This is just some text, no funny picture!
2008 has been an amazing year for us personally, with our wedding and honeymoon. We don't need presents -- this year's been full of them. We really just want to make sure all our friends and family know how much we love them.
We wish for you all the health and happiness 2009 can bring!
Merry Christmas,
Steve and Elise
ps. Good news! January 20th at noon, they take the nuclear button away from Bush.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
On the other hand...
This video shows a NYPD officer body-checking a cyclist during a "critical mass" ride:
Good thing this video exists. Why? Because the cops (a) dismissed his complaint against the officer, and (b) filed charges against the cyclist for obstructing traffic, and said he steered his bike into the officer.
To be as generous as possible, let's say the video doesn't support the claims of the cops. Well, good news. Officer Pogan has been indicted (though "of what" is not clear.)
But there's a broader point to be made here. Our dear Mr. Pogan body-checked that cyclist because he was certain he had the authority to get away with it. The authority to override the eyewitness accounts of everyone else on the scene. And were it not for this video, Mr. Pogan might have gotten away with it.
This is why authority must be challenged and checked at every step along the way.
Good thing this video exists. Why? Because the cops (a) dismissed his complaint against the officer, and (b) filed charges against the cyclist for obstructing traffic, and said he steered his bike into the officer.
To be as generous as possible, let's say the video doesn't support the claims of the cops. Well, good news. Officer Pogan has been indicted (though "of what" is not clear.)
But there's a broader point to be made here. Our dear Mr. Pogan body-checked that cyclist because he was certain he had the authority to get away with it. The authority to override the eyewitness accounts of everyone else on the scene. And were it not for this video, Mr. Pogan might have gotten away with it.
This is why authority must be challenged and checked at every step along the way.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Friday, December 12, 2008
Rock!
Last night I went to see Johnny Winter at Smith's Olde Bar with a coworker. Johnny's a hot player, but he's so old and frail that he played sitting down. So after three or four songs, I was done.
However, opening for him was a band, "BlackJack", that was comprised of four kids aged maybe twelve to fourteen. It was a little rough -- their chording of "Sweet Child o' Mine" was wrong, and the guitarist needs to get an amp that sounds better so he can turn it down. (Johnny's tone was sweet, sweet screaming at half the volume.) But the frontman, er, frontkid was great and the drummer was pretty solid. I imagine in a few years they'll get a better name, better gear, some of their own songs, and find some solid success.
They're on tour with Johnny Winter, they gotta make a contact or two out of that.
Anyway here's a bad iPhone picture of them from the back of the hall.
However, opening for him was a band, "BlackJack", that was comprised of four kids aged maybe twelve to fourteen. It was a little rough -- their chording of "Sweet Child o' Mine" was wrong, and the guitarist needs to get an amp that sounds better so he can turn it down. (Johnny's tone was sweet, sweet screaming at half the volume.) But the frontman, er, frontkid was great and the drummer was pretty solid. I imagine in a few years they'll get a better name, better gear, some of their own songs, and find some solid success.
They're on tour with Johnny Winter, they gotta make a contact or two out of that.
Anyway here's a bad iPhone picture of them from the back of the hall.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Beneficial
Johnny Rocker, a bartender at the Flatiron, fell off a ladder some weeks ago and cracked his skull and his cheekbone. Last night they held a benefit for him, and I bought $20 in raffle tickets (10 @ $2.) My friend Rebecca handed me her tickets as she left, so I had around twenty tickets for the raffle.
I won and won big. I walked away with:
- Two giveaway kits from Bath and Body Works
- A $50 gift certificate to 13 Roses Tattoo (I just don't know about getting a tat...)
- A $25 gift certificate to The Gravity Pub
- A gift certificate for one hour of massage
- A gift certificate for two tickets to a comedy show
There was still one round of raffle stuff remaining but I didn't stick around. I handed the rest of my tickets to a woman at the bar and took my loot home.
I won and won big. I walked away with:
- Two giveaway kits from Bath and Body Works
- A $50 gift certificate to 13 Roses Tattoo (I just don't know about getting a tat...)
- A $25 gift certificate to The Gravity Pub
- A gift certificate for one hour of massage
- A gift certificate for two tickets to a comedy show
There was still one round of raffle stuff remaining but I didn't stick around. I handed the rest of my tickets to a woman at the bar and took my loot home.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Jim Martin for Senate
Last night Elise and I went with Bryan and Deneta to a cocktail party fundraiser for Jim Martin. The guest of honor was Al Gore, and he made some quick remarks on behalf of Jim. I enjoyed my first little foray into real party politics.
Despite what Rush Limbaugh says, Al Gore looks pretty normal. Getting a little jowly.
