atomicthoughts.com

Books

I’ve recently been consumed by books. There is always something around to read and often 4 or 5 books will be in progress strewn about the house and office. But lately there have been a string of absolutely wonderful novels to keep me entertained and thinking.

Darwin’s Radio and Darwin’s Children, by Greg Bear.
The Stars my Destination, by Alfred Bester
Angel of Darkness by Caleb Carr.

Continue on to read my much longer than anticipated comments on them …
(more…)

This weekend was finally yardwork weekend. We’ve completely ignored the yard for months and months and it felt good to get back into it a little. More than a little, really; Saturday night was one of those fall asleep with you clothes on times, like flipping a switch.

Yardwork at this point mostly involves trimming and scaling back healthy things, or completely removing dead ones that have been neglected. I have pangs of guilt as we go about our outdoor business, since we bought a house with an extraordinary yard, quite lush and green my most standards and simply amazing in Tucson.

Of course, we bought the house from a 70+ retiree without kids or any other obligations. When given the choice between watering the lawn and changing diapers, the diaper always wins. Stinky brown stuff always takes precedence over wilty brown stuff.

Apart from normal maintenance there’s a slew of other projects I’d like to be working on. Better lighting, get a storage shed, make a work area, install gutters, level the patio, trim the cats claw vine, remove the vine on house, remove the ree on the side of house, run new sprinkler line, replace the back gate, repaint the back porch, install sliding screen door (for the 53rd time), redo (closer to do) electrical in the back.

In varying degrees, these are the things I lack to accomplish these tasks: time, energy, money, and knowledge.

I’ll knock them all off over the years. Hopefullt the list will shrink before it grows though.

I’m beginning to see where all these anti-genetically engineered food people are coming from. All these apples have stickers growing on the side of them, and they’re smart enough to know what number they are. Red Delicious, 4015. Fuji, 4131. In the next evolution the labels will read “212 of 4131″. The evolution after that they’ll unionize and we’ll all be screwed!

Maybe I should stick to applesauce.

Who decided the size of the towels you get in a restroom when you pull the lever down? Everyone pumps it 2 or 3 times anyway, why not make it larger by default? Is there a complex equation relating maximum drying efficiency with minimal resource waste? Is it whatever size randomly occurred with the leftover gear and lever they had lying around when it was first designed? Perfect size for the CEO’s hand? Has it been an evolution over time, or generally the same size? Is there an international standards board for it? Are there committees in corporations right now fine tuning the size?

These are the kinds of things I think about. If only my power could be used for good.

If we had a househould budget, there would have to be a whole category for “random shit on clearance at Target”

A few days ago I used an automatic toilet, an automatic sink, and an automatic soap dispenser. But I had to push down a lever to get a towel to dry my hands. I had to TOUCH something! And we call ourselves civilized.

I hate TVs with volume in airports. The relative silence of the background airport noise is something I looks forward to. Everyone alone with their thoughts, buried in a book or on the phone or watching people.

But now there’s a loud bleating tube behind my head. And I look towards a dozen people all staring dumbly forward, thinking not much at all.

It’s been too long since I’ve been on a train. This mode of transportation is absolutely my style, slow steady and constant.

We’re on a Caltrain on the way into San Francisco. Earl and I are big road trip peole but we thought we’d try a trip with no car. It’ll be a little weird but certainly new and interesting. So far we’ve taken a plane, a golf cart, a bus, and a train. By the time it’s over add cable cars, subway, and a ferry to the list.

Caltran’s documentation really sucks, by the way. We thought it would be self apparent what to do at the station, but it definately was not. So be prepared campers!

Hearing 20 people extoll the virtues of a co-workers new haircut is one of the constant subtle tortures of Life in Cubicle Land.

Last night I hit the sack at 11:30, 3 or 4 hours ahead of schedule lately. I was really looking forward to my first full night’s sleep
in quite a while. Imagine my surprise when 5:45 showed up and found me out of bed. Then imagine my total confusion when some
malfunctioning part of my brain decided to remain out of bed, take a shower, and join the world.

I’m surviving so far, but this afternoon my body will be craving a nap. At least I have a full afternoon of meetings, sure to keep me alert and excited!

I’m screwed.