Give Me a Reading

So, last weekend, Jennifer and I did some home framing of my collection of tarot decks.  We'd talked about it in the past, but had just kept putting it off.  We tried a few options and finally came up with something that we were both happy with.

The work got me to thinking about how long I'd been playing around with tarot cards.

It all started over thirty years ago...

[Cue wiggly vision effect]

I was living in Kentucky during my sophomore year of high school, and our church was hosting a How-To event.  In the event there were tables setup in the fellowship hall, and different people were there showing things that they liked to do.  One of my fellow youth group friends was showing how to do tarot card readings.

Now, when I told this story to Jennifer, she was surprised that he was allowed to do this in a church.  There's two tings about that.  First, the church I grew up in was a lot more laid back than hers.  Second, I always knew I could trust this guy, because he was strongly religious and in my opinion wouldn't do anything that might "jeopardize his soul."  That's also how I knew Ozzy Osbourne didn't truly have a satanic message.

So I was fascinated by the cards, and when I ended up moving away to Maryland in the summer, he and his brother bought me my own deck.  I'm sure my parents would have bought me one, but they weren't sold in bookstores like Waldenbooks or B. Dalton Booksellers at that time.

And so, when it came time to travel for band trips, I became known as the guy who'd do your tarot readings.

I did that through the second half of high school and in college.

And then I began collecting cool decks as I got older.  Which brings us to last weekend.  My decks had been wrapped in tissue and stored in wooden boxes.  They look much better now.

And the cool thing is that I can take the back off of the frames, and change the front card whenever I want to.

SLO Hiking

So, yesterday afternoon I went for a hike up Cerro San Luis Obispo.

It only took me 7 months...  Well, the hike took me an hour up, and forty minutes down, but it took me 7 months to get off my butt and do the hike.

If you're looking at the above link, I took the red trail to the peak.

It's a good climb, with some cool geology on the way, and some great vistas of San Luis Obispo.

So you can stitch these three together and get a full panorama of the view from the top.  The vertical metal rod is used for a Christmas tree.  A little downhill is a generator they use to light it.

This is a GPS monument in the rock at the peak.

I also took a video when I was at the top.  It is best viewed at half speed.  What it doesn't catch is the sound the swooping swallows made as they buzzed me.  I'm guessing they were going for bugs that were near me.  It was an amazing experience.

A Three Hour Tour

So, this past Saturday, Jennifer and I had intended to go for a ride to Oyster Bay, a park just south of the Oakland Airport.

We'd been there before a year or two ago.  It's a fun ride along the water, and through interesting neighborhoods.  The problem is that my riding stamina isn't what it's been.

Over seven months in San Luis Obispo has taken it's toll.  I'm only riding 3 miles in the morning and three more in the afternoon.  And that's on days when it's not raining.  I still do other exercise by swimming in the hotel pool, but it doesn't quite translate.

The problem with riding in the Bay Area is that it seems like no matter what direction you go you have a headwind.  Unless your back is directly to the Golden Gate, it seems there is wind coming at your head and across you.  So by the time we go to Jack London Square, I needed a rest.

And there at one of the docks were two tall sailing ships.

It turned out that the ships were from Grays Harbor Historical Seaport, and they were giving tours.  We chatted with one of the crew members, and they also were planning a "battle sail."  We asked what that was, and were told the two ships would sail out into the Bay and fire blank cannon charges at each other.  Jennifer was all for it.  I took a little coercion, but just a little.  Our role playing group had just come had a sailing adventure.  I was a relatively easy sell.

So we had to choose which ship.  The smaller of the two was the Hawaiian Chieftain.  We were to learn that it is a class of ship called a "catch."  The other ship was the Lady Washington, which is a brig.  It looked a bit familiar, and drew us, so we chose to ride on that one.

There was another problem.  It was going to be cold, and we were dressed for a ride, so we needed to get another layer.  The closest reasonable clothing store we could locate was Ross on Alameda 6 miles away.  And we had two hours before we had to be back for boarding.

Do you remember the headwinds I mentioned earlier?

We raced to Ross.  We were huffing when we got there.  And Ross no longer had winter clothing, it being February in California and all.  Fortunately there is a Kohl's right nearby, and there, on their clearance rack we found a sweater for me and a Columbia fleece for Jennifer.

I will repeat that.  It is the last weekend in February with forecast highs for the coming week int he mid-50s, but because it is California, winter clothing is on clearance.

We stuffed Jennifer's saddle bags with the bulky clothing, and raced back to JLS.  We got there with 30 minutes to spare.  So we hit Rosenblum winery, bought picnic snacks, and rested before boarding for the battle sail.

And on the sail, we had an amazing time.

We learned all kinds of things about the ships (see the page for the stats).  It's a replica of a ship that sailed from the 1750s to 1790 when it sank off the Philippines.  It was the only real sailing ship in the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean."  And I took bunches of pictures of the rigging.

Here is where the "battle" took place:

We were at the height of the ebb tide and were struggling with the tide.  At one point were were making 0.5 knots heading south, and the Hawaiian Chieftain was heading west and we watched it sliding north with the current.  It was incredible.  Here she is later on against the Bay Bridge.

And by the time we got back to land (after our 3 hour tour), we were exceptionally grateful for our new warm clothing.  The clouds came in our last hour on the water, and the wind picked up.  And then we had our return bike ride home.

By the time we got home, our hands had lost some feeling.  The hour after we got in was spent enduring the painful pins and needles of our circulation returning.

Two years ago

Two years ago Leonard Nimoy passed away.

"I am now, and always shall be, your friend."

Still the best thing to say to anyone you care about.

It also brings this quote from Neil Gaiman to mind:

“To absent friends, lost loves, old gods, and the season of mists; and may each and every one of us always give the devil his due.”

One Scarf to Warm Them All

So, Saturday because I'm not in England, I wasn't able to watch BBC2's documentary "Back in Black" about the life of Terry Pratchett.  So I did my own tribute to him during the day and wore my Discworld T-shirt and a wide-brimmed black fedora.

And then I opened a package I had received in the mail while I was away from home continuing my work in San Luis Obispo.

Before Mom died, I had asked her if any of her friends knitted.  This was because back in 2010 I had come across this pattern on Ravelry probably linked from io9 or somewhere.  Now, Jennifer crochets, and the scant few people I knew who knitted were unwilling to take on such a project.  I would look around occasionally, but I couldn't find anyone to make it.  So I asked mom.  Not for her to make it.  Mom never sewed any more than she had to, but she was great at repairing my old stuffed tiger as a kid.

