So much to blog about...

And I'll get to it, hopefully by the weekend. Been up to quite a bit lately. Last Friday, Rachel, Jake and I went to Petaluma and had dinner at Pazzo with my prom date Elise and her two kids. I hadn't seen her in 20 years or so. It was great. And then Saturday was Andrea's birthday party. It was down at little beach this year. That's become something we look forward to every Summer now. Last night I went out to Pleasanton and stayed with Cuz because I had to be on site at Robert Half for work today. The meeting went well. I think I acommplished the modest task that was my charge, so chalk one up for this Lebowski achiever. Then on the way home after the meeting, I stopped by Laurie's work. She has the sweetest f-ing office!!! And she takes Brie to work.

Anyway, I have pictures from all of that stuff. But right now, I need to go send a status e-mail about my meeting today and then go get in the pool because I am very hot and tired and I have just about had it with the whole Trooper situation.

Also - shout out to Travis! Happy Last Day of Work, man. I thought your last day was going to be a retirement party in another 25 years or so. Glad to see you getting out now while you're still young. And good luck with the packing and moving and unpacking and meeting new people and finding a job and all.

The Bases Are Loaded...

Here's a neat little movie to give you some idea about what our intentions are and how long we'll be stuck in Iraq. Sure, there's discussion, and even a little debate, but concrete and steel don't lie.

Hmmmm...

I read this last night...

The Crash of 1929: Are We on the Verge of a Repeat?

The recent implosion of the subprime housing market -- in which people with little or no significant savings of their own are offered huge loans for little or no money down for houses often but not always located in fast-track developments -- shares similarities with the junk bond burnout of the 1980s.

And this morning I read this...

Dow plunges 300 on credit concerns

Investors who had been able to shrug off concerns about subprime mortgage lending problems and a more difficult environment for corporate borrowing were clearly worried once again. The Dow's drop is the biggest since it plummeted 416 points on Feb. 27 after a nearly 10 percent decline in Chinese stock markets.

Two things concern me, but don't concern me personally. Bush keeps touting about how strong our economy is - and you can make that argument the same way he made the case for the war in Iraq - by cherry picking data. The wealthy are doing f-ing fantastic and the rest of us, including the rich are back sliding. If the market tanks, the wealthy will be fine, the rich will take it in the shorts, relatively speaking, and the rest of us will continue backsliding.

I'm also concerned because, as I understand it, the architecture of the market now features automatic trading stoppages to prevent massive crashes. Also, as I understand it, there is no such mechanism in place to slow market upswings. But what if a massive crash is in order? How free is a market that can only fall so far in a day?

I can't imagine what another Great Depression would look like - the Joads can't hop in a Jalopy and head West anymore. I'm just glad I am currently working for somebody else instead of for myself, and that both Rachel's job and my own are secure, relatively speaking.

So I am concerned, but it doesn't concern me.

Kenna Sketch (Helping out Glenn)...

This is my first Kenna Sketch. And so it is also my favorite.













I think I did a nice job, given the limitations of the medium (Standard Computer Geek Issue .7mm mechanical pencil on printer paper). I think I really captured her mischievous and knowing grin and the youthful wisdom of her eyes that reveal a playful, old soul. Please ignore the nose.

OK, I'm just trying to get Glenn off of his arse and back to blogging.

Come on Frog Daddy! Glennie Yost should get back in the game.

Please don't believe these two things...

I haven't been doing many political or world affairs type posts lately. And I've been happier, generally, reading about things in less detail. But these two headlines came across today and I can't just leave them alone.




First, don't believe this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070724/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/iraq_petraeus_plan

___________________________________________

US revises timetable for Iraq security

WASHINGTON - A revised U.S. military plan for Iraq envisions local authorities enforcing security by 2009 but leaves open the questions of how many U.S. troops will still be needed and how quickly Americans can begin to leave in large numbers.

The plan appears to reflect an assertion by U.S. commanders that this year's troop buildup will be needed until next summer, one defense official said...

...

The Petraeus-Crocker plan is based on more than military strategy. It factors in a combination of political, economic, security and diplomatic efforts — along the lines Bush has described in recent months — plus actions to be taken by the Iraqi government. Those include movement on long-stalled legislation on oil-sharing, plus measures to bring more Sunnis who were members of Saddam Hussein's Baath Party into the government.

