Category: lil’ chino

the coming spawn

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mover and a shaker


Hung over?! Are you serious? I thought that didn’t happen to me; steel constitution and all.

German Dopplebock, something called “Alligator,” if I recall. Not only that, but the dang cigarettes finally caught up with me. I still don’t know what it is about those beastly things that my psyche holds an attraction to – something about looking “Euro” perhaps. I’ll trade this pain in my throat and sickness in my belly for looking Euro anyday though – as is always the case when I try and extend my “cool” via those awful, awful things. I have to give Pat the nod for attempting to contact my common-sense department when the idea to “try some local German smokes” crossed my mind. “Why?” He asked, “Won’t they just make you feel like ass like any cigarettes?” Yes; yes they will indeed. It’s like going to a different country and wanting to taste their version of the shit sandwich – you’re pretty much guaranteed it’ll be just as bad as the one they serve at your local cafe. Enough… let’s move on.

Killed another presentation today, or, at least I thought did. When I sat down, Pat told me I bounce and sway too much. Unfortunately, this is not news to me – it’s been one of the banes of my public speaking skills for as far back as I remember. I suppose, bouncing isn’t as bad as being totally unengaging or dry – but it’s still a downfall. Anyway, I thought the discussion went rather well overall, and was happy with my effort. Still not sure it was worth a week in Germany, but I’m not protesting too much.

Right now, though, it’s close to 7:30am on my body’s internal California clock – but it’s only 4:30pm here and some guy is presenting in a thick German accent that’s making me sleepy. I’m stuck here for another hour at least, I fear. So, I write. I’ve got my iPod plugged into my laptop to charge, but I can’t plug the laptop in for the wacky German plugs and my forgetting an adapter – so it’s really just trading electrons from one battery to another. At least the iPod will be ready for the journey home, that’s all I care about.

The city we’re staying in is actually really cool, and dates back to medieval times (you can still see remnants of the original city wall from the olden times). Our hotel is on a cobblestone street in the older section of town. The whole place feels very “Euro” to me: with its outdoor cafes and tiny cars. We ate dinner at a small cottage-looking place, out on a vine-clad patio as the sun set. The food, and beer, were excellent, and by the end of the meal I’d developed a nice swimmy head from the combination of sleeplessness and dunkel bier. I debated on joining the folks who’d come over on the short UK flight for another round of beer, but my fatigue got the best of me and I turned in around 9:30pm. Had a nice restful sleep and hit the ground running at 6:30am this morning. Now, to catch you up to the present so I can continue writing: I presented, we had more dinner, we went for beer (see the “hung over” bit above), slept, and it’s 7am Thursday here as I write this (I’ll get to sneak this entry in just under the wire for US Wednesday).

Yesterday, I’d mentioned I’d be posting some images from Germany as well as Keaton. Believe it or not, I think I’m going to be able to come through on both. Not having near as many pictures of Keaton as I thought I did, I had actually decided yesterday to postpone my semi-regular weekly-ish update to her gallery. But, talking to Sharaun, she’d mentioned she’d taken quite a few good ones since I’d been gone – so I decided to walk her through taking them off the memory card and uploading to my server whereupon I could retrieve and post them from the other side of the globe. Worked great, and I’m happy to be able to follow through and give you this update to Keaton’s Gallery. But wait, there’s more. I was also able to cobble together a short set of images from our first couple days – even going so far as to produce one of my little movies. You can watch it here: autobahn.unregulated, and check out the rest of the stills here.

And, that’s about it folks – the laptop is down around 20% battery and I didn’t bring the goofy German plug adapter. I’m off to catch the end of this episode of the German Flintstones and grab a shower before a sausage and potato breakfast. Not sure about posting Thursday and Friday US, as most of those days will be devoted to travel for me – but we’ll see.

Good-day to ya.

