Last weekend Emily flew down for Thanksgiving. It was the first time she has been able to make it to San Francisco since this summer, and it was really nice having her around again. I also got to cook for her again. Cooking is a fun hobby, but it's always extra special when you can share the results with someone.
Carmen did her big Thanksgiving dinner, having each of her guests bring a dish. Emily and I were asked to bring a potato and a vegetable dish, so we made garlic mashed potatoes and a zucchini/squash dish. It was a lot of fun, although the turkey ended up being done a bit late. (It was on the large side, so it took longer than expected.)
I cooked for Emily three more times over the extended weekend and ended up using fresh basil in each dish. :) I've got a little basil plant growing at home, and I like to make use of it where appropriate.
On Friday, I made chicken in panang curry for dinner. It was decent, but I think it could use some tweaking.
On Saturday we cooked some salmon fillets and served it with farfalle in a mornay sauce.
Sunday, we made pizza margherita for lunch - I was feeling lazy, so we tried to buy a crust, but they were out. I ended up throwing one together from scratch, and it turned out to be one of the better crusts I've made.
More updates on house progress later.
December 01, 2005
November 27, 2005
Christmas List
Dear Santa,
I'm doing well this year, skip me and give my stuff to someone who needs it. All I want for christmas is a ticket back home to see friends and family, and I got impatient and bought it for myself. :)
Steve
Ok, I have an amazon wishlist, but I figured I'd augment and comment on it here for friends and family. I will probably update this entry a couple of times. I'll start with the usual, "don't spend much, if you must get me something." I've been blessed with pretty much all I need.
A general gift giving guide (I do get to pontificate, this is a blog), I tend to go for:
- Something people would enjoy, but wouldn't buy themselves. (Sadly, for me, that is something like socks.)
- Something from their list that is both fun or interesting.
- non-durable goods - Things that get used up make nice gifts too. (Socks again, chocolate, balsamic vinegar, cheap plastic cutting boards.)
I've put some cooking supplies on the list. One missing item is a Flavour Shaker. I'd like one of these, but they're not available in this country. (They won't even ship them here.) Maybe next year.
Update: Apparently, proleno.com ships the Flavour Shaker to the US - but it looks like it might be pricey.
November 17, 2005
Quick Update
Our contractor says he's worked out a satisfactory solution with the inspector which shouldn't be as bad as I thought, we'll see how things progress. (And no curry paste tonight - I forgot to get cilantro, it was a new recipe and I was shopping from memory.) I did have leftover larb gai for dinner, though.
Notice of Violation
The final rough inspection did not go well at all. We got a different inspector from the one who originally did the foundation, and he didn't really seem to like much of anything. We have to get Engineer/Architect redraw everything (IMHO, he's a bit of a hack and didn't do a decent job in the first place) and get a revised permit, before embarking on the expensive process of fixing things.
The only good point is that he did sign off on the upstairs and said we could close things up in the bathroom. That will at least move along the process of Dan, Carmen, and I moving into the upper unit. But it'll be a bit cramped until we get the lower finished (three people, two apartments worth of stuff).
Tonight I think I'll try my hand at making some panaeng curry paste from scratch. I'm out of the imported, store-bought stuff and really should be making my own so I can control the ingredients.
November 15, 2005
Weekend Update
Before working on the house, my brother and I went to a neighborhood meeting at Juri park on Saturday. We ended up getting pulled into a park cleanup project for most of the morning. It was fun, but we had planned on working on the house and that killed a good chunk of the day. We ended up just shoring up the bathroom wall after lunch at Papalote.
Our open wall inspection is scheduled for thursday. If it goes well, we'll be ready to dry wall and finish the bathroom. It'll be nice to see some progress again. Things should start to pick up now, unless holidays and contractor's schedules get in the way.
November 10, 2005
Yay Electrical
I tried out the Flock browser today. It's interesting. It's basically just a modified version of Firefox, with some integration with del.icio.us, various blogging sites, RSS feeds, and flickr. It's just a beta version, so it's not quite ready for general use, but seems fairly polished. The del.icio.us support is the most interesting to me - it'd let me synchronize all of my bookmarks, and it integrates the bookmarks with the little search widget. The blogging functionality isn't spectacular, stuff like X-Journal do the same basic thing and grok more of livejournal's features. (Blog this page and Blog this picture are the only real integration, but I wouldn't use it.)
The RSS reader isn't too bad, it looks like it was copied from Safari. I wanted something similar for Firefox at one point, but I'm using Google Reader now. The key benefit for me is that it keeps track of what I've read and I can use it from multiple machines.
So the jury is still out on that one, we'll see how it develops. I can run piggy bank in both flock and firefox, so either is fine for now. (More on Piggy Bank and RDF later.)
October 19, 2005
New Book
lj-mood: happy
I got back to the office this morning and found that the book I'd ordered, Jamie's Italy, had arrived. I've only had time to briefly skim it, but it looks really good and is recipe- and picture-dense. I look forward to reading it, and trying out some of the recipes. It looks like it was worth having it shipped from Europe.
I got back to the office this morning and found that the book I'd ordered, Jamie's Italy, had arrived. I've only had time to briefly skim it, but it looks really good and is recipe- and picture-dense. I look forward to reading it, and trying out some of the recipes. It looks like it was worth having it shipped from Europe.
Conference Reports
lj-mood: awake
I spent the last week or so at the Ruby Conference and OOPSLA Conference in San Diego. The Ruby conference had a more grass-roots feel and only one lecture track. Overall it was quite interesting, especially the Rails stuff and the ad-hoc domain specific language stuff. It was also good to see that work was progressing on a byte code compiler for the language, although it's not rocket science and should have been done long ago. I dunno why nobody has bothered yet. (A speaker at OOPSLA pointed out that it's the slowest dynamic language, with a naive implementation, yet people still find it valuable.)
OOPSLA was much more academic. I came away with the vague feeling that it people were a little stuck on the OO stuff and should move on, but there were also a few talks to that effect, so maybe people already know this. The workshop I attended on domain specific modeling was a good experience, although a solid day of academic stuff can be wearying. Sussman's talk and Dave Thomas' talk were both good, too. I think Java Frameworks and over-enginering of tools and libraries has sucked some of the joy out of coding, hopefully we find our way back soon. I think I should skim SICP again sometime soon.
I spent the last week or so at the Ruby Conference and OOPSLA Conference in San Diego. The Ruby conference had a more grass-roots feel and only one lecture track. Overall it was quite interesting, especially the Rails stuff and the ad-hoc domain specific language stuff. It was also good to see that work was progressing on a byte code compiler for the language, although it's not rocket science and should have been done long ago. I dunno why nobody has bothered yet. (A speaker at OOPSLA pointed out that it's the slowest dynamic language, with a naive implementation, yet people still find it valuable.)
