Spring Break JURY DUTY EDITION!

I haven't been out of town since new years.  Now that its finally spring break, I had planned to go to Death Valley with Mike, or maybe ride down from San Luis Obispo.  Instead, I signed up for jury duty.  Which wouldn't be so bad if I was actually on jury duty.  Instead, I have to call in each day, then finding out if I have to go in tomorrow.  Which makes it kind of hard to plan a vacation.  And if I get called Friday, the whole process is for nothing, as I can't serve next week and would have to reschedule.
aargh.

Camera!

Picked up a Nikon D60 yesterday used.  Great price with only the tiniest scratch on the LCD.  Let the flood of photos begin!

Another year in X's

Another year of aikido, all marked little squares.  December was obviously a pretty crappy month.  By the time I was able to deal with seeing other people after David's death, it was the holidays.   During that period, I neglected to send my registration into Berkeley Aikikai for summer seminar.  I then found there's no fall seminar, which means no testing for black belt until next year.  

NYE in palm springs was more fun than I had thought it would be, but there was still an edge of sadness to the affair.  Just last night, I had a vivid dream where I was saying goodbye again.

On a better note, I gave up my overload to a part-timer, which frees up monday afternoons, making the spring semester look pretty chill compared to fall.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to buy a new tablet PC, or wait for Windows 8.  That's pretty much the extent of my plans for the year.  I skipped resolutions this year.  Maybe I should resolve to sew more...

The end is near.

Only a week ago, I saw David for what will be my last visit with him.  Yesterday, he called Linda up to say goodbye and we talked for a bit.  His conversation kept dropping off as the fatigue and drugs took their toll.  When it was over, Linda and I noted that it was one of the weirdest conversations we had ever had on the phone.  I felt like I was listening to someone at the bottom of a well, someone a long way away struggling to make himself heard.  He had called to say goodbye.  And we did.  And I wanted him to keep talking but knew that he couldn't.  He finally said that he was tired and was going to close his eyes.  And that was it.

Been crying off and on for days now.  Going to be a hard couple of days.

Here's how my day went

Woke up and had pie.  So good so far.  Then Sophie said she felt bad, and then barfed.  My Mom called and told me that their phones were almost dead and they had no power.  Or heat.  So, I cancel my lunchdate with Rachelle (which I had totally been looking forward to), and drive to Arcadia with a stove, flashlights, and a phone charger.   Trees down everywhere and a general lack of traffic lights make means it takes three times as long to drive anywhere once you leave the freeway.

   I get to my dad's house, he walks out to say hi, and explains that he needs help fixing the toilet...in his apartment...which he was trying to fix earlier that morning...two weeks after getting out of the hospital.  He then mumbles that he's tired, looks kind of odd for a second, and falls straight backwards, his head going into a bush instead of the concrete walkway a foot away.

   He refuses help getting up and lays on the ground for a minute or two before very slowly getting up.  At this point, he lets me talk him into staying home while I go to Home Depot to get the toilet parts.  But before that, I decide to set up a camp stove for them. Cause, you know, hot food.

    As I plug in a brand-new canister of fuel in my previously trusty Coleman Exponent stove, the seal somehow ruptures and a stream of cloudy white butane comes shooting out the top.  Backpacking, burning man, car camping.  I frantically rush it out the back door and watch it slowly spray butane all over the backyard.  Happily, there was one can of gas left that was fine.  I made dad some soup, his first hot food in >24 hours.

   On the way to Home Depot, I find a Donut place open.  They have six donuts left.  That's it.  This will be the last place that has food I find open the rest of the day.  It takes an hour to get to the store and back.

   I drive both of my folks to the apartment  and fix their toilet surprisingly easily (the whole time trying to convince my dad that spending money on a plumber is not wasting money).  Afterwards, we drive around looking for a restaurant that's open.  We find a restaurant and go in.  Well, almost go in, as Dad begins to buckle at the knees again just before we walk in.  At this point, he (amazingly!) suggests that he should probably go home and lay down.

    At home, he feels better and my mom asks if we can go get some windshield wipers.  Because she needs new wipers.  My dad says that he'll drive to the dealer tomorrow to get them.  It's just over in Pasadena.  sigh.  So, I drive to the pep boys nearby and buy wipers in a dark, but open store.  On the way back, my mom and I look for food, get stuck at intersections, and find that about 1 in every 6 blocks is blocked by downed trees.  This takes an hour and a half.

   Then it's off to visit David.  Who was setting up an XBox and looked a tad cranky.  Which, frankly, suited me fine.  We smoked a bowl together, this was the highlight of my day.

    I make it home, and find that Ricky's teacher had given him an essay. On Friday.  Due Tuesday.  And by essay, I mean that she wants Eight Fucking questions answered in "complete" paragraph form.  I've scanned the assignment to give you a complete idea.  Oh yes, this was in addition to the powerpoint presentation due, and the three page homework also due.  This is all in one class.  In sixth grade.  Which essentially means that i) I have to write the paper for him ii) we spend four to five hours a day on the weekend and monday to finish it iii) we tell him to blow it off, which he doesn't want to do.

    Sophie feels better.  My dad says his back is sore but he's OK. I'm going to watch a movie.

Haloween

Dragged my sorry ass off the couch on saturday night.  I had spent the whole day helping out with kid's class at the dojo, then doing the tests, then having the dojo anniversary party, so I was understandably tired.  But I rallied and made it to BootieLA mashup night.  I wore the Samurai Hello Kitty outfit and ended up winning the "mashup" category costume contest.  I paid for dinner with Eric and Noosha with the winnings, and still came out ahead for the night.  It felt great to go dance and be in a nightclub and stay out until 3am.  Though I must admit to being super tired Sunday.

