Come, let's journey down Corporate Etymology Way again. Lately I've been hearing:
Machine: an organization's structure and processes, writ large. E.g.: "We need to fix our machine if we want to get this done."
Siloes: over-specialization among departments. Indicates a need for better communication and even overlaps among departments. E.g.: "Let's tell everyone about the change in this department; we don't want siloes about something so important." Note: this one is so well built into our lexicon where I work that it only just occured to me to think it strange and share it.
Fred has an East Cost update:
Flow-Down: a report communicating decisions from upper-mgt to the rest of the team. E.g.: "Today's flow-down includes the following..."
My final word is a little bit separate from the others because I know its source exactly and there's only one manager here who really abuses it (and I adore her, so this has no bearing on who she is).
Arranger: from the book Now Build Your Strengths, it is defined thusly: "People strong in the Arranger theme can organize, but they also have a flexibility that complements this ability. They like to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity." The manager who learned this as one of her 5 strengths has been running with it ever since - now everything is a product of her Arranger strength, from coming up with creative ideas, her interest in staff perks, or just pulling a meeting together, and if you do the same, then you must be an Arranger too! I particularly like this one, though, because I keep hearing it as "A Ranger," and I think of her tromping through the woods in a Park Ranger outfit, helping the trees to organize their leaves and giving the woodland creatures assignments and words of encouragement...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Old building, new building
About 3 weeks ago, we packed up our old office and moved into a new one 6 blocks away. I have never been a part of this kind of shift before, and so there are lots of small culture shocks I have to get used to.
Today, for example, when I got in the elevator, every single button for every floor was pressed. Had this happened in our old building, I would have considered it a very bad sign -- our old building had 14 floors, and that would have meant there were at least 13 people in the elevator. Our new building has 6 floors, and there were 7 people in the elevator - it was a short and comfortable ride.
Another good example is the bathrooms: Old Building: genders alternated floors, there was only one per floor, everything was manual, there were two stalls per bathroom, entry doors didn't lock, and each had either windows or those squirty smelly air fresheners blasting out canned scents every 10 minutes. New building: both genders on every floor, 3 sets of bathrooms per floor, automated everything -- flushing, sinks, and soap (!) -- three or more stalls per bathroom, keyed in codes for the bathroom entry doors, no windows (at least in the one we we use most frequently), no air fresheners. For some reason the soap is the kicker for me -- automated soap? Who does that? New building does.
There are large things that are different too -- the fact that we have twice as much space, the fact that we moved into a Class A building (i.e. really really nice), the fact that I have my own office -- but those were all known changes. It's the little things that truly reinforce that we moved on -- and up -- in the world.
Today, for example, when I got in the elevator, every single button for every floor was pressed. Had this happened in our old building, I would have considered it a very bad sign -- our old building had 14 floors, and that would have meant there were at least 13 people in the elevator. Our new building has 6 floors, and there were 7 people in the elevator - it was a short and comfortable ride.
Another good example is the bathrooms: Old Building: genders alternated floors, there was only one per floor, everything was manual, there were two stalls per bathroom, entry doors didn't lock, and each had either windows or those squirty smelly air fresheners blasting out canned scents every 10 minutes. New building: both genders on every floor, 3 sets of bathrooms per floor, automated everything -- flushing, sinks, and soap (!) -- three or more stalls per bathroom, keyed in codes for the bathroom entry doors, no windows (at least in the one we we use most frequently), no air fresheners. For some reason the soap is the kicker for me -- automated soap? Who does that? New building does.
There are large things that are different too -- the fact that we have twice as much space, the fact that we moved into a Class A building (i.e. really really nice), the fact that I have my own office -- but those were all known changes. It's the little things that truly reinforce that we moved on -- and up -- in the world.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Trilogy
Today marks my 3 year anniversary at the Donor Network. Remarkable. Not only have I worked here longer than any other job I've had, but I've worked here longer than all my other post-graduation jobs combined!
In honor of this momentous occasion, I wanted to let you know of three new corporate-speak alerts. We all know that the lingo flies fast and furious in an office...but have you heard these recent new-comers to the scene?
