappropriate attempt by the pastor to win souls by going after sorrowful hearts. The tone of the sermon earned rounds of "amens" from those inclined towards such nonsense, and rather the amount of indignant eye rolling from the few (myself and my sister included) whose broader view of life allows them to see such nonsense for what it really is.

So in some ways, the events of the last few days amounted to what could correctly be considered culture shock. To return home and discover strangers in the place of long-lost relatives and old acquaintences was something for which I had not sufficiently prepared myself. Certainly it was I who had changed, and not them. At times I felt more out of place there than when I was in Bangkok a number of years ago, where I spoke not the language and the culture was prevailingly alien to me.

But there's an interesting observation in all of this. My grandmother was largely responsible for who I was to become and am today. Some of my earliest and fondest memories of her are from my single digit years, those biweekly summer excursions to the library in her ancient green Dodge Dart where she, my sister, and I would comb the shelves for interesting books to eagerly devour over the coming weeks. She instilled in us at an early age her passion for reading, thirst for knowledge and, by extenstion, the inevitable consequence of questioning things, of seeking out a world larger than the one into which we were born. Whether or not this consequence was intended...well, that's difficult to say with any degree of certainty. She was born in 1920 and was certainly a product of her era. Yet with her love of reading, I cannot help but to think that perhaps there was a certain twinkle in her eye as we puttered home from the library so long ago, with my sister and I prioritizing our respective stacks of books or already quietly at work on them as broad fields of corn or peanuts passed slowly by.

Rigoddamndiculous

2009-04-07T20:13:00.000-05:00

Woman calls 911 over lack of shrimp in fried rice
04/07/2009 5:08:47 PM

A woman called 911 to report she didn't get as much shrimp as she wanted in her fried rice at a Fort Worth-area restaurant. Police on Tuesday released the taped emergency call, in which the customer is heard telling the dispatcher, "to get a police officer up here, what has to happen?" The customer also said: "He didn't even put extra shrimp in there."
The upset customer was gone when an officer arrived Monday afternoon.
Restaurant workers said the woman had been denied a refund after leaving with her order, then returning to complain.
Cook June Lee said there was nothing wrong with the meal, and that "some customers are happy. Some are not."
___
Information from Fort Worth Star-Telegram & KDFW-TV:
http://www.star-telegram.com & http://www.myfoxdfw.com

Odd....usually they just call the health department.

Watching

2009-04-05T22:34:00.000-05:00

Fish Tacos: revisited

2009-04-04T18:18:00.003-05:00

So once again tonight I opted for fish tacos, but with a different and much lighter presentation, perfect for a light summer meal.

The broiled, seasoned fish I topped with roasted red and green bell peppers and onions stuffed into a warm, white corn tortilla and served with a side of fresh pico de gallo (loaded with diced jalepenos and cilantro) and accompanied by lime wedges. The pico de gallo is served in a shot glass, which is about the right amount for two tacos (and will be suitably apt for a special fish marinade I'll use when making this dish again).

Fish Taco

2009-04-02T20:13:00.004-05:00

The cooking endeavour tonight took me south of the border (no passport required). Using what I had on hand here, I concocted a blackened fish taco served over a bed of black bean, roasted jalepeno, and lime salsa along with sides of fresh pico de gallo (lots and lots of cilantro added) and tortillas with an uber secret dip. The dip and tortillas would normally be served as an appetizer, but as I was cooking for one, I really didn't care too much about staggering the courses.

Cool Video

2009-04-01T05:53:00.000-05:00

Two years ago...

2009-03-29T17:19:00.007-05:00

This was the vista two years ago this weekend. Batad village and rice terraces on Luzon in the Philippines. I had arrived in Banaue around six in the morning, having taken the overnight bus from Manila, and almost immediately found myself, along with a few other tourists who happened to be standing nearby, in the back of a Jeepney bouncing along a road towards the ridge above with a guide and her family in tow. The shot was taken from the ridge overlooking the village right before the climb down. And so without sleep, or coffee, or breakfast, the climb down to Batad was underway, during which I made several unsuccessful attempts at falling to my death. The adventure did not stop upon reaching the village. The guide spoke of a great waterfall at the bottom of the valley just beyond the village. Seeing this as yet another great opportunity to fall to my death, I immediately set off across the rice terraces, up the corresponding ridge, and then descended into the valley along a narrow and winding path comprised in part of dirt track, steps, and a good measure of faith, as one can see below.

The guide had called the way down to the waterfall somewhat "difficult" which, in retrospect, rivals "it's just a scratch, a flesh wound!" in terms of the greatest understatements in history. I recall that day being terribly hot and humid, which made the rough and treacherous trail even more rough and treacherous and the goal of the fall's cool waters even cooler and more inviting.

After several delightful hours resting in the spray of the falls, the trek up was underway. If gravity was a foe on the way down, it was even more of a nemesis on the climb up, reaching out with its invisible hand to tug at you whenever your sandaled foot lighted upon unsteady terrain, which was often. During a break upon reaching the ridge of the valley from which one could again see Batad, I took a few moments to scribble in the journal these words: "...most gruelling hike ever. Great!.." (though not in italics as featured here) along with other similar nonsense that suggested heat and fatigue induced madness, or simply just the thrill of adventure and successful conquest, though I subsequently did try to fall to my death a few more times while crossing the rice terraces themselves. Otherwise, the trek back up to the ridge where the adventure began was uneventful.

So as the day drew to a close, the Jeepney navigated the road back to Banaue where accomodations were found and after the most refreshing shower in history, I immediately fell off to the equally most refreshing sleep in history. More adventures were in store for the next day, with the trip to Sagada and its intriguing hanging coffins.

Wet Spring Morning

2009-03-28T06:18:00.002-05:00

About halfway through the second coffee of the morning and will shortly be making a sally to the office to take care of some paperwork, including wrapping up a personnel project that I began last Saturday. The hope is to be finished by noon or thereabouts, though I will stay as long as necessary since there's really nothing else on the agenda today. And besides, I'm on call this weekend, so am more or less chained in town should something arise that requires my attention.

As I might have mentioned on here previously, I've never really minded going in to work on weekends. The office is wonderfully deserted and quiet and so much more can be accomplished in a few hours on, say, a Saturday morning than what one normally could on an entire weekday, with phones steadily ringing and staff floating in and out of my office. So this morning I'll throw on a pot of coffee immediately upon arrival, bring up the playlist on the Blackberry and click "shuffle song," and enjoy a few hours of uninterrupted, highly-caffeinated productivity.

At any rate, off now to ready myself for the day. Perhaps more later.

Quote of the Day

2009-03-24T17:44:00.001-05:00

"When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist."

-- Dom Hélder Câmara

Break from the Kitchen

2009-03-22T17:18:00.003-05:00

A quick cup of coffee and a few lines whilst taking a break from the evening's cooking. The evening's culinary creativity tonight manifests itself in the blending two recipes, one for coffee-roasted beef and my usual shepherd's pie concoction.* So I guess the end result might be coffee-roasted shepherd's pie. Or something to that effect. Will invent the name later on, but am open to suggestions.

So anyway, the balance of the day was spent in the most delightful of ways: reading. After morning errands and chores and a light lunch, I curled up with Don Quixote and read for the entire afternoon. The Knight of the Sorrowful Face and his trusty Sancho have once again taken to the field, with their misadventures leading from the cart of Death to the encounter with the Knight of the Woods. As I've said before: absolutely delightful.