Anyway, I'm hollering out for everyone to vote in the runoff election, and vote out thatfilthy lying scumbag sonofa incumbent Republican, Saxby Chambliss, by pulling the lever for Jim Martin. Lately Saxby's goons have been running ads about Jim Martin being soft on crime. I wish I could say this was a new low, but by now it's just a routine low.
Elise says she doesn't have a whole lot of faith that Georgians are aware enough of the Saxby Swindle to send him packing. Please prove her wrong. Vote either on or before December 2, but not both. :)
Despite what Rush Limbaugh says, Al Gore looks pretty normal. Getting a little jowly.
Anyway, I'm hollering out for everyone to vote in the runoff election, and vote out that
Elise says she doesn't have a whole lot of faith that Georgians are aware enough of the Saxby Swindle to send him packing. Please prove her wrong. Vote either on or before December 2, but not both. :)
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Big Weekend
Thursday I traveled to Nashville for work. I returned Friday late, and Saturday morning, I went to Morningside Market to get a whole hog that had been slaughtered for me by Riverview Farms. I then ran it out to Clarkston, where we dug a hole using the finest traditional Hawaiian methods:
We filled the hole with paper, then kindling, then logs. A lot of logs. Perhaps 80 logs. We then threw a huge pile of rocks on it. And then, to kick it off, a gallon of Coleman white gas.
Then I lit a piece of paper and dropped it onto the fire. It blew up in my face. It singed off my eyelashes, a good bit of my eyebrows, my stubble, and crisped the ends of my hair. But! The fire was alight!
After it burnt down, we put the pig on it. I left-- to go to the Atlanta Downhill Challenge, a Soapbox Derby-type event that I'd entered in with some friends. Elise and I raced over to the course only to find that racing had been suspended, as a racer had flipped, lost his helmet, and scrubbed his face along the hill for a bit. We'd won our first heat though! Here's the car, then our first heat driver (Chewy) and our second heat driver (Kevy):
Kevy ran a tight race and in a true photo finish, we lost. (Click through for a larger shot.)
The next morning (aka Sunday), Elise went to church. Jilly and I ran a few errands and then went to dig up the pig. Jilly found church in her own way!
Jilly praying to her higher power, with communion fresh on her lips
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Been VERY busy!
Elise really crunched hard to knock out a large Bach performance at her church this weekend, as well as create Agnes Scott rehearsal music for while she's in Mass (this week), finishing the data collection portion of her dissertation. With all of that, she hasn't had any time to sit and relax.
At this performance, which was really impressive, I served 140 currywurst. My friend Scott came out and helped me slice them up. I'm gonna get a currywurst slicer -- a "currywurst-schneider", as they call them. A "hand-currywurst-schneider", to be Germanically precise about it. Scott also made his salt taters, which are a no-fail recipe: Potatoes boiled in salt water and then covered in butter. Yum!
At this performance, which was really impressive, I served 140 currywurst. My friend Scott came out and helped me slice them up. I'm gonna get a currywurst slicer -- a "currywurst-schneider", as they call them. A "hand-currywurst-schneider", to be Germanically precise about it. Scott also made his salt taters, which are a no-fail recipe: Potatoes boiled in salt water and then covered in butter. Yum!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Jim Martin
Bryan reminded me, in a comment in the other post, about Jim Martin.
Perhaps some of you remember the 2002 GA Senate race, where Saxby Chambliss ran ads conflating Max Cleland (who left three of his limbs on the battlefield in Vietnam) with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. A rather scummy and dishonest move, another nail in my personal Republican coffin. It's difficult to describe the mix of astonishment, rage, and sadness that the incident conjures up for me. Well, 2008 is the year we get to send Saxby packin'. Jim Martin is his competition.
I have to be honest, I haven't researched this race much because Martin has had my vote all along. But now it turns out that Saxby's on the run. I'm glad to see it. We need to kick him to the curb.
So when you go to vote for Obama/Biden, punch the button for Jim Martin too.
Oh, and it was not an oversight that I didn't mention McCain's VP pick in the last post.
Perhaps some of you remember the 2002 GA Senate race, where Saxby Chambliss ran ads conflating Max Cleland (who left three of his limbs on the battlefield in Vietnam) with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. A rather scummy and dishonest move, another nail in my personal Republican coffin. It's difficult to describe the mix of astonishment, rage, and sadness that the incident conjures up for me. Well, 2008 is the year we get to send Saxby packin'. Jim Martin is his competition.
I have to be honest, I haven't researched this race much because Martin has had my vote all along. But now it turns out that Saxby's on the run. I'm glad to see it. We need to kick him to the curb.
So when you go to vote for Obama/Biden, punch the button for Jim Martin too.
Oh, and it was not an oversight that I didn't mention McCain's VP pick in the last post.
Two Weeks To Go
In 2000, I was pretty fed up with the two-party system. I thoroughly detested Bush (mostly due to his father's sending me to Desert Storm to enrich himself) and thanks to the media filter, wasn't so hot on Gore. In 2000, I said "they're both the same" and voted for Harry Browne, Libertarian.