__________________________________

The truth is in there, just buried. Any revised timeline has little to do with security and everything to do with the oil legislation. So this means they now think it will take that long to get it passed. Then we can bring most of our troops home and hunker down in the massive embassy and PERMANENT bases to enforce our claim to the oil revenue. It's all for Exxon and the rest of 'em.

Also, please don't believe this either: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070724/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush

___________________________________________

Bush warns anew of al-Qaida threat

CHARLESTON, S.C. - President Bush on Tuesday lashed out at critics who say that al-Qaida's operation in Iraq is distinct from terrorists who attacked the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

"The merger between al-Qaida and its Iraqi affiliate is an alliance of killers and that is why the finest military in the world is on their trail," Bush said.

Citing security details he declassified for his speech, Bush described al-Qaida's burgeoning operation in Iraq as a direct threat to the United States. Bush accused critics in Congress of misleading the American public by suggesting otherwise...

...

In broad strokes, Bush linked the Iraq war to an event that Americans remember deeply — the Sept. 11 attacks, not the sectarian strife among Iraqis, which has caused some to question U.S. military involvement.

Al-Qaida, led by Osama bin Laden, orchestrated the terrorist strikes on the United States by turning hijacked airplanes into killing machines. That was almost six years ago. Now a fresh intelligence estimate warns that the United States is in a heightened threat environment, mainly from al-Qaida. The terror group is seizing upon its affiliate, al-Qaida in Iraq, to recruit members and organize attacks, the report found.

"I've presented intelligence that clearly establishes this connection," Bush said after spelling out details of foreign ties and leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq."

___________________________________________

Lies on top of lies. There was no al Queda in Iraq before we invaded, no matter how you spell it. And we went in for weapons of mass destruction that weren't there - that was the stated case for war. We are there for our oil companies and our petroleum based economy - you would have to be either an idiot or horribly mis-informed if you believe anything else. Our presence in Iraq makes us less and less safe the longer we are there and the more civilians we kill. Plus- most of the suicide bombers come from Saudi Arabia.

We need to say no to big oil and this President - if you really support our troops and want to feel safe, bring them home as soon as possible, elect a Democrat, and let's pay some reparations and fix what we broke over there instead of funding this never ending occupation.

The war is long since over - we won it. This is just an occupation.

I also encourage you to pay attention to this: http://www.alternet.org/rights/57689/

Five Ways Bush's Era of Repression Has Stolen Your Liberties Since 9/11

Today's America is a much less free place than the America of 2000. Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, the Bush administration has, by word and by deed, erected an edifice of repression here in the United States.

We've been living in it ever since. And it's not a comfortable place. The government is monitoring your phone calls and can read your e-mails and open your snail mail.

The government can access records of your large financial transactions, such as buying a house.

Law enforcement officers can bust into your home when you're not there, riffle through your belongings, plant a recording device on your computer, and leave without notifying you for at least thirty days -- and maybe a lot more...

...Under George W. Bush's interpretation of the president's powers during the so-called war on terror he can do just about whatever he wants. He cites the Authorization for Use of Military Force bill, which Congress passed on September 18, 2001, as the justification for this enormous leeway.

"Congress gave me the authority to use necessary force to protect the American people, but it didn't prescribe the tactics,"Bush said in a speech at Kansas State University on January 23, 2006. Those tactics, he presumes, are totally up to him. Under this rationale Bush could send F-16s to attack a residential area in, say, Indianapolis if he thought Al Qaeda suspects were there.

Now back to get togethers, flowers, recipes, and such...

"Thanks Coach"

Mark, the manager of the Middletown Yankees, Jake's team that I coached last season dropped by the other day. And he gave me a trophy for winning our local league. It says "Thanks Coach." It's a little thing that means a lot. I hope to coach again next year.

Also, in case you were wondering what happened to my hat, I gave it to Jake. So no more Yankee hats for me, at least until April of 2008. And I'm hoping maybe I can talk Mark in to letting us be the Red Sox.

Overnight Guests at the Hotel Yorba...

Lauren and Paul have been off for a week or so on a 3000+ mile road trip from California up through Oregon and Washington, in to Canada, and after a 40 minute or so wait to make sure he's not a terrorist, they motored on through Idaho and Montana and then back home. They woke up in Yreka Sunday and called ahead for a reservation at the Hotel Yorba to end their trip.

Fortunately, Michael was here last week and things were in order for the most part. I took a trip to the store for drinks and dinner and we had a great afternoon. We spent a lot of time in the pool.