*Note: No recipe link for the shepherd's pie. I make it up as I go along, so I guess "usual" is somwhat of a misnomer in the sense that it's different each time I make it.

In My Shell

2009-03-22T07:14:00.004-05:00

A sunny, but cold Sunday morning here in Norfolk. Laundry is just now underway and I'm on the third coffee of the morning. At present today's agenda remains largely undecided beyond laundry and associated chores which I'll get to eventually. Under consideration is a sally to the office to wrap up some things I didn't quite finish yesterday. I'm not super excited as to this prospect as I was there about six hours yesterday even though the plan was for a maximum of three. Working both Saturday and Sunday usually sets the stage for mid-week burnout and there's far too much this coming week's agenda for such to occur. So we'll just have to assess the level of motivation once laundry is done in about an hour and a half.

It seems that I've been in a bit of a rut as of late. The extent of variation in life has over the last couple of months devolved to the point of consisting of no more than long hours at work or solitary puttering about at home. A cursory review of the daily journal reveals that I've allowed myself only one social activity this year and that was meeting up with an old friend for dinner (which probably doesn't technically count since I found the outing so very miserable from the outset that I paid my tab even before the food was brought out, called it an early night, and retreated home with to-go box in hand to read and enjoy blissful solitude). To examine this phenomenon even further, a review of the cell phone bill reveals only one personal (non-work related) call in the past month and that one was simply a quick test of the new Blackberry on Day 1.

From time to time I've been known to retreat into my shell from which no one can drag me, but I don't recall such episodes being as pronounced as the one at present. The interesting thing is that thoughts of socializing on weekends or evenings do not even cross my mind when considering how to spend leisure time. I'm perfectly content to run my errands, make my solitary trips to Barnes and Noble, read my books, cook long and involved dinners for one, and simply be left alone. And woe unto anyone should they dare to disturb the glorious solitude.

So at any rate....off to take care of laundry and start the day.

Two years ago today....

2009-03-21T07:52:00.000-05:00

…..I was en route to the Philippines. Factoring in the difference in time zones, the 747 had lifted off from Nagoya for the final leg of journey to Manila. The flight was largely uneventful and consequently received very little time in the journal save for a few remarks about the girl seated next to me in the window seat who had perhaps the worst cold in recorded history. I just knew that in a few days time I too would have the worst cold in recorded history, but the gods of travel favored me that time around and a cold never came to pass.

On that flight I jotted a few notes about the anxiety and thrill that come with visiting a place for the first time, those feeling of uncertainty, the looming unknown in which one will soon find themselves for which one can only plan up to a point. It’s that moment of reflection, the deep breath before the plunge; you hope that upon hitting the water you’re able to navigate the rushing currents of culture and life.

It’s remarkable to consider that two years have passed. Wandering around Manila, both on foot and via Jeepney and exploring the rice terraces and mountains around Sagada seem much more recent a memory. The trip was memorable in many ways and I’m looking forward to a possible return later this year.

Hmmmmmm

2009-03-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

Not sure what I think about the glowing eyes.

Rainy Afternoon, The Sequel

2009-03-15T14:00:00.003-05:00

For the moment at least the rain has stopped, or very nearly so. This is but a temporary respite in the gloom which is to linger through Tuesday. I'm taking a break from scrubbing the kitchen floors to have a coffee to prattle on a bit at the computer. Once I wrap up the kitchen cleaning I'll move on to bill paying (probably) followed by the evening dinner ritual.

I have been somewhat of ill humor this weekend due to receiving the news on Friday that one of the brightest and best people in the office is leaving due to moral objections over the recent and terribly nasty personal issue to which I have alluded on here. That employee, like myself, was caught in the crossfire between the Evildoer and their innocent target in another department. This is such an unfortunate development and one that has thrown me into a bout of despair. We had a long and heartfelt private talk on Friday afternoon, which out of necessity had to be somewhat guarded at times due to the Evildoer chugging back and forth outside my closed office door like some gunboat on patrol. While I hate to see them go, I agree wholeheartedly with the departing employee's decision and admire their courage to take a stand.

Rainy Afternoon

2009-03-14T14:10:00.002-05:00

A cold and dreary morning has given way to a cold and rainy afternoon. From time to time the clanky old steam radiator hisses to life, drowning out the patter of the rain striking the windows and the leaves of the ancient magnolia just outside my study window. I have just now finished the weekend's laundry chores and the temptation is great to take full advantage of the weather by napping an hour or so before I get moving with the evening's cook-a-thon. Not sure what the specific dish will be; I do have on hand some beef and vegetables and a bottle of red to spur on the creative process.

After a bit of a lull in the reading, I've gotten back into it full bore this week and am continuing to churn my way through Don Quixote. The book is an absolutle delight, though I'm looking foward to finishing it and getting back to something a little more substantial in terms of current issues that have captured my attention.

Anway...off now to read/nap. Perhaps more later tonight.

First Issue

2009-03-10T18:32:00.003-05:00

The first issue of International Socialist Review arrived yesterday. Though I've given it only a cursory browsing thus far, it seems to be an intriguing periodical.

Afternoon Break

2009-03-08T14:56:00.004-05:00

Despite my intentions this morning to go forth into the sunny and warm day, I have thus far contrived to remain in the apartment. The day has not been a total loss, however, as I have managed to get a good bit of spring cleaning done and have put together the menu for tonight's cooking endeavor which I will begin a couple hours hence once I make a run to the grocery for a few things. While I have a good idea as to what I'll be making, the specific presentation remains somewhat in question. But that's part of the fun of cooking, particularly if you're proceeding sans recipe as I most often do.

Sunny Sunday

2009-03-08T08:20:00.003-05:00

I tumbled out of bed this morning at the typical early hour (though one hour later due to the daylight saving time thingie) and launched immediately into the morning's productivity, the hope being to get laundry and other sundry chores out of the way so as to have time suffficent for taking advantage of the sunny 80 degree weather. Laundry will be done in about half an hour or thereabouts, after which I'll make some decisions as to how best to employ the day. It's going to be important to make such a decision early and then get a move on with it; otherwise, I will fall into ennui and end up just wandering about the apartment, accompanied by much sighing and forlorn looks out the window (the cabin fever thing of which I wrote a few posts ago).

As for today, I'm trying to motivate myself for a photo expedition of some sort, which I have not done in quite some time. While I'm somewhat indifferent towards this endeavor (at least for the moment) it would nonetheless get me out of the apartment for a while. One of my greatest failings is locking myself away in here and not leaving once over the course of the weekend. This is a habit I really need to break. So at any rate, off to wrap up laundry and then devise some means of taking advantage of the day.

Greenhouse Therapy

2009-03-07T15:55:00.007-05:00

There are few things more restorative to ones sense of well-being than to sit for a while in a greenhouse, soaking up the warmth and and the feeling of being surrounded by new and well-nurtured life. A brief time in this setting validates Thomas Jefferson's assertion that:

"those who labour in the earth are the chosen people of God,

if ever he had a chosen people."