So she referred me to one of her mystery-book reading-group friends.  We conversed a few times, and she seemed willing to try it.  I paid for the materials and paid her a little more than what she seemed to think was a fair price.  It turned out to be more than she could feasibly do.  I got back a one-sided scarf that was a long as a minister's stole.  I'm six feet tall, and around my neck it reached past my ankles on both sides. It was not a scarf I could realistically wear because the stitches would have snagged and ruined the scarf.  I got a local tailor to stitch a nice fabric back on it, and while it's now safe, it's still much too big to wear.  I'm thinking of turning it into a wall tapestry.

But then last year, after Jennifer suggested I go looking on Etsy, I came across ArachneCrafts.  Now, right off I was intrigued because I love a clever mythology reference.  My years of reading comic books had prepared me for just such an experience.  And so looking in my search, I came across her examples of the One Ring scarf, called the Lord of the Rings scarf on her site.  (At this point, I have to say that I'm proud to have the one she made for me being the last in the photo examples.)

I put off making my purchase because I just wasn't sure.  I had gone to ThinkGeek and bought a One Ring scarf from them, but it wasn't as nice feeling as my Aperture Science scarf.  It was also smaller, and overall, kind of disappointing.  But finally, in December, I put in my order.

Susanna of ArachneCrafts worked with me on choosing the colors.  I wanted it to look lik the gold of the One Ring with script that looked like it was on fire.  You know, like it does when Gandalf drops it in Frodo's hand after it being in the fireplace.

Susanna was concerned that the yellow in the red-orange-yellow multicolored yarn would get lost in a golden yellow scarf.  I talked with Jennifer, and she suggested a charcoal color.  We tend to help the other see color combinations sometimes that the other isn't quite seeing.  And it turned out amazing as you can see below.

Susanna started just after the new year.  She actually got it done in about three weeks.

The only way I could be happier was if it were colder so that I could wear it.  But here I am in the scarf.  I think it's a fitting mashup with Pratchett wear plus the scarf.  It is so amazing.

Art Out in the Open

So Jennifer called me last week to say that she had been accepted to display her work at Oakland's First Fridays event on March 3.

If you've not seen her stuff, you can go here to her website.

What she shows there is just a small sampling of what she does.  She makes jewelry, wall art, cards, lotions and salves, plus so many other things.  I can't finish the description with "etc." because things are so different.  She's done gift boxes and journals, and photo albums.  It just goes on.

I'll be taking the day off to go help her.  Come find us on Friday, March 3rd, on Telegraph between 24th and 25th in front of Burrito Express.

More Acronyms

Today we learned about a new acronym: TWIC

Apparently TWIC stands for Transportation Worker Identification Credential."

After looking it up, we stared at each other, and said, "Do they mean driver's license?"

The whole process reminded me of George Carlin's bit on "shell shock" becoming "battle fatigue" becoming "post-traumatic stress disorder."

Acronyms

So today I read this post.

I have had several coworkers in my past go out of their way to use acronyms.  One just seemed to love it and when he spoke it was like he'd spilled the alphabet.  He just did it to seem like he knew more than you and inflate his ego.

One time, he told me there was a site I needed go where they were trenching in preparation for laying RCP.  I know I looked confused, and he said, "You know what RCP is, right? Round Concrete Pipe."  He used an acronym to save one syllable.

A few years later, at a different company, I learned that RCP actually stands for Reinforced Concrete Pipe.

Now first, that's a three syllable savings, so that makes sense.

Second, he was wrong, and I felt much better about myself.

Missing Mom

So, it's been one year since Mom died.

I'm wishing I could be home with Jennifer or visiting with Dad today.

Instead, life goes on, and I'm in the middle of my work week in SLO.

Dad put up a new post on Mom's blog that links to the video he made for her memorial.

I think work has helped me over the past year as I've been in the field most of the time which has kept me busy and tired most of the time.

Still, there are times when I think of her, especially when I go to write a blog post.

Love to you all.

High tech Medicine

So when you get a tattoo, the question of how to treat it afterwards is the big one.

Do you keep it wet with lotion or salves or sprays?

Do you let it dry?

Ryan uses a new trick: Tegaderm by 3M

This stuff is amazing.  Since a tattoo is like a cross between a burn and an abrasion, it works great to cover the tattoo.

So since Saturday, my upper arm has been covered in this thin plastic sheet.  We wrapped the bottom of the plastic in gauze for a day because it was oozing out of a pucker, but it was dry and sealed by Monday morning.

And now the tattoo is blurry because of the ooze inside the dressing, but once the 7 days are up on the Tegaderm, it will be significantly healed.  Plus I haven't stained any sheets or shirts.

Half-Sleeve Phase 2

So I read that as a protest against Trump, you should support a local theater or artist.

It just happened that last week, I got in contact with my tattoo artist on Alameda, and made an appointment for Saturday 1/21.

So, Saturday I visited Tiger's Blood Social Club again.

And I sat for a personal record of five and a half hours under the gun.  I was there for six and half, but the gun wasn't running that whole time.

The shop has updated their webpage since Ryan started (it's been over a year since I started the work on my arm), and he is now represented.

Ryan has a great demeanor and is just a great guy.

The whole crowd there is completely different from my previous experiences.  It's a bunch of guys who are around my age doing work they love with people they love.

But here is what I came away with on Saturday.

As it stands now, I have two tattoos, after my next session, it will be only one as we connect the arm sleeve and backpiece together.

Harry Mason

So, I went looking at the site I had linked to for Harry Mason, and I was shocked to learn that he passed away almost a year ago.  Less than two months before my mom died.

I didn't know him, I'll just say that he always remembered my mom when we would go into the shop.  He was ever the salesman getting her to try on the latest version of his earrings.

I'm sorry for his family and friends' loss.

Not Quite Old

So did you know that Pier 39 is 39 years old this year?

It's weird, but I can actually say I was there at the beginning.

We would have only been in California (the first time) for about a year and a half.

I remember how cool it was compared to Fisherman's Wharf.

I also remember the introduction of mylar balloons.

They were a new thing back in 1978, and people were being forced to learn the Ideal Gas Law.  Being 9 years old that was new to me, but it was a cool thing to learn.