Rachel invented a new use for the pool noodle - fill it with water and blow it at somebody. I caught her sneaking up behind me with it and I quickly blew in my end while she was taking a deep breath on her end. And it was one of those "I assure you that despite my laughter, I am truly sorry for what just happened to you and for making the water go up your nose like that...really...I am sorry."

Laurie's beverage cooling "Pool Warming" gift came in handy.

I put together some yum-yums. Fruit platter, cheese and crackers, and chips and guacomole. It was so hot out we had sort of a solar fondue going before long.


The dogs have not fought, even with food around, since we started them on the Puppy Prozac a month and a half ago. That's been nice, and taken a lot of stress off the old marriage.

This is Paul doing one of many impressions of the various road kill they saw on their trip. I believe this one was a squirrel.

I put this little flower pot together last week.

I know that last picture is a little irrelevant, but I think it's pretty.

So it was a nice end to the weekend. We were all pretty tired and crashed out early. We were really wishing it was Saturday, but alas, work today.

I'm hoping my friend from high school, Elise and her two kids will come for a visit while they are in town, but we are having a hard time getting plans together.

Oh, I almost forgot - Rachel got a job title change last week with an assurance of a commensurate raise at her next review. She's now the "Administrative Supervisor" and they've budgeted for a part time assistant for her.

I'm taking some on line training courses this week before my next project kicks off later in the week. I'm learning all about Interaction Attendant and getting my recertification on CIC 2.4. And when my security card comes in the mail, I'll be taking some sort of OSHA safety training. The project is for Wisconsin Power and Light, so I may get to visit with Mr. Frings at some point.

The forecast says we'll hit 98 today. I think it's going to be hotter than that. It was 78 at around 9:00 this morning and it just feels like an oppressive triple digit day on the way. We've been really good about the not using the A/C, but I think I'm gonna need it this afternoon.

That's it for now.

Kooky Plant...

Here's what my little garden by the pond is looking like these days...

There's a little succulent/cactus like thing in there to the right of the orange and blue flowers. See it? I can't remember what it was called. Over the last few days, it has done this weird thing...


This offshoot just shot up out of nowhere and is about five times longer than the plant is tall. It looks like it's going to pop a bunch of little flowers.


After that, I don't know what's going to happen. Perhaps they will sprout wings and turn in to butterflies or something.

Also, that picture of me on my profile was from when I was in Portland and Rachel came to visit. She brought me coffee in bed and I fell asleep. This morning, Jake brought me coffee in bed. And I did the same thing. I woke up to a little splash and found I had spilled some. And I was laying on Rachel's side of the bed. And I started to change the sheets and then couldn't find a clean set. And then I got to work and forgot about it until Rachel went to bed a little bit ago. I have apologized. And she found a clean bottom sheet somewhere and a different clean top sheet somewhere else.

I haven't given you a work update lately. It's pretty much the same old thing. Only it is freshly frustrating because I recently had a meeting with my friend who is one of my bosses and thought that things were going to change. But then when I asked my project manager to set up a project kick off meeting, she told me that they already started the project and I should talk to our customer to get the information I need. If my role is developer, then my project manager is supposed to get the requirements. Maybe when I get the requirements I'll ask her to do the development. Add to that the fact that my project manager has the key code I need to be able to VPN in to the servers I need to work on and, well, it's frustrating. She said she'd get that in the mail to me today. And she was supposed to have sent it last Monday. So maybe she'll send it next Monday and I'll start working late next week or something.

Then on another project, another hassle that pretty much boils down to, "Eric, you know that problem you fixed a while ago? Well, the customer still isn't satisfied, what do we do." And I say, "Well, if it were my decision, we should do A, B, and C, that's my recommendation, but it's your customer, so you need to make this decision." And I get back, "OK, what do we do, I guess we could do that, let me check, what do you think, let me cc somebody else so he can make the decision I guess."

People don't make decisions. And they don't follow up on things. And it is frustrating.

It's been like that from almost the first day I was there. I was in Chicago in a conference room and one of the owners walked in and said he wanted to do something. And one of the other owners said, "Are you sure you want to do that? Did you check with so and so?" And the first owner said, "No, I haven't talked with so and so." And the decision remained unmade.