Friday Evening Prattle

2009-03-06T20:04:00.003-05:00

What a difference a few days make: snow, ice, and roving packs of Yetis on Monday and today 70 degrees, with sun-yellow jonquils turing their faces to the equally sunny sky, and packs of robins flitting about, poking here and there for whatever tasty bits they manage to find time of the year. The forecast is for much of the same tomorrow and even warmer on Sunday with highs pushing the 80 degree mark. It will be imperative that I try to get out and enjoy the weekend weather as it's not going to last; cooler temperatures and rain are in store for next week. An ephermeral weekend such as this sets the stage for a near-terminal case of cabin fever, which manifests itself in the form of much sighing accompanied by lingering, forlorn looks out the office/home/Jeep window with the memory of the taste of spring that was, but is no more, at least for a month or so yet. Mother Nature is just cruel this way.

Never has a weekend been more welcome than this one. Work this week can only be decribed as insane and this might even been an understatement. Extraneous personal drama cast a dark pall over much of the day to day business and sent those so inclined by their nature to find such bickering pointless scurrying for cover. It's interesting to note that those of us who tried to rise above such nonsense were dragged repeatedly back down into the muck, or if our altitude above the buffoonery was too great, were bombarded by artillery fire. It seems that some believe personal drama must be shared by all those around them. I think what bothered the Evildoers more than anything was my studied, stoic indifference to it all. I refused to react or even comment (though at times my inclination was to tear our their throats with a pen), which drove the interested parties to distraction. While there was some gratification in this, I'm rather tired of the ongoing ordeal. The hope is that the weekend will allow sufficient time for the perpetrators to see the error of their ways so we can once again achieve some sense of normalcy.

Snow, for what it's worth

2009-03-02T12:03:00.000-05:00

Not a blizzard, but nice to see nonetheless.

Wazzat?!?

2009-03-02T05:29:00.003-05:00

Upon tumbling out of bed (again before 5am, grrrrr), I peered out the window into the darkness to confirm earlier pronouncements on here regarding the fundamental improbability of snow here in Norfolk.

Rooftops of white?

I blinked.

Wazzat?!?!, I said to myself.

Against all odds, we've finally received a wee bit of snow. At present it amounts to little more than a dusting on the grass and cars and rooftops; laughable amounts elsewhere, but technically a Significant Event here in Norfolk. And the best that I can tell in the light of the streetlamps, it's still falling, or perhaps it's just blowing off nearby roofs.

While the roads are at present perfectly clear, I'm altogether certain some staff will call out today due to the inclement weather. As of yet, I've received no call or text messages from my people, but it's still early yet. I would consider calling out as well, but such a request would be ridiculed for two reasons: 1.) I live five blocks from the office and 2.) I have a 4wd Jeep Wrangler, which pretty much negates any claim of impassable roads. But I don't have to be at work for a couple hours yet and if the snow continues and begins to stick to the roadways, perhaps, just perhaps, we'll receive word as to appropriate closings.

At any rate...off to ready myself for work and the journey there against dangerous snow drifts and menacing packs of Yetis.

Coming soon....

2009-03-01T13:37:00.003-05:00

This movie will be coming to the little neighborhood theater across the street from me next month. Having read Anderson's wonderful Che biography last fall, I'm particularly excited about seeing Che on the big screen.

Sunday Morning Coffee

2009-03-01T08:18:00.007-05:00

I ended up staying much longer at the office yesterday than originally planned. Was hoping to get out of there no later than noon and ended up staying until 2pm and only left then due to the 4pm meeting with the graduate advisor. Even after six hours of paperwork and filing, more -much more actually- remains. The biggest accomplishment was reorganizing the filing system in my office. Whereas before controlled chaos was the system of choice; now everything is neat and orderly, with one drawer devoted to personnel files and another set up (and divided further) to accomodate policy, prodecure, codes, and the more technical things we deal with on a daily basis. Begun also was the task of reordering the in- and outboxes on my desk, which is proving a little more difficult given the number of projects and such going on simultaneously. While the present system is workable, it, as with most things in life, can still be improved upon. So all things considered, yesterdays office time was a success. Under consideration is another few hours there today, though at present I'm altogether indifferent towards that. Perhaps with the completion of laundry in about an hour and a little more coffee, the sufficent motivation for another foray will arise and I'll go in for a few hours....

......before the Great Blizzard sets in.

Yes, once again, snow is in the forecast and once again I'm confident that we'll be gravely disappointed despites hopes to the contrary. It's interesting that the National Weather Service keeps shifting the Winter Storm Watch/Warning/Run for the Hills line eastward towards Norfolk as the storm system develops, though I refuse to get my hopes up about this. It's bitterly cold out and windy with dark and ominous clouds, but that means little more than cold rain around here.

So anyway.....am going to bring this post to a close and take care of some chores and make a grocery run for tonight's cooking endeavor.

Totally looks like.....

2009-03-01T07:59:00.001-05:00

see famous look-a-like faces

Saturday Morning

2009-02-28T06:11:00.002-05:00

I tumbled out of bed just before 5am this morning (this is early even by my normally early standards) and already am well into my thid cup of coffee. The sun has yet to rise on this wet and windy morning. There is much rain in the forecast with a possibility of it changing over to snow (yeah right!) by the time the storm system leaves us late Sunday or Monday.

Today's agenda is at present relatively low key. The plan is to foray to the office to catch up on some things before heading off to a meeting with my graduate advisor at 4pm. While I'm not exactly super excited about sallying forth to the office today, it's somewhat of a necessity as two entire days of sitting on an interview panel have put me behind on a number of things due forthwith that were already behind schedule, or very nearly so. Moreover, going in on weekends isn't bad as there are no distractions from staff and phones and emails marked urgent; so much can be accomplished in a short period of time than occurrs during the typical weekday. And, If I'm feeling thusly inspired, I'll continue the office reorganization began last fall. The project was about halfway complete before distractions (ok...a loss of interest) set in. It will be a rewarding thing to bring the project to a happy conclusion. The only thing I'm waiting on now is for stores to open so I can pick up a few things (office supplies, a plant or two, and possibly a floor lamp) before heading in.

Lessons for a Leo

2009-02-25T21:15:00.004-05:00

Tensions are running high right now, and you're going to have to put extra effort into not flying off the handle when someone says something that sounds rude to you. Give people the benefit of the doubt, especially the newer people in your world. They might not know the rules, and it's really not up to you to teach them to them. This person will learn the lessons they need to learn eventually, and it's best for you to walk away from any dramas that they create. You don't need it.

I've never really paid much attention to horoscopes but today's stopped me dead in my tracks. It could not be more perfect in terms of a few issues around the office. Perhaps there's something to these things after all.....

Uncanny Resemblance

2009-02-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

see famous look-a-like faces

Dinnah

2009-02-22T21:26:00.004-05:00

As predicted earlier, the menu for tonight did undergo a change, though not all that dramatic of one. Instead of southwest, the menu headed south with the result being fried chicken pasta. I cheated a bit since I bought pre-made fried chicken from the grocery which is just as well since theirs is far better than what I could do. Come to think of it, I've never actually made fried chicken here at home. But at any rate, regardless of the origin of the friend chicken, the pasta dish turned out exceptionally well. It's a little involed in terms of steps (though they are easy), but it's well worth the effort. I didn't use a recipe, so I will try to recreate it here for future use.