OOPSLA was much more academic. I came away with the vague feeling that it people were a little stuck on the OO stuff and should move on, but there were also a few talks to that effect, so maybe people already know this. The workshop I attended on domain specific modeling was a good experience, although a solid day of academic stuff can be wearying. Sussman's talk and Dave Thomas' talk were both good, too. I think Java Frameworks and over-enginering of tools and libraries has sucked some of the joy out of coding, hopefully we find our way back soon. I think I should skim SICP again sometime soon.
October 17, 2005
Conference
It's late monday. I'm in San Diego for the OOPSLA conference. I snuck
into the domain specific modeling conference with a coworker, which
was a lot of fun, the talks were mostly interesting, and the
discussions afterwards were fun. It's been a long day, though, and I
was too worn out to really read any of the posters at the reception in
the evening. They we went back to my bosses room for a brainstorming
session (which was productive, but tiring).
I'll give a little more context in the next entry, going to bed for now.
into the domain specific modeling conference with a coworker, which
was a lot of fun, the talks were mostly interesting, and the
discussions afterwards were fun. It's been a long day, though, and I
was too worn out to really read any of the posters at the reception in
the evening. They we went back to my bosses room for a brainstorming
session (which was productive, but tiring).
I'll give a little more context in the next entry, going to bed for now.
September 29, 2005
untitled
lj-mood: chipper
I've put off updating because too much stuff has passed by and I never had a big block of time to sit down and document it all. So I'll just forget it. :)
I'm going to Phoenix to see Emily this weekend. It's been a month and a half - too long, but we've both been busy.
The house is coming along, the plumbing is done except for a couple of gas details. I'll include a picture of the shower rough-in, not particularly exciting, though. The kitchen cabinets arrived, but I'll have to wait patiently for all the prerequisite work to be completed before I can put them in.
And now I'm off to work.
I've put off updating because too much stuff has passed by and I never had a big block of time to sit down and document it all. So I'll just forget it. :)
I'm going to Phoenix to see Emily this weekend. It's been a month and a half - too long, but we've both been busy.
The house is coming along, the plumbing is done except for a couple of gas details. I'll include a picture of the shower rough-in, not particularly exciting, though. The kitchen cabinets arrived, but I'll have to wait patiently for all the prerequisite work to be completed before I can put them in.
And now I'm off to work.
June 19, 2005
House Update
It's been quite a while since the last update, I've been rather busy lately.
The house is coming along well, the tenants will be out by 7/4, at which time I'll need to squeeze in the critical updates and repairs before moving in. I hope to move within a month. Outstanding issues:
And that's for my unit. Downstairs will be moving some walls around, putting new wood floors in (they have no floors at the moment), upgrading electrical, adding central heating, and updating plumbing. (Gotta get stuff done while the floor is open.)
For the whole house we're finishing the foundation now, we'll have to replace a section of broken, clay sewer pipe and fix up part of the back wall.
The house is coming along well, the tenants will be out by 7/4, at which time I'll need to squeeze in the critical updates and repairs before moving in. I hope to move within a month. Outstanding issues:
- Refinish wood floors.
- Add wood floors to the kitchen
- Redo electrical, fix up plumbing, convert at least one bathroom to a full bath.
- Replace/repair a bunch of windows.
- Redo the kitchen cabinets/appliances
And that's for my unit. Downstairs will be moving some walls around, putting new wood floors in (they have no floors at the moment), upgrading electrical, adding central heating, and updating plumbing. (Gotta get stuff done while the floor is open.)
For the whole house we're finishing the foundation now, we'll have to replace a section of broken, clay sewer pipe and fix up part of the back wall.
May 06, 2005
The Book Thing
From Emily's page:
Bold the ones you've read, and italicize the ones that you started but never finished. (Much easier if you use rich text mode.)
001. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
002. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
003. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
004. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
005. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
006. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
007. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
008. 1984, George Orwell
009. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
010. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte
011. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
012. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
013. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
014. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
015. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
016. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
017. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
018. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
019. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
020. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
021. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
022. Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, JK Rowling
023. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
024. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
025. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
026. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy
027. Middlemarch, George Eliot
028. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
029. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
030. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
031. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
032. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
033. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
034. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
035. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
036. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
037. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
038. Persuasion, Jane Austen
039. Dune, Frank Herbert
040. Emma, Jane Austen
041. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
042. Watership Down, Richard Adams
043. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald
044. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
045. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
046. Animal Farm, George Orwell
047. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
048. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
049. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
050. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
051. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett
052. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
053. The Stand, Stephen King
054. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
055. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
056. The BFG, Roald Dahl
057. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
058. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
059. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
060. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
061. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
062. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
063. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
064. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
065. Mort, Terry Pratchett
066. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
067. The Magus, John Fowles
068. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
069. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
070. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
071. Perfume, Patrick Susskind
072. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
073. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
074. Matilda, Roald Dahl
075. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
076. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
077. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
078. Ulysses, James Joyce
079. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
080. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
081. The Twits, Roald Dahl
082. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
083. Holes, Louis Sachar
084. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
085. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
086. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
087. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
088. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
089. Magician, Raymond E Feist
090. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
091. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
092. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
093. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
094. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
095. Katherine, Anya Seton
096. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
097. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
098. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
099. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie
101. Three Men In A Boat, Jerome K. Jerome
102. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
103. The Beach, Alex Garland
104. Dracula, Bram Stoker
105. Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz
106. The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens
107. Stormbreaker, Anthony Horowitz
108. The Wasp Factory, Iain Banks
109. The Day Of The Jackal, Frederick Forsyth
110. The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson
111. Jude The Obscure, Thomas Hardy
112. The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 1/2, Sue Townsend
113. The Cruel Sea, Nicholas Monsarrat
114. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
115. The Mayor Of Casterbridge, Thomas Hardy
116. The Dare Game, Jacqueline Wilson
117. Bad Girls, Jacqueline Wilson
118. The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde
119. Shogun, James Clavell
120. The Day Of The Triffids, John Wyndham
121. Lola Rose, Jacqueline Wilson
122. Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
123. The Forsyte Saga, John Galsworthy
124. House Of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski
125. The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver
126. Reaper Man, Terry Pratchett
127. Angus, Thongs And Full-Frontal Snogging, Louise Rennison
128. The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
129. Possession, A. S. Byatt
130. The Master And Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
131. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
132. Danny The Champion Of The World, Roald Dahl
133. East Of Eden, John Steinbeck
134. George's Marvellous Medicine, Roald Dahl
135. Wyrd Sisters, Terry Pratchett
136. The Color Purple, Alice Walker
137. Hogfather, Terry Pratchett
138. The Thirty-Nine Steps, John Buchan
139. Girls In Tears, Jacqueline Wilson
140. Sleepovers, Jacqueline Wilson
141. All Quiet On The Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
142. Behind The Scenes At The Museum, Kate Atkinson
143. High Fidelity, Nick Hornby
144. It, Stephen King
145. James And The Giant Peach, Roald Dahl
146. The Green Mile, Stephen King
147. Papillon, Henri Charriere
148. Men At Arms, Terry Pratchett
149. Master And Commander, Patrick O'Brian
150. Skeleton Key, Anthony Horowitz
151. Soul Music, Terry Pratchett
152. Thief Of Time, Terry Pratchett
153. The Fifth Elephant, Terry Pratchett
154. Atonement, Ian McEwan
155. Secrets, Jacqueline Wilson
156. The Silver Sword, Ian Serraillier
157. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Ken Kesey
158. Heart Of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
159. Kim, Rudyard Kipling
160. Cross Stitch, Diana Gabaldon
161. Moby Dick, Herman Melville
162. River God, Wilbur Smith
163. Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon
164. The Shipping News, Annie Proulx
165. The World According To Garp, John Irving
166. Lorna Doone, R. D. Blackmore
167. Girls Out Late, Jacqueline Wilson
168. The Far Pavilions, M. M. Kaye
169. The Witches, Roald Dahl
170. Charlotte's Web, E. B. White
171. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
172. They Used To Play On Grass, Terry Venables and Gordon Williams
173. The Old Man And The Sea, Ernest Hemingway
174. The Name Of The Rose, Umberto Eco
175. Sophie's World, Jostein Gaarder
176. Dustbin Baby, Jacqueline Wilson
177. Fantastic Mr. Fox, Roald Dahl
178. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
179. Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Richard Bach
180. The Little Prince, Antoine De Saint-Exupery
181. The Suitcase Kid, Jacqueline Wilson
182. Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
183. The Power Of One, Bryce Courtenay
184. Silas Marner, George Eliot
185. American Psycho, Bret Easton Ellis
186. The Diary Of A Nobody, George and Weedon Gross-mith
187. Trainspotting, Irvine Welsh
188. Goosebumps, R. L. Stine
189. Heidi, Johanna Spyri
190. Sons And Lovers, D. H. Lawrence
191. The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera
192. Man And Boy, Tony Parsons
193. The Truth, Terry Pratchett
194. The War Of The Worlds, H. G. Wells
195. The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
196. A Fine Balance, Rohinton Mistry
197. Witches Abroad, Terry Pratchett
198. The Once And Future King, T. H. White
199. The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Eric Carle
200. Flowers In The Attic, Virginia Andrews
201. The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
202. The Eye of the World, Robert Jordan
203. The Great Hunt, Robert Jordan
204. The Dragon Reborn, Robert Jordan
205. Fires of Heaven, Robert Jordan
206. Lord of Chaos, Robert Jordan
207. Winter's Heart, Robert Jordan
208. A Crown of Swords, Robert Jordan
209. Crossroads of Twilight, Robert Jordan
210. A Path of Daggers, Robert Jordan
211. As Nature Made Him, John Colapinto
212. Microserfs, Douglas Coupland
213. The Married Man, Edmund White
214. Winter's Tale, Mark Helprin
215. The History of Sexuality, Michel Foucault
216. Cry to Heaven, Anne Rice
217. Same-Sex Unions in Premodern Europe, John Boswell
218. Equus, Peter Shaffer
219. The Man Who Ate Everything, Jeffrey Steingarten
220. Letters To A Young Poet, Rainer Maria Rilke
221. Ella Minnow Pea, Mark Dunn
222. The Vampire Lestat, Anne Rice
223. Anthem, Ayn Rand
224. The Bridge To Terabithia, Katherine Paterson
225. Tartuffe, Moliere
226. The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
227. The Crucible, Arthur Miller
228. The Trial, Franz Kafka
229. Oedipus Rex, Sophocles
230. Oedipus at Colonus, Sophocles
231. Death Be Not Proud, John Gunther
232. A Doll's House, Henrik Ibsen
233. Hedda Gabler, Henrik Ibsen
234. Ethan Frome, Edith Wharton
235. A Raisin In The Sun, Lorraine Hansberry
236. ALIVE!, Piers Paul Read
237. Grapefruit, Yoko Ono
238. Trickster Makes This World, Lewis Hyde
240. The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
241. Chronicles of Thomas Convenant, Unbeliever, Stephen Donaldson
242. Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
242. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
243. Summerland, Michael Chabon
244. A Confederacy of Dunces, John Kennedy Toole
245. Candide, Voltaire
246. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, Roald Dahl
247. Ringworld, Larry Niven
248. The King Must Die, Mary Renault
249. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert Heinlein
250. A Wrinkle in Time, Madeline L'Engle
251. The Eyre Affair, Jasper Fforde
252. The House Of The Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne
253. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne
254. The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
255. The Great Gilly Hopkins, Katherine Paterson
256. Chocolate Fever, Robert Kimmel Smith
257. Xanth: The Quest for Magic, Piers Anthony
258. The Lost Princess of Oz, L. Frank Baum
259. Wonder Boys, Michael Chabon
260. Lost In A Good Book, Jasper Fforde
261. Well Of Lost Plots, Jasper Fforde
261. Life Of Pi, Yann Martel
263. The Bean Trees, Barbara Kingsolver
264. A Yellow Raft In Blue Water, Michael Dorris
265. Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder
267. Where The Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
268. Griffin & Sabine, Nick Bantock
269. Witch of Black Bird Pond, Elizabeth George Speare
270. Mrs. Frisby And The Rats Of NIMH, Robert C. O'Brien
271. Tuck Everlasting, Natalie Babbitt
272. The Cay, Theodore Taylor
273. From The Mixed-Up Files Of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
274. The Phantom Tollbooth, Norton Jester
275. The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
276. The Kitchen God's Wife, Amy Tan
277. The Bone Setter's Daughter, Amy Tan
278. Relic, Duglas Preston & Lincolon Child
279. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
280. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
281. Misty of Chincoteague, Marguerite Henry
282. The Girl Next Door, Jack Ketchum
283. Haunted, Judith St. George
284. Singularity, William Sleator
285. A Short History of Nearly Everything, Bill Bryson
286. Different Seasons, Stephen King
287. Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk
288. About a Boy, Nick Hornby
289. The Bookman's Wake, John Dunning
290. The Church of Dead Girls, Stephen Dobyns
291. Illusions, Richard Bach
292. Magic's Pawn, Mercedes Lackey
293. Magic's Promise, Mercedes Lackey
294. Magic's Price, Mercedes Lackey
295. The Dancing Wu Li Masters, Gary Zukav
296. Spirits of Flux and Anchor, Jack L. Chalker
297. Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
298. The Encyclopedia of Unusual Sex Practices, Brenda Love
299. Infinite Jest, David Foster Wallace
300. The Bluest Eye, Toni Morrison
301. The Cider House Rules, John Irving
302. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