When I ran my own business with Cuz, we made decisions quickly and did whatever needed doing. Before that, I worked at SSG before it became Eclipse Networks and we had this whole culture of, "Closing the loop." No task was completed until the status of completion was communicated to all affected parties. And if progress was delayed by a decision maker, you had the right to say, "This is the situation, the deadline is in two weeks, and I intend to do A, B, and C, unless I hear from you by the end of business in two days." That almost always got a response - somtimes it would be "Do A and C, but hold off on B until X happens." Other times it was, "That sounds great, and you should also do D." And if the decision maker did not respond, it was OK that you did A, B, and C because you communicated your intention in a timely manner and then were empowered to make a decision.

Anyway - the little kooky flower plant is cool. And Michael is up here helping get our house in order and get ready for that garage sale we still haven't had and won't have this weekend or next either. But it's all organized now. I want to leave my garage door open just to show off to the neighbors. And Jake got his own chores done and helped Grandpa in the morning. His friend Travis came over in the afternoon. That turned in to a sleepover. They are having fun.

Tomorrow I am going to finish my expense reports and submit them and I guess contact the customer to get my business requirements.

Feel free to be clumsy...

I spent the last two mornings learning how to help if you get hurt around me. I'm all certified on First Aid, CPR, and those new fangled defib machines. Although I don't own one, so please, refrain from any cardiac related accidents around here.

That's Jerry on the left - the instructor.

My new favorite thing is the "triangle bandage." How did I not know about these before? You can do anything with them - you can make a sling, roll it up for a hand injury, use it as a splint binder. I think you can even use it as a hammock or a make shift lean to.

A lot of things are different from the last time I took this type of course. I remember three quick breaths, then 7:1 compressions to breaths. Now it's 30:2. And they are now called "rescue breaths." Other than that - it's the same general principle- prolonging life until the real EMTs get there as best you can. I learned that we handled Jake's finger injury about right. And I also learned that we probably should have called for an ambulance that one time when Michael got light headed and went down on all fours in the kitchen. Maybe he would have gotten that pacemaker a few months sooner.

In addition to the training, I got some good advice from Tony about deciding whether or not to get involved. His advice is save it for family and friends you know well. Because of the various flavors and strains of Hepatitis and other pathogens, you don't want to go around rescue breathing for every Tom Dick or Harry you come across.

I think the best thing is having some training in my brain so I don't have to think about what to do, I will just do. Especially with the pool and coaching Little League and all.

If you get the chance, it's a class worth taking. I hope I never have to use it on anyone who reads this, but I feel better knowing I'll know what to do should the need arise.

Oh yeah...

I almost forgot to mention, I'm home from Denver (Englewood, actually- or was that Walnut Creek?) and Rachel and Jake are home from their trip too. Great big hugs were held in Petaluma on Tuesday night when we all rendezvous-ed.

Denver was, well, pretty much like anywhere else. Only higher. Same restaurants and stores and strip malls and such that you see anywhere else you go any more. It saddens me.

The meeting went well enough, so we may win a project out there. It will be good for me in a lot of ways if we do. I'll get to design and build a cool application. And I'll have to spend some time on site, so I will be able to go exploring like we did in Oregon and Washington. I'm sure there's still some beauty there, right?

Why am I so crotchety? I'm actually in a pretty good mood, but I sound so pissy.

Oh, and while there, it occurred to me that at Coors field, all of the seats are nose-bleed seats, right?

Lieberman and who else?

House OKs plan to withdraw US troops

By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent 6 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Iraq has achieved only spotty military and political progress toward a democratic society, the Bush administration conceded Thursday in an unenthusiastic assessment that war critics quickly seized on as the House voted to withdraw U.S. troops by spring.

The measure passed 223-201 in the Democratic-controlled House despite a veto threat from President Bush, who has ruled out any change in war policy before September...

A few hours after Bush's remarks, Democratic leaders engineered passage of legislation requiring the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops to begin within 120 days, and to be completed by April 1, 2008. The measure envisions a limited residual force to train Iraqis, protect U.S. assets and fight al-Qaida and other terrorists.

The vote generally followed party lines: 219 Democrats and four Republicans in favor, and 191 Republicans and 10 Democrats opposed.

Ten Democrats opposed? I'm sure one was Joe, but who else?