On a much less happy note, my dad had his kidney taken out today.  It should treat the cancer, but the recovery seems a bit unpleasant.

Still sick

I got a flu last week after drinking with shady at the york in eagle rock.  My hangover kept getting worse until I finally admitted it was a flu.  Which went away and became a lingering cough coupled with fatigue.  Which has lasted a week.  And then I got a migraine in the morning yesterday.

Make the weekend come now.

Welcome Back!

    I had my welcome back day at work, where the staff get together and meet before the students arrive.  We had a seriously dismal budget projection.  As in the worst I've ever seen.  As is laying off part-timers and closing some departments.  My job is super-secure, but it was a real gut-punch of a talk.
   Then the chief of police gave a presentation on the new emergency preparedness systems and what we can do in the event of an "active shooter" on campus.  Including videos of how to conduct a lockdown.  Which involves making a fort out of desks and hiding in the dark.
   My co-worker turned to me and said, "so the message is 'we have no money and are going to get killed'".

   It'll be an interesting year.

at least you have two kidneys

My dad found he has a 5cm lump in his kidney, meaning he'll have to have surgery to have it removed.  With luck, it'll be local and he'll be fine.  If not, chemo and radiation are generally useless.  On the plus side, it explains why he's been having so many problems related to his blood sugar and mood swings.
    He's getting a scan (SPECT?) monday, they'll know more after that.

   I just finished reading "the emperor of all maladies", a biography of cancer.  It was a tough read, though very well written and really engaging.  I wish it wasn't so pertinent.

Backpacking

Went out for three days and two nights to Lone Pine and the Cottonwood Lakes area.  I handled the altitude quite well this time, my knee felt crappy the second day, probably the result of going off-trail and hopping over rocks, roots and branches for hours.  I went with Kris, the second time we've gone out backpacking.  A fine travelling companion, not too fast, flexible, good company.

It's nice to be home, I've only got a few days off before I have to go back to work!

hectic august

so many things to do, so few days left.  I'm going to go backpacking in two days, then a few days at home taking care of the kids before spending a week at Camarillo training. Then a few more days at home before heading back to work.  Then the playa.

I'm awaiting a check for editing a manuscript this summer.  I'm planning on blowing most of it on a nice new mountain bike.  mmm, shiny, shiny bike

Just picked up a new computer...

Made an impulse buy of a new laptop at Staples, a $350 16" HP laptop.  $350! crazy good value.  But it's a nice fast office machine.  I suppose I'll put off the iPad purchase for awhile longer.

Went off to Ojai for the day, hanging out in the lovely hotel, shopping at thrift stores and eating.  I picked up a little desk that had a vintage sewing machine.  I've finally got a little workspace at home!  The tablet PC will now become a full-time lecture/powerpoint aid.

Riding

Splat and I went out for a mid-day ride at China Camp. The trail has several lovely views of the bay, and some sections with lovely redwood trees.  A fun 11 mile ride with nice up and downs, nothing too steep or technical.  We're probably going to do it again today, and then I'll probably head back home.

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WTF?

Woke up to find my car had been paintballed 5 times.  Which is the second time this has happened, (and it's been egged once).  Have I pissed some neighbor off?  Random minor vandalism?  Why only every six months or so?  Anyone else's car?
Thinking seriously of getting a nightime camera system.

Mostly fun

Went to the Benton Hot Springs with a smaller group this year.  Pleasant road trip up, stopped in Fossil falls and mostly hung out in camp.  A tad warm but lovely at night.  Noosha had gotten a migraine at night, so I gave her my Relpax and rubbed her head until she felt better.  On the way down, stopped in Whitney Portal, where I got a migraine.  A mild one, but it made the drive down in the light unpleasant.  Stupid head.  At least my migraines are a sign of my genius.  and Noosha's genius.

I can't see what could go wrong....

Motorized!

Here's a shot of the aftermath...  The music synced up oddly well, we used "thus sprach zarathustra" and the benny hill theme music "yakity sax".

Next year, two wheels!

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I'm so very old

I'm a ball of injuries, all resulting from stupid non-heroic actions.  My wrist is sprained from hammering the shed, my back is tweaked from lifting a piece of pegboard overhead, and now, my knee popped while goofing around with the kids.  Hopping across a line.  I'm hoping it gets better quickly, but it's freaky to feel the same injury in the same spot in the same knee as before.  If my summer biking season is ruined, I'll be ever so pissed.

Shed building

Spent the last few days tearing the roof off the shed, then the walls, then fuck it, rebuilt the whole foundation.  It's been five or six days of work, but almost done with the interior at least.  A few more days and I'll have a much better work area!

Last Kyu test

I passed my first kyu test yesterday.  Which, confusingly, is the last one before the "black belt" test.  It went well enough, though I felt a bit under the weather the day before.  After the test, I rode over to Frosty Queen for a milkshake.   Ice creamy goodness.

That and getting grades turned in were my last two "must do" things before I felt like I was really on break.  Now, it's mostly goofing around. hurray!

Desert weekend

A lovely weekend with my friends.  Fireworks, high winds, drinking, driving, hanging out.
David and Fuzzy took lots of great pictures.  Like these...

Makes me want to go out again before it gets too hot.