Have Energy About: A guarded way to state that you're really worked up and angry about something. E.g.: "Can I talk to you privately about something? I have a lot of energy around it and I need feedback..."
Bucket(s): a way to financially group costs, employees, etc. "Let me know if that event is going to cost a lot because if I have to put it in a different bucket I will."
Operationalize: Taking something theoretical (or not perfectly functional) and making it practical. "We need to work on operationalizing this plan so it makes sense given work flow."
As an addendum, Fred notes that he's hearing a lot of "the reality is..." over in Virginia!
In honor of this momentous occasion, I wanted to let you know of three new corporate-speak alerts. We all know that the lingo flies fast and furious in an office...but have you heard these recent new-comers to the scene?
Have Energy About: A guarded way to state that you're really worked up and angry about something. E.g.: "Can I talk to you privately about something? I have a lot of energy around it and I need feedback..."
Bucket(s): a way to financially group costs, employees, etc. "Let me know if that event is going to cost a lot because if I have to put it in a different bucket I will."
Operationalize: Taking something theoretical (or not perfectly functional) and making it practical. "We need to work on operationalizing this plan so it makes sense given work flow."
As an addendum, Fred notes that he's hearing a lot of "the reality is..." over in Virginia!
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
The ultimate in armchair ornithology
Click here to see the live-Falcon camera up on top of San Jose City Hall: Swoon!
Today I saw:
*Mom and Pop both falling asleep and startling awake depending on the chicks' activity
*Pop shredding a small bird and feeding the chicks
*Pop resting on his very fuzzy brood
*Pop pacing to and from the nest (to stretch legs?) and checking out his surroundings
*Pop taking a quick flight (to stretch wings?) and coming right back
*Mom standing nearby to keep an eye on things
I'm assuming that the lone bird I saw today is the dad, but I might be wrong. I'm looking into it and the easiest way to tell the sexes apart is that the females are 15-20% bigger and usually have slightly darker markings on the belly, and I haven't seen them together frequently enough to be sure...
I'm also guessing that the young are only a couple days old, as the websites say they will separate from each other a bit in the nest after a few days, and right now they're still huddling together. In only a matter of a couple weeks, they'll be growing their feathers and flying!
All right here in sunny San Jose!
Falcon information found here.
Post-script, 5/2/07: Apparently 11am-12pm PDT is nap time for the falcons. Today is the second day I've found them dotingly dozing on the job during this time frame!
Today I saw:
*Mom and Pop both falling asleep and startling awake depending on the chicks' activity
*Pop shredding a small bird and feeding the chicks
*Pop resting on his very fuzzy brood
*Pop pacing to and from the nest (to stretch legs?) and checking out his surroundings
*Pop taking a quick flight (to stretch wings?) and coming right back
*Mom standing nearby to keep an eye on things
I'm assuming that the lone bird I saw today is the dad, but I might be wrong. I'm looking into it and the easiest way to tell the sexes apart is that the females are 15-20% bigger and usually have slightly darker markings on the belly, and I haven't seen them together frequently enough to be sure...
I'm also guessing that the young are only a couple days old, as the websites say they will separate from each other a bit in the nest after a few days, and right now they're still huddling together. In only a matter of a couple weeks, they'll be growing their feathers and flying!
All right here in sunny San Jose!
Falcon information found here.
Post-script, 5/2/07: Apparently 11am-12pm PDT is nap time for the falcons. Today is the second day I've found them dotingly dozing on the job during this time frame!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Better even than expected
Two weekends ago, S. and I finished moving everything we own into our new apartment, which is situated up on the side of Twin Peaks, one of the larger but less populated hills in the heart of San Francisco. This past weekend we were able to start building our environment from all the raw material we moved, and sacrificed our extra second bedroom to the clutter gods so that our actual bedroom and our living room could take on a semblance of organization and polish. We could -- and did -- finally, in good conscience, have guests over. We also discovered, to our delight, that S.'s projector can handle high definition cable channels, and we have been completely infatuated with the Discovery-HD channel's Planet Earth series ever since. (Watch it, watch it, watch it. Beautiful, astonishing footage! There was a scene with Birds of Paradise in which the display of a male bird was so surprisingly transforming that everyone watching literally exclaimed out loud "WOW - WHAT WAS THAT??")