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the sun kicks into gear


Woke up early Saturday morning, as I had Mr. Mom duty while Sharaun was at an all-day seminar. Keaton and I sat and watched a couple TiVo’d episodes of Andy Griffith while the sun warmed cracking and popping sounds out of the windows. It’s nearing 2pm now and I’ve done a tall pile of nothing all day. Did manage to sneak out and fiddle with the backyard sprinklers, which were acting up when I did my Spring-is-coming test during mowing the other day. Turns out I’ve got some annual repairs to get done before the sun kicks into gear… as there are a couple broken heads and some adjustments needed here and there. Other than that brief spurt of arguably productive time, I’ve been sitting around like a stone… listening to the iPod, clicking through random articles on Wikipedia, playing with the baby when she’s awake, and snacking on some prunes.

Oh my word folks, I’m smitten with this album by Wolfmother. This Australian band is Black Sabbath’s Paranoid reborn in the 2000s, with Deep Purple and Led Zeppelin all thrown in the blender for good measure (really, just check out the band’s webpage if you don’t believe me on the comparison here). Right now, I’m simply infatuated with the entire album, but the standout tracks for me are Pyramid and White Unicorn. Actually, I could see how this album might be lumped with the whole “joke, or not?” metal-reborn stuff that The Darkness kicked off a couple years back – I mean, some of the lyrics literally sound like lines from Spinal Tap or Jack Black’s character in School of Rock. With song titles like Tales from the Forest of Gnomes, rolled Rs, and freakin’ flute solos… this is the real deal. These kids make rock, plain and simple. Really, listen to that song I linked above and tell me it’s not 100% ass-kickin’.

If all goes well, I should be first- and business-classing it over to Munich while you read this. Expect potentially odd posting times this week, I mean… in case you’re charting them. See ya.

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false alarm


Another night in another hotel, but I got to spend some time at home. And, I got to update Keaton’s gallery with pictures of her smiling. I’m so glad I came home for a night, it was well worth it.

Tonight around 11pm California time, Sharaun called me and said something frantic into the phone, which I couldn’t understand – we were then disconnected. I could tell by her tone, I immediately knew something was not right. I called right back, and got her voicemail as she beeped in on the other line. I swapped over, only to have her hang up. I tried again, and again. Finally, I got her, and, in a garbled hush of panicked whispering tears she plead: “David, someone opened the sliding glass screen door. I heard it.” My chest leapt, “Where are you, do you have the baby?” I responded. “I’m at the front door, inside, I have the baby. What do you want me to do?” Mind racing, I replied, “I want you to go outside, go across the street to the neighbors’ house; now.”

I heard the front door creak as I imagined her walking out into the night with my daughter clutched tight in fear. “Did you call the police?” I asked. “No, not yet.” Now, not that this wasn’t a situation of the utmost urgency to me, because… it was… but because my wife, though I love her to death, has a reputation for hearing things go “bump” in the night – I called our friend Erik, who lives close, and asked if he could come first; do a house check. In true superfriend fashion, he was there in 5min flat. It was a painful 5min for me, listening to Keaton cry as my wife stood in the neighbors’ driveway trying to console her, she must’ve thought her mom crazy for running into the night like that. Soon Sharaun saw Erik’s headlights round the corner, and I was instantly relieved.

Thankfully, the screen was untouched: locked from the inside. Whatever she did hear, though, scared the crap out of her – and made me wish I hadn’t left more than anything else in the world. Sorry to scare you with all the exposition, when the denouement was nothing more than the bogey man and shadows – but it makes for good blogging.

Spending a week wiping with cheap hotel toilet paper really tears up a guy’s ass. I’ll be glad to spend a week at home next week before heading to Germany… and maybe they’ll have better paper there, who knows.

That’s it, goodnight. Get your fix from Keaton’s gallery, OK?

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slacking is ubiquitous


Back at home, even if for just a brief visit. Good to hold my daughter on my chest and watch her squirm. I really… really, don’t want to leave again tomorrow. But, I guess it’s going to happen… want or not. Tonight’s entry will be lean, I’m beat down from travelling and want to sleep.

Today at our customer meeting, I sat next to a lead engineer and program manager from the company we were out presenting to. Being close to him, I had the opportunity to watch his laptop usage over his shoulder (all engineers have laptops on-hand 100% of the time). Turns out, he spent the entire meeting alternation between the screenwriting.info website, and a Word document containing his prospective screenplay. It heartened me, actually, seeing this high mucky-muck from XYZ corporation wasting his company’s money working on his pet project. It’s good that I’m not alone in letting personal passions trump professional responsibilities on occasion, validates me, so to speak. I took mental note of the gent’s name, just in case he has a breakthrough blockbuster in the box office some years down the road. Slacking: it’s ubiquitous.