303. Girlfriend in a Coma, Douglas Coupland
304. The Lion's Game, Nelson Demille
305. The Sun, The Moon, and the Stars, Stephen Brust
306. Cyteen, C. J. Cherryh
307. Foucault's Pendulum, Umberto Eco
308. Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
309. Invisible Monsters, Chuck Palahniuk
310. Camber of Culdi, Kathryn Kurtz
311. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
312. War and Rememberance, Herman Wouk
313. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
314. The Giver, Lois Lowry
315. The Telling, Ursula Le Guin
316. Xenogenesis (or Lilith's Brood), Octavia Butler (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago)
317. A Civil Campaign, Lois McMaster Bujold
318. The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
319. The Aeneid, Publius Vergilius Maro
320. Hanta Yo, Ruth Beebe Hill
321. The Princess Bride, S. Morganstern (or William Goldman)
322. Beowulf, Anonymous
323. The Sparrow, Maria Doria Russell
324. Deerskin, Robin McKinley
325. Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey
326. Passage, Connie Willis
327. Otherland, Tad Williams
328. Tigana, Guy Gavriel Kay
329. Number the Stars, Lois Lowry
330. Beloved, Toni Morrison
331. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal, Christopher Moore
332. The mysterious disappearance of Leon, I mean Noel, Ellen Raskin
333. Summer Sisters, Judy Blume
334. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo
335. The Island on Bird Street, Uri Orlev
336. Midnight in the Dollhouse, Marjorie Filley Stover
337. The Miracle Worker, William Gibson
338. The Genesis Code, John Case
339. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Robert Louis Stevensen
340. Paradise Lost, John Milton
341. Phantom, Susan Kay
342. The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Anne Rice
343. Anno Dracula, Kim Newman
344. The Dresden Files: Grave Peril, Jim Butcher
345. Tokyo Suckerpunch, Issac Adamson
346. The Winter of Magic's Return, Pamela Service
347. The Oddkins, Dean R. Koontz
348. My Name is Asher Lev, Chaim Potok
349. The Last Goodbye, Raymond Chandler
350. At Swim, Two Boys, Jaime O'Neill
351. Othello, by William Shakespeare
352. The Collected Poems of Dylan Thomas
353. The Collected Poems of William Butler Yeats
354. Sati, Christopher Pike
355. The Divine Comedy, Dante
356. The Apology, Plato
357. The Small Rain, Madeline L'Engle
358. The Man Who Tasted Shapes, Richard E Cytowick
359. 5 Novels, Daniel Pinkwater
360. The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Juliet Marillier
361. Girl with a Pearl Earring, Tracy Chevalier
362. To the Lighthouse, Virginia Woolf
363. Our Town, Thorton Wilder
364. Green Grass Running Water, Thomas King
335. The Interpreter, Suzanne Glass
336. The Moor's Last Sigh, Salman Rushdie
337. The Mother Tongue, Bill Bryson
338. A Passage to India, E.M. Forster
339. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky
340. The Phantom of the Opera, Gaston Leroux
341. Pages for You, Sylvia Brownrigg
342. The Changeover, Margaret Mahy
343. Howl's Moving Castle, Diana Wynne Jones
344. Angels and Demons, Dan Brown
345. Johnny Got His Gun, Dalton Trumbo
346. Shosha, Isaac Bashevis Singer
347. Travels With Charley, John Steinbeck (my cat peed on this book.)
348. The Diving-bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
349. The Lunatic at Large by J. Storer Clouston
350. Time for bed by David Baddiel
351. Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold
352. Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre
353. The Bloody Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley
354. Sewer, Gas, and Electric by Matt Ruff
355. Jhereg by Steven Brust
356. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
357. Perdido Street Station, China Mieville
358. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, Anne Bronte
359. Road-side Dog, Czeslaw Milosz
360. The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
361. Neuromancer, William Gibson
362. The Epistemology of the Closet, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick
363. A Canticle for Liebowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr
364. The Mask of Apollo, Mary Renault
365. The Gunslinger, Stephen King
366. Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
367. Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
368. A Season of Mists, Neil Gaiman
369. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott
370. The God Boy, Ian Cross
371. The Beekeeper's Apprentice, Laurie R. King
372. Finn Family Moomintroll, Tove Jansson
373. Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
374. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K. Dick
375. Assassin's Apprentice, Robin Hobb
376. number9dream, David Mitchell
377. A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin
378. Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris
379. Darkness at Noon, Arthur Koestler
380. Einstein's Dreams, Alan Lightman
381. Dance On My Grave, Aidan Chambers
382. Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula Leguin
383. Hyperion, Dan Simmons
384. Martian Chronicles, Ray Bradbury
385. Checkmate, Dorothy Dunnett
386. To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis
387. A Clash of Kings, George RR Martin
388. The Egyptian, Mika Waltari
389. Moab Is My Washpot, Stephen Fry
390. Contact, Carl Sagan
391. Mythago Wood, Robert Holdstock
392. Feersum Endjinn, Iain M. Banks
393. The Golden, Lucius Shepard
394. Decamerone, Boccaccio
395. Birdy, William Wharton
396. The Red Tent, Anita Diaman
397. The Foundation, Isaac Asimov
398. Il Principe, Machiavelli
399. Post Office, Charles Bukowski
400. Macht und Rebel, Abu Rasul
401. Grass, Sheri S. Tepper
402. The Long Walk, Richard Bachman
403. Neverwhere, Neil Gaiman
404. The Joy Of Work, Scott Adams
405. Romeo, Elise Title
406. The Ninth Gate, Arturo Perez-Reverte
407. Memnoch the Devil, Anne Rice
408. Dead Famous, Ben Elton
409. Scarlett, Alexandra Ripley
410. Dead Souls, Nikolai Gogol
411. Look to Windward, Iain M. Banks
412. The Colossus of Maroussi, Henry Miller
413. Branded, Alissa Quart
414. The Idiot, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
415. Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac
416. White teeth, Zadie Smith
417. The bell jar, Sylvia Plath
418. The little prince of Belleville, Calixthe Beyala
419. Madame Bovary, Gustave Flaubert
420. A King Lear of the Steppes, Ivan Turgenev
421. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
422. Memoirs of a Revolutionist, Peter Kropotkin
423. Hija de la Fortuna, Isabel Allende
424. Retrato en Sepia, Isabel Allende
425. Villette, Charlotte Brontë
426. Steppenwolf, Herman Hesse
427. Ubik, Philip K. Dick
428. Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler
429. Solaris, Stanislaw Lem
430. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
431. Nausea, Jean Paul Sartre
432. The Island of the Day Before, Umberto Eco
433. The Elementary Particles, Michel Houellebecq
434. The Angel Of The West Window, Gustav Meyrink
435. A Farewell To Arms, Ernest Hemingway
436. Naked Lunch, William S. Burroughs
437. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut
438. In the Eyes of Mr. Fury, Philip Ridley
439. Consider Phlebas, Iain M. Banks
440. Into the Forest, Jean Hegland
441. Middlesex ,Jeffrey Eugenides
442. The Giving Tree -Shel Silverstein
443. Go Ask Alice -Anonymous
444. Waiting For Godot, Samuel Beckett
445. Blankets, Craig Thompson
446. The Girls' Guide To Hunting And Fishing, Melissa Banks
447. Voice of the Fire, Alan Moore
448. The Geography of Nowhere, James Howard Kunstler
449. Coraline, Neil Gaiman
450. The Circus of Dr. Lao, Charles G. Finney
451. Jitterbug Perfume, Tom Robbins
452. John Lennon: The Lost Weekend, by May Pang and Henry Edwards
453. A Long Fatal Love Chase, Lousia May Alcott
454. Pygmalion, Bernard Shaw
455. Breakfast at Tiffany's, Trumate Capote
456. Skinny Legs And All, Tom Robbins
457. Written On The Body, Jeanette Winterson
458. An Equal Music, Vikram Seth
459. A Widow for One Year, John Irving
460. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Rebecca Wells
461. Reservation Blues, Sherman Alexie
462. Hidden Power, Kati Marton
463. Cold Mountain, Charles Frazier
464. Macbeth, William Shakespeare
465. The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer
466. The Iliad, Homer
467. Common Sense, Thomas Paine
468. A Midsummer Night's Dream, William Shakespeare
469. The Odyssey, Homer
470. Personal History, Biography by Katherine Graham
471. Mansfield Park, Jane Austen
472. Truman, David McCullough
473. One for the Money, Janet Evanovich
474. Blue Dahlia, Nora Roberts
475. Little Altars Everywhere, Rebecca Wells
476. Guilty Pleasures, Laurell K. Hamilton
477. Kiss of Shadows, Laurell K. Hamilton
478. Whispers of the Dead, V. Artemis Reyd
479. The Stranger, Albert Camus
480. Women, Charles Bukowski
481. The Firebird Poems, Gerald Locklin
482. Cannery Row, John Steinbeck
483. The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck
484. Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams, Sylvia Plath
It's a long list, I transformed it into a spreadsheet and back to edit. See also my own list of hugo winners that I've read and not read.