You see the mylar balloons were so new that they didn't have anything printed on them.  They were just silver mylar inflated discs.  But the balloons were amazing novelties, and they were selling big time during the day.

Then the fog come in as it does and it got colder in San Francisco as it does.  And the helium in the balloons bean to contract and the taught mylar became loose.  People started tog et upset that their balloons had leaks.  I would guess that with regular balloons the shrinkage wasn't noticed as much because the balloon would stay relatively taught.  But mylar doesn't stretch, so they were saggy.

The salespeople were friendly enough, and I want to say that we got a replacement, but were told what was happening.  Then I remember inadvertently proving it right when we entered a store with lots of lights (All incandescent of course.  No LED light bulbs in 1978), and it was noticeably warmer inside.  And the balloon became "full" again.

That balloon lasted a long time... for a balloon.

Pier 39 became a regular place to go with visiting family and friends, and just to go with mom and dad.

I bought a scrimshaw pendant there.

We bought our first Yanni album there.  And at the same shop I bought a crystal heart pendant for my high school girlfriend.

I bought a big fluffy jacket that was my winter coat for years, and then my winter work coat for years more.

Mom became enamoured with Harry Mason jewelry, and it was a Christmas Eve tradition for a while for Dad to buy her earrings there (or at San Francisco Center when he had a store there).

I bought silly hats there.

I bought cartoon themed ties and clothes there.

It has changed a lot over the soon to be 39 years, but it's still a fun place to visit.

That's the Way You Do It

A new BBC announcement: Good Omens television series!

We'll be able to compare apocalypses between Terry and Neil's vision against the real thing.

Rogue Ponderance

So, I listen to a lot of podcasts.  I've been listening to Kevin Smith's (and Scott Mosier's) "Smodcast" since the beginning.  I also listen to "Fatman on Batman", "The Nerdist", "The Thrilling Adventure Hour", and "Still Untitiled: The Adam Savage Project".  Plus I've got several queued up for when I get caught up on "The Nerdist".

I'm only about 4 years behind on that one, but caught up on all of the rest.

Being mostly based on the nerd/geek community, most of these have been talking about Rogue One, and what come across universally is how good K-2SO voiced and motion-captured by Alan Tudyk is.  Something I'd seen that just makes me cackle is the following video with Tudyk relating how Anthony Daniels reacted to his portrayal:



But back in one of the podcasts, someone brought up a comparison C-3PO as a nervous wreck who spouts things in fits of cowardice while K-2SO says things because he has no filters.

And then I had a geek-piphany.

• K-2SO says things because he has no filters.
• K-2SO's loss of filters is because he was reprogrammed from being an Imperial droid to being given free will (of a sort).
• Some of the things the K-2SO spouts freely are the odds of an event's failure.
• C-3PO regularly spouts off the odds of an event's failure, in the original trilogy.
• C-3PO was reprogrammed after the end of Revenge of the Sith to blank his memory.

Now, sure, this is all easy to explain afterwards, but did the writers of Rogue One see that pattern, and write that in?

Some may scoff that anyone would be that detailed.  First off, to those people, have met Star Wars geeks?  Second, check out this bit from the Rogue One soundtrack by Michael Giacchino that fits so well against John Williams' "Imperial March".

And then think back to how cool it was to learn about Hans Zimmer using the Edith Piaf bit in all of the levels in Inception.

Yeah, you can never go deep enough.

A Tribute to Sir Terry

I got an email today from Terry Pratchett's webpage.  It turns out that the BBC (specifically BBC 2) is going to be airing a documentary on his life and career later this year.

Hopefully, it will come onto BBC America.

Temporal Perspective

So today was only a partial day for work as we got rained out in the morning and the site was too wet to work.

I went back to the hotel, did some swimming in the pool and soaking in the hot tub.  Then I needed to vacate my room while they cleaned it.

Then I ended up in the lobby and Del Shannon's "Runaway" came on the Muzak system.  Out of curiosity, I Shazamed it, and found out it was released in 1961.

That's approximately 55 years ago.

Recently. I've been thinking about the way we look back on music.  And thought, that that would be like being in 1975 and listening to music from 1920.

Now, I'm not saying that's out of the question, but think about it.

My parents liked to listen to music from the 50s.  Sitting in 1975 that roughly 20 years prior.  That's us listening to mid-90s music now.

In high school, I liked lots of different music, but a favorite was a digitally remastered collection of Glen Miller music.  That's about 45 years prior to 1986.  Right now that would put us in music from 1970.

So, yeah, now we get into a rabbit hole that I think I'll just leave right here.

An Exchange

Her husband and son are big cyclists.So, I get back to the hotel from work this afternoon.  I'm wet.  It had decided at about 1:30 to do the 30 second deluge again a few times every hour.  I had ridden in this morning knowing this was a possibility but again, that's what rain gear and my fender are for.

I come in the hotel lobby, and the woman there says, "Got caught in the rain?"

I smiled and said, "I rode back in the rain.  If I'd been caught in the rain, I wouldn't have had my rain gear."

She nodded and smiled back.  Her husband and son are big cyclists.  It's cool to have someone who knows cyclists so well.

Leaky Thoughts

Today I had to stand in the rain for most of the day as I observed some digging and collected confirmation samples.

And it was while I was out in the rain... rain that was intermittent, where we would get 30 seconds to a minute of heavy rain and then nothing to a light mist for an hour... that I learned that my rain jacket was not rain proof.

I first noticed that my armpits seemed colder than they should.  Then I noticed a similar feeling at my elbows.  When I was able to take a break and get inside, I found I was wet from the shoulders down.

Fortunately, I had a spare work shirt and a second rain jacket (Columbia, so I know it's good), and finished the day in two jackets.

Now, I have to go shopping again...

Grand Cycle

So, I guess there are things that happen and you just see them again and again.

People will make mistakes and do whatever they can to cover those mistakes up.  Sometimes it's new people, and sometimes it's the same person who made a mistake a couple years ago.

Stories change slowly over the day, and gradually those stories sound nothing like the stories of the morning.

---

On a related note, apparently I am the calmest and nicest guy around.  Coworkers and subcontractors gauge when things are going bad by when something has managed to damage my calm.

I had a stressful time a couple months back, and a new friend helped me find a way to manage the stress.  He said my calm versus stress level is usually no more than a 2 or 3.  But that day he saw I was up to 11 or 12.  Out of 10.

