Tuning in now from the electric daisy in not-so-bustling-at-midday Whistler Village. Today is the day off afforded by our 5 of 6 day passes and we are eating up the relaxation available. Tough day yesterday with Patrick leading us all over Whistler Mountain like dogs on a leash - but big time air and the toughest terrain I've skiied made it a great day. Around a half dozen fresh inches cushioned the landings and a Snickers kept the legs going into the afternoon through three awesome runs down Harmony Bowl. It's been a mildly more grown-up trip, too, with evenings out 'apres ski' as they say...mostly at the Dub Linh Gate pub. Now I'm back to Woodrun for a busy afternoon of laundry, hot tub, and a call to the Midwest to confirm that I am still alive. It's strange how much a day off offers.
posted at 4:57 PM - comments
Friday, February 20, 2004
So on the last day before departing for Whistler and Seattle and potentially Vancouver, I find my self a) wishing it were 5:30 and b) wishing it were 5:30 two weeks from now. Talked with Jenelle for a bunch of my allotted minutes last night, confirming what I had long suspected: I'm the luckiest guy ever. In the earlier evening hours I frantically assembled the FAFSA in preparation for next year's capital outlay, which came as a suprise since I was under the impression that the Federal deadline would work for all of the federation, but apparently Michigan supersedes the Fed and requires a THREE month earlier deadline. So, as an added bonus, my income taxes are done, ready to be filed, and I can start lining up places to "invest" my return. My guess is that this year a minimum of stereo equipment will find its way to me courtesy Uncle Sam, but I sure like this arrangement better.
posted at 12:56 PM - comments
Thursday, February 19, 2004
The heap of stoke in my living room is growing bigger: skiis and boots and winter clothes litter my floor as if a ski lodge exploded. But I'm going to be styling through and through with a new ski bag and my trendy Nautica duffel which has not gotten the use I thought it would on that May morning when it entered my life 6 years ago. Took in part of "Out Cold" to keep the mood up and flipped through Powder back issues for the same reason.
posted at 2:11 PM - comments
Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Cranking up the excitement for skiing, although I haven't started packing or anything just yet. Last night was cleaning and organizing and talking on the phone, all after a surprisingly tasty batch of el stir-fry-o and a disappointingly poor glass of pinot grigio. Tonight I'm looking forward to laundry, the first of the packing, and likely more talking on the phone. I have a feeling Cingular is not going to like my new arrangement very much - ha ha! I've beaten the wireless goliath at their own game.
posted at 12:46 PM - comments
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
News Flash. Addendum to previous blog follows.
Turns out jaflooey is spelled with an 'h' --> "jahflooey" and is a religious reference! I'm such a knucklehead....for a dork you'd think I'd be smarter. The catchy little tune is 'Jahflooey' by Dufus, and now I have reached nirvana, the place of being not the band. It's time for the perfect cheer.
Huh. How do you spell jaflooey? Nobody knew at Clara's over lunch, in the afternoon at Cold Stone, with Robin at #4, at Red Cedar Grill (or maybe they did know but won't have an answer for another 90 minutes), on SNL (a rerun with Goat Boy - who is my faaaahhaahhhvorite- "Who's More Grizzled?" and "Old French Whore"), in Barnes & Noble on Sunday, or at the dance concert (which seems a confusation in terms to me, but my B has an S after it not an A, so what can I do?). Back in Sarasota after all that, feeling a million miles away, I'm still wishing like crazy that I knew how to spell jaflooey. Ski trip coming up, which is fun, but for the first time I can ever remember in the history of the world according to me I'm looking past skiing. This is indeed uncharted territory.
posted at 12:05 PM - comments
Friday, February 13, 2004
Dragging (and I mean draggin') toward the weekend. Plenty of work to do but just not feeling it with the senior half of the company in Miami taking in the boat show. It's one of those Fridays when it seems like the afternoon might just last forever - puts me in the mood for a little Weezer in the worst way. Where are "Surf Wax," "Jonas," "Only in Dreams," "Across the Sea," and "The Good Life" when you really, really need them? Thank you Rivers Cuomo & Co. for sustaining my pulse this day.