Ingredients
1 link of smoked sausage, diced
1/2 onion diced
1 clove of garlic minced
1 can of chicken broth (or just make your own if you tend to be Martha Stewarty)
1/2 can of diced tomatoes
lima beans
corn
1 diced red bell pepper
2 Thai chilis
Thyme (to taste)
Majoram (to taste)
Salt y pepper (to taste)
Parsley (diced, to taste)
Kale, chopped
Several pieces of fried chicken diced
Pasta (style of your choice. I used Ziti since it's what was on hand)

Steps
1. Dice the sausage and fry until brown. Remove from oil.
2. Make a brown roux with oil (equal parts flour and oil). Set aside
3. In a different pan saute onions and garlic in a little vegetable oil until tender. Add the sausage and Thai chilis.
4. Add tomatoes, corn, lima beans, and chicken broth.
5. Add the roux, parsley, thyme, and majoram.
6.Simmer until vegetables are nearly tender then add the red bell pepper.
7. Boil pasta in seperate pot. Drain.
8. When much of the water has been absorbed and vegetables are tender, add the kale. Cover and steam a few minutes until tender. Do not overcook the kale.
9. Once kale is tender, add a bit of corn starch as a thickener. Mix well.
10. In a mixing bowl, combine pasta, diced fried chicken, and veggie mixture. Mix well and serve.
11. Enjoy!

Sunday Afternoon Randomness

2009-02-22T15:12:00.003-05:00

After a delightful rainy morning and early afternoon, the sun is now beginning to come out.

*shakes fist at the heavens*

This is altogether disappointing as I was in the mood for one of those dark and dreary days wonderful for curling up with a book and very little else.

But anyway...I've just now put on a pot of coffee to get me through the remainder of the afternoon. Two cups now and another one right before I begin cooking. After that, I'll switch over to a glass of wine which is one of the key ingredients for the cooking process. Not necessarily to add to the food (though sometimes that is the case); in very modest amounts wine seems to aid in culinary creativity particularly if you are proceeding without a recipe as is usually my case.

Tonight's culinary creation (as least as it stands now) will be some sort of chicken and vegetable pasta. Knowing me, the menu will change five or six times between now and when cooking starts about five-thirtyish. Most likely the dish will be southwestern in nature as I have on hand the necessary ingredients to carry it off in that direction (tomatoes, corn, jalepeno peppers, cilantro, onions, and garlic). But again: it's still early yet. By the time I turn off the stove, I might end up making adobo.

I am wondering if I might be coming down with the cold that has been circulating around the office for the last couple of weeks. I'm feeling only about 70% of my usual self. I'm lethargic and sneezing and congestion are a bit bothersome today. The biggest indicator suggesting the onset of a cold? When a sneeze is immediately followed by a chill. For me at least this always indicates a cold is in the works. The lack of energy today is the most bothersome element. I didn't feel up to sallying forth to the gym this morning and even the trip down to the laundry facility in the basement was rather the ordeal. Ah well. At any rate, I'm uppping the intake of vitamin C just in case.

Test image

2009-02-21T11:13:00.000-05:00

Test of mobile pic blogging :)

Out of Sorts

2009-02-21T08:22:00.004-05:00

It's going to take a lot of coffee to get me going this morning due to being awakened just before 4am by the Harpy dowstairs engaged in a riotous argument with what I presume to be its boyfriend (must consult the guides to ancient literature to discover what male Harpies, if such exist, are called; if such are a new discovery I'll write an appropriate new species description). The affair ranged up and down the apartment- from the bedroom to the front of the apt and back again to the bedroom and included much yelling and screaming, slamming of doors, and throwing of things. Such affronts to ones sleep are generally rare due to the nature of this building. It's old and solid and, thankfully, one can't hear much of what going on either below or across the hall. This speaks much as to the intensity of last night's argument. It ultimately came to the point that I had to bang on the floor with a broom handle which had some effect, though by that point my sleep was so broken it took almost another an hour to drift back off. So at any rate, it's extra coffee this morning to get me going. Of course I'll be firing off an email of complaint to the management company, but this will be done in due time. The initial instinct was to hammer out said email last night, but it most likely would have been less than civil.

I rather don't comprehend the degree of raw fury that was on display last night. This could be due to some personality defect on my part. Arguments are very rare for me and if they do occur, they're more along the lines of a thoughtful discourse, even if it's something about which I feel strongly. I don't get agitated about things, I don't raise my voice, and I certainly don't carry on in an uncivilized manner as the the neighbors last night. This trait has from time to time earned me the appelation of cold, indifferent bastard, which is terribly unfair. Perhaps I'm just a bit more analytical than most when it comes to matters of contention. Whatever the issue is that inflames the passions generally is of very little consequence in the bigger scheme of things and if such matters are of greater importance, they are worthy of thoughtful and civil discussion. Nothing will be solved by screaming and yelling and throwing objects.

Blackberry Review

2009-02-19T20:59:00.002-05:00

I've had the Blackberry Curve for almost six days now and if I had to choose one word to sum up the experience thus far it would be: Impressive.

I'm not sure where nor how to begin heaping plaudits on the Blackberry. It's very nearly perfect is so many ways. It's features, the ability to switch between active applications, and so on could scarcely be improved upon. Yesterday I really put the device through it's paces and was well pleased with the experiment. All at the same time I was utilizing one of the Instant Messaging features while texting, utilizing the Internet, AND listening to music, all without any difficulties and no real disagreeable impact upon battery life. As most of my friends know, I'm a fairly rabid texter and am enjoying the full keyboard; it's large enough to navigate with ease.

Thus far I've encountered no real downsides to the Blackberry, save for perhaps availability of instructions. The guidebook with which the phone came is limited, so one has to rely on the help features in the device itself. Installing a memory card and subsequently loading music was a bit of an ordeal (of course I'm not the most technologically savvy person on the planet), but with a little trial and error, all is well.

Test

2009-02-19T07:15:00.000-05:00

Mobile blogging test

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2009-02-15T22:15:00.003-05:00

Tonight's cooking project was chicken tortilla soup, a very easy but incredibly flavorful recipe. The most involved part of the dish was making the chicken stock from scratch. Presumably one could just use canned chicken broth, but I'm inclined to make my own when and if time allows. I prefer this (even though it requires a lot of time) as the end product is generally more flavorful than the canned stuff (with the addition of cilantro) and probably contains much less sodium. As I have no life, there is sufficient time to make the dish totally from scratch.

The recipe (which is very forgiving even if you don't have all the ingredients or wish to make modifications) is as follows:

One chicken breast
An onion diced and halved
Four cloves of garlic
Cilantro to taste
Two diced jalepeno peppers (one green, one red)
12oz bag of corn
Salt and white pepper to taste
Mexican style cheese
Lime juice
tortillas

In stock pot, combine the chicken breast with half the diced onion, half the diced garlic, and cilantro and simmer for an hour and a half.

Remove the chicken breast and drain the broth. Dice/shred the chicken.

In a heavy saucepan saute the remaining onion and garlic until tender and add the diced chicken and saute a few minutes.

Add chicken broth and water (if needed) to make a suffficient quanity of soup. Add the diced jalepenos and corn and simmer for 30 to 45 minutues.

Once the appropriate flavor has been achieved, add cilantro and lime juice (to taste) reduce heat and simmer a few moments. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Ladle into bowls and add tortillas and queso.

