Fun

I’m driving up to Roseburg today for Mother’s Day weekend and my mom’s retirement party. It’s a long drive, but going home for a visit is always worth the trip. I surprised mom for Mother’s Day a few years ago. That was really fun. This time she knows I’m coming, but it should be just as fun. This may be one of the last times I visit the house on Glenmar. Mom and Dick are downsizing into a smaller house, and a smaller mortgage for their retirement. That wasn’t quite how they had planned things, but the down stock market and economy is hitting everyone just a little. ...

Why would you pay $200 for a ketchup bottle? If it made me smile like that guy is smiling, I’d pay. Isn’t $200 a small price to pay for everlasting bliss?

I just wrote a big post about a 10 mile hike I took today, but I lost it. I hate web-based UI’s! The hike was awesome, because it kicked my ass and will help get me in shape for more hiking and camping this summer. It took me all over the Purisima Creek Open Space.

I was poking around the WHO’s website and I found something called the Codex Alimentarius. Sounds mysterious, huh? Turns out it’s like the IETF, but for international exchange of food products. Guess what type of “nutritional packet” comes in these varieties: Sweet-fig, Pisang Mas, Amas Date, Bocadillo, Ney Poovan Ney Poovan, Safet Velchi, Cavendish Dwarf Cavendish, Giant Cavendish, Lacatan, Poyo (Robusta), Williams, Americani, Valery, Arvis, Gros Michel, Highgate, Pink Fig, Green pink Fig, Ibota, Apple Fig, Silk, Pacovan, Prata Ana, Mysore Mysore, Pisang Ceylan, Gorolo. ...

I have broad curiousity, which I’ve made the best of, given that it tends to limit my ability to focus on something for long periods of time. I’m currently, though not permanently, at peace with the fact that I tend to progress just past “beginner” in all that I do, then lose interest in making progress. One way I keep this from being a total character flaw is that I do keep committments, like running a Game, or being in a dance performance. So while you may not be able to count on me to stick with something new more than 6 or 9 months, you can count on me to stick with those things for which I sign up. ...

I only subscribe to one magazine at a time right now, because otherwise my curiousity would bury me under a pile of magazines every month. I try different ones from year to year, just to see what all is out there. I’m currently subscribed to Atlantic Monthly, as a result of William Langewiesche’s interview on Fresh Air. I also had read a few Atlantic Monthly articles on-line and that was so tedious that I gave up and bought the subscription. ...

Rule number 1 of “How to be Jeff” is " Always have a kite in your car, just in case." I looked up from my computer at about 5:30 pm and noticed that the impending storm was bringing with it gusty winds and interesting clouds. I decided it was high time to get back out to the Shoreline Park Kite Flying Area. I got to watch a nice sunset, and fly my kite backwards! The prevailing winds at the kite flying area usually are on-shore from the Bay. Today they were coming from the mountains. I also discovered an interesting new form of recreation. It combines kite flying (for relaxation) with wind sprints (for exercise). See when you are flying a stunt kite alone, every time you crash the kite you have to go to the kite, reassemble it (ok, only after really big crashes!), and set it up for another launch. I was in a hurry to get as many flights as I could before I ran out of light, so I sprinted up and back to the kite after every crash. It also had the nice effect of keeping me warm, since I left my jacket at home today. ...