I was flat wrong. I'm not sure I've ever been more wrong.
There are plenty of things I dislike about the national Democratic Party, but there is absolutely nothing I like about the national Republican Party. Not only are they criminal, dismissive, abusive, racist, sexist, and prone to violence, but they're also thoroughly incompetent. Their arguments are based on hating the other guy; they have no vision of forward progress. The best they can offer is to roll back progressive things done by the Democrats.
Now we're here at another election. I'm pulling for the Democrats. It's not just because I hate the Republicans so much; I'm finding myself very, very impressed by Barack Obama. He's eloquent but he also has a very broad view of what's going on, and his analyses tend to be very penetrating and illuminative. Biden's no slouch, either. I disagree with Biden on copyright issues and credit card issues, but even where I disagree, it's obvious that Biden has thought about it a lot. I think Obama's choice of Biden was very savvy.
Don't stay home and sit it out. Go to the polls and punch the button for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I don't think John McCain is stable enough to be in charge of the nuclear football.
Obama/Biden 08
I was flat wrong. I'm not sure I've ever been more wrong.
There are plenty of things I dislike about the national Democratic Party, but there is absolutely nothing I like about the national Republican Party. Not only are they criminal, dismissive, abusive, racist, sexist, and prone to violence, but they're also thoroughly incompetent. Their arguments are based on hating the other guy; they have no vision of forward progress. The best they can offer is to roll back progressive things done by the Democrats.
Now we're here at another election. I'm pulling for the Democrats. It's not just because I hate the Republicans so much; I'm finding myself very, very impressed by Barack Obama. He's eloquent but he also has a very broad view of what's going on, and his analyses tend to be very penetrating and illuminative. Biden's no slouch, either. I disagree with Biden on copyright issues and credit card issues, but even where I disagree, it's obvious that Biden has thought about it a lot. I think Obama's choice of Biden was very savvy.
Don't stay home and sit it out. Go to the polls and punch the button for Barack Obama and Joe Biden. I don't think John McCain is stable enough to be in charge of the nuclear football.
Obama/Biden 08
Monday, October 13, 2008
Heart Attack Sandwich
Now I love a burger as much as the next guy, but my mind just reels at this one. Check it:
A bacon burger with two bacon grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun:
I stand in awe of the bacony goodness.
A bacon burger with two bacon grilled cheese sandwiches as the bun:
I stand in awe of the bacony goodness.
Paul Krugman
Paul Krugman, professor of economics at Princeton and an op-ed writer for the New York Times, has been awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for economics. Couldn't go to a more deserving recipient -- Paul's perceptive analysis and excellent writing have been invaluable to millions in understanding the current crises. Congratulations, Professor Krugman!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Palin
They say she won by not losing.
Then they say if you actually go on substance, Biden clearly won.
IMHO, Sarah Palin lost. She is unfit for this office.
OBAMA/BIDEN '08
Then they say if you actually go on substance, Biden clearly won.
IMHO, Sarah Palin lost. She is unfit for this office.
OBAMA/BIDEN '08
Sunday, September 28, 2008
On the upside...
I'm a big fan of having stuff custom made. Almost all of you have seen my truck, and many of you have seen my table. I've got a few other treasured items like that.
Well, my friend Maria makes leather stuff. She's starting to turn it to a business, so I decided to ask her for a custom wallet. I wanted a fairly big one, able to take a chain but also able to function without it, that had a big 'BBQ' on it, and maybe some flames. 'Be creative, have fun with it' was my instruction.
She just sent me a picture of the work-in-progress.
I'm excited!
Well, my friend Maria makes leather stuff. She's starting to turn it to a business, so I decided to ask her for a custom wallet. I wanted a fairly big one, able to take a chain but also able to function without it, that had a big 'BBQ' on it, and maybe some flames. 'Be creative, have fun with it' was my instruction.
She just sent me a picture of the work-in-progress.
I'm excited!
Tough Weekend
Saturday Elise and I played our first duet in public; at a funeral. It was a bummer; a very friendly and energetic woman who obviously had a wide and good effect everywhere she went. She died of cancer, and I think she was 54 when she died.
Immediately upon returning to the house, I picked up my cellphone (which I'd left behind) to hear a message from my very distraught friend Susan who said her dog wasn't well. Elise and I raced to the vet just in time to see Fisher put down.
Fischer Watkins, b. unknown, d. 9-27-2008.
Rest ye well, fair traveller.
My eyes are tearing up writing about this. Fisher was the sweetest dog on earth, and early on when Elise wanted me to declare Jilly with that title, I refused. When Elise met him, she soon understood why. He was an old man by then, a sweet old man. But I remember the young man too, who was just as sweet with a lot more vigor. Now Jilly has indeed assumed her throne, but it's not the sort of promotion you rejoice over.