May 03, 2005
Update
lj-mood: tired
It's been a few weeks, I haven't gotten around to updating.
I had a nice weekend in Phoenix a week and a half ago. I got to see the opening night of "Anything Goes" that Emily has been working so hard on. It was a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing her again in a few weeks.
I went out and bought a Mac mini. Interesting toy, not sure if it will become a server or if I can use it as a desktop. I'll give it a bit more time. I have been spending too much time playing with it when I should be cleaning the apartment, sleeping, etc.
The house thing is still coming along well. We have a bid on the work that needed to be done, it came in a bit lower than the initial estimate, which is a bit of a relief. I'm anxious to get everything started - it seems like it'll be a long road before we can actually move in, but it'd be nice to have things underway.
It's been a few weeks, I haven't gotten around to updating.
I had a nice weekend in Phoenix a week and a half ago. I got to see the opening night of "Anything Goes" that Emily has been working so hard on. It was a lot of fun. I look forward to seeing her again in a few weeks.
I went out and bought a Mac mini. Interesting toy, not sure if it will become a server or if I can use it as a desktop. I'll give it a bit more time. I have been spending too much time playing with it when I should be cleaning the apartment, sleeping, etc.
The house thing is still coming along well. We have a bid on the work that needed to be done, it came in a bit lower than the initial estimate, which is a bit of a relief. I'm anxious to get everything started - it seems like it'll be a long road before we can actually move in, but it'd be nice to have things underway.
April 18, 2005
Another update
lj-mood: anxious
It's been a few weeks, I suppose I should update. (Does anyone actually read this thing?) We've got a signed deal on the house. It'll be a lot of work and expense getting it into shape. Hopefully we can start soon.
I miss Emily, she's been so busy that we haven't really gotten a chance to talk much. It sucks for both of us that her schedule is that crowded, but I guess that's the way school goes - I don't know if I could do school again. Fortunately, I get to see her and the show she's been working on this weekend. (And I think things will let up a little bit for her, schedule-wise.)
Finally made Lamb Vindaloo last weekend, after owning the domain name for years. :) It turned out fairly well, but was too sweet. (I switched recipes in the middle of it, I think I may keep the tamarind, but use a lot less next time.) The original recipe called for marinating the meat, the one I ended up with just used it as-is (and browned it). So I skipped the browning, and used the marinade in place of similar ingredients. It was good, but the sweetness kinda reminded me of Koresht Fesenjan. I'll have leftovers later this week. I like the idea of making up more vindaloo and freezing it, to be used as the mood strikes me. Also, while frying the onions, I was reminded that I wanted to try my hand at french onion soup sometime.
It's been a few weeks, I suppose I should update. (Does anyone actually read this thing?) We've got a signed deal on the house. It'll be a lot of work and expense getting it into shape. Hopefully we can start soon.
I miss Emily, she's been so busy that we haven't really gotten a chance to talk much. It sucks for both of us that her schedule is that crowded, but I guess that's the way school goes - I don't know if I could do school again. Fortunately, I get to see her and the show she's been working on this weekend. (And I think things will let up a little bit for her, schedule-wise.)
Finally made Lamb Vindaloo last weekend, after owning the domain name for years. :) It turned out fairly well, but was too sweet. (I switched recipes in the middle of it, I think I may keep the tamarind, but use a lot less next time.) The original recipe called for marinating the meat, the one I ended up with just used it as-is (and browned it). So I skipped the browning, and used the marinade in place of similar ingredients. It was good, but the sweetness kinda reminded me of Koresht Fesenjan. I'll have leftovers later this week. I like the idea of making up more vindaloo and freezing it, to be used as the mood strikes me. Also, while frying the onions, I was reminded that I wanted to try my hand at french onion soup sometime.
March 30, 2005
Easter
Last Sunday, we got together at Dan and Carmen's place for easter. I made my chile verde and some guacamole. We went with a mexican theme because I'd already gotten the ingredients. Dan made some chicken fajitas and mexican rice. The chile verde went over really well. I don't have my recipes up on my server at the moment, so I'll just put it here for your reading enjoyment:
Roast the chilis in a broiler or over an open flame, put in a paper bag for 5 minutes or so, peel, seed, and slice into inch long strips. Prep all the ingredients. Put some oil in a dutch oven. Coat the meat in flour (mix in some salt and pepper) and brown in the oven and set aside. (Work in batches.) Cook the onions and garlic. (At least get the onions translucent, doesn't hurt to brown them a little.) Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, and chilis. Add the meat. Add chicken broth to cover. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about 2 hours. Uncover, reduce to desired consistency, and adjust seasonings. (Add salt and pepper to taste, I like a good dose of black pepper in this dish.)
Serve with tortillas, mexican rice, and beans. (Make little tacos with the tortillas, or just eat it with a fork.) This should taste even better the second day, if you save some and reheat it.
- 1.5-2lbs stewing pork, cut into 1/2"-1" cubes
- 1 onion, thinly sliced into little half-circles, chopped, or whatever.