Quick ramble on:

Not sure if anyone has noticed, the the one key benchmark that the Administration has set has yet to be passed. That's the oil legislation. The other 17 don't much matter. Until that happens, I don't think our troops are coming home. And if it does pass, I think the generals on the ground will soon after say that we can start drawing down our troops. But I don't think it will, at least not by parliament. Perhaps by some sort of executive order.

You know how it always takes 20 years or so for "the truth" to come out about things? I think that's because the majority Americans can't admit mistakes or imagine they are capable of being misled, or that a few elite haves could lead us so horribly astray. 20 years from now, it will be OK for people to admit and accept (but also ignore)- because by then it will be history and they can say, "that was then, we're not that way now." And in 20 years, they will be unable to accept the horrible things we are doing then either - Despite LIVING THROUGH THE HORRIBLE THINGS WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW!!!

We are committing atrocities and war crimes as you read this. We should bring our troops home now and donate next month's $10 billion dollars to humanitarian aid for the poor Iraqis still stuck in the country. And we should lobby Congress to levy a special tax on the oil companies and multinationals who are ultimately responsible for this whole mess to pay for this misadventure.

Dregsagna...

What is dregsagna? That's what you make with what's left over after you make lasagna for your friends who just had a baby. It's never the same because it all depends on what's left over. Sometimes there's more sauce and less ricotta. Sometimes there's no romano left. This one came out pretty good. A little dry, maybe. And I grabbed some corn and a ribeye. Yummy dinner for one.
I tried out my swim mask today. But the pool was a little cloudy. And I learned that it is difficult to use a swim mask when you have a mustache of any sort.

I did six loads of laundry.

I folded four loads of laundry.

And I finished up cleaning the kitchen.

Tomorrow is my last day of this little vacation. But it's pretty much just a regular Sunday. I have to pack for a trip to Denver. Weird how Rachel and Jake and I will cross paths at the airport. As weird as it is for me to leave before they get home, it will be even weirder for them to come home to an empty house.

Went to see the new baby...

...and the new house.

Their new house is beautiful. When we all lived together, this house hadn't even been built yet. Ang and Mike weren't quite married back then, either. Rachel and I just started dating. And we were all just starting out in our respective careers. Now it's ten or so years later and we've all come a long way. Their place is incredible - the back yard is beautifully landscaped with a pool and spa and all. Most of their neighbors are dead as they have a cemetery behind them. It's a nice quiet street with lots of kids in the neighborhood.

And they've got two kids now. Matt has grown up a lot since the last time I saw him.

Joe is beautiful. But I have to be honest - he's a little boring. He is just about three weeks old, so it's pretty much eat and sleep for him. Ang says it's every three hours for the cycle.

We sat around and talked, and swam, and then Mike and I went to Costco for steaks for dinner. And I got to tell Mike the great story about how my cousin Brian and I painted the Costco sign.


I also got myself a snorkel and mask and fins set for 40 bucks. I kind of miss Costco. It's like WalMart, but better stuff. And the clientele is a different sort of rude selfish person with better teeth.

Angela is in that "I just had a baby and don't want my picture taken" phase, but she agreed to just one.

Dinner was grubbin'.
And I got to read Matt a story. He loves him his Shel, he does.
Mike and I talked until 10:30 or so, and then I headed home.

I was feeling a little nostalgic, so I got gas at Shell and drove past the folks house on my way out of town. It's funny to me how you remember a place the way it was when you haven't been there in a while. There's all of these stop signs that I knew were there, but since they weren't there for most of my life, they seemed new again.

I got home to an 80 degree house. I had set the thermostat at 80 to keep the dogs from melting while I was away.

Red Neck iPhone...

I really wanted to get an iPhone, but I'm locked in to Verizon for another year. Fortunately, I am on vacation and had some time and some duct tape.

I give you the Red Neck iPhone...


Incidentally, I thought this up last week, before I saw this week's Flight Of The Conchords. Which is hilarious if you ask me, Rachel, Glenn or Michelle. "I'm the Hip-Hop-opotamus, my lyrics are bottomless, I...(can't think of any more rhymes). That floored me. See for yourself...

I Cooked Some Today...

Tomorrow I'm going over the hill to visit my friends and former roommates, Mike and Angela and their two kids - one just 21 or so days old. So it's the first time I'll see Joe, their new baby.

And it's the first time I've been to their new house. I wasn't sure what to bring - gift for new house or new baby or both?

So I settled on making them a couple of lasagnas.
I've been told that cooking meals is a bummer with a newborn in the house. And what warms a house more than lasagna?