And this was all before noon! Our weekend was pretty shot at that point. We went to lunch, went back to our place, and napped the afternoon away. In the evening, we went to a local restaurant where we often meet Susan, and got her favorite dish. We dropped it off to her on our way to a party. At the party my friend Darrin made some awesome beers and bratwursts, but our heart really wasn't in partying. Today, we're all kind of numb and frazzled, and it shows in lots of little ways. We're napping through the afternoon today, too.
Immediately upon returning to the house, I picked up my cellphone (which I'd left behind) to hear a message from my very distraught friend Susan who said her dog wasn't well. Elise and I raced to the vet just in time to see Fisher put down.
Rest ye well, fair traveller.
My eyes are tearing up writing about this. Fisher was the sweetest dog on earth, and early on when Elise wanted me to declare Jilly with that title, I refused. When Elise met him, she soon understood why. He was an old man by then, a sweet old man. But I remember the young man too, who was just as sweet with a lot more vigor. Now Jilly has indeed assumed her throne, but it's not the sort of promotion you rejoice over.
And this was all before noon! Our weekend was pretty shot at that point. We went to lunch, went back to our place, and napped the afternoon away. In the evening, we went to a local restaurant where we often meet Susan, and got her favorite dish. We dropped it off to her on our way to a party. At the party my friend Darrin made some awesome beers and bratwursts, but our heart really wasn't in partying. Today, we're all kind of numb and frazzled, and it shows in lots of little ways. We're napping through the afternoon today, too.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Jealous!
Elise played The EARL before I did. She sang at a Sacred Harp gathering.
Pretty cool. The crowd liked it.
Pretty cool. The crowd liked it.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Bob Herbert Nails It
"Does anyone think it’s just a little weird to be stampeded into a $700 billion solution to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression by the very people who brought us the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression? How about a second opinion?"
Friday, September 19, 2008
mailto:gov.palin@yahoo.com
Sarah, Sarah, Sarah.
I'm sitting here at the Chevy dealership and of course Fox News is on. They're talking about this egregious invasion of privacy into your Yahoo! account. Someone hacked your password and hijacked the account, and the Fox pundits are wondering why the Secret Service couldn't protect you.
Well, if you'd been using your government-provided official e-mail address, perhaps they could have. But then you'd have been subject to record-keeping laws.
But now you've learned what life on the 'net is like. It's still a little wild, wild west out here. Oh, there's a great veneer of ease and security and lots of eye candy, but in the end, it's just a veneer. Underneath there is a lot of cryptic technology, with millions of workers and, yes, a criminal element. It's a microcosm of our world. It is its own world, when you think about it.
Any time you connect off your computer, you should presume that everything you say is being seen. How far you go determines how many people might see it. Your government is only a few, secure steps away, so you know that they eyes watching it are the authorized ones. But Yahoo!? Well, the whole world can see it.
And now the whole world has.
Obama '08,
Steve
ps. Cute picture of Bristol hammin' it up with Trig on the plane.
I'm sitting here at the Chevy dealership and of course Fox News is on. They're talking about this egregious invasion of privacy into your Yahoo! account. Someone hacked your password and hijacked the account, and the Fox pundits are wondering why the Secret Service couldn't protect you.
Well, if you'd been using your government-provided official e-mail address, perhaps they could have. But then you'd have been subject to record-keeping laws.
But now you've learned what life on the 'net is like. It's still a little wild, wild west out here. Oh, there's a great veneer of ease and security and lots of eye candy, but in the end, it's just a veneer. Underneath there is a lot of cryptic technology, with millions of workers and, yes, a criminal element. It's a microcosm of our world. It is its own world, when you think about it.
Any time you connect off your computer, you should presume that everything you say is being seen. How far you go determines how many people might see it. Your government is only a few, secure steps away, so you know that they eyes watching it are the authorized ones. But Yahoo!? Well, the whole world can see it.
And now the whole world has.
Obama '08,
Steve
ps. Cute picture of Bristol hammin' it up with Trig on the plane.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Been busy...
Sorry we haven't been posting a lot lately. Elise has been crushed with a few big projects, and work has had me traveling and working really hard. But it's all good. We're hanging in there.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Camping In The Back Yard
My house (which, after renovation, will be OUR HOME) is a couple miles away from Atlanta's only still operating drive-in theater, which has stayed successful because they have a built in crowd in the form of Atlanta's lowbrow scene. These are people who like PBR and tattoos and hot rods and rock-n-roll bands. Each year on Labor Day weekend, these people descend on the drive-in to camp out and strut their stuff. This was my third year going and I had a blast.
Phillip, the guy who painted my car was working like a dog in the days before the show to finish this car. It still smelled of paint.