Enjoy. :)

Technological Tether

2009-02-15T18:21:00.004-05:00

With the expiration of my cell phone contract imminent and having nothing better to do yesterday, I sallied forth to look at new phones and associated plans. This was, in effect, the culmination of a few weeks of periodic research into various phones. I've had a Motorola Razr, of which I'd grown fond, over the last two years. Not a moments worth of trouble, not even after accidentally dropping it on a stone street in Sagada, where it bounced along in the shadow of the hanging coffins for what seemed slighlty longer than an eternity. At that point, I was nearly ready to curl up in one of those coffins, and would have done so, but the phone emerged with nothing more than a few very minor scuffs. Such was my fondness of the Razr, I considered sticking with it for two more years. But as with so many things, life gets in the way. More numerous and complex responsibilities required something a bit more comprehensive than the Razr in terms of data access and scheduling and so on. Choices had been narrowed down to either the Palm Centro or the Blackberry Curve and I was leaning towards procuring the former as I had experimented with one recently purchased by a coworker and found it to my liking. All thoughts of the Palm, however, were banished after but a few moments of experimenting with the Blackberry. At that point, there was really no choice and I returned home with the Blackberry in my clutches.

As it turned out, the decision as to which phone was the easy part. Learning its multitue of features and how to navigate around the menus ate up much of the evening and even a part of today. Emotions varied between elation and frustration, which astonishingly sometimes occurred at the same time. But at this point of the trial phase, I'm still very much pleased with the purchase, though in a weird sort of way I have a few reservations as to just how deeply connected I'm going to be. SMS, email, all versions of instant messaging, the Internet, and so on. There is something almost fundamentally wrong about this level of connectivity to the world.

Dinner

2009-02-08T19:34:00.005-05:00

The Thai-style roast pork with rice. Mixed in with the pork are mint, cilantro, shallots, ground roasted rice, fish sauce, lime juice, and diced Thai chilis, all to taste. The two ingredients that seem to require equal measures are the fish sauce and lime juice (in this case, a tablespoon of each). The key to this recipe is to simmer the pork a couple of hours (along with diced garlic, ginger, and cilantro) to ensure tenderness then immediately remove from the broth, cube, and then throw under the broiler to roast a few moments. That way it's crispy on the outside and still very tender inside. The broth I used to cook the rice.

Sunday Evening Prattle

2009-02-08T17:41:00.003-05:00

Almost 70 degrees here today and sunny. Taking full advantage of the spring-like weather, I more or less stayed indoors engaged in the usual pursuits of reading and scribbling in the journal. The planned walk over to Starbucks for a coffee and a bit of reading was shelved when I saw the crowds outside; from what I could tell not a seat remained inside or out and, as I wasn't really up to dealing with people today, I chose instead to make a pot here at home. At present some pork, ginger, and cilantro are simmering away for use a bit later tonight. The broth I will use to make rice and the pork will be pan-roasted and topped with a mixture of lime juice, fish sauce, mint, shallots, cilantro, diced Thai chilis, and ground roasted rice.

For the first time in weeks, I broke out the fountain pens with which to write today, mainly due to a shortage of the usual micro-fine point pens typically used for such endeavors, thanks to heavy handed people at work. Hand a pen to them to sign something and it's handed back all broken. I've lost three like this recently and one would think I'd have learned my lesson. I now have to order some more and keep on hand for staff signatures a box of crayons. But as to the fountain pens, they are such a novel and delightful writing tool. While I can't write with them as small and precise I normally do, they nonetheless provide a nice change of pace. The way the ink just glides across the page with the lightest of efforts and the ability to flair letters make the endeavor so very worthwhile. Needless to say these don't get lent out to staff for any reason whatsoever, though presumably they are much more difficult to break.

Desert Fever

2009-02-08T07:29:00.003-05:00

I have been battling as of late a rather mild case of travel fever which has begun to morph into what seems to be a pronounced case of desert fever. The best cure for this malady is a trip to Arizona; otherwise, one spends far too much time sighing and staring mournfully out windows while hoping the condition passes on its own.

It has been exactly two years this week since I was last out there and that trip remains my favorites of all time, in terms of domestic excursions. I've made three trips to Arizona since 2005 and with each visit I become more enamored with the region. There is something about that part of the country to which I am deeply drawn. Were the opportunity ever to present itself, I would relocate there with but momentary debate. If anything, I've already had that debate; it's now just a matter of putting the process in motion. Of course the economy at present isn't exactly conducive for relocation, which is just as well since I still have that pesky masters thesis write-up to finish. But in the meantime, I'm keeping an eye on air fare and giving some thought as to a possibly travel ininerary for late February or March.

Icy Doom

2009-02-03T20:18:00.010-05:00

The consideration of an evening walk to the grocery for a few things was summarily dismissed when I remember the forecast of probable snow for later tonight and tomorrow. The mere mention of this word, even in passing, by local weatherpeope is usually sufficient reason for the masses to flock to the grocery stores in order to stock up on enough provisions to stave off starvation for weeks, if not longer, in the event they are stranded at home by the one to two inches of snow we might receive. Not wishing to take part in the madness and, not really needing anything in particular, I postponed the walk until a more suitable time, such as the End of Days.

As to the snow, I am very doubtful that we'll receive much, if any at all. It is such a rare thing here, even on occasions when it's all but guaranteed. Such occurred on Inauguration Day. We had a 100% chance of snow, with accumulations ranging from 3-5 inches. With all schools and colleges closed in anticipation of the Great and Terrible Event, grocery stores emptied of everything but discounted Christmas trees out front, and families huddled at home, mothers clutching children and fathers bravely posted at windows nearby, braced for the Savage Fury of mother nature, the day came and went with no more than one or two early morning flakes. By the early afternoon, it was evident to all that the Great Calamity would not come to pass and with relief neighbors rush out into the streets to hug neighbors, tears of joy streaming down their cheeks and glistening in the sun emerging from behind the dark, but impotent clouds.

So as for the coming "snow?" Not bloody likely.

Lazy Sunday

2009-02-01T19:19:00.003-05:00

The events of the day transpired more or less according to plan and amounted to very little other than some cleaning, scribbling in the journal, and ample time curled up with a book. I also took advantage of the sun and 60 degree temperatures by taking a long and rambling afternoon walk around the neighborhood before parking myself over at Starbucks for a couple hours of reading and being jostled by by the coming and going of patrons, many with small annoyances (aka: children) in tow. But at least the weather was warm and most ended up sitting on the patio outside, parents distracted by their lattes and conversation whilst their offspring dug around in the flowerbeds for cigarette butts and broken glass.

Return to the Roost

2009-01-31T17:13:00.003-05:00

After about a month away during which I enjoyed the blissfulness of relative quietude, the Harpies in the apartment below have returned and with all their customary cackling and squawkwing and carrying on so at the strangest hours. It's the most curious thing. You won't hear a peep until three or four in the morning when you are suddenly awakened by a bout of loud and obnoxious squawking, almost as though they have joyfully returned from a successful night of hunting with hapless victim clutched in their bloody talons. They have this habit of carrying on long and involved conversations from opposite ends of the apartment, presumably one is in the kitchen heating up a skillet and the other is down the hall somewhere field-dressing the prey. Presumably during their time away they've learned to cook since they're not setting off the smoke detector nearly as often as they did prior to the hiatus. But in all fairness, they don't carry on so every single night, though it happens frequently enough for them to earn the label of "annoying."

Speaking her mind...