Then last week I had a bit of an issue.  When I told Jennifer later, about how I had slipped into "my very professional voice," she said, "You mean your dad's office voice?"  I had to acknowledge that.  It's the voice that he used when he was at work, and that I only heard when I got the privilege of calling him at the office, or when I was in trouble.

I have apparently taken that voice as my own for discipline.

I was speaking to a sub, and trying to get across the chain of events their actions had set in motion.  And I was using that voice.  A different sub walked by and later said that I seemed pretty upset.  When asked how upset, he said, "Like about 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 out of ten."

I like to be the guy who everyone gets along with.  [I've always said that I want my tombstone to say "He Made People Smile".  Of course, now I don't want a tombstone, so put a hologram projector in the tree that gets planted for my body to feed.]  But please don't make me use my dad's work voice on you.

Rain Shower Thought

So today was a drive day to get back down to San Luis Obispo for the week.

And it rained at various strengths my entire drive.  It was like I was following Rob McKenna's lorry.

But then as I neared my destination I had a thought:

It is possible that one of the molecules of water that I started in Emeryville with remained on the car for the entire drive only to fall off the car when I parked it?

Timing is Everything

So, this morning when I left the hotel it was wet.  Like, the rain stopped right before I left wet.  But t wasn't raining at that time, so I rode my bike.

Aside from the ride to the deYoung Museum, this was the first bike ride since the Thursday before Christmas.  And it was wonderful.

Sure, I was going to work, but it was getting back into a routine that felt good. If I'm going to be forced to be away from home for extended periods of time, then routine helps the time pass better.

And once again I was reminded that I have got to bring my fender with me.  My ass wasn't wet, but the muddy water spray up the back of my vest needs help.  Fortunately, it got on the vest and not my shirt.

And then not thirty minutes after leaving, and fifteen minutes after getting to work, it started to rain again.  And it rained at various strengths for another hour before stopping for good.

That is timing.

Non-Consensual Water Play

So, today work was rained out.  We're at an in-between phase where we're not quite digging in Phase II, and we're still backfilling Phase I.  So yesterday was mostly importing literally tons of material to fill in the hole in the ground we made last year.

Today?  Not so much.  By 8 this morning we had 7/10ths of an inch of rain at the site.  As I write this we are somewhere around 2 1/4 inches.

So today was mostly sitting in the cold office doing paperwork at least after gathering stormwater samples.

Then I hightailed it back to the hotel and enjoyed the pool and hot tub.

Here's hoping that tomorrow the rain tapers off.

A Specific Direction

So over the past week, Jennifer and kept hearing a seemingly specific selection of music wherever we went.

Aretha Franklin
Booker T and the MGs
"Sweet Home Chicago"
Motown

And of course, Carrie Fisher passed away.

When we put it all together, it could mean only one thing: We had to watch "The Blues Brothers"

Now, I was never one who (knowingly at least) had a crush on Carrie Fisher.  I wasn't jealous of Han Solo/Harrison Ford.  There just wasn't ever anything there.

Watching "The Blues Brothers" again you notice things.  The bit of nudge at Star Wars when Carrie as "The Mystery Woman" has a different hairstyle in every one of her scenes.  Sure, she works at Curl Up and Dye, but still.

And then there is the thought of all of those in the movie who have passed:

Carrie Fisher
John Belushi
John Candy
Ray Charles
Cab Calloway
James Brown
Henry Gibson
Kathleen Freeman
John Lee Hooker

We watched the "Extended Cut" which I do not recommend because the lighting in some scenes is jarring and you see Elwood at work where he quits.  And you see his eyes because he is wearing clear safety glasses.  It's the conceit of the movie that you never see Elwood's eyes and Jake's only when he pleads for the Mystery Woman not to kill him.

Watch the original, and be happy.

Becoming a Safer Cyclist

For Christmas, I pre-ordered the Revolights Eclipse+ for my bike.

So, I've been watching Revolights for a few years now  I remember when they came up on Indiegogo for their original Revolights 360.  It was a fascinating project, but at the time, I just could see spending that much one on my bike.

Then they launched a second campaign for the Eclipse+.  I was hooked, and I've been waiting for the right time to get the new version.  It turns out that they are on track to be released this month.

Jennifer and I went walking one day a few months ago, and saw the crew taking pictures at night.  It turned out that Revolights is located here in Emeryville.

So, this week, we walked over and ordered a set.  And if they are as great as they look, Jennifer will be getting a set as well.

I'm very excited, and eager for them to be released.

It's a New Year

And so, it is 2017.

And what does one do on the first day of the year?  Well, of course, one goes for a bike ride.

Today we rode to BART, went into the City, and rode to Golden Gate Park and the De Young Museum.  Specifically for the Frank Stella Retrospective.

If you are a bike rider, I cannot recommend Golden Gate Park enough on a Sunday.  About half of the Park is designated as an auto free zone, and you can just ride and ride with only other cyclists, roller skaters and bladers, skateboarders, and walkers to deal with.  It is bliss.

The Frank Stella show was amazing to see with just amazing pieces of abstract artwork to see.

After the museum, we went and were able to get seats at the patio of the Beach Chalet.  It was a wonderful experience of buffet and bottomless mimosas (mimosea?).

Then we walked on the beach, and I watched the sand blow.



Then we rode back to BART with an incredible downhill on Oak back to Market, and then came home.

It was a wonderful day of wine, woman, and wind.

Why This?

Seriously, why a remake of "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters"?  Why Amazon?

Why not Lidsville?

Why not H.R. Pufnstuff?

Why half ass the return to psychedelic 'member-berries?

However, you have to agree with Bleeding Cool, Sid and Marty Krofft is such an example of why we grew up the way we did.

Stress Relief

So, back when I was in school studying to be a geologist, my Geologic Structures teacher was giving us assignments.  Mostly they were drawing lines to connect boundaries between rock layers.  Then to better differentiate between the layers, we were supposed to color them.  The best advice she gave us was to have a glass of wine and then draw our lines (connect the dots) and color inside the lines.

Yes, I was a college student learning how to color.

However, the trick with the wine was great because it kept your hand from shaking and gave nice smooth curves.

