traveling tales from the exotic dinda

I guess the fact this didn't even make any news until now is some sign of progress?

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20091212/D9CHQ2100.html

Didn't realize Anise Parker, a fellow Rice almunae btw, was 'openly gay' as thank goodness it has not even factored into the campaign. It's been an interesting campaign all around and she's totally qualified so we'll see what happens; african-american former cop vs. 'open gay' female former city comptroller. Can't say I'd endorse either as I don't live in Houston but we suburbs often have to deal with the influence of their decisions.

Here's the link to the obit of the girl I spoke of earlier in the week:
http://www.funeralquestions.com/obits/crespo/memorial.asp?listing_id=145339

Great family and such a tragedy. You can see by the comments how well loved the whole family is in the community. Time to hug your kids and call those relatives/friends 'you've been meaning to call' but something always gets in the way. Trust me, you won't regret it.

So lately whenever I visit Grandma and I get ready to leave I always give her a hug and say "I love you, Grandma." A few months ago she started saying back, "I love you more."

Man, that really gets to you when you think about. When was the last time someone told you "I love you more"? What a kewl thing to say and hear from someone much less your Grandma.

Grandma turns 87 tomorrow . . .there will be a party, a celebration, a realization that each day is a gift . . .

Just came across a motorcycle accident on the way home tonight. One dude, sitting the middle of the road, he can't recall what happened. I was the 2nd person on the scene so I stopped to help add some light to the area as it is a very dark road. The lady who found the guy was trying to keep the dude calm and sitting; at least he was conscious and talking, a touch of blood but nothing too serious, I hope. The guy was only a few blocks from home, not wearing a helmet and admitted he had been drinking earlier "but not recently," he said. There is no ER on the island anymore so one of our volunteer EMS guys from my village had to drive over - took at least 20 minutes for him to get there and he had no equipment other than basic first aid stuff. If it had been serious. . .well, more serious, it could have been bad. I left once the fire dept finally showed up.

I was talking to Slaw on the phone when i came upon the scene so mostly posting for her - all is ok, me very tired, going to sleep now. Oh and as we waited for the EMs to arrive I noticed his bike was less than 20 ft away from one of those roadside crosses. The cross there in memory of a beautiful, young, 15 year old boy who was hit and killed while riding his bicycle home - they never did find who hit him. . . be safe people.

It was a firmware update that killed my powerbook. yes, Nick I was also running ubuntu on it but in a VM not natively yet. I'm too addicted to iMovie and iPhoto to let go of the final mac luv so as soon as we get those awesome new video editing things in FOSS then I'm all set. Actually I can let go of iPhoto so it's just the video stuff that keeps me one foot on the mac side.

I should really start getting ready for my trip to Canada now but one more work thing to finish up and I leave guilt free for a few days. The house - ugh, that's another problem. I hate leaving a dirty house and since the magic elves didn't show up last night I'll prolly be up late cleaning the bathroom and vacuuming and emptying out the fridge. Plus my brother is coming over to house/cat sit while I'm gone - well really to have a mini-vacation with his girlfriend so I want the place to be livable and right now there's sawdust on my carpet and this is another really long runon sentence as I'm wont to do on occasion. I can prolly win a contest huh?

The one good thing is that continental has realized i've been flying with them every month this year and granted me elite status so at least check in and boarding will be even easier. Direct flights both ways and my second Canadian stamp in the passport within 3 months. I'll prolly be going back to Montreal in a few weeks as well. . .ok, back to work. . .

It seems my new comfort range is somewhere btwn 75 and 77 inside the house. This just seems so narrow; any lower and I'm reaching for a blanket, any higher and I'm reaching for a cold drink. Now outside I can tolerate much higher but just seems odd that indoors range is so narrow.

shopping list: potting soil, framing boards, coffee creamer, bamboo stuff, watering can. . . it never ends.

oh and I'm heading off to the Toronto area next weekend. . . .

one more work task and then onto exploring the city. I hate cities.

But Barcelona is special they tell me. Everyone says that about their favorite cities. I must admit I spoiled myself and moved from one 5 star hotel to another and now am enjoying the view from the top of Hilton del Mar overlooking both the city and the Mediterranean sea. I should have stayed here at least two nights but oh well, maybe next time. . .yes, there will definitely be a next time.

Okay, let me finish that task and then out to my long ago and far removed home of my ancestors.

Spent several days pondering new brownish curtains when I realized I already had double-sided curtains and if I just reversed the blue ones I would have brown ones - doph! imadork.

Spent a day complaining that the icemaker is not hooked up and thus I had to revert to making ice the old fashioned way when I realized if'n I just kept the sparkling water in the fridge I didn't even need to add any ice - doph! imadork.

Spent all day removing all the blinds and curtains in the house for the window installers and then when they finished tried to get ready for a night out. Realized there were still no window coverings and there was now no place to change without giving passing drivers a nice show - doph! imadork.


There are plenty more reasons but you all already know imadork. If you can't laugh at yourself you're gonna be all alone when the rest of us are laughing at you.

I'm home! it's warm here - yeah! and more importantly Mary has taken good care of my cat and new TV. OMG - this TV is HUGE. I shoulda prolly shoulda just gotten the 42 but I'm math-impaired and the 46 seemed like a good price/size compromise and so here it is. I just told Mary, "I think HD is higher quality than real life."

It's so true on this TV - omg, way too much detail on some things. I shall adapt. I now need new living room furniture to fully appreciate the awesomeness of this new toy. I will prolly keep netlfix now even though I've sent the last few movies back unwatched but felt guilty over having them out 2 months and not viewing them.

Okay, back to the game. yes, we DVR'ed the game due to my flight schedule and I just now spoiled myself on the results - I'm a dork. Not been too impressed with the ads yet. need to get some 3-d glasses to test the half-time stuff. i heart my dvr. Thank you Slaw for reminding us I had this technology.

Got my timezones all fluffed up yesterday so instead of getting into Houston some time in the afternoon I didn't get home until after 8 pm. There was a message on my phone (note to self: pay cell phone bill next) from my Mom saying she was at the hospital with my Grandma. So needless to say I jetted over here instead of heading home.

Grandma has a stint? stent? placed in one of her arteries after being taken to the ER that morning with chest pains. Doc said it all went well and that she has "very young arteries and a very healthy heart" which seemed to really surprise him as Grandma just turned 86. So hopefully, just a few days in the hospital and she'll be back home. Of course she will never believe what the Doc said about her heart.

And of course I have a headache; sinus headache, had it for two days now. Got to the airport took the serious meds and slept all the way home, including falling asleep in the boarding area while sitting up. But alas it returned this morning so I'm squinting out of one eye waiting for the meds to kick in again. Lots of work to do and up to the ICU to see Grandma for the noon visiting hours. Hopefully she'll be moved to her own room this afternoon too.

There was a dude scuba diving in my backyard this weekend. Think it was a neighbor trying to salvage stuff that got tossed in the canal by the storm. He did retrieve my trashcan and put it on my bulkhead - it was covered in barnacles.

Had the boys here this weekend - they do demo well, clean up not so well. But man are they highly amusing as well.

Ordered myself a Dell Mini 9 with Ubuntu 8.04 LTS already installed! Could the dell site be anymore confusing? Probably not. Depending on which portal you enter through, you get an entirely different set of products, options and pricing. This makes NO sense. It's already shipped so should be here by Thursday according to FedEx.

I go to San Fran/Jose area on Monday. Didn't want to give up my weekend, too precious a time for fixing stuff.

Next on the list - dunno, it's all a blur at the moment. This is the first week since I started my new job (9 Sept) that I'll actually be home all week!