2009-01-31T08:19:00.002-05:00

Never heard much about Senator Claire McCaskill until I saw this video yesterday. Suddenly she's one of my favorite politicians....

Tuesday Afternoon

2009-01-27T17:44:00.001-05:00

I am most creative and productive on dreary and rainy days. As today fit into that category, I rushed home early from work filled with An Holy Zeal to hammer away on the thesis write up and immediately fell asleep. Rain pattering against the window and ancient steam radiators hissing away overruled writing in lieu of a nap, with which the cats were in hearty agreement. Upon waking an hour or so later, I grabbed a jacket and Don Quixote (the book, not the man) and, not yet fully awake from the nap, staggered over to Starbucks for a coffee and a bit of reading. It was an ideal afternoon for such a venture. Positioned at my favorite table by the window, I divided my attention between the book, the coffee, and the comings and goings along Colley Avenue: people passing by half hidden by umbrellas, the muted light of street lamps reflecting on the sidewalk and parked cars, and the gentle rain falling, dripping off the lonely patio tables and pooling on the brick floor below. And in thus manner was the afternoon spent, until at last the coffee was gone and queue of patrons hopeful for tables necessitated gathering up the book and scurrying across the street to home through the gathering darkness and lingering rain.

New Project

2009-01-24T13:59:00.001-05:00

A forthcoming reading project will be a study of socialism, beginning with theory then moving on to historical applications. Why would I do this? you might ask. Much of my reading over the last couple of months has dealt with the history of Latin America, specifically the human impact of U.S. backed wars of terror against purported leftist insurgents nancing around Central America in the 1970s and 80s. If you have never read about this period of history, I suggest you make a cursory exploration of this overlooked part of history, which is one of the greatest tragedies of the 20th century. It will be an eye-opener for you much as it has been for me. The time and effort and monetary resources the U.S. poured into stopping the leftward drift in this part of the world makes me curious as to what about socialism was so fearful and terrible that we turned a blind eye to egregious and broad scale human right abuses, if not supporting such violations outright. By this I mean to get at the theoretical foundations, not the typical propaganda dutifully regurgitated pertaining to the threat of leftist idealism. What do we really know about socialism beyond what we are told by its ideological opponents? What is it that makes capitalists fall into paroxysms of anger and threat at its mention? It is as wretched of a social order as we are told? These are the questions I seek to answer.

The List 2008

2009-01-12T07:14:00.002-05:00

In 2008 I read a total of 17 books comprising 4,988 pages (for an average number of 13.62 pages read per day). This is a miserable failure. The goal at the start of the year was a minimum of 20 books with unspoken aspirations of 30. Between getting bogged down in a couple books and encountering an assortment of distractions (combined with a lapse in the discipline customary with such endeavors) the year slipped away before the reading goal was achieved. However, it must duly be noted that the last five books (29% of the annual total) in the list below (comprising 1,440 pages, or nearly 29% percent of the annual page count) were all read in the month of December, a time when both discipline and focus were high. So at any rate, The List of books read this year is presented below in a Title (Author) number of pages format.

1. The Discovery of the Igorots (William Henry Scott) 332p.
2. Jerusalem Delivered (Tarquato Tasso) 413 p.
3. The Diary and Life of William Byrd II (Kenneth Lockridge) 166p.
4. Histories of the Dividing Line Expedition (William Byrd II) 320p.
5. The Last Lecture (Randy Pausch) 206p.
6. Guns, Germs, and Steel (Jared Diamond) 464 p.
7. Beowulf (Author unknown) 105p.
8. Travels Through America (Jonathan Carver) 228p.
9. Utopia (Sir Thomas More) 150p.
10. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) 167p.
11. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde) 229p.
12. Che: A Revolutionary Life (Jon Lee Anderson) 768p.
13. Hegemony or Survival (Noam Chomsky) 255p.
14. Hugo! The Hugo Chavez Story from Mud Hut to Perpetual Revolution (Bart Jones) 487p.
15. Pathologies of Power: Health, Human Rights and the New War on the Poor (Paul Farmer) 256p.
16. The Bolivian Diary (Ernesto “Che” Guevara) 276p.
17. Profit Over People (Noam Chomsky) 166p.

Which book of 2008 was my favorite? While they all had their varying degrees of merit, the best when considered in terms of totality was unquestionably Pathologies of Power. If there was ever a book that bring about a true conscious-raising as to the structural violence that constitutes the underlying causes of poverty and illness, of which we’re all culpable, this is it. The book will make you angry; the book will enlighten you; the book presents a masterful, broadly applicable theoretical framework into which many of the world’s injustices can be logically subsumed. I do not recall ever marking up a book as much as I did this one with notes scribbled in the margins, key phrases underlined, and important pages dog-eared. What’s more, the bibliography is among the best I’ve ever encountered and serves as a great resource for further inquiry into structural violence, the savaging effects of neoliberal economic policies on the developing world, economic and social rights, and, of all things, liberation theology. Much ink and many pages of the personal journal have since been devoted to the oft quoted phrase “preferential option for the poor.”

My favorite author of 2009? Chomsky. If you have never read Chomsky, I strongly suggest you do. He’s a powerful and insightful writer and even if you don’t necessarily agree with him, his arguments will make you think. Hegemony or Survival was the better of the two Chomsky books read this year, much of which dovetails nicely with the arguments put forth by Farmer in Pathologies of Power regarding economic and social violence, though Farmer takes it a step further in his application to sickness and health. I foresee reading much more of Chomsky this year.

On to 2009. The goal will be a minimum of 30 books. I've already knocked out two: Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck and Chomsky's Failed States and am well into my third: Beatriz Manz's Paradise in Ashes: A Guatemalan Journey of Courage, Hope, and Terror.

Barbarians at the Gates

2008-11-29T07:49:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart Worker Dies After Shoppers Knock Him Down

Wal-Mart worker dies after being bulldozed by bargain-hunting Black Friday shopping stampede

By COLLEEN LONG
The Associated Press
NEW YORK

A Wal-Mart worker was killed Friday when "out-of-control" shoppers desperate for bargains broke down the doors at a 5 a.m. sale. Other workers were trampled as they tried to rescue the man, and customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death, police and witnesses said.
---------------------------------------------------------

OK. There are so many things blatantly wrong with this that I hardly know how, nor where, to begin casting forth the much-deserved vituperations. I don’t get angry about much, but this certainly does it. While the trampling incident is shocking and tragic, the most sickening part of this was that customers shouted angrily and kept shopping when store officials said they were closing because of the death.

They kept shopping?!?

What on earth is wrong with those people?! I’m sorry, but have we come to this? Has the desire for a “bargain” dredged up from the distant past a barbaric form of greed that overrides more civilized, respectful sensibilities? The rampaging herd mentality is one thing (commercialism in one of its ugliest manifestations), but for the angry crowd to continue shopping, shopping of all things, in light of the tragedy that they themselves caused defies any logical explanation beyond the fact that humans are, at least in terms of social economics, far less evolved than they pride themselves to be. The barbarians aren’t at the gates; they’re at Wal-Mart or wherever bargains are to be had.