I've been trying to find things to break up my routine while I'm traveling.  I've been going to San Luis Obispo now every week since the last week of July.  I drive down Sunday afternoon/evening, stay at a hotel during the week, and then drive back home on Friday afternoon.

For those who aren't familiar with the distance, it's 3.5 hours without traffic.  With traffic, it can be anywhere from 4 to 5 hours.  I'm not looking forward to tomorrow's drive home.  One of the worst commutes I ever had was a drive home from a jobsite on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Back when I was with Kleinfelder, I was working at a site in Redwood City for the San Jose office.  At one point, the project manager wanted me to drive the samples to the San Jose office.  I told him that I didn't know where the office was, and that there was no way I was driving that far south and then driving back to PLeasanton to return to company truck, and then driving home to Concord or Pacheco (I forget where home was at that time).  It was a full day's work, and with the drive segments, I didn't get home until after 8:00 that night.

We are all hopeful that tings go well enough tomorrow that we have a half day of work.

Now, on top of this looming drive, I found out on Monday that a good friend and coworker has a sick father.  When she told me, I gave her a hug.  Then she said that he has pancreatic cancer, and I gave her another bigger hug.  Like my mom, his is inoperable, but fortunately discovered early.  The tumor appears to be only the size of a golf ball, and has not spread.  It is early enough that they are still waiting for the biopsy.

So add all of that together with the general background stress of the approaching holidays, high profile work, and being geographically separated from Jennifer, and I needed a distraction.  Reading has been okay, but I'm having trouble focusing and not falling asleep while reading.

So I've been coloring.

I've printed out some outline artwork from Deviantart, and have been coloring some of those.  However, Jennifer and I found a craft store nearby when she came down for a visit, and they had an amazing color-by-numbers book called Color Quest.  It's a not just about coloring by numbers, but it's also an experiment in tessellation.

And so using the cool new app from Google called Photo Scan, I took pictures of my chosen piece of work after each color was completed.

I will say that after the first two colors, I thought it was going to be a snake.

Anyway, it was mindful relaxation, and I fell a bit better.  I might be able to get back to drafting the changed map for the roleplaying game.

Why, oh Why?

Why do we do stupid things out of curiosity?

Why do we go looking at old pictures of friends and former loved ones?

Is it personal torture?  Mental masochism?

And when you find yourself doing it, and Joe Satriani ends up playing a song called "Saying Goodbye," isn't it just too much to ignore?

Chalk it up to loneliness, and being alone during the week for just too damn long.

Someday, I'll have a November free to regurgitate all these thoughts and feelings out uninterrupted.

But for now, just consider me mentally cutting.

Stross! Stross! He's our man!

So, I just finished (literally) Charles Stross' latest additional to the Laundry Files The Nightmare Stacks.  And it is bunches of fun.

The Nightmare Stacks reminds me of a Tom Clancy novel.  I've only read two of those, but it has that feel.  A reluctant agent caught up in things, tactical maneuvers, and technical specifications.  And reading about a dragon's technical jargon just makes me smile.

The favorite characters aren't in this one aside from side mentions.  Dr. O'Brien is seen in passing, as is the BLUE HADES Representative on her way to the pool in a wheelchair.  Bob Howard is unfortunately in Japan.  So the main character is Alex Schwartz one of the Laundry's PHANG agents.

But it's not a vampire book.

I was reminded of two fictional invasions while reading this.  One was a GI Joe cartoon where they go up against a group that uses biological versions of all mechanical devices.  The other is Sliding Albion from The Authority comic books.

A recommendation before reading this are Stross' short story "Equoid".

It's been a while since I've this much fun reading.

Epiphany

I had a revelation the other day:  I used to write this blog for my mom.

It didn't start out that way, but it developed into a way for me to tell my mom what I was doing, what I was reading, and such.

I kind of lost momentum when she died.  I was working, and grieving, and kind of being.

I'll get back to this I promise.  Even if it's just another way of telling her what I'm doing.

Done Been Framed

So, Thursday I got a call from Michael's that my picture framing had been completed.  Friday evening, I was home in time from San Luis Obispo to go pick them up.

Here is the "Discworld Massif " by Paul Kidby.  We covered up the original name, but added the plaque.

Here is the "Speechless" reframe.  You can see the two bits of matting (the black and gray) from the original framing.

Here is how we hung them on the wall in the stairwell.

Post-Tropes

So, I read a lot.  This is no real surprise if you know me and/or read this blog.

I am about halfway through Neal Stephenson's Seveneves. And while I'm enjoying the book, I am also getting angry while reading it.

I've read lots of... okay, we'll call them post-apocalypse books, but it's not always an apocalypse.  Sometimes it's a disaster.  Sometimes it's a crash.

My favorite is Larry Niven's Lucifer's Hammer.  A comet hits the Earth, and things go bad and badly in California.

Another that comes to mind is David Brin's The Postman.

The thing these two have in common is mercenaries who end up as cannibals.

Now, in Seveneves, things are pretty dire, and there are a small fraction of humans how find a way to survive.  What makes me angry is that Stephenson isn't satisfied with just getting the survivors to struggle to survive, he has to add Politics.  And it's capitalized for a reason.

I guess it just is how I am, but political intrigue is not needed at this point in the book.

Not that I'm stopping reading, because if I feel this strongly about it, it's surely and enjoyable book.

Getting Framed

So, for my birthday today, I was given the gift of framing.  Specifically, I took two prints in to be framed.

Back when I was in college, Mel Blanc passed away.  I have always enjoyed the Warner Brothers' cartoons, and my parents knew it.  This was during the heyday of the WB Store, and my parents bought me this print:

It made me cry the first time I saw it.  I hung it on my wall everywhere I lived, but the frame ended up delaminating, and so it got shifted to a closet.  Today, it gets an additional matting, museum glass, and a new frame.  (The lithograph "Speechless" is still available here.)

Christmas 2014, I bought this print:

Little was I to know that just a few months later, Terry Pratchett would pass away.  I was thrilled when I got this, and was slightly teary today as we were designing the matting and frame to go with it.  (There are still prints for "Discworld Massif" available at Paul Kidby's site here.)

I will post pictures in a couple weeks when we have the final products hanging up

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah...

Yes, it's been a while.  Blog momentum is difficult.

But anyway, you need to watch this:



It'd be great if every show could have fun recaps like this.  But then, not every show is on HBO and can thumb its nose at the censors hiding in Standards and Practices and the FCC.

