Category Archives: Life
Rosie The Dog
I cried a bit after she was gone. I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect to miss her at all, let alone so intensely. The place seems much emptier than it did four days ago. You wouldn’t think a long weekend would be enough to form such a strong bond.
But dogs are simpler than people and much more honest and open. You always know how a dog feels about you, and the dog is never two-faced or a hypocrite. And I think Rosie brought me back to Samantha (I even called her “Sam” a couple of times).
Monday night I found myself wandering aimlessly around a place that seemed too empty.
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28 Comments | tags: dogs, Dr. Greg House, House M.D., Rosie, Samantha | posted in Life
I’ve been playing with Python and POV-Ray, catching up on movies, enjoying the continued nice weather, and even getting in some reading. Yet it’s still weird how little I seem to get done considering the days are all mine. (And I still haven’t fully shaken the sense that all this free time ends at some point.)
For now, I plan to focus on project work—the previously mentioned Python and POV-Ray playing—so there may be a pause in the posting while I putter (possibly a plethora of pauses). Please stay tuned!
In the meantime, I have some questions:
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28 Comments | tags: atheism, Joy, meaning, POV-Ray, purpose, Python, spirituality, suffering, theism | posted in Basics, Life, Philosophy, Religion, Science
I’ve gotten spoiled. Writing about the con carne topics is much harder than writing about the life stories and the off-the-cuff opinions. Meaty topics require research and fact-checking (and often I need to create the images). And I expect they’re also harder to read!
My intention here was always to write mostly about ideas with a fallback of writing about things and, to a lesser extent, writing about life (which is to say, about people).
Today’s post keys off a Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal cartoon I saw a while back. At first the cartoon spoke to me, but the more I thought about it, the less I agreed with it.
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8 Comments | tags: Dune, Fahrenheit 451, Frank Herbert, George Carlin, Ken Follett, Larry Niven, Lee Smolin, Pillars of the Earth, Ray Bradbury, Ringworld, Robert Pirsig, SMBC, Winston Churchill, Zen Motorcycle | posted in Books, Life, Philosophy, Religion, Science, Writing
I bought a new toaster oven the other day. My old one caught fire a little bit and afterwards it didn’t make very good toast. The lower elements fried, so it only heated from above. Broiled toast is strange and sad. I had to toast one side and then flip my bread to toast the other.
It was interesting looking over at the toaster that one morning and wondering why bright yellow, kinda flickery, light was coming out of the toaster. A dull orange glow, that’s expected, but bright yellow? What’s up with that?
Oh! Fire! Damn, my toasted is burned! Literally.
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23 Comments | tags: bagels, bake, bread, broil, food, humor, oven, toast | posted in Life, Rant
I woke early to the sound of thunder this morning. It was hot enough earlier in the week to force me back to enclosed air conditioning. Friday, I realized it had cooled off enough to open the windows again. I very much prefer breezes blowing through my place. The weather witches mis-predicted rain Friday and Saturday but got it right Sunday morning.
I lay in bed sleepily thinking how much I enjoy the sound of rain and thunder. That thought was immediately followed by the realization that I needed to wake up and go close some windows! As the rain continued, I began to wonder if the Twins game today would be rained out, but now it’s just partly cloudy, so no problem.
I thundered yesterday, but on Sundays I try to be sunny (or just partly cloudy).
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8 Comments | tags: canine, Canis lupus familiaris, dogs, love, needles, NOVA, phobias, thunder, time, University of Virginia sundial | posted in Life, Science
Ugh! It’s not even noon, and already 79 is in the house. Not doubt the less welcome friends, the 80s, aren’t far behind. I hate the idea of closing the windows and turning on the A/C, but I also hate the idea of the humid heat sucking the life out of me. I could siesta the day and play at night, but in Minnesota it doesn’t cool down at night!
The retirement “party,” a week of dedicated loafing and sybaritic pleasure, is winding down now. Come Monday, the Retired Life, a whole new phase of life work, really begins. And being my own boss, I can pick my own hours (or minutes!), and I can choose the nature of my work! (It does make calling in sick a tricky proposition. On the other hand, my employer is totally down with siestas and drinking on the job.)
In the meantime, I have some items in my cache that I’ve wanted to share.
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6 Comments | tags: breasts, humor, Mick Jagger, Romanesco Broccoli, stop and smell the roses | posted in From My Collection, Life
Today, July 4th, is Independence Day in the USA. For most this is a wonderful summer holiday involving picnics and fireworks. As with Christmas, the real meaning behind the day may be distant or lost. And I’m not here today to write about the True Meaning of Independence Day (United States). For the record, we adopted a rather important historical document 237 years ago today. If you live here and can read, you’re expected to know all about it.
It so happens that today is — or rather would have been — my 15th wedding anniversary (crystal). A decade-and-a-half ago, on a paddle wheel river boat, I got married. There was cake and fireworks.
It also so happens that today marks this blog’s two-year anniversary (cotton).
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17 Comments | tags: Anniversary, cake, celebrate, die spammers, Douglas Adams, fireworks, Followers, friends, July 4, Marriage, Wedding | posted in Life, The Interweb, Writing
I misspent my younger days in the warm climes of Southern California. In particular, I went to high school and college there. I moved to the Midwest about seven years after college. For many, college was the end of anything resembling much in the way of time to call their own. I have many fond memories of idle times in perfect weather!
People who know me know I have a pretty intense work ethic. They also know I have a pretty intense party ethic. (Truth is I’m just intense. Period. Work hard; play hard; relax hard.) This past week — my first week into retirement — I’ve been relaxing hard.
And the weather has been just glorious this week. So far, retirement is aces!
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1 Comment | tags: algebra, backgammon, humor, math humor, peach daiquiri, pi, retirement, weather | posted in From My Collection, Life, Math
The old grindstone!
It has been creating delightful occasions of frisson. After putting in a full work week, one enjoys the weekend, a bit of time off before returning to work. Except that this weekend lasts forever. This is not time off before returning to the grindstone, because that grindstone no longer hangs around my neck!
I promise to stop going on (and on and on) about this Real Soon Now. Quite a number of friends have expressed their jealousy (in mild jest, I hope). Just keep in mind that I jumped ship pretty early pension-wise, so how well this works out for me remains to be seen.
And you’ll have to bear with me if I blather on about work (or retirement) a bit longer. It’s a pretty major life change!
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5 Comments | tags: Bob Marley, frisson, grindstone, Marriage, relationships, retirement, Soylent Green, work, yardsticks | posted in Life
A few hours ago I walked out of work for the last time. (Actually, it’s likely I’ll visit again, which of course involves both walking in and out, but that will be as retiree come back to visit. (Or possibly a consultant come back to save their ass, but that seems somewhat unlikely on several counts.)) Yet in the poetic sense, it was the last time.
It wasn’t quite as weird as one might think. I’ve been leaving in my head and heart for a while. Today was more like a wheel that’s been slowing down finally coming to a stop. A final turn. Answering one last email, and then out the door.
Today marked the end of an era.
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25 Comments | tags: no questions, retirement, sleep, work, Wrigley Field | posted in Life
Logos con carne 