Now, perhaps I’m being harsh. As we all know, people aren’t really responsible for their own actions, so maybe the sales bear the ultimate responsibility for the man‘s death. As you read further in the AP article, you see what sort of deals drove the crowd into it‘s blind fury, items including a Samsung 50-inch Plasma HDTV for $798, a Bissel Compact Upright Vacuum for $28, a Samsung 10.2 megapixel digital camera for $69 and DVDs such as "The Incredible Hulk" for $9.

Wow.

DVDs for nine dollars.

How could the crowd be at fault when tempted with such deals?

From time to time one reads a new story of similar tramplings associated with emergency humanitarian food drops in the developing world. While these incidents are also tragic, they’re somewhat more understandable in the sense that they involve a core life issue like, say, starvation. But for such a tragedy to happen in the context of non-critical material goods (even at bargain prices!) indicates a lost way, a reign of greed, a profound social illness.

shivers

2008-11-18T18:47:00.000-05:00

A cold and blustery evening here in Norfolk with an ever so slight chance of snow. Yep. Snow. Not bloody likely here in the Tidewater, but nice to consider nonetheless. Perhaps it's not as impossible as one might think. If Virginia could happy go blue this election, snow here in November is suddenly probable. To complete the cold autumn evening effect, a pot of hearty beef stew is slow-simmering away in the kitchen with a Harvest Yankee Candle flickering away in the living room, casting moving monstrous shadows on the walls, much to the interest of the cats.

The evening's agenda consists of little more than wrapping up dinner and getting some more reading done. I wrote at length in the journal earlier this evening and may pen a few more lines before I return to the Che biography, which I am very much enjoying. The quality of this book is such that I would happily take a day off from work for the purpose of reading all day. It's a rare book that incites such a degree of interest for which one would happily burn valuable vacation time.

Rainy Afternoon

2008-11-14T15:44:00.000-05:00

Home from work a couple hour later than planned. The steady rain puts me in the mood for a nap, but that can't be incorporated into the agenda as there's much to do this afternoon and evening before I get started with the cooking. I dearly love days like this: dark and dreary with a delightful rain. Few things put one in the mood to curl up all day with a book or scribble for hours in the journal about nothing and everying. At least for me, there's something about rainy days that spurs on the creative/intellectual processes.

Anyway...off to make coffee lest I succumb to the temptation of sleep.

Morning Coffee

2008-11-14T06:51:00.000-05:00

Just a few quick lines before I ready myself for work. We're having a bit of dense fog here in Norfolk this morning with more rain on the way for later today, tonight, and tomorrow. If all goes as planned, I am going to take off early from the office, hopefully no later than noon or shortly thereafter. It has been a long week, so I am looking forward to starting the weekend early. Besides, a friend will be coming over for dinner tonight (that's the plan anyway) and I need to tidy up the apartment and make a run to the grocery for a few things.

Anyway...off to ready myself for the day.

The Selection

2008-11-11T07:16:00.000-05:00

It took but a little deliberation after Sunday's post to select the next book: I decided to go with the Che biography. I had planned that afternoon to read only the introduction and maybe begin the first chapter, but when i got into the book I ended up reading well into the night and only reluctantly stopped due to the necessity of sleep for an early day at the office on Monday. As today is a holiday from work with little on the agenda, I plan to spend quality hours with Che. I am impressed with Anderson's writing style: lively and engaging, full of detail, yet far from tedious. My current assessment is that this is going to be a very good book and I regret having waited so long to read it.

Lazy Sunday

2008-11-09T16:26:00.000-05:00

I’ve done little today other than read. Hours spent curled up in a chair with a book and a coffee near at hand. Such a delight, this. Early this afternoon I finished up Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and am giving some thought now to the next selection. I’ve narrowed the possibilities down to two, both revolutionary in nature: Thomas Paine’s The Age of Reason, or John Lee Anderson’s biography of Che Guevara. Most likely I’ll spend a little more time browsing the bookcases here at home to see if anything else catches my eye. While I would be happy with either of the two finalists, I rather enjoy a book leaping off the shelf and saying “READ ME!” Not literally, of course. If such was the case, that particular volume would summarily be flung from the window at the end of a broom.

Saturday Morning Update

2008-11-08T08:23:00.001-05:00

It’s a quiet Saturday morning here in Norfolk. Autumn, my favorite time of the year, is in full swing. The dogwood outside my study, backlit by the rising sun, glows a brilliant red, with green pines beyond creating a delightful contrast. Change is in the air. The weather is forecast to be mild today with a chance of rain later on. While it would be an almost ideal day to get out on a day trip/photo expedition, pager duty with work will unhappily keep me close to home. While I need to go to the office today to work on a few things beginning to pile up on my desk, I’m thinking that I will forego that and enjoy the time here at home. Such free time is a treat of sorts as I’ve worked so many weekends this year.

So much time as passed since I last posted regular entries on here that I don’t quite know where, nor how, to resume the conversation. And I’m equally unsure how blogging fell by the wayside the way it did. I suspect a combination of factors was responsible. Shifting interests, lack of time, and just plain ol’ laziness. As is often the case, I tend to fall headlong into such endeavors until I’m forced to take a break due to sheer exhaustion. Photography captured my attention for a while, but has since been placed on the backburner until I‘m inspired again to pick up the camera. Probably the same this is true with my blogging habits. During my time away from here, I have noticed a sort of inverse relationship between blogging and journal keeping. While my posts here all but ceased, there was a marked upswing in the handwritten journal entries, the result of which was a number of Moleskine notebooks filled with much of the random prattle that used to appear on here.

Speaking of journaling, I thought I'd post an image of such for everyone's viewing pleasure. This is a shot of my "thematic journal" (which has since been converted to more of a daily journal format) taken earlier this year. The notebook is a Moleskine and the fountain pen a Lamy Safari. Fountain pens were an experiment this year (had never really used one before) and I've become quite enamored with them, though their use has necessitated a modification in my writing style, meaning I've had to write larger than usual. I still use my favorite micro-fine point gel pens from time to time depending on my mood. My biggest gripe about the fountain pen and Moleskine combination is that some inks tend to bleed through the thin paper of the Moleskine journal. While this is frustrating to a point, I do enjoy the experimentation it entails. And the unworkable inks...well...they make good Christmas gifts. :P

On Reading

2008-10-25T19:13:00.000-05:00

Back in January I set a goal to read a minimum of 20 books this year. An easily surpassable mark. Or so I though. Well, here we are now in late October and I've managed but a disappointing nine for a total of 2,384 pages read. At this point last year I had read 16 books for a total of 4,516 pages. While there is still time to add to this year's total, the goal of 20 books is too far out of reach at this late point.

There is really no excuse for this failing save for personal indolence in terms of reading. Sure I got bogged down in a couple books (Sir Thoma More's "Utopia" for one), but that hardly accounts for being so far behind schedule. Better luck with this next year.

Back again....

2008-07-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note to say that I'm back again after nearly a year away from this thing. More later. Perhaps.....

dusts off blog

2007-08-12T13:32:00.000-05:00

My how time flies. First it was "oh I'll just write a post tomorrow" to "I don't feel like blogging now, so I'll probably just post next week when I feel more up to the endeavour" to.. what has it been now? Since January? Long enough to forget my password and almost the name of my blog. And I'm also not sure the reason for posting again.

Maybe I'm just bored this afternoon.

Who knows.

Anyone still out there?

Nightly Ritual

2007-01-21T22:18:00.000-05:00

A glass of wine and a few quiet moments to record the key events of the day.