Our biggest triumph, however, was our back roof-patio. We are situated in the building thusly:
So as you can see, we have nothing but roof stretching out before us, giving us a spectactular view of the bay. We are asked not to walk out on the roof past our little fenced-in portion of it (as indicated by the rectangle drawn above) as it supposedly weakens it and causes leaks for our neighbors below, but we loooooooove our little fenced-in portion of it so much anyway that it's no big deal. Our major project this past weekend was to find and put up some kind of pleasant barrier to give us more privacy from our neighbors to the left and right (we have a building's light well to the right of our little patio which has windows with a direct view of us, and the building to our left has the same set up as ours so that they can walk out on their patio and look directly on ours) without seeming to be completely unneighborly (to spin on the saying -- pleasant fences make pleasant neighbors). We found some great 6 foot high woven straw matting at Lowe's which we put up that gives the patio a bit of a tiki-feel while still being mildly transparent. We also chose to cut it into a triangle by our neighbors on the left, so we can still poke our heads around it and say hello. (I'll try to take pictures.)
Having this all done by Saturday meant we could bask in the glory of our patio on Sunday, and bask we did. San Francisco was kind and gave us a glorious, mostly-sunny day where we could stretch out on the patio chairs and enjoy that famously mild San Francisco weather. Even then, I got more than I bargained for: the neighbors who live on the top floor of the building to our left have a hummingbird feeder complete with black-chinned hummingbird client who pops by to feed (we ran right out and bought a feeder too!); a mourning dove is nesting in one of our gutters (which, oddly, is one long horizontal piece without a drain in it, (?!?!?) so we cut a small hole in it to drain it of accumulated rain and spare the dove a soggy nest!); two raucous scrub jays came by scouring for food (we bought a feeder and some seed for them too, althought if it attracts pigeons, we'll take it right back down -- fingers crossed); and either a merlin or a prairie hawk flew by (judging purely by the shape of its all-black silhouette against a pale blue sky) being heralded by alarmed smaller birds. And on top of that -- it is so quiet, so away from the city roar of street-cars, large thoroughfares, crowds, taxis, etc., that we can hear all kinds of bird calls, out of which the only ones I can identify so far are mourning doves and crows.
Can you guess? I was in heaven. Home sweet home!
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
All hail the hale and hearty hail!
Or as one of the managers I work with put it, "what the hail was that??"
Yes, last night at approximately 9ish pm PST we heard a familiar tap-tap-tapping at our window panes which was not the known rogue agent Jack Frost but was instead his sneaky samurai cousin, Jethro Hail. Only Jethro Hail could have snuck into San Francisco for about two minutes to regale us with morse code for "winter precipitation can happen to YOU!" and indeed, it did. Steve and I ran out to our back stairs and stuck our hands out to find cute little candy sized (think Nerds or Pop-Rocks) nubbins of hail tap-dancing with wee feet on everything around us.
Being the total weather-weenie that I have become after 3 years in San Francisco, I immediately rushed inside and put on a winter coat and then rushed back outside to ogle the little deposits of New England nostalgia still bombarding us.
We got a good two minutes of bonafide precipitation people! I was 30 seconds away from buying a snow blower...
It's been quite the eventful climate week -- a 3.6 quake felt by our office on Friday afternoon, the thunder and hail storm that struck last night, and as I'm typing still another thunderstorm is flashing its wares and gnashing its teeth outside. Highly irregular -- our 'thunderstorms' out here are usually the equivalent of a limp handshake -- lightning that would rather be on its lunch break, thunder that would prefer to hire telemarketers, and rain dropped from a machine whose meter is obviously set on the "low/moist" end of the spectrum, rather than the "high/zero to soaked in 7 seconds" end. Thunder that can actually be heard -- repeatedly -- is, well, unheard of. As is lightning born of something stronger than heat.
On another note -- does anyone know why it's called "hail?"