Here's a trick when making sauce - if your spoon will stand up like this...

...your sauce is thick enough.

I've dealt with more than half of this...

I've got the dishwasher running a load right now. And if I have time, I'll finish up in the morning.

I hear Jake is getting spoiled and having a great time. And Rachel went to not one, but two malls today. So she's having a blast, too.

My plan is to get up early, get over the hill, and go to LensCrafters. Then bop around the mall. I'd like to find a swim mask and snorkel for fun and cleaning the bottom of the pool. And I could use some sneakers. Then it's off to Mike and Angela's by 1:00. Wish me luck.

URGENT REMINDER!!!

I had this Reminder pop up on my Outlook calendar when I sat down to blog today...

Thank goodness for Outlook!

Now I am off to float in the pool.

Pre-emptive Independence Day Celebration...

Some of you may be wondering why you weren't invited to our big 4th of July Party this year. Well, the reason is we didn't have one this year. Partly because Rachel and Jake are back East having a ball. And partly because the 4th is on a Wednesday this year. And they decided to have the fireworks show on Tuesday night. Which makes it tough to have a party. But next year, the 4th is on a Friday - so we should be back in business again. Put it in your calendars now.

Laurie came up. And our dear friends Frank and Marla came over. And we grilled some steaks and chicken and ribs. Laurie made this awesome couscous/sausage/Zucchini dish. I made dirty rice. I was going to make strawberry ice cream, but just couldn't swing it. Plus we had cheesecake and chocolate cake and all.

We spent a lot of time in the pool.




And I dunked...
Laurie got us this nifty pool float with a built in cup holder AND cooler!

There should be a lot more pictures, but I goofed once again. Laurie was taking a bunch of pictures when all of a sudden, we see Brie running around the yard with a brick of cheddar. Cheddar-Brie? Anyway, before we actually retrieved the cheese, we needed to take a picture. And Laurie took one and then turned to me and said, "What does 'No CF' mean?"

Of course, that means there is no compact flash card in the camera.

I would like to think that if you go to heaven when you die, you get to see a slide show of all of the great pictures you missed in your life.

Anyway, we got the card in and...

I had every intention of getting the video camera set up so I could record the show for Rachel and Jake. But then I couldn't find the charger or my tripod. And I decided to just relax and enjoy the show. And while I am bummed that I didn't record the show, I am proud of me for not worrying about it. I did enjoy the show. And I did take one crummy picture...
It wasn't the best show. I don't think anything could top the first year for us - it was really emotional and all. And it wasn't a great fun all day party like we've had in the past. And, of course, I missed Rachel and Jake. But it was a blast hanging out with my sister, and having dinner with Frank and Marla, and watching Dre have a blast in the pool. I got my relax on with a little help from friends and family.

Laurie's Gazebo Update...

Look what she's done with the place...

...an outdoor living room completely shielded from the neighbors. Nice, eh?

Also, here's what my pool is supposed to look like (only bigger).

It's hard to relax...

Well, I should say, it's hard for me to relax. I had a nice chat with Paul yesterday about relaxing and not feeling guilty about it. And he has some good points. And he practices what he preaches. But I still found it hard to sit out back because of all of the clutter and projects and such. So I spent some time tidying the area where I will be spending most of my time.

I started by tidying the deck and getting the Martha shade set up again. Jake and I took it down a few weeks ago on a really windy day when it flipped upside down. So that area is all nice. And then I moved the lattice that I had pulled out from under the deck to paint back under the deck (unpainted still). And then I pulled some lingering weeds on Glenndale Beach.

I checked the chemicals in the hot tub and rinsed out the filters so it would be all set for me to relax.

And then I turned the filter on in the pool and set up the chlorine dispenser and such.

And then I took one last walk around the property for the annual inspection. I'm glad the lot behind ours is overgrown - it makes my yard look better. Every year I do the same thing - freak out about the inspection and the $500 fine I'm so sure will be levied. They keep saying there are no exceptions and you must have 100% compliance. And I'm so worked up about it - what if I missed a few weeds? Did I check on the other side of the house? What about this star thistle? Is that over two inches? So I took another pass with the Weedeater, and then realized that the culvert was all full of leaves and debris. Culvert maintenance is supposed to be a shared responsibility, but nobody does anything but me. So anyway, I raked the culvert. That was probably my least favorite task of the day.