What I Got Myself for Christmas

2007-01-08T19:42:00.000-05:00

That's right. The Canon Rebel XTi. Sure beats the hell out of my old point and shoot camera.

What I want for Christmas

2006-12-20T17:33:00.000-05:00

This is what I want for Chistmas which will hopefully stop whoever keeps breaking into my Jeep from doing so...

The Fever

2006-12-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

Ya know, the biggest drawback of working with my travel photos for the Flickr site is that I'm now suffering from an acute case of Travel Fever, the only cure for which is to hop on a plane and go somewhere.

I feel another adventure coming on....

Travel Photos

2006-12-04T22:00:00.000-05:00

Hi all. Just wanted to let everyone know that I've set up a Flikr page where I'm posting images from my various travels here and there. It's a work in progress, with photo sets being added when time and motivation allow. Feel free to post comments about the pics should you desire to do so. I'm finding this whole Flikr thing rather the addictive pastime....

Deck the Halls

2006-11-25T13:01:00.000-05:00

As it looks like I'll be home for the holidays for the first time in a few years, I'm giving some serious thought as to putting up a Christmas tree. I have not done this in a long time... 1997 was the last time I believe.

Of course the great question is how the cats are going to cope with it. I'm rather sure they will see it as a new toy and begin attacking it the moment I begin to set it up. I'm considering a small live tree and am very curious as to their health should they decide to eat it. Hmmm.

Form vs. Substance

2006-11-16T21:46:00.000-05:00

It has been quite some time since I last posted anything of substance. I've been curiously reflective lately, though a worn journal book and favorite pen has been the medium of choice instead of the blog. Just in one of those moods I guess. There's nothing of any real consequence going on, it's just that I've been more inclined towards the processual creativity of putting pen to paper. Something deeply comforting about this and personal in ways beyond the mechanical limitations of a keyboard.

From the Local Paper

2006-11-14T16:59:00.000-05:00

A random obituary from last Friday's edition of The Virginian Pilot begins as follows (and I'm not making it up): "P------ A-- H----, 69, died November 8, 2006 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital from one damn thing after another..."

Just a brief note....

2006-11-10T16:39:00.000-05:00

...to let everyone know that I'm alive and well. And still smoke-free (will soon pass the 12 week mark).

Perhaps this weekend I'll gather fortitude enough to sit down and hammer out an update. Nothing too exciting to report, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

Freedom

2006-10-30T07:08:00.000-05:00

With the removal of the last patch early yesterday morning I completed the ten week non-smoking regimen and have supposedly broken the habit. I feel better overall and can breathe so much easier, but the cost of this is continued lack of mental clarity/focus, recent bouts of anxiety, and chronic mood swings (ok, perhaps "swings" is not accurate as there has been little variation in my mood beyond the parameters of "bad" and "worse" and it must duly be noted that I rarely ever in a foul mood prior to quitting. Now I am just evil). I suspect both of these will improve with time. I will give it another week.

Manager of the Year

2006-10-17T16:19:00.000-05:00

Despite rumors to the contrary, the clip below is NOT footage of me at work. I don't work retail and I'm not named Chad. Some might say the differences end there. Judge for yourself.

Step Down Day

2006-10-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

Today I step down to the 7mg patches following the requisite two weeks on the 14mg. I removed the old patch early this morning but decided to wait a few hours before slapping on the new one, mainly out of curiosity as to how my body would respond to this brief nicoteine-free period. I was without a patch for about five hours and only at the end did I become a litle antsy and my mood begin to sour. Presumably there was still sufficient nicoteine in my body at the outset to ward off any ill effects, but as time passed, that lingering need, that lingering addiction began to surface. Not wishing to have the Evil Me emerge, I put on the new patch and thus continued with the regimen. When you first put on a patch, it burns and itches ever so slightly. This has become a curiously welcome thing over the course of the quitting process and it certainly was this morning. So now that the need for nicoteine has been sated, I'm back into a happy mood and trying to forget that the daily hit is half of what I've been getting.

Crisp and Cool

2006-10-14T10:29:00.000-05:00

My whining the other evening about the less than fall-like weather has yielded desired results! It is a crisp and clear morning, very autumn-like in every way. As it does each year, the transition in seasons has put me into a happy, energetic mood. I feel like I can take on the world. It must duly be noted that I am on my fourth cup of coffee this morning, so caffeine may also have something to do with the good mood.

I haven't been home long from running a number of errands including buying five cases of beer for the annual office cookout this afternoon. We usually hold this gathering during the summer, but it was delayed this year due to schedule conflicts, etc. The turnout today should be good, though much will depend on lingering repercussions (if any) from employee evaluations of this week. If such is the case, so be it. Really wouldn't want the whiners there anyway as they would ruin the festivites.

What's next...

2006-10-13T18:57:00.000-05:00

Last night I finished "Child of All Nations," the second volume in Premoedya Ananta Toer's Buru Quartet. Though a very good book. I wasn't particularly fond of the ending. At least when I first read it. But then something uber cool happened. The more I turned the story's conclusion over in my mind following a subsequent reading, the more meaningful and deep it became, particularly in terms of symbolism. So many subtle layers built into that one scene.

The question now becomes what to read next. I'm tempted to continue with the Buru Quartet and move on to "Footsteps," but am also considering pursuing something else, though I don't yet know what. And along those lines, I shall wander off now to pour an alcoholic refreshment and browse the shelves here in the study for the next worthy tome.

Ahh autumn...well..kinda

2006-10-12T20:42:00.000-05:00

I have not been long home from a brisk walk around the neighborhood. The cool night air was invigorating, but has yet to take on that fall "crispness" I find so delightful. We have yet to have a frost, or any truly cold nights for that matter, so the conditions aren't yet right for the advent of the feeling of autumn, though the calendar says otherwise.

To Whatever End

Malaise

Recent Events

Update

Completion

Panang Curry

Monday Blurb

Travel Bug

Chicken Adobo

Dinner: February 25

Chu Chee Curry

Espanol

Proof

Back

Back to the Grind

Dinner June 21

Writersblok

Today's Wisdom

Burn baby burn

Summer Begins

A New Dawn

Saturday blurb

Quote of the Day

Obama's Address

Che: A Review

Coincidence

Quote of the Day

Teabagging

Monday Missive

Dinner April 12

Sunday Update

Rigoddamndiculous

Watching

Fish Tacos: revisited

Fish Taco

Cool Video

Two years ago...

Wet Spring Morning

Quote of the Day

Break from the Kitchen

In My Shell

Two years ago today....

Hmmmmmm

Rainy Afternoon, The Sequel

Rainy Afternoon

First Issue

Afternoon Break

Sunny Sunday

Greenhouse Therapy

Friday Evening Prattle

Snow, for what it's worth

Wazzat?!?

Coming soon....

Sunday Morning Coffee

Totally looks like.....

Saturday Morning

Lessons for a Leo

Uncanny Resemblance

Dinnah

Sunday Afternoon Randomness

Test image

Out of Sorts

Blackberry Review

Test

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Technological Tether

Dinner

Sunday Evening Prattle

Desert Fever

Icy Doom

Lazy Sunday

Return to the Roost

Speaking her mind...

Tuesday Afternoon

New Project

The List 2008

Barbarians at the Gates

*shivers*

Rainy Afternoon

Morning Coffee

shivers

dusts off blog