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely diced
- 5-6 tomatillos, diced
- 1 tomato, seeded and diced
- 5 Fresh anaheim chiles
- 1 jalapeno (if you want some more spice)
- 2 cups of chicken broth/stock
- flour, salt, pepper
Roast the chilis in a broiler or over an open flame, put in a paper bag for 5 minutes or so, peel, seed, and slice into inch long strips. Prep all the ingredients. Put some oil in a dutch oven. Coat the meat in flour (mix in some salt and pepper) and brown in the oven and set aside. (Work in batches.) Cook the onions and garlic. (At least get the onions translucent, doesn't hurt to brown them a little.) Add the tomatoes, tomatillos, and chilis. Add the meat. Add chicken broth to cover. Put a lid on the pan and simmer for about 2 hours. Uncover, reduce to desired consistency, and adjust seasonings. (Add salt and pepper to taste, I like a good dose of black pepper in this dish.)
Serve with tortillas, mexican rice, and beans. (Make little tacos with the tortillas, or just eat it with a fork.) This should taste even better the second day, if you save some and reheat it.
March 24, 2005
New York
I'm back from our New York vacation. I had a good time, but it was a bit cold and windy, and it seemed to be a bit busy/hectic. On sunday, we got to see one of my friends (Rich Kaszeta) and a few of Emily's friends, who were quite fun to hang out with. We saw five shows: Avenue Q, Phantom, Wicked, Spamalot, and Altar Boyz. Emily showed me here old hang outs, and we went to a few museums and stores. (The Met, Radio & TV museum, and the MOMA.)
The city was interesting. The subway system is much more extensive than BART, neither as nice nor as smooth, though. I also noticed that the pedestrians behave a bit differently. (They don't have the entitlement that the pedestrians in SF have, but everything seems to run more smoothly because of it.) The city seemed rather hectic - there wern't a lot of places or opportunities to sit and relax. Maybe that was just our schedule and the weather, though. I also noticed that it was much harder to find decent beer than in San Francisco. In the end, I much prefer San Francisco.
Dan, Carmen, and I put a bid in on a house today, , we'll see if the seller accepts our terms. It's quite charming, and in a good location, but needs some work done on it. The picture makes it look a little small, because it's wedge (flatiron?) shaped, but it has two 2 bdrm, 1 bath units in it for a total of 2820 square feet.
The city was interesting. The subway system is much more extensive than BART, neither as nice nor as smooth, though. I also noticed that the pedestrians behave a bit differently. (They don't have the entitlement that the pedestrians in SF have, but everything seems to run more smoothly because of it.) The city seemed rather hectic - there wern't a lot of places or opportunities to sit and relax. Maybe that was just our schedule and the weather, though. I also noticed that it was much harder to find decent beer than in San Francisco. In the end, I much prefer San Francisco.
Dan, Carmen, and I put a bid in on a house today, , we'll see if the seller accepts our terms. It's quite charming, and in a good location, but needs some work done on it. The picture makes it look a little small, because it's wedge (flatiron?) shaped, but it has two 2 bdrm, 1 bath units in it for a total of 2820 square feet.
February 26, 2005
Houseless
lj-mood: relaxed
I sold my house yesterday. Or, at least, I signed and returned the paperwork. It should close on monday. Amazing how easy it was - sign some papers, drop them in the mail, wait for the deposit in my bank account.
This weekend I'm in SF alone - Emily is visiting her sister in Salt Lake City. I could have used the time to go looking for furniture or explore the city, but I've settled for staying home and organizing stuff. So, I did the dishes this morning, then my new passport arrived, I had lunch, hung out with Dan for a little bit, unpacked some boxes, throwing out lots of old junk I've collected, and played with the computer a bit. (Also cleaning up old junk.)
I sold my house yesterday. Or, at least, I signed and returned the paperwork. It should close on monday. Amazing how easy it was - sign some papers, drop them in the mail, wait for the deposit in my bank account.
This weekend I'm in SF alone - Emily is visiting her sister in Salt Lake City. I could have used the time to go looking for furniture or explore the city, but I've settled for staying home and organizing stuff. So, I did the dishes this morning, then my new passport arrived, I had lunch, hung out with Dan for a little bit, unpacked some boxes, throwing out lots of old junk I've collected, and played with the computer a bit. (Also cleaning up old junk.)
February 21, 2005
Hoppy Thoughts
Emily visited again last weekend. Despite the constant rainfall, we had a good time. This was our weekend to hang out with other people more; but between cancellations, rain, and time constraints, it ended up being a weekend together. We went out to eat, watched movies in my apartment, and listened to the rain fall. We did take a brief trip downtown, to print her boarding pass and see my work, but we still haven't seen much of San Francisco.
It's been tough only seeing each other for a couple of days at a time - and only one full day. Perhaps it makes the time together intense, but it also feels a bit rushed. I look forward to some more relaxed time together in New York. She won't be able to make it to SF again for a while, but perhaps she'll find a summer position in the area so we can explore the city and its surrounds together.
In other news, I applied for a new passport last week, so I'll have another picture id while I'm replacing my driver's license. (It's hard to survive without one in this age.) Also, I'm currently cooking for my first time in the new place. I'm making Rogan Josh. I managed to get some lamb from the grocery market, so I'm making it in the proper manner this time.
It's been tough only seeing each other for a couple of days at a time - and only one full day. Perhaps it makes the time together intense, but it also feels a bit rushed. I look forward to some more relaxed time together in New York. She won't be able to make it to SF again for a while, but perhaps she'll find a summer position in the area so we can explore the city and its surrounds together.
In other news, I applied for a new passport last week, so I'll have another picture id while I'm replacing my driver's license. (It's hard to survive without one in this age.) Also, I'm currently cooking for my first time in the new place. I'm making Rogan Josh. I managed to get some lamb from the grocery market, so I'm making it in the proper manner this time.
February 15, 2005
Birthday
lj-mood: chipper
I keep thinking I've updated my journal, but it appears to have been two weeks. Today is my birthday. I'm now 32 years old. It seems like just yesterday that seemed like a really old age. I celebrated my birthday last sunday with Emily, Dan, and Carmen. We had lunch at the Slanted Door, a vietnamese place that serves small-plate dishes, and then went back to Dan's place for some cake and presents. (Dan and Carmen surprised me with a nice cake from Citizen Cake.) We had a good time, but we had to cut it a little short to get Emily back to the airport.
Last weekend Emily visited, it was her first time in SF. The weather was decent. I showed her my neighborhood, noe valley, and the inner sunset. And we went to Twin Peaks and Golden Gate Park. We had dinner at Zuni and filled the rest of the time talking and watching movies. On sunday, as I mentioned, we celebrated my birthday at the Slanted Door, saw the new ferry building, and hung out at Dan's place.
During the previous week, I finished unpacking. I still have to organize the kitchen and pick up some furniture for the kitchen, but it's basically done. I'm not cooking yet, for lack of counter space, but I'll start again soon.