Yes, last night at approximately 9ish pm PST we heard a familiar tap-tap-tapping at our window panes which was not the known rogue agent Jack Frost but was instead his sneaky samurai cousin, Jethro Hail. Only Jethro Hail could have snuck into San Francisco for about two minutes to regale us with morse code for "winter precipitation can happen to YOU!" and indeed, it did. Steve and I ran out to our back stairs and stuck our hands out to find cute little candy sized (think Nerds or Pop-Rocks) nubbins of hail tap-dancing with wee feet on everything around us.
Being the total weather-weenie that I have become after 3 years in San Francisco, I immediately rushed inside and put on a winter coat and then rushed back outside to ogle the little deposits of New England nostalgia still bombarding us.
We got a good two minutes of bonafide precipitation people! I was 30 seconds away from buying a snow blower...
It's been quite the eventful climate week -- a 3.6 quake felt by our office on Friday afternoon, the thunder and hail storm that struck last night, and as I'm typing still another thunderstorm is flashing its wares and gnashing its teeth outside. Highly irregular -- our 'thunderstorms' out here are usually the equivalent of a limp handshake -- lightning that would rather be on its lunch break, thunder that would prefer to hire telemarketers, and rain dropped from a machine whose meter is obviously set on the "low/moist" end of the spectrum, rather than the "high/zero to soaked in 7 seconds" end. Thunder that can actually be heard -- repeatedly -- is, well, unheard of. As is lightning born of something stronger than heat.
On another note -- does anyone know why it's called "hail?"
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Release
For a long, long time now I have had one quotation serve a gentle reminder at the bottom of all of my emails:
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." ~Rumi
When it comes to quotations, particularly those I sign my emails with and see a lot, I tend to be fickle. They last weeks, in rare cases months, until I grow bored, or until I seize on a quotation from something I read and want it around for inspiration or further rumination. This one from Rumi, though, came at a time in my life (I believe something like 2 or more years ago) where I was struggling for so many things and the desire for the reminder was pervasive: in love, in your job, in your friends, in your independence, even in how you comport yourself on a day to day basis -- remind yourself of the beauty you love and let that govern your choices. This, too, necessitates knowing what you find beauty in, giving an added level of depth to the missive. I never cease to get a light frisson when my eyes fall on the quotation -- even now.
That being said, I have finally reached my saturation point with seeing it. I crave newness. Part of it is feeling some accomplishment in finding and doing "the beauty I love" -- I'm ready for a new challenge. Read for a little badinage in my emails, a little extemporaneity (is that a word?? It is now! Hmmm...how fitting). Those of you who get missives from me, be prepared for some fluctuation in the signature line. I did, however, pay small homage to the Rumi quotation by adding it as my scrolling screen saver at work, perhaps one of the most relevant places for such a reminder.
As for this blog, which I have left fallow for such a long time: This post is indeed a sign of a renewal, though I make no promises as to how often and how consistent it will be. I do like writing on a public forum, and at this point I have read enough personal blogs to realize that even the mundane musings of the most random person can still be relevant and interesting, so I feel renewed comfort in tapping out my own maundering mundane musings again.
"Maundering," by the way, is my latest favorite word.
Happy New Year to you all.
"Let the beauty we love be what we do." ~Rumi
When it comes to quotations, particularly those I sign my emails with and see a lot, I tend to be fickle. They last weeks, in rare cases months, until I grow bored, or until I seize on a quotation from something I read and want it around for inspiration or further rumination. This one from Rumi, though, came at a time in my life (I believe something like 2 or more years ago) where I was struggling for so many things and the desire for the reminder was pervasive: in love, in your job, in your friends, in your independence, even in how you comport yourself on a day to day basis -- remind yourself of the beauty you love and let that govern your choices. This, too, necessitates knowing what you find beauty in, giving an added level of depth to the missive. I never cease to get a light frisson when my eyes fall on the quotation -- even now.
That being said, I have finally reached my saturation point with seeing it. I crave newness. Part of it is feeling some accomplishment in finding and doing "the beauty I love" -- I'm ready for a new challenge. Read for a little badinage in my emails, a little extemporaneity (is that a word?? It is now! Hmmm...how fitting). Those of you who get missives from me, be prepared for some fluctuation in the signature line. I did, however, pay small homage to the Rumi quotation by adding it as my scrolling screen saver at work, perhaps one of the most relevant places for such a reminder.