The meeting once again went well, if the successful streak continues like this – I may end up with a big head, running around thinking I have the Midas touch for customer interaction. Nah… I’m just effin’ with ya… I’m sure I’ll feel the pain of a presentation gone wrong sometime in the future – just to keep me on my toes.

Goodnight.

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masturbate and head out for dinner


Houston; this hotel is shit.

No, not the shit… just shit. My credit card style key didn’t work, the bed is something you’d find at a summer camp, and someone in the room next to me is smoking like a chimney. The place smells like enchilada sauce, and there’s no wireless… people, I’m hooked up to a damn hard-wire to get online… what has the world come to? The lobby has a “complimentary” bucket of ice and Shasta soda mini-cans – Shasta; no joke. But, not being one to complain, I’ll just masturbate and head out for dinner… same old same old. Travel is part of my job, I accept that. Actually, if you promise you won’t misconstrue my saying this – I actually enjoy that my job involves travel. Travel suits me, eating on the company dime suits me, shaking hands and handing out business cards and making small talk, all these things suit me. But there is the other side…

Before I left, Sharaun was convinced that Keaton was beginning to smile. I saw what she was talking about, but I thought it less a smile and more just facial reaction to our voices (which is still no small milestone). Turns out, Sharaun was right. Of course, during the three days I’m in Texas, my daughter perfects her smile. Sharaun says she’ll smile a smile even friends recognize as one now, and do so in response to them flirting with her. This is awesome to me, as I can now visibly see if I’m making her happy. Makes me sad as hell for being on the road… but happier that I’ll get to come home and see it. I’ll try to get some pictures up as soon as I can, because surely my two readers are dying for them.

Tomorrow is our 2nd customer meeting, more questions and presenting and whatnot… I’m used to the whole dog and pony show now – it’s lost its lustre. Fly home tomorrow afternoon, sleep in my own bed next to my own wife and baby, and then wake up and fly out to Colorado to do it all again. Ah… but Colorado is different, it’s the first time I’ll be presenting the material – and even having written most of it and seen it done twice, I still plan to do a Thursday night rehearsal in front of mirror-Dave, stopwatch running.

Goodnight.

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fireside romps inside circled multicolored wagons


Sitting in a cramped conference room, the multiplied body heat of 20-some individuals making the air thick, warm, even oppressing. I’ve got my khakis on, matching brown socks with my fancy brown loafers. Nearly too-tight shirt tucked in and cinched with a brown belt. My face is greasy from sitting in this swampy room, and the hotel breakfast buffet has turned into liters and liters of gas bubbling around inside me… shifting through my intestines with audible groans on its way out those khakis I mentioned earlier. I’m uncomfortable, but obnoxiously confident as I feel I’ve been doing a great job addressing customer questions. It’s part of my personality, you know, being overly confident and cocky when I’m hot, and completely defeated and sulking when I’ve been trounced. I’m peak-to-peak with work, but in life I’m more middle of the road… taking things in stride.

Yeah… at the customer, things going rather well, in fact. Austin seems like a nice town, hoping to be able to head out tonight and take some of it in. Sharaun hid some pictures of her and Keaton in my suitcase, with little Post-Its attached. Attached to this picture was a note that said, “Even with these glasses, I can’t find my daddy. Come home soon, we miss you.” I think I actually squealed with glee upon opening my carry-on and finding them last night. Seeing that little girl made me miss her so much, I’m looking forward to my less-than-24hrs hometime between this three-day Texas visit and Friday’s Colorado one more than ever.

Today my brother drove up from Ft. Hood to spend an evening with me. It was a good time: we ate a nice leisurely dinner, bought a pack of Camel Menthols, had some beers, and talked life. Even though he could only stay a few hours, it was great having some time to catch up. I miss my brother, there’s so much I don’t write about there… some things just don’t belong on the blog I suppose. Maybe one day, when all the stigma has gone away, I’ll try and write what I mean – but for now it’s relegated to conversation between close friends and family (where it belongs, I think). I’ve told my brother, in semi-seriousness, that I’d like to author a story about his life thus far – as I think it’d be one hell of a human-interest piece. I guess you’ll just have to wait for the book, eh?