Rainbows, How Do They Work?

So, a discussion Jennifer and I like to have is if everything in the Bible is to be taken as written, then light must have worked differently before the Flood.  I base this on rainbows being a new thing as a symbol of God's promise.  So in the pre-Flood world light could not be split?  But then how were there any colors?  Or if water wasn't able to split light, then how was it different?

It's a fun thing to talk about, at least for us.  It's no different than putting yourself in any other fantasy world and arguing the differences in physics.

Which brings me to XKCD's spin-off site "What If?" and more specifically pondering about rainbows in Tatooine.

Now beyond the concept of the what the system looks like, I have to ask, "When does it ever rain on Tatooine to even create a rainbow?"

But then back to my original biblical thought experiment, here's this XKCD strip:

My Bike Spoke - And Another Thing...

I think the whole time I was writing yesterday's post, I was close to achieving something.  Then like coming up with an insult to the junior high school bully, I came up with the perfect stinger yesterday afternoon.

So think back.  Read yesterday's post.  Now insert this at the end.

"You could honest say that my bike is now... true blue."

My Bike Spoke

So, what do you do when you break a spoke on your bike?

I had been noticing a wiggle in my rear tire.  It was most noticeable when I was riding along a linear feature like brick pavers or a stripe.  The bike would almost fishtail as the tire stayed in the groove and moved the bike around.  So I went to a bike shop and bought a spoke wrench.

I had watched a couple YouTube videos, and repair seemed pretty straightforward.  However, while I was working on the adjustments, I found that one of my spokes had come out of the frame at the hub.

Jennifer and I spent Saturday morning at Love Our Neighborhood Day.  Then we took a ride to Blue Heron Bikes on Gilman.  They didn't have any service reservations available until Thursday.  And I'd have to drop my bike off on Wednesday, and then figure out how to get there and back afterwards.

But Yelp to the rescue.

I looked for nearby bike shops, and found Berkeley Bikes & Skateboards.  I walked into this little shop, and the guy behind the counter (way behind, he was working in the back) said he could have the work done in two hours, and it was $5 cheaper than what Blue Heron quoted.  I kind of had to laugh because he was a little apologetic that a black spoke would cost $2.

So Jennifer and I checked out the Tokyo Fish Market and Gift Shop.  Then we walked over to T-Rex for a drink and lunch.

And now my blue-wheeled bike is true.

Truly Zen

So after the horribleness of multiple tube punctures in the rain, I ordered some new tires for my bike.

But not just any tires, Tannus Solid Tires.  Unfortunately, there is only one distributor in the US, and that is Cycle to Go.  In Tuscon.

But they were incredibly helpful and friendly over email, and helped me choose the correct width and diameter tires for my bike.

Installation was tedious, but simple as I had to insert the little yellow tabs about every inch around the circumference of the tire.

The only real difficulty was getting the tire onto the rim of the wheel.  Fortunately Jennifer was around to hold the wheel as I pulled the tire into place.

Then it was just as easy as using the provided tool to push the pins into the rim of the wheel

And they are amazing tires.  They feel a little different to me because I've been riding on hybrid tires for a couple years, but otherwise there is no difference.  By finger squeeze they feel like well inflated tires.  the best part is that I never have to check the air in them again,

If you want to see the best review that I found before buying, watch this:



And I have to agree.  there's not much to say about them because they simply perform like regular tires.

I can address a comment that a coworker was given about them.  Apparently someone claimed that in the event of hard breaking, the tire can keep going while the wheel stops.  Essentially they are describing sliding in the rim.  Now, Sunday I tried a hard stop coming home from a ride, and the bike and tires stopped just fine.  I think anyone who has issues with the tire sliding in the wheel got a tire that is too big for their rim size.

Alert *** Geek Ponderance *** Alert

So, I'm reading Leonard by William Shatner which is a biography of sorts of Leonard Nimoy, but more of a story of their 50 year friendship.  I've just gotten to the time in the past when they had finished Star Trek II.

And I began thinking of Star Trek III in terms of the military.  A crew of 6 steal a ship for personal reasons.  One of them sabotages the flagship of a new kind of ship.  And then they end up destroying the ship they stole.

Think about that.  They destroy the ship.

Okay, so there's no money in the Star Trek world, but think of the exotic materials and time it required to build that ship.

And then by the end of Star Trek IV, the Enterprise A is ready to go.  And it lasts for two more movies before being mothballed, because the Enterprise B is introduced in Generations.

Enterprises don't have the best record.

Original: heavily damaged often

Mark II: Dealt with V'Ger, beat up pretty badly by Kahn, self-destructed by Kirk

A: [REDACTED], and fought Klingons and Saboteurs.  Presumably mothballed

B: Bridge ripped apart by nirvana fragment

C: Sacrificed itself to save Klingon settlement against Romulan attack

D: heavily damaged often, destroyed several times in time loop, battle bridge destroyed and saucer section crashed after fighting a Klingon Bird of Prey

E: severely damaged after fighting Romulans, but retrofitted

Replicators must be awesome.

Zen and the Art...

So in between phone calls, emails, and such, I've been performing inner tube repair.

Of course, the first thing to do is take the tube out and check the tire for sharp fragments that are still stuck in it.  I didn't feel anything, but as I was turning it and feeling, I heard a sound of something sliding inside the tire.

Here's what I found:

Two pieces of glass, or as we geologists call it "beerbottleite".

So I looked over the tube, eventually I have found six punctures.  Four of the punctures were in pairs where the glass went through both sides of the tube.  The two others were pin holes.

So now, I'm all patched up, and hoping that I've found all of them.

Synchronicity

So let's talk about things aligning.

This morning I got up and it was raining.  Not really a big deal, I was prepared.  I had the fender on my bike ready, and just had to gather and don rain gear.

However, about 2/3 to 3/4 of the way to BART, I almost lost control of mu bike as I started to shimmy.  My back tire had gone flat.

Still, things aren't terrible, The rain is minimal, and I make it to BART just in time to get on the train.  Also, the walk could have been so much worse if I'd worn the rain jacket I'd planned to instead of the waxed canvas jacket that Jennifer talked me into.

Then we went one stop, and held at the station for ten minutes because the train ahead of us had door troubles, and we had to single track around it.

The walk from BART to work wasn't too bad.  It only rained on me twice.