I brought my barbecue trailer and made ribs, brisket, chicken, bratwurst and pork shoulders. I shared it with around fifty people in all, made a lot of smiles. In return I got morning coffee, bread, chips, beer, this unbelievable fruit cobbler, and a bunch of friends. I gave away about a dozen business cards. I was introduced to the organizer of the car competition who thanked me for feeding his guys and gave me a T-shirt.
Phillip's girlfriend Amanda had a pinstriper paint her gray PT Cruiser with some nice stripes on the hood, and on the back deck, the car's name "Bruiser" and Amanda's favorite dessert, a cupcake. The striper did an AMAZING job, and I wish I'd gotten a picture before the battery ran out. I'm sure one will surface soon enough. The cupcake even had shadows and sprinkles!
Phillip, the guy who painted my car was working like a dog in the days before the show to finish this car. It still smelled of paint.
I brought my barbecue trailer and made ribs, brisket, chicken, bratwurst and pork shoulders. I shared it with around fifty people in all, made a lot of smiles. In return I got morning coffee, bread, chips, beer, this unbelievable fruit cobbler, and a bunch of friends. I gave away about a dozen business cards. I was introduced to the organizer of the car competition who thanked me for feeding his guys and gave me a T-shirt.
Phillip's girlfriend Amanda had a pinstriper paint her gray PT Cruiser with some nice stripes on the hood, and on the back deck, the car's name "Bruiser" and Amanda's favorite dessert, a cupcake. The striper did an AMAZING job, and I wish I'd gotten a picture before the battery ran out. I'm sure one will surface soon enough. The cupcake even had shadows and sprinkles!
Friday, August 29, 2008
Cape Cod Renoir?
This was a picture I took on Tuesday that reminded me of all the Impressionist paintings that I saw in Paris and Amsterdam. Earlier this week, Cape Cod was the place to be. Check out this sky!
The lighthouse on the left is the tip of Cape Cod (while passing it on a Whale watching boat). On the right you see the Pilgrim Monument of P-Town. Here's a closeup of the Pilgrim Monument.
Sorry I didn't get any pics of the whales. (I was too rapt by the beauty and majesty of these creatures to take pictures.) This vacation was made possible in part by my brother, John. Here he is pictured with Krishan (7) and Vishnu (3.5), two very bright and fun young boys.
Can't you just feel the fun of sand digging and kite flying?
Vishnu dreams of his P-town flying machine:
For John's birthday (while I was there), he got a great board game called "Ticket to Ride." Here he is gaming with his pajama'ed sons (who wake up very early).
Rita, John, Krishan, and Vishnu: thanks for a fun vacation! Much love from Lisey-boo!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Provincetown
P-town is an awesome place. And the weather here is perfect (possibly more beautiful than the Pacific Northwest?)...
And I have an awesome family! I will post pics later.
And I have an awesome family! I will post pics later.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
On the road again...
Bob the Builder...can I finish my dissertation? "YES you can!" (What positive reinforcement to have on one's 3rd of 4 dissertation research interviews.)
When I got back to Boston from the interview today (which was in Hawley), my nephew reminded me-- "That's my bag!" Here are some shots of Western Mass, a very beautiful place.
From lunch in Shelburne Falls...
Peter Blanchette was playing his archguitar (http://www.archguitar.com).
When I got back to Boston from the interview today (which was in Hawley), my nephew reminded me-- "That's my bag!" Here are some shots of Western Mass, a very beautiful place.
From lunch in Shelburne Falls...
Peter Blanchette was playing his archguitar (http://www.archguitar.com).
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Hot Rods!
I got a text message from my buddy Phillip (Warning! Myspace w/heavy metal):
He'd gotten a top photographer to come out and shoot some pictures of models in front of hot rods. I took a picture of my car on the set:
Then, when he loaded the picture HE took into his laptop, I took a snap of the laptop.
I'll eventually get a copy of the final image, and I'll post it up here then.
Nice, eh?
Photoshoot tomorrow. Starts at 10 am.
He'd gotten a top photographer to come out and shoot some pictures of models in front of hot rods. I took a picture of my car on the set:
Then, when he loaded the picture HE took into his laptop, I took a snap of the laptop.
I'll eventually get a copy of the final image, and I'll post it up here then.
Nice, eh?
Friday, August 15, 2008
A moment of silence, please.
For Troy Henson, who passed away this morning. Troy's boyfriend Todd was the guy in Elise's bridal party who didn't sing. Troy was a great guy whose illness kept him from attending our wedding, and we are deeply grieved at his passing.
Here's to you, Troy. Rest in peace.
Here's to you, Troy. Rest in peace.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
A week later
and my computing situation is back to normal. Had some hiccups with the backups that made it take longer than I should have, but:
Apple took my laptop Thursday.