Y’know, in almost every one of my entries here on sounds familiar, I try to reference other entries I’ve written previously. This is somewhat of a strategy on my part, half selfish, half lazy. One the one hand, I have this idea in my head that folks actually click through to my supporting links, and perhaps re-read an entry written long ago, thus leaving the blog with the overall impression that I’ve got a lot more substance than just what I wrote the night prior. On the other hand, referring to old junk saves me writing time, helps me remember how I’ve described things in the past and fall back on them for reference. I guess one good thing about having written so much over so long is that there’s a pretty decent base from which to draw material. I find that I rarely have entirely new ideas…

For some reason, on the plane over I decided to set the iPod on a random mix of all albums by The Silver Mt. Zion, who also go by The Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra & Tra-La-La Band. Y’know, I’ve always known I like their music – but I just realized on this trip just how much… these albums, although likely repulsive to some, are simply outstanding to me. Some kinda crazy stringy beatsy mess, often invoking a feeling of stark loneliness or some kind of “knowing evil,” plotting, perhaps; or fireside romps inside circled multicolored wagons, I have no idea how to describe this shit. All I know is, it’s perfect for traveling… especially when the feeling of being away from home is magnified for a first-timer away from his daughter. Right now, I’m sitting here in the hotel listening to the vocal/piano breakdown that helps close God Bless Our Dead Marines, and it couldn’t be a more poignant soundtrack: When the world is sick, can no one be well? But I dreamt we was all beautiful and strong. I’m telling you, the implied evil, or solitude, or desperation, or whatever it is that gets to me in this music – perfect (much better than the new Radio Dept., a leak which I was eagerly anticipating based on their previous effort, and which I can’t seem to get into).

Goodnight my friends, heading to Houston tomorrow… next post from there.

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all aboard


Seeing as work-related duties brought sounds familiar to a grinding halt last week, causing me to miss both Thursday and Friday, I figured I better write Monday’s entry on Saturday (which I’m now doing). I’ll be leaving tomorrow (Sunday, for those still not grasping the temporality here) for Texas, the beginning of my US-tour of customers. Like I said in an earlier entry, I’m not actually presneting the material Monday, nor am I presenting Wednesday (the second visit), nay – I don’t present until Friday. However, I’m still sweating the visits as if I were presenting – since I have a feeling I won’t just be the guy in the back of the room. Either way, I don’t really want to leave… not looking forward to being away from the baby, even if for just a few days. Speaking of the baby, this seems like a good spot to link to her freshly-updated gallery: Keaton’s gallery.

The work continues on my MP3 library: I’ve established a process that works well to ensure all the new stuff I rip/get is up to standards – normalizing them to 89dB with MP3Gain and importing album art using the aptly named Album Cover Art Downloader. The album art application is actually outstanding, as you can take any image you can find online and simply drag if from a webpage onto an album. This means that pesky albums like bootlegs and obscure releases can be manually tagged with artwork by simply googling and dragging. As part of the my library improvement, I moved all songs off my iPod (using SharePod, because *#&^$#*!! iTunes only sees the iPod about 20% of the time, on good days), normalized them, added artwork to them all, and then put them back on. A little reorganization with the help of Tag & Rename and the Godfather, and my tunes are now better off than they’ve ever been. Time to backup the RAID array… just in case.

While waiting countless hours while my music library was tweaking, I decided to pop in the Neverending Story DVD Sharaun bought for me months back. I never realized how damn awesome the soundtrack to that film is. It’s one thing to have a radical fantasy story with flying dog-monsters and super-hot chilld empresses… but to have a kickass soundtrack on top of it is almost too good to be true. Sounding like the inspiration for everything M83’s recently put on wax, the backing music paints a fantasy soundscape that’s unmistakably 80s with it’s flat, hollow digital percussion and synthesizer. I need to get that crap on the iPod, it’s freakin’ timeless I tell ya… timeless.

Well, that brings us to a close my dear friends. Not much substance I’m afraid, but at least you can check out Keaton’s gallery. Until Tuesday…