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this nest has wheels

Who needs it?
Today I was proud of myself. We’re moving floors at work, so I spent all yesterday packing boxes, and we were told not to come in today – but to work from home. Additionally, I had an optometrist appointment at 2pm and needed to drop my truck off at the stereo place before that at 1pm. To make matters worse, I had an important conference call I needed to be on between those very times. How to manage this? Here’s what I came up with: Throw the bike in the back of the truck; drive up to the stereo place and drop off the truck; ride the bike up to the Starbucks near the optometrist and take the conference call while enjoying ‘bucks’ most secret beverage; meeting’s over at 2pm, walk the 30ft to do the optometrist thing; hop back on the bike and go get the truck. Well, it seemed brilliant to me, and it worked, too.

I think I liked the plan so much because it didn’t rely on a vehicle to convey me. Bear with me for an aside here, but, I work with several folks who live in Shanghai, PRC. A good cut of these folks don’t own a vehicle. They are too expensive, not practical on the city’s congested motorways, or the prefer pubic transit. When I tell them that, between Sharaun and I, we have a vehicle for each of us – it only reaffirms their view of America as a country full of rich people. Knowing people who don’t own cars and live perfectly normal lives, I get a kick out of realizing I’m not really that reliant on the beast. Yeah, not using the car made me happy. That, and I was able to utilize the cellphone to take my meeting. I love technology, it amazes me how it’s changed the way I do some things. For instance, my cellphone has replaced the following: my alarm clock, datebook, calendar, land-line home phone, and Post-It notes.

At baby class, our instructor talks a lot about the urge to “nest” that some couples feel before the baby comes. She talks about women wanting to clean, vacuum, and generally prepare the house for their new arrival. I can understand the preparing part, at least having the necessities on hand – but I’ve yet to see Sharaun go all cleaning jihad. Me, however, I think I just had my first “nesting” freak-out. Yeah. You wanna know what nesting is? Nesting is realizing your truck is so dirty and nasty that it’s not fit to ferry your child. It’s spending four hours in the garage painstakingly cleaning the interior and carpets, wanting to remove every smudge and speck of dust.

When I was in Shanghai, one of the $2 DVDs I bought was Jim Henson’s 1982 classic, The Dark Crystal. I absolutely loved the movie when I was a kid, it was the perfect mix of magic and fantasy – things I didn’t even realize I loved yet. Then yesterday, I stumble on this news online – they are making a sequel! I know most folks won’t care, but I sure was pumped. I mean, you know what they say: the darker the crystal, the sweeter the juice… or something like that.

In blogging news, using those larger images in last week’s Gimp-a-day baby theme, I decided that I prefer them to the tiny 100px I’ve been using for years now. Maybe it’s because I recently switched to a smaller screen resolution, so the bigger images don’t fill the entry as much – but whatever the reason, I’m stickin’ with ’em. Live with it.

Until tomorrow, love ya.

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3 weeks and counting

FetusWatch 2006
Tuesday night and that means baby class, only one more to go and we’ll be fully educated and ready for birth. Things are really coming to a head now, as the FetusWatch logo indicates. The occasion this time is the arrival of the t-minus three weeks and counting milestone. As for the update, not much. Things are progressing nicely. In related news, I’ve actually figured out neat way to post blog entries from my cellphone. While this may seem stupid, I plan to use it to provide real-time short updates to the page when the big day comes. The posts will fall under the new “txtblog” category, and will be accompanied by nice little graphics that will tip you off to their real-timeness.

Last night was Coldplay at the local 18k-attendance arena. I remember when I first “found” Coldplay, via Napster (that should give you an idea of when it was). Struck immediately by their likeness to Radiohead, the Beatles, and U2 – I was smitten. At the time, they’d only released a handful of EPs in their native England, and I greedily stole them all over the wires. I remember reading about the group of college students, how their first couple EP releases had garnered so much praise that they made the decision to give up school and go 100% music. Stories like that enthrall me, bands making it big, chasing dreams and stuff. Anyway, I ate up those initial batch of EPs, and only just recently threw out the 1st Coldpay comp CD-R I made for the car: “EPs.” As the group rocketed to stardom, I never really lost interest so much as I did passion… it’s a byproduct of my “commercial is evil” attitude (I know, I’m working on it). But man, seeing them last night was amazing – seeing how far they’d come, all the way from EPs to CG explosions on huge digital displays… it was a testament to the rock ‘n’ roll dream.