And the weekend before that I visited Emily in Phoenix. We had a great time, it went much better than the first visit to Phoenix. (No cars broken into or anything.) We had dinner at a fondue place on saturday, hung out in the Tempe area, saw some movies, and I joined her when she was practicing the piano.
On the downside, I found out today that CA will take up to 60 days to give me a driver's license and will take my old one from me. So I'd have no photo id for two months. It's difficult to survive without one, so I will do an expedited renewal of my passport before taking care of the car stuff.
I keep thinking I've updated my journal, but it appears to have been two weeks. Today is my birthday. I'm now 32 years old. It seems like just yesterday that seemed like a really old age. I celebrated my birthday last sunday with Emily, Dan, and Carmen. We had lunch at the Slanted Door, a vietnamese place that serves small-plate dishes, and then went back to Dan's place for some cake and presents. (Dan and Carmen surprised me with a nice cake from Citizen Cake.) We had a good time, but we had to cut it a little short to get Emily back to the airport.
Last weekend Emily visited, it was her first time in SF. The weather was decent. I showed her my neighborhood, noe valley, and the inner sunset. And we went to Twin Peaks and Golden Gate Park. We had dinner at Zuni and filled the rest of the time talking and watching movies. On sunday, as I mentioned, we celebrated my birthday at the Slanted Door, saw the new ferry building, and hung out at Dan's place.
During the previous week, I finished unpacking. I still have to organize the kitchen and pick up some furniture for the kitchen, but it's basically done. I'm not cooking yet, for lack of counter space, but I'll start again soon.
And the weekend before that I visited Emily in Phoenix. We had a great time, it went much better than the first visit to Phoenix. (No cars broken into or anything.) We had dinner at a fondue place on saturday, hung out in the Tempe area, saw some movies, and I joined her when she was practicing the piano.
On the downside, I found out today that CA will take up to 60 days to give me a driver's license and will take my old one from me. So I'd have no photo id for two months. It's difficult to survive without one, so I will do an expedited renewal of my passport before taking care of the car stuff.
February 02, 2005
Almost there
lj-music: birds and street sounds
I'm mostly moved in now. It's been interesting. My stuff arrives any time now, hopefully it's in good shape. After that I will need a couple pieces of furniture, and I'll have to figure out how to fit everything in here. This is my big chance to simplify my life. :)
I don't know how I feel about this. Still getting used to feeling like this is my place, I still have an unrooted feeling. I also don't know about parking. It seems ok for now, but I'm not as used to parallel parking as I was. If necessary, I'll get a garage. The place feels small, and a little run down. I'm going to need to make some counter space in the kitchen, maybe the table will suffice; otherwise, I'll get some kind of side tables. I've eyed a few in the past, but avoided them because I had too much space in the last place.
I've started the DSL process, we'll see how long it takes. I'm guessing 10-15 business days - with the phone company being the longest part. In the meanwhile, I have a dialup connection and work.
Work has begun. I've spent some time setting up my machines the last couple of days and got the software that I'll be working on installed yesterday. I've got to learn a lot of new systems (Zope, Z4I, etc), which may take some spare time. Along with moving details (unpacking, decorating) and Emily, I'll be a busy guy. But that'll help pass the time between weekends. (For me at least.)
My weekends are pretty much booked up, so I'll get stuff done during the week. My life is fairly exciting at the moment, and it's good for me to shake things up a bit.
I'm mostly moved in now. It's been interesting. My stuff arrives any time now, hopefully it's in good shape. After that I will need a couple pieces of furniture, and I'll have to figure out how to fit everything in here. This is my big chance to simplify my life. :)
I don't know how I feel about this. Still getting used to feeling like this is my place, I still have an unrooted feeling. I also don't know about parking. It seems ok for now, but I'm not as used to parallel parking as I was. If necessary, I'll get a garage. The place feels small, and a little run down. I'm going to need to make some counter space in the kitchen, maybe the table will suffice; otherwise, I'll get some kind of side tables. I've eyed a few in the past, but avoided them because I had too much space in the last place.
I've started the DSL process, we'll see how long it takes. I'm guessing 10-15 business days - with the phone company being the longest part. In the meanwhile, I have a dialup connection and work.
Work has begun. I've spent some time setting up my machines the last couple of days and got the software that I'll be working on installed yesterday. I've got to learn a lot of new systems (Zope, Z4I, etc), which may take some spare time. Along with moving details (unpacking, decorating) and Emily, I'll be a busy guy. But that'll help pass the time between weekends. (For me at least.)
My weekends are pretty much booked up, so I'll get stuff done during the week. My life is fairly exciting at the moment, and it's good for me to shake things up a bit.
January 28, 2005
Friday
lj-mood: bored
Just a couple of days before I drive to San Francisco. I'm excited, happy, and bored at the same time. Today was a good day. The consignment people finally picked up the table and chairs, and I got the title to my car in the mail.
I am now a patron of the arts. (Or member of two musuems, at least.) I joined SFMOMA and FAMSF yesterday. I've liked the exhibits that I've gone to at both places in the past, and it's nice to be able to support the arts. Gotta blend in with the SF crowd anyway. :)
Just a couple of days before I drive to San Francisco. I'm excited, happy, and bored at the same time. Today was a good day. The consignment people finally picked up the table and chairs, and I got the title to my car in the mail.
I am now a patron of the arts. (Or member of two musuems, at least.) I joined SFMOMA and FAMSF yesterday. I've liked the exhibits that I've gone to at both places in the past, and it's nice to be able to support the arts. Gotta blend in with the SF crowd anyway. :)
January 27, 2005
House for sale...
My realtor called today. The buyers of my house are in negotiations - it looks like the deal will go through. Only issue is that it's contigent on another house that closes on the 25th, which is contingent on a third house that closes on the 20th. (That's 4 houses involved, including mine, if you're keeping score.)
I think I've managed to get rid of the extra bed. Either the church of a guy at work will take it as a donation, or a coworker wants it. (The same church got my '95 saturn last year and gave it to a needy family.) Now I just have to figure out that table - that consignment place seems to suck. I may give up and donate that too, we'll see. I did manage to get rid of almost all my trash this morning, just have some bottles to recycle, and the misc garage stuff that I want to give away, if possible. Last night David, from work, picked up the futon frame, and offered to take a few other pieces later (ladder, futon mattress, shelving). It's good to see that stuff go to good use.
I have lunch and dinner with various coworkers today, and maybe lunch on saturday. It'll be nice to see them again, I didn't get a chance to properly say goodbye to some of them last week.
It does suck to not have all of my stuff here. Most of my cooking stuff is packed away. I manage a digiornos pizza yesterday, using a knife and paper plate to chop the garlic and get it in and out of the oven. I can't even buy wine for lack of a corkscrew.