I changed the filter on the pond. It was gurgling, and I've rinsed the same filters that came with it for a couple of years now. And I had ordered some replacements on eBay that came last week. What a difference. Those little orange blobs are goldfish - the koi stay deep during the day. And see, now this is a good example of my struggle. In the picture I see those empty planting containers and the pot I used to add water clarifier. I need to go deal with those. Hang on, I'll be right back...

There, that's better. Now where was I?

Oh yeah, relaxing. OK, so I also put away all of the various and sundry tools we'd been using for the pool set up. And I moved the gazebo over closer to the pool so it looks sort of like it belongs there as opposed to where it was before, just sort of askew in the middle of the lawn.

That took some doing with just me. Move one corner a few inches, move the other corner a few inches, straighten this side that's bending, OK, now that side, ok, and now the front side a few more inches and so on over the course of 15 feet or so. Then I moved our 'B' patio set under the gazebo. And I got the chair pads out from under the house. Then I got some duct tape to fix the broken part of the gazebo. It was broken before- not from me moving it by myself. And then I placed some rocks to level it. And then I sat down with a cold beer under the gazebo. And then the grass was tickling my calves, so I mowed the lawn.

And then when the lawn was mowed, I sat down again. And then I thought, gee, some music would sure be nice and relaxing. So I went and got the old stereo from the garage sale pile in the garage. And while I was there, I got irked by how messy the garage was. So I spent a half hour breaking down a bunch of recycling and tidying a bit. We really need to have that garage sale. Anyway, then I set up the stereo and the rock speakers.

And then I got a new beer because the one I started was warm. And then I noticed how dry the grass was, so I put the sprinkler on. And watered the roses.

And by the time I finally got in the pool, the sun was setting. But it was still really nice. Just floating. Filtered setting sunlight through the oaks. Blue skies with the occasional cloud and vapor trails. I put our mechanical fish in the pool and said, "Hi" to him whenever he came around. And I took a few shots from 3-point range on the little floaty basketball hoop. That was fun until I went long and it went out of the pool and I had to go retrieve it because it is just the right size for Cody to get his mouth around and puncture. Then back in the pool and more floating.

So I did manage to relax, it just took a lot of effort.

I know in one of my journals I had noted this character trait of mine that I really wanted to work on. Maybe I made some progress, but I don't think so. For some weird reason, I need everything to be perfect. So when it's time to go somewhere, I am always late because I am running around grabbing every toy or tool that I think might come in fun or handy. And I spend too much time and energy trying to create perfect moments instead of just being in the now and realizing that now is all there is and as perfect as it is ever going to get.

And that's great, I realize this on an intellectual level, but how do I get it in my gut and make it a permanent lifestyle change? Any suggestions?

I plan to pick up the book I never finished...



And I also want to reread my old Shambhala book. That always does me good. I might even get my butt on the cushion a bit. Maybe by the pond. With some music and incense...see, there I go again.

Anyway, I decided to avoid the temptation of nuking hot dogs and made myself a yummy spread for dinner. I grilled some ribs and chicken, made a batch of dirty rice, grilled some corn, and heated up some beans. Poured myself a nice tall Newman's lemonade, too.

And then I sat down, man style, and watched...

[SHOOTER]

That was great. Oh, but man, I need to go deal with those cables that are showing on the left side of the TV.

I also came up with another thing for my list of cool things about having the house to myself.

2.) You can fall asleep listening to the music you love to fall asleep to but your wife can't stand falling asleep to.

Last night it was Pink Floyd's The Final Cut. Which is great until you are all dreamy after Southampton Dock and Final Cut and then "FUCK ALL THAT WE'VE GOTTA GET ON WITH THESE!" jolts you awake again. I forgot about that.

So then I finally completed a goal I had forgotten about. I set the iPod and alarm and finally woke up to "Time." You know, with all of the different gongs and bells and such. That was cool this morning.

I got up, fed the dogs, and then went back to sleep until ten.

Then I made some coffee and stuff.

Today I plan to work a bit on the upstairs, but I'm going to do it later in the day. Right now I am going to go enjoy the relaxing space I created yesterday while the sun is still up.

Oh, and I do think blogging is relaxing for me.

I haven't heard much from back East. But Rachel sounds good when I've talked to her. They went to the pool yesterday and then drove back to Jersey.

Hey Glenn, why don't you snap a few pics and put them up on your blog. I'll link to them.