What’s more, the performance was outstanding. The sound was great, as were the vocals, the “artsy” stuff like lights and confetti-filled balls falling from the sky was also awesome. I haven’t been that engaged be a performance in a long time, it truly was an excellent concert – and man am I glad Sharaun scored tickets for my birthday. The band was a class act all the way, from the show-ending Broadway style arms-on-shoulders bow to Chris Martin personally coming on stage to introduce Fee-Owner Apple. I’ll tell you what, when it’s an empty stage, and your band isn’t on for almost another two hours – yet you still walk out to that lone microphone and say: “High, I’m Chris Martin from the band Coldplay. I’d like to introduce Fiona Apple, I know you’re going to enjoy her.” That’s grade-A rock chivalry right there. What headliners these days take the the time to even thank their openers, let alone take the stage to personally intro them. Class act; Class. Fuckin’. Act.

Upgraded to WordPress 2.01 before I hit the sack, fixed my image uploading problem. I love this program. G’nite.

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at least it’s better than r. kelly

For the love of!
Monday evening, pre-Coldplay show. Another “woe is me” post I’m afraid; when it rains, it pours.

Just a quick update on yesterday’s post before moving onto today: Turns out Sharaun’s car problems were covered under warranty, which is great – take that Axiom. Next, the stereo fix-it place can’t get the Ford in until Wednesday – which means I’m driving around with nothing but the rhythms of roadnoise to jam on until then, hey – at least it’s better than R. Kelly. Not sure what the stereo overhaul will run me, but hoping for less than the deductible I’d pay were I to file an insurance claim. For what it’s worth, I did file a police report, just in case they caught some teenager Friday night with a gymbag full of radios or something. Stupid ghetto neighborhood filled with half-million dollar homes and Cadillac Escalades… I should’ve known it’d be a thief’s Disneyland.

Sharaun called me on her way home from school today in tears… She’s angry and upset with herself for not doing enough to help transition her student teacher into the role of permanent teacher, which he’ll inherit this Friday – her last day before maternity leave. She sobbed about her disorganized classroom, her lack of instruction and guidance to the fledgling prof, and her guilt over “dumping” things on him. I tried my best “listening husband” routine, which seemed to work OK, but it’s hard when she’s so upset. I hate when she’s like that. I tried to remind her that, come Friday, none of that will be her responsibility anymore – and that surely her student teacher has been under her tutelage long enough to take over – but she didn’t seem to agree. Me, if it were my last week of work, I’d be more concerned planning the party I’d be continually throwing for the foreseeable future than any turmoil my leaving might cause.

My TiVo will have not made a daily call in 100 days on Wednesday, and, believe me, it won’t let me forget it.

Goodnight.

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revenge of the axiom

Fix this for me, I'll pay you.
I knew it, I knew it. As soon as we’ve got a nice little for-when-the-baby-comes savings built up in the bank, Dave’s First Axiom of Finance strikes: There’s no such thing as extra money.

First, the garage door breaks on Tuesday, and I was waiting until the weekend to fix it. That means Sharaun and I had both been parking in the driveway for a few nights, Friday night being one of them. Saturday morning, Sharaun had yet another all-day teachermoot which left the king alone in his castle. As she was leaving, she noticed my car door was cracked. Sure enough, I had been liberated of my stereo. Not sure if I left my truck unlocked, but it sure appears that way – that or the efficient pilferers made some non-intrusive entry; my money’s on unlocked. This latest thieving marks the fourth time Sharaun or I have had our cars rifled and lightened by crooked fingers – and the second time that it’s happened right in our own driveway. I hate the feeling you get when someone jacks your stuff… hate it. Sure, some might say it’s my fault, if indeed I did leave the doors unlocked. Bullshit. It’s not my “fault.” I may have invited it, making it unnecessarily easy, but it’s sure not my “fault” that someone can’t fight their klepto urges.