I think I've managed to get rid of the extra bed. Either the church of a guy at work will take it as a donation, or a coworker wants it. (The same church got my '95 saturn last year and gave it to a needy family.) Now I just have to figure out that table - that consignment place seems to suck. I may give up and donate that too, we'll see. I did manage to get rid of almost all my trash this morning, just have some bottles to recycle, and the misc garage stuff that I want to give away, if possible. Last night David, from work, picked up the futon frame, and offered to take a few other pieces later (ladder, futon mattress, shelving). It's good to see that stuff go to good use.
I have lunch and dinner with various coworkers today, and maybe lunch on saturday. It'll be nice to see them again, I didn't get a chance to properly say goodbye to some of them last week.
It does suck to not have all of my stuff here. Most of my cooking stuff is packed away. I manage a digiornos pizza yesterday, using a knife and paper plate to chop the garlic and get it in and out of the oven. I can't even buy wine for lack of a corkscrew.
January 25, 2005
Moving
lj-mood: content
Friday the 21st was my last day of work. It was an interesting week, wrapping things up at work, dealing with apartment stuff, coordinating moving, and anticipating Emily's visit.
The weekend was a lot of fun. I got to cook for us twice. Made the rigatoni dish saturday and the indian dish on sunday.
On Friday, we went to Il Fornaio in Green Valley Ranch. It's a nice little Italian place. Afterward, I showed her my house, and we saw the Triplets of Bellville.
On Saturday, I made my rigatoni dish for lunch. We watched A Mighty Wind. For our big evening out, we had a nice steak dinner at "Joe's Prime Steak and stone crab" in caesars before going the Cirque du Soleil's "O" show. We both got a nice petit Filet Mignon. And we both got it medium rare - she knows how to eat beef, it was excellent steak. The show was also very impressive, although I'm not sure if I like "O" or Mystère better. I guess they're just different.
On Sunday, I tried to take her to Panevino, but they were closed so we went to a mexican place where I frequently had lunch with coworkers, SuperMex. Despite the name, they have an excellent Chile Verde. We picked up "Waiting for Guffman" on the way home and watched that. For dinner I made (with my lovely sous chef) Rogan Josh - an Indian stew. We made it with beef, although lamb is more traditional. We also watched most of the Dark Crystal, but had to stop to take her to the airport. It's hard to say goodbye...
On Monday the movers came and picked up all the stuff I want in San Francisco. Now I just have to get rid of the rest. I only took one of the beds, and I'm putting my dining table up on consignment. I'll also ditch the futon and a few ghetto (e.g. Kmart) pieces of furniture. For now the house is empty, and I have a bunch of trash that needs to go out.
I'll drive up to SF this Sunday and start work tuesday.
Movie reviews:
The Triplets of Bellville is a french animated film with some fun characters and almost no spoken dialog. It's put together really well, and you don't even notice that there is no dialog. It almost beat out Finding Nemo for best animated film, but I don't know if awards really mean anything.
A Mighty Wind is a mockumentary about folk singers done by the same guy that did best in show. Entertaining, but I preferred Waiting for Guffman. (Emily prefers A Mighty Wind.)
Waiting for Guffman is another mockumentary by Christopher Guest. This one is about a small town putting on a theatrical production for their sesquicentenial, with hopes of hitting broadway.
January 20, 2005
Penultimate day
It's been too long since my last entry. I'm now an IBM employee, as of a couple of weeks ago. They bought the company that I previously worked for, a startup called SRD. I had already put in my notice that January 21st was my last day, so I'll be an IBM employee for about two weeks (ending tomorrow).
The weekend of the 8th, a few days afterwards, I visited Emily. Unfortunately, her car was broken into the first night, but we managed to enjoy ourselves nontheless.
Shortly afterward she started to have some doubts about breaking up with Mic. I suggested she take a few days away from us to decide. She ended up deciding that it wasn't going to work out with him, and we'd see how things go with us.
The weekend of the 15th, I flew to San Francisco to find an apartment. I went with one in mind and ended up getting a different one, which I found the last day I was there. It doesn't have a garage, but it's a very charming SF apartment in a great neighborhood. (Noe Valley.)
This weekend, Emily is visiting Vegas. I wanted her to check out my house and see the city while we still have the chance. We'll see "O", have dinner, and hang out. Should be a lot of fun.
Next week, I get to move. Should be interesting. Still negotiating things with the movers. I'll have an extra bed, futon, and a couple of tables to get rid of or store, because they won't fit in the apartment.
January 01, 2005
the day after
So I ended up going to the party. I had a fun time, but stayed up way too late. I went with the wife of a coworker who refuses to go to parties. The had plenty of the promised sushi, which was of acceptable quality. Also had decent appetizers going around. There was a bit of a line for the food at first and for the bathrooms throughout the night. I only got one drink at one of the bars and didn't really check out the liquor, but I didn't see any decent beer. There was also a decent source of cafe drinks in front of the house (next to the hookah lounge).
There was a black lit room, with markers to write on people and mirrors, a cigar lounge, and a chocolate fountain. And the kitchen has a very nice Viking range - I want one. :)
The fire breather was entertaining, and there were a few cirque mimes and a guy on stilts mingling with the guests. And, of course, there were go-go dancers on pedestals, 4 at a time, rotated throughout the night. (The fire-breather has his own two girls who essentially were dancers with flaming devices in their hands.)
Met some coworkers, had a bit of a cigar (not a big cigar guy, but I'm willing to try a decent one occasionally). Oh and I danced, albeit badly - Brian's wife likes to dance and didn't seem to mind me not knowing what I'm doing.
The show before the new years moment was put on by guy named a Moebius 8 - kind of a laser/music/projection screen thing. It seemed cheesy to me, but to each his own.
During the day yesterday, I made the Rigatoni con Salsiccia again. It's a simple but tasty dish. Over christmas break I taught my mom to make it. It's nice to see her branching out to new dishes.
I think I'll do the Chile Verde today and have left-over rigatoni for lunch.
There was a black lit room, with markers to write on people and mirrors, a cigar lounge, and a chocolate fountain. And the kitchen has a very nice Viking range - I want one. :)
The fire breather was entertaining, and there were a few cirque mimes and a guy on stilts mingling with the guests. And, of course, there were go-go dancers on pedestals, 4 at a time, rotated throughout the night. (The fire-breather has his own two girls who essentially were dancers with flaming devices in their hands.)
Met some coworkers, had a bit of a cigar (not a big cigar guy, but I'm willing to try a decent one occasionally). Oh and I danced, albeit badly - Brian's wife likes to dance and didn't seem to mind me not knowing what I'm doing.
The show before the new years moment was put on by guy named a Moebius 8 - kind of a laser/music/projection screen thing. It seemed cheesy to me, but to each his own.
During the day yesterday, I made the Rigatoni con Salsiccia again. It's a simple but tasty dish. Over christmas break I taught my mom to make it. It's nice to see her branching out to new dishes.
I think I'll do the Chile Verde today and have left-over rigatoni for lunch.
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