So, I'm now sitting at the office waiting for the bike to dry so I can do some work on it.  Also, I'm soaked in sweat from walking in rain gear.

But hey, it could always be worse.

Ooooh, Big Numbers

So since my last post, I've past 75,000 pageviews.  Kind of a cool feeling.

Of course, I kind of like XKCD's take on milestones.

In Praise of Brandon Sanderson

So, I'm going to assume that you have read at least one book by Brandon Sanderson.  And if you haven't, then you should.

I started as did most people with the Mistborn trilogy.  It's the concept how "magic" works on that world that was so fascinating.  I've read three of the four post-Mistborn series.  I think I need to read the Elantris books for the pre-history of the that world.

Then I read Warbreaker, and the foundation for magic shifted from metals to color.

Then came the Stormlight Archives,and I'm still not quite sure how magic works there.

Last to be introduced to me was the Reckoners series, which I'm reading the third book of right now.  Imagine a world of supers who become evil when they use their powers.1

And there are hints that these worlds are connected somehow.  Certainly, Warbreaker and the Stormlight world, but possibly others.

What makes Sanderson so fun is that the feel of the books are all different.  Even when he wrote the last three books of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series, he kept to Jordan's voice slowly shifting to his own.

So yes, give him a read.  You'll enjoy it.

Weekend Update

I forgot to mention two things in yesterday's post.

Just trying on unwashed selvage will leave you with blue fingers.

Second, on Saturday, Jennifer and I had breakfast at OVO Tavern.  Now, the first thing I have to sway is that you shouldn't be turned off by the webpage, because the place is so much better than the page.  Second, the food was great.  We got there and were the only customers the entire time.  We think they're more of an evening spot, but the food was great.  It wasn't just comfort food, and the service was top notch.  Being outnumbered by the staff is awkward sometimes, but they totally made us feel welcome.

Busy Weekend

This weekend seemed non-stop from the end of work on Friday.

I met Jennifer at BART halfway to San Francisco, and locked our bikes up.  Then we rode in and met a friend, got a ride over to Japantown and had dinner.  Then we went to "Batman v. Superman".

What did I think?

The intro pissed me off.  Do we really have to see the Waynes die in every fucking Batman movie?  After I got over that, it took me a bit to get back into the movie.  Once i did, I enoyed the show.  The second half is much more entertaining.  I told a friend I'd give ti a 3.75 out of 5 (7.5 out of 10 might sound better), and I'm viewing it as a bridge.  Yes, Marvel didn't really have a bridge movie, but I'm hopeful.  Affleck did a fine job as Bruce Wayne, I still like Henry Cavill, and Gal Gadot is good as both Diana Prince and Wonder Woman.  I look forward to the Wonder Woman.

Saturday, Jennifer and I rode around for a bit, but then decided to enjoy ridiculous fun, and play catch.  Then with sore shoulders, we went home and watched television with cats in our laps.

Sunday, we decided on a longer ride, and made a big loop.  We went up Alcatraz to Noah's Bagels on College, then down College and Broadway to a Starbucks in downtown Oakland.  Then we ate sitting on a planter on Grand.  After we ate, we walked up Broadway and found a few fun restaurants for future perusal, and a shop called Two Jacks Denim.

TJD is a great denim shop with pants, shirts and jackets.  I've recently become a fan of unwashed selvage denim pants.  I got a pair on Kickstarter, and they have become my favorite pants.  I've had them for almost two years, and they've never been washed.  The wear pattern on them is really looking amazing.  I got two new pairs of pants Sunday: one that is blue on a tinted thread and the second is blue on black.  they're going to look amazing too.

Sunday night, we came back to Drake's Dealership for dinner.  They've got some great beers.  Jennifer had a Farmhouse Ale (a great saison), and I had the amber (a great ESB).  Both were amazing with her poutine and my ribs.  For dessert we had a bourbon-barrel aged Drakonic stout and rye-barrel aged Robustito porter.  After one taste, both left you feeling you were in a distillery with the smell of the whiskey around you.

Movie Time

So, yeah, it's been kind of difficult getting back into blogging momentum after my mom's death.  I'm hoping I can build some up again.

I have seen some movies over the past few months...

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - It's just fun.  There's no other way to describe it.  I like the new characters and it was great to see the old characters again.  I've seen it twice in theaters (tying for Jedi, but falling short of Empire [3 times] and Hope [4 times]), and the blu-ray has already been ordered.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - Seen through Fathom Events, and so enjoyable on a big screen.

Blazing Saddles - Also great on a big screen.  Something of note, when the town is exploding at the end?  Those bodies flying into the air are horses.  That's a detail you miss on a small screen; I always though they were people.

Queen: A Night in Bohemia/A Night at the Odeon - Jennifer surprised me with tickets this week to a combination documentary (30 minutes) followed by a live recorded concert of Queen.  The documentary was a cool little bit of interviews through the years on "Bohemian Rhapsody" and Queen's move from one label to another.  What struck me a fascinating was Freddie Mercury saying how BR was actually three songs he had in his head that he strung together into one.  What makes this more interesting to me is that in an interview I heard, My Chemical Romance described the creation of "Black Parade" in a similar way, but with 4 or five pieces.  The recorded concert was actually Queen's Christmas Eve concert on BBC-1 in 1975.  Yes, 1975.  Aside from the fun of the concert, watching Brian May play was kind of funny.  He plays, and moves a bit then stands still and plays more, then repeat.  Freddie's showmanship hadn't worn off onto him yet.  He looks like such a nerd (astronomy major, remember) who just happens to play excellent guitar.

Deadpool - Now, I'll preface this with the fact that I knew nothing of Deadpool aside from internet memes and "Wolverine: Origins".  However, that being said, this was a movie that was just fun.  Crude and violent, but lots of fun.

Well, Blow Me Down

Wednesday after the long weekend, I was back on my bike, and riding to work.

Monday it was so nice, Jennifer and I rode up to the end of the New Bay Bridge trail.  They're behind schedule because we were supposed to have a completed trail to Yerba Buena and Treasure Island by October of 2015, but no the projection is Summer of 2016.  Most of the trail and path is visible, but it's nowhere near completion.

Wednesday there was a storm on it's way into the Bay Area, and it was blowing from the southeast.  And it was blowing at 18 miles per hour and gusting to over 30 mph.  I rode in a relatively low gear the whole way to BART.  And when I got to the platform, the train was just pulling away.  And I was worn out.