I did spend a few hours over the weekend tearing the thing apart, attempting to ditch the antiquated idea of a head-unit and integrate my iPod directly into the speakers via the existing amp. Then I remembered that the amp was bad, and I was only using it as a bridged-mono “crutch” to push the subwoofer – so that plan bombed. So now I’m gonna roll her up to the stereo place and let them have their way with it. I’m still planning to get rid of the head unit and go iPod-only into the speakers, I’m just gonna let them work their magic with those instructions rather than wracking my brain over the wiring, input levels, gain, and all that other associated crap. Shooting for an un-thievable setup where I can just take the iPod with me, leaving not but wires in the vehicle to be stolen.

Second (those two paragraphs we’re the “first”), Sharaun’s car started making the most awful noise on Sunday. It’s something that I’ve been hearing, albeit having to strain, for a while now – but that she’s dismissed as me being over-sensitive to noise (which, in fairness, I am). Now, however, the noise is indisputable – so loud it almost drowns out the stereo at high speed. Whatever it is, it sure doesn’t sound good. Thankfully, I remembered at the last minute that we’re still under warranty – I’d pushed the salesman for the 5yr/65k at no cost and won. We dropped it off late Sunday night, and’ve got my fingers crossed for something covered… otherwise I fear the cost of repair will be directly proportional to the volume of that nasty sound.

But folks, all is not woe and misery… nothing a few hundred dollars won’t fix, at least. And, while it’s fun to complain for comedic value – it’s also annoying.

OK yeah, you have to watch this: Fear of Girls, a free film on Google Video about table-top RPG players… hilarious (via MeFi).

Out.

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and when at last i find you


Thursday night as I write, and in the battle of Dave vs. Dave’s Job, Dave won handily. I took the to-do list by the horns and walked it around the arena in disgrace.

Ever since we got the nursery’s rocker (I still have trouble referring to it as a “glider,” although that’s surely what it is moreso than a rocker) fixed up with the help of Erik & Kristi – I head into that room daily to just sit and think on the thing. Mostly, I try to imagine myself holding a baby whilst “gliding,” or watching a baby sleep through the cribrails. I just sit there in that pink room and pretend. Won’t have to pretend for much longer I suppose, but it’s some sort of experiment or internal bet I’ve got going with myself: that no matter how much I rock there, trying to imagine she’s already here, it’ll be nothing like the days when I’m sitting there and she is actually here. My money’s on me not being able to imagine it accurately, not being able to peg the feelings having never experienced it. If you can’t tell, I’m hotly anticipating this one… and the incessant baby-babble is likely to continue for a while. What a puss.

In other baby news (who’d’ve thunk), I think I chosen the song I’d like to be her 1st song. The ride home from l’hopital song. Beatles? But of course, could it be anything else? The track, coincidentally enough from my favorite Beatles LP, “I Will.” I’ve always thought of the song as romantic, girl-focused, whatever. But, when it came up on shuffle the other day, I realized it’s not necessarily limited to the love where one heterosexual wants to bone another heterosexual, it’s a kind of ambiguous love that could, in fact, be taken as referring to family. Plus, it’s a gorgeous soft song, perfectly short and quiet for a sleeping newborn – and more importantly, a newborn girl. A boy might get something edgier, but this song is just right for someone coming home to a new pink bedroom. Check it out, in all it’s DMCA-violating glory, here.

I just don’t have the will to write more, at least I had a full week. Peace out.

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it’s no good, don’t bother


I debated on using the baby-in-mirror thematic Gimp today, or saving it for a big splash on Friday – since I had two designs to choose from. Ultimately, I think I made the right decision… as it looks pretty awesome to me right now. Anyway, bringing it back… today was one loooong day. Had a manager-moot at the local sushi joint, which went well and was full of HR’s-not-watching dirty-talk. Even though dinner was good, the 15hr day was a bit much. Glad to be home.