posted at 12:37 PM - comments
Thursday, February 12, 2004
The chores of the busy spring break season are setting in already. Last night I did the laundry thing and stocked up the iPod with some new tunes in preparation for the busyness ahead. Also took in the Wing, had some salad, cleaned some dishes, and generally cleaned house. Also watched a Dean Martin roast of Jimmy Stewart on a tape from Nancy - I didn't get many of the jokes and much of what was going on was lost on me, but it was good to get a look at something that is a part of pop history.
posted at 1:11 PM - comments
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
Rushed evening last night, started with a mini-meeting with Michael, then a no-mini-at-all meeting about First Fridays, then home for dinner and a few phone calls. Felt strangely tired so went to bed early and awoke this morning feeling just as tired. Not good. Now is not the time to get sick. Again.
posted at 1:05 PM - comments
Tuesday, February 10, 2004
Fairly ho-hum day - stereotypically Monday-ish - that was enhanced by a phone call in the late(r) evening hours. Headed to the library to shop for tickets for sporting events and research housing in the early evening, and took in a fair piece of Saving Grace. For whatever reason, that is a movie that is always beautiful and always fun. Plus, there are a couple of parts of it that really rock the house via HTR 5550. Today I'm taking care of details to the north and northwest...building up a ton of stoke for the next few weeks.
posted at 1:07 PM - comments
Monday, February 09, 2004
Interesting weekend that was a step away from the norm, with the walk on Friday and A/V duty being the exceptions. Spent Saturday trucking over to Satellite Beach and back with Mr. Critchett with Bill's trailer in tow, retreiving and bringing home the 700 lb, 61 horsepower Lugger diesel that is to become Chris' new engine aboard Aquarius. Then dinner with Chris and Nancy - always entertaining - and home to catch SNL. Sunday afternoon I did some errands, which has gotten old at long last, and then headed up to the Igloo to skate for a couple of hours...boy did I ever feel more comfortable this week than I did two weeks ago. Sunday evening I took in part of the Grammy's, celebrated with Andre3000 and Big Boi but was bummed that Jack and Meg didn't get more props. Crushing.
posted at 12:45 PM - comments
Friday, February 06, 2004
What has been a somewhat lethargic week comes to a somewhat less lethargic close today: lunch with the boss and the 'junior staff' and First Friday doings this evening. The local news this week (that turned into national news around Tuesday) has cast a somber tone onto this fair city; we're reminded that not all growth is good and that Sarasota is becoming a big town for better or worse. Onward to the weekend!
posted at 1:33 PM - comments
Wednesday, February 04, 2004
Over the past few nights I've whipped through an interesting semi-expose on American West Coast - Alaska oil shipping called "Tankers Full of Trouble," which I thought was a sound reflection of the truth (or the perception thereof) about shipping oil to our West, and a few interesting entries into the book of HBR 'classics' that Dad lent me. While "Marketing Myopia" hardly seems a literary tour de force, it doesn't take a rocket surgeon to see the implications of the subject at hand. Also had Caesar salad from a kit the other night...good times. Did some laundry, and, impressive for those who've lived with me before, turned off my PC and switched all entertainment to the iPod that arrived in an entry roughly 5 weeks ago. Seems strange to replace the whir and hum and tangle of wires from the PC with a little white nothing, but such is progress.
posted at 12:35 PM - comments
Monday, February 02, 2004
A little film festival action Friday night, a little bike-riding, cell-phone-earbud-cover-shopping, library-ing, reading Saturday, some sound boarding and garden-walking on Sunday and BAM there's your weekend. Had a good ride, actually, from St. Armand's beach to Long Boat Pass and back, covering 25 miles at just over 19 mph. Also, reading about Frederick Law Olmstead was interesting. He reinforces my new theory that people who do great things with their lives seem to have had terrible childhood or early adolescent illnesses that cause them to be bedridden or to lose hearing or to nearly die. Historically speaking, I guess, that seems to have happened a whole lot.
posted at 12:47 PM - comments
Thursday, February 26, 2004