They fixed it in Houston on Friday.
I had it back at 9:00AM Monday. Go, Apple! Quite happy with that.
I figure, the hard drive was kind of small, and they've just replaced it with a fresh one. Why don't I upgrade it? So I took the lappy right to Onyx Consulting and had 'em pop in a 320GB drive. That was done by 3PM.
I went to restore from backup, and it didn't really work out. Turns out the backups were corrupted somehow and the system couldn't read them. So I had to pull all my info off of Elise's computer, where I'd restored it on Thursday, instead of directly from the backup. Kind of messy.
Then I found this article which tells me how to fix the corruption in the backups. So I'm running those steps now, in the hopes that soon I'll have everything running smoothly again.
While I'm a little ticked at the pain it's been to restore, I'm still happy that I have been successful at restoring, with only a few small things lost.
Apple took my laptop Thursday.
They fixed it in Houston on Friday.
I had it back at 9:00AM Monday. Go, Apple! Quite happy with that.
I figure, the hard drive was kind of small, and they've just replaced it with a fresh one. Why don't I upgrade it? So I took the lappy right to Onyx Consulting and had 'em pop in a 320GB drive. That was done by 3PM.
I went to restore from backup, and it didn't really work out. Turns out the backups were corrupted somehow and the system couldn't read them. So I had to pull all my info off of Elise's computer, where I'd restored it on Thursday, instead of directly from the backup. Kind of messy.
Then I found this article which tells me how to fix the corruption in the backups. So I'm running those steps now, in the hopes that soon I'll have everything running smoothly again.
While I'm a little ticked at the pain it's been to restore, I'm still happy that I have been successful at restoring, with only a few small things lost.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Remembering Deutschland
Today we all had a dog day. Just rested, played and ate. Steve made currywurst out of some sausages I bought at the store and we had a good time reminiscing about our leisurely days in Germany. Then we really got the bug and went to a German bakery in Stone Mountain and found brotchen. We also got more sausage...and a hot pretzel.
We drove into the Stone Mountain park and let Jilly have some time with the window down (her favorite thing). We happened upon an old mill house, waterwheel and a little waterfall area. We took off our shoes and all put our feet in the moving water (even Jilly). It was like a rustic spa. Jilly was so hot that she laid down in the water!
(Caution: Objects in mirror are sweeter than they appear.)
We drove into the Stone Mountain park and let Jilly have some time with the window down (her favorite thing). We happened upon an old mill house, waterwheel and a little waterfall area. We took off our shoes and all put our feet in the moving water (even Jilly). It was like a rustic spa. Jilly was so hot that she laid down in the water!
(Caution: Objects in mirror are sweeter than they appear.)
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Rough Day
I woke up this morning with a 10AM appointment to see the Mac support folks (aka Genius Bar) about my laptop. It crashed a dozen times yesterday, I'd fix it, it'd crash again. Bad stuff. So when I woke this morning, I checked that it had backed up at 7AM, then shut it down and took it in.
At the store, the computer completely refused to boot at all. The guy ran it through some diagnostics and determined that both the hard drive and logic board were failing. So they packed off the ol' Lappy to the service center, to have those parts pulled and swapped.
So at 10:30AM I was without a computer. This wouldn't be a big deal if it were just a personal machine, but my employer has never gotten around to issuing me a work computer and so I was doing that on my Mac via a Parallels machine.
Nice, eh?
Well, I'll be on Elise's for a few days while I wait for work to get me something. Hopefully I'll hear tomorrow.
At the store, the computer completely refused to boot at all. The guy ran it through some diagnostics and determined that both the hard drive and logic board were failing. So they packed off the ol' Lappy to the service center, to have those parts pulled and swapped.
So at 10:30AM I was without a computer. This wouldn't be a big deal if it were just a personal machine, but my employer has never gotten around to issuing me a work computer and so I was doing that on my Mac via a Parallels machine.
Nice, eh?
Well, I'll be on Elise's for a few days while I wait for work to get me something. Hopefully I'll hear tomorrow.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
The Barbecue Song
MAN, I wish I'd written this one. It's great. The only thing I disagree with is the characterization of Alabama by the mayonnaise sauce. I've found some magnificent sauces in Alabama (see: Dreamland.)
But it's hilarious!
But it's hilarious!
Monday, August 4, 2008
Videos
I guess I never really posted this to the blog, but we put together a ten-minute photo montage set to the Sigur Rós song "Viðrar vel til loftárása", which had just the right progression for the mood; searching, yearning, soaring, triumphant, and then at the end, getting a little less structured, less planned, etc. Enjoy it.
Also, I have some experimental music here. I got this software called Reason, and remixed Arnold's 2004 convention speech into a song "Blinded By Hate". I played it for Elise, and she suggested I make a video for it. So I whipped up this in iMovie; my first attempt. Kind of fun, but be warned, lefty content.