Looks like I’m not the only one who’s not been completely taken in by the all-powerful Arctic Monkeys hypemonsters, as Stylus seems less than exuberant (Muzzle of Bees highlighted the relevant portions of the review well in this post). Buzz-mongering aside, I do have to admit that I’m sitting her giving the album another chance (although I delete “I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor” from the playlist, as it’s just been beaten too far into my head to hear it again). But seriously, why is this album being compared to the Beatles?

Also in muzak, I think I mentioned that Sharaun had purchased us Coldplay tickets for my birthday a while back – and the day is nearly upon us. I’ve never been Coldplay’s #1 fan, but I’m actually pretty excited about seeing them live. And… I guess, since it’s somewhat related… I swear, I full 50% of the time I plug my iPod into the PC iTunes won’t pick it up. Oh, it shows fine in Windows as an attached drive, I can browse through it without issue. Even the iPod Updater sees it, but iTunes, for whatever reason, refuses to recognize the device. Not only that, but I promise that tags I specifically remember going in and cleaning up (Derek & the Dominos vs. Derek and the Dominos) routinely switch back. Stupid, stupid iTunes… why can’t they make it any better than the crap it is?

At least it’s Thursday… and that’s almost Friday… and that’s almost the weekend. ‘Nite.

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stake your names

Can he keep it going?
Another day down at work, and a long one looming tomorrow. In at 5:30am for a meeting with folks in Germany, out after a dinner with some other managers after 5pm. Not looking forward to waking up at the butt-crack to banter with Hans and Franz – the Germans are notoriously rough on us engineers, they have impeccable standards and know how to ask pointed questions.

The other night I happened across David Blaine’s Street Magic special on TLC. I remember the first time I saw it years ago, and all the love of magic that over-the-top “illusionists” like David Copperfield had sucked from me over the years with their cheesy music and light shows came flooding back to me. Seeing real people react to close-up magic is so much more engaging than seeing Mr. Copperfield walk through the Great Wall of China from 15 different soft-focused camera angles. I swear I chuckle with glee when I see him pull off the more amazing of his non-trick-deck sleights. Anyone can use a stripper, svengali, or rough/smooth deck… but even with the assistance of trick decks he’s got a charisma that makes even the most hackneyed tricks feel fresh. It’s the personal, close-up, stuff that’s the best, even the Balducci levitation played up throughout the entire show pales in comparison to the nickel-filled coffee cup anyway. Altho, when he does it for the cluster of hearing-impaired kids, I swear I tear up at the happiness on their faces.

Remember my beard? I shaved it one night last week. My beard is gone.

My mom and Sharaun’s mom both sent packages in the mail for Lil’ Chino. I thought it was funny that they both used the notes accompanying these pre-birth packages to attempt to establish their “grandmother names.” My mom stuck her claim on “Grammy,” while Sharaun’s mom opted for “Gami.”

Dropped my iPod for the first time today, seems to be OK… but it gave me a scare seeing how utterly dependant I’ve become on its awesomeness.

I always knew I wasn’t attractive enough to pull the kind of game I consistently do.

Tuesday night and that means baby-class at l’hopital. Tonight they gave all the preggers little stress balls to squish in their hands while they worked through the fake contractions and associated breathing. I lost it when the instructor kept gently intoning: “Now… keep squeezing your balls,” and, “Continue to squeeze your balls, in and out.” There’s a lot of unintentional humor in the class.

The other night I spilled super-glue on the cat. I had to cut out a huge chunk of her fur because I was worried she’d lick it, ingest it, and die. Now she has chunky bald-spots on her front shoulder.

Added some new pictures of the nursery progress, almost done now.

OK, seriously… what is up with this ginormous buzz surrounding the Arctic Monkeys’ debut record? I have the album, and I am, thus far, underwhelmed. There are some catchy hooks… but I don’t see what’s supposed to be so amazing about it. However, I have decided to give it a few more open-eared spins just to check my (mostly) infallible instant sense of good vs. bad.

Goodnight my friends.