Today riding to BART there was a bit of wind, but it seemed like a cute, little child trying to be like it's big, strong father.

Mom's Obituary

Janet Triplett Appel

Resident of San Leandro, CA

June 3, 1943 – February 1, 2016

Janet Triplett Appel passed away on Monday, February 1, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer.  She was a valiant fighter of this ravenous disease.

Janet was born in Corbin, Kentucky and graduated from Corbin High School.  She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, KY.   She began her teaching career at Crestwood Elementary School in Crestwood, KY.  She also taught at Liberty Elementary School in Goshen, KY., and in the Mt Diablo School District in Concord, California.

Janet is survived by her husband Leonard Martin “Marty” Appel and their son Kristopher Erik Appel of Emeryville, CA.  She is also survived by her brother Dr. Henry Hall Triplett Jr. of Louisville, KY., and step-father Jack Hollin of Prospect, KY. She is predeceased by her father Dr. H. H. Triplett of Corbin, KY, her mother Anna French Triplett Hollin of Prospect, KY, and her sister Maryann Douglas L’Hote of Lexington, KY.

A celebration of her life will be held Saturday, February 13, 2016, 2 pm at the First Christian Church, 3039 Willow Pass Road, Concord, CA 94519.  Another celebration will be held May 8, 2016, 2 pm in Louisville, KY.  Details on request.

Gifts of remembrance are requested to be made to the Capital Campaign for First Christian Church at the address above or at www.concordfcc.net/wideningourwelcome.

Getting Closure

So I'm in Lodi... again.

I'm here destroying the last of our sampling points.

It's my first day back to work after my mom died.  I decided to come back because I felt that closure of the site would bring me some personal closure.  Lots of things have happened during times I've been working here.

The first time I was here for a subsurface investigation, my grandmother died.

When we were in the midst of the deepest and nastiest part of the remediation, my mom was going through surgery.

But with the closure of the site, I have the chance to close out my feelings.

Memorial Service for Mom

So there will be two memorial services for my mom.

The first will be in California at First Christian Church in Concord (3039 Willow Pass Road) on Saturday, February 13 at 2:00 PM.

The second will be held in Kentucky on May 8.  Details will follow.

In Memoriam - UPDATED

So, we're not yet sure what we're going to be doing yet or when, but there will be some sort of memorial service here in California and Dad also wants to have one back home in Kentucky.

We did want to let everyone know that Mom asked that any donations be made to First Christian Church in Concord, for their Capital Campaign in her memory.  If you'd like to honor her by donating please put "In memory of Janet Appel" somewhere in the donation.

We've checked the site and it appears that there's no way to donate electronically, so if you are so moved, then proceed the old fashioned way with a check.

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UPDATE

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You can go here (https://www.eservicepayments.com/cgi-bin/Vanco_ver3.vps?appver3=yDVaAgvAXGZitEQyMRksR6q007RBuFEg89urwOEFha1a0yQzb6btfSidiz3gDMiAJGRUTRK-KOePByj3g2AslNOJQ8HYes4lVfS8oYp1bCRbwV_7cpWEo_a-v9QdGGepI9UKc_PTLuGWNHyMYJoBR0lFCaFaf1LhXObklkMrMfk= ) and make a donation online.  I'm not certain if you can add a comment to say you are donating in her memory.

Their address is 3039 Willow Pass Rd., Concord, CA  94519, and their phone number is 925-685-7503.  Their website is   http://www.concordfcc.net/ . 

Final News

My mom passed away this morning around ten o'clock.

An Update on My Mom

So, things are deteriorating quickly.

Wednesday, mom fell while dad was helping her to the bathroom.  She hurt her leg and her side.  So, dad started her on morphine.  She's in pain still, and has little to no appetite.  Dad's not sure if she'll last through the week.

I've been in Napa most of January, and have two more weeks of fieldwork, but I'm close enough that I can still come back if I'm needed.

If you want the latest update from her written by my dad, you can read her blog:  http://www.ihavenoendings.blogspot.com/

Also, for a great pre-remembrance, my cousin Lisa wrote a great blogpost about my mom.  http://normalnichols.blogspot.com/2016/01/this-blogs-for-you.html

--Erik

A Busy Weekend

Last week was along week in the cold and rain while working in the field.

Our schedule is all kinds of shuffled, but I think we're doing well.  I'm just starting week two and not looking forward to the predicted rain for tomorrow and Friday.

But let's talk this past weekend.

Friday, I got home and got cleaned up and Jennifer and I ran errands taking advantage of having a vehicle.  Not too much, because, we still like walking and such, but kitty litter is bulky and heavy no matter what brand you buy.

Saturday was the monthly GURPS game, and we had lot of fun.  Yes, we could see the railroad tracks, but didn't mean we didn't enjoy ourselves.

Sunday, Jennifer and I went to see "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" on the big screen at the Century Theatre in San Francisco.  That is one of my favorite movies, and i was so cool to see it as it was meant to be views.  This was all through Fathom Events, and in two weeks we get to see "Blazing Saddles" that same way.  We've already decided that right before the film starts we're gong to get the audience's buy in that we're not going to be quiet, but everyone can speak lines along with the movie.

Back to the Field

So today was the end of the second day back in the field for me.

And this is real fieldwork, not just another site remediation.  We performing a massive subsurface investigation for a relatively small site.  And we've had an army out here doing the work.

There's the crew from my company which including the project manager amounts to six.  Then the drillers have five.  There's a pair of guys performing traffic control.  And then there's the public relations representative.  I'm used to less than half of this for a job.

And then on top of this we don't have an office out here like we've had for the last few remediations, so things were arriving all day on Monday.

[Princess Irulan Moment]

Oh, and did I mention that I'm the site supervisor?  Yeah, all deliveries at the site are looking for me, so I have to leave in the middle of whatever I'm doing and take and/or direct the deliveries.

And in addition to all this I've learned a few things:

Humans are smart and invented things like tables and chairs for a reason.  That reason being working on the ground or while sitting on a cooler and writing on a clipboard on your lap wears your back out really quickly.

I've been doing this for almost twenty years in various capacities and for a surprising number of companies.

It's surprisingly easy to rack up 20,000 steps (or more) just walking around the site.

Anchor Brewing has a series called Zymaster.  Whichever one I had last night was very drinkable.