Also, I have some experimental music here. I got this software called Reason, and remixed Arnold's 2004 convention speech into a song "Blinded By Hate". I played it for Elise, and she suggested I make a video for it. So I whipped up this in iMovie; my first attempt. Kind of fun, but be warned, lefty content.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Belgian chocolates
Over the course of our honeymoon, Steve and I often wondered what country Jilly would have liked best. We speculated Germany, because of the wurst. However, Jilly has reached a different conclusion...
Yes. On Tuesday night, Jilly managed to open her box of Belgian chocolate doggie training bones. She ate almost the ENTIRE box. That's at least 8 months worth of treats, if we gave her one a day.
How is Jilly, you might ask?
Most proud of herself and feeling fine. She is, we've confirmed, just a large stomach with a tiny head who's tickled to be back home.
Picture caption: "Yo quiero Belgian chocolates!"
Yes. On Tuesday night, Jilly managed to open her box of Belgian chocolate doggie training bones. She ate almost the ENTIRE box. That's at least 8 months worth of treats, if we gave her one a day.
How is Jilly, you might ask?
Most proud of herself and feeling fine. She is, we've confirmed, just a large stomach with a tiny head who's tickled to be back home.
Picture caption: "Yo quiero Belgian chocolates!"
Moving Cats
This week I helped Calvin and Claire move...
...and Cindy, the owner of these lovely cats. The Hintons love their new home!
(I didn't get a shot of Clementine, who wouldn't come out of the closet.)
...and Cindy, the owner of these lovely cats. The Hintons love their new home!
(I didn't get a shot of Clementine, who wouldn't come out of the closet.)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Busy
Several things have recently made life busy:
1) Jilly is back and has been requiring much love.
2) My parents have been visiting. This condo is very small for 4 adults and 2 dogs.
3) Wedding madness. Thank goodness not mine; a family friend. I sang at it Saturday. Steve donned a suit and looked very handsome.
4) I got a new job. Yes, I already have two...but now I have another one. I am the new interim Director of Choral Activities at Agnes Scott College.
More soon.
1) Jilly is back and has been requiring much love.
2) My parents have been visiting. This condo is very small for 4 adults and 2 dogs.
3) Wedding madness. Thank goodness not mine; a family friend. I sang at it Saturday. Steve donned a suit and looked very handsome.
4) I got a new job. Yes, I already have two...but now I have another one. I am the new interim Director of Choral Activities at Agnes Scott College.
More soon.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
More makings!
I made my first batch of cheese yesterday from these instructions. It tastes decent so far; it'll be interesting to see how it turns out.
I also made pickles last week; I wrote a column at the People's Regime on how to do it. They came out pretty good, perhaps a shade on the salty side.
Jilly is only a few hours away!
I also made pickles last week; I wrote a column at the People's Regime on how to do it. They came out pretty good, perhaps a shade on the salty side.
Jilly is only a few hours away!
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sooooooooooooooon!!!
Jilly,
Only 48 hours, Jilly, and you will be here! Back home with mamma and daddy Steve!
Jilly, you sweet sweet doggie, you. Why do you always make demon eyes at the camera?
Love,
Mamma
Only 48 hours, Jilly, and you will be here! Back home with mamma and daddy Steve!
Jilly, you sweet sweet doggie, you. Why do you always make demon eyes at the camera?
Love,
Mamma
Friday, July 18, 2008
Santa Barbara Research
Part of my reason for taking this trip was to do some of my dissertation research. One of two composers that I will interview is Emma Lou Diemer. We met at her home to talk on June 19, June 20, July 16, and July 17. Here is a pic of us the last day.
She is 80, but don't let her demure look fool you; she can absolutely tear up that 8 foot grand behind me! A trained concert pianist and organist, she taught theory and composition at UCSB for 30 years. She's written music since she was 7 years old, including about 100 published things for choir.
She insisted that she take me on a sight-seeing trip following the last interview. We went up into the hills to get a great view of the ocean, and to the SB Courthouse. Particularly lovely for a government building!
Here's a staircase inside...
...and a view from the tower...
The building to the left of center is the old jail. Most aesthetically pleasing jail I've ever seen!
She is 80, but don't let her demure look fool you; she can absolutely tear up that 8 foot grand behind me! A trained concert pianist and organist, she taught theory and composition at UCSB for 30 years. She's written music since she was 7 years old, including about 100 published things for choir.
She insisted that she take me on a sight-seeing trip following the last interview. We went up into the hills to get a great view of the ocean, and to the SB Courthouse. Particularly lovely for a government building!
Here's a staircase inside...
...and a view from the tower...
The building to the left of center is the old jail. Most aesthetically pleasing jail I've ever seen!
Pasadena
I spent today in Pasadena. My friend Rachel lives here. It is lovely.
While Rachel worked, I walked down to Colorado Avenue to do some shopping. This is, of course, where the Rose Parade is held every year. It's very beautiful and hip. I saw a woman that looked like Michael Jackson. Then I saw another. After about the 5th person I saw that looked like Michael Jackson, I realized what I was picking up on. People's noses and cheeks just not looking exactly right...yep: plastic surgery.
I'm not totally opposed to beauty treatments. I got a pedicure; perhaps one of the best of my life. The place was huge with what seemed like half the population of Ho Chi Minh City working there. Seriously, as I left I counted the technicians and there were 25! And stations for all of them! (And 1 or 2 looked like Michael Jackson!)
Home tomorrow! Hooray, Hooray!!!
While Rachel worked, I walked down to Colorado Avenue to do some shopping. This is, of course, where the Rose Parade is held every year. It's very beautiful and hip. I saw a woman that looked like Michael Jackson. Then I saw another. After about the 5th person I saw that looked like Michael Jackson, I realized what I was picking up on. People's noses and cheeks just not looking exactly right...yep: plastic surgery.
I'm not totally opposed to beauty treatments. I got a pedicure; perhaps one of the best of my life. The place was huge with what seemed like half the population of Ho Chi Minh City working there. Seriously, as I left I counted the technicians and there were 25! And stations for all of them! (And 1 or 2 looked like Michael Jackson!)
Home tomorrow! Hooray, Hooray!!!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Soon
Still missing my girls pretty bad, but I've been filling the time over here with some of my usual antics.
First, I bought a 50 lb sack of green coffee beans, so I won't have to buy coffee for almost a year and a half. Don't be surprised if you get coffee for Christmas! :)
Then, I made my first batch of pickles, a form of deli half sours. Wasn't too bad and they taste pretty decent. I ate one of the garlic cloves that I put in the pickling jar, and my breath is a lethal weapon. I'm glad Elise isn't around!
First, I bought a 50 lb sack of green coffee beans, so I won't have to buy coffee for almost a year and a half. Don't be surprised if you get coffee for Christmas! :)
Then, I made my first batch of pickles, a form of deli half sours. Wasn't too bad and they taste pretty decent. I ate one of the garlic cloves that I put in the pickling jar, and my breath is a lethal weapon. I'm glad Elise isn't around!
Monday, July 14, 2008
Oregon Country Fair
On Friday, I went to the Oregon Country Fair.
This activity was the kind gift of Steve's Uncle Pete and his wife, Penny. (They had me over for dinner earlier in the festival).
So anyway, here is a taste of the Country Fair's artful and authentic living:
Good eats. Most of everything was organic or multicultural; everything was healthy. (Not a diet coke in sight.) This bird was being fed a quesadilla by his hippie owner. Bizarre!
Harmony with nature. A brave dragonfly landed on Nicole's hand! Nicole is a close friend of Pete and Penny.
There was an exhibit about sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. The water in this papasan chair cooker was boiling!
A fashion show of recycled goods turned clothing... This teen is wearing a dress made from plastics found on the street following a race sponsored by Toyota. Little blonde in the back is wearing a dress made from chocolate bar wrappers!
Other creative recycling efforts... What better thing could you do with an old mixer or chainsaw?
...or old tin cans?
Lots of costumes! Here are a swarm of bees, with improvised stingers...
And last but not least...lack of costumes! I'm a little disappointed that less people reply to my posts than Steve's. This just tells me I need to go a little less 'Baroque music lover' and a little more 'mainstream hipster.' I figured this would boost my ratings...
I knew my husband would like the flaming boobs, in particular.
Peace out!
This activity was the kind gift of Steve's Uncle Pete and his wife, Penny. (They had me over for dinner earlier in the festival).
So anyway, here is a taste of the Country Fair's artful and authentic living:
Good eats. Most of everything was organic or multicultural; everything was healthy. (Not a diet coke in sight.) This bird was being fed a quesadilla by his hippie owner. Bizarre!
Harmony with nature. A brave dragonfly landed on Nicole's hand! Nicole is a close friend of Pete and Penny.
There was an exhibit about sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. The water in this papasan chair cooker was boiling!
A fashion show of recycled goods turned clothing... This teen is wearing a dress made from plastics found on the street following a race sponsored by Toyota. Little blonde in the back is wearing a dress made from chocolate bar wrappers!
Other creative recycling efforts... What better thing could you do with an old mixer or chainsaw?
...or old tin cans?
Lots of costumes! Here are a swarm of bees, with improvised stingers...
And last but not least...lack of costumes! I'm a little disappointed that less people reply to my posts than Steve's. This just tells me I need to go a little less 'Baroque music lover' and a little more 'mainstream hipster.' I figured this would boost my ratings...
I knew my husband would like the flaming boobs, in particular.
Peace out!
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