As for this blog, which I have left fallow for such a long time: This post is indeed a sign of a renewal, though I make no promises as to how often and how consistent it will be. I do like writing on a public forum, and at this point I have read enough personal blogs to realize that even the mundane musings of the most random person can still be relevant and interesting, so I feel renewed comfort in tapping out my own maundering mundane musings again.
"Maundering," by the way, is my latest favorite word.
Happy New Year to you all.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Alas, poor Pluto
Alas, poor Pluto! I knew him a planet: a fellow
of infinite path, of most excellent orbit: he hath
flown him round the earth a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in Nasa's imagination it is! my gorge rims at
it. Here hung those moons that I have ogled I know
not how oft. Where be your Charons now? your
Nixs? your Hydras? your flashes of astrology,
that were wont to set the hippies on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own spinning? quite chap-fallen?
Now get you to milky way's chamber, and tell him that
we paint a fine line, to this favour he must
come; make him a dwarf at that.
If you're not catching on...read this.
And for facts about pluto, I went here.
of infinite path, of most excellent orbit: he hath
flown him round the earth a thousand times; and now, how
abhorred in Nasa's imagination it is! my gorge rims at
it. Here hung those moons that I have ogled I know
not how oft. Where be your Charons now? your
Nixs? your Hydras? your flashes of astrology,
that were wont to set the hippies on a roar? Not one
now, to mock your own spinning? quite chap-fallen?
Now get you to milky way's chamber, and tell him that
we paint a fine line, to this favour he must
come; make him a dwarf at that.
If you're not catching on...read this.
And for facts about pluto, I went here.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Dormant
My mom noticed the two month hiatus from the last post and asked me about it. I doubt very many other people are reading this besides my parents, but I think it polite to inform you that this blog is basically taking a note from Haleakala and lying dormant for a bit. I think the time for blogging may have passed, and it is due time to get back to other writing endeavors; plus most of the real updates about my life are too personal to post.
In other words, this blog's initial purpose as a forum for mass-updating has passed. If it speaks to me of another purpose that inspires me to update regularly, well then, it will stay. If it loses its appeal altogether, it will go. For now, I can only advise you to expect no more than the occasional anecdotal update like the one below. If you really miss having a blog in your life...maybe start your own? (~_~)
In other words, this blog's initial purpose as a forum for mass-updating has passed. If it speaks to me of another purpose that inspires me to update regularly, well then, it will stay. If it loses its appeal altogether, it will go. For now, I can only advise you to expect no more than the occasional anecdotal update like the one below. If you really miss having a blog in your life...maybe start your own? (~_~)
Seats, Walks, and Books
I had an illuminating experience today. Upon catching the train to head to work, a young man with Down's Syndrome immediately offered me his seat. I said "oh no, thank you though, please -- stay," thinking to myself, you have D.S., you should keep the seat. I had to laugh when he said, "but you're so tall, you should take the seat." Well met, my friend. I wouldn't have called my physical characteristics a disability either!
An organization in our office building apparently works with all kind of special needs children and adults, as there are many mornings in the week where the lobby will be full of these people as they await buses for a field trip. At first I was nervous -- am I staring? I am not looking enough? Should I smile or is that patronizing? -- but I've since learned that such second-guessing is not necessary. I treat them like anyone else I walk past, a smile if I make eye-contact, but for the most part being non-intrusive. I can't say that I've gotten to the point where I don't think about it when I walk in; I believe that's also because I relish the exposure. There are so many different walks of life that can give one's one life perspective, and daily reminders of perspective certainly don't do any harm.
In that vein, since as far as I know none of you work in my office building, I can recommend a few good books if you're looking for this particular kind of perspective.
1) Expecting Adam, by Martha Beck, a true story about a woman expecting a child with D.S. and the fantastic occurrences that herald his birth (and continue even after he's born). My aunt and mom clued me into this book -- it touched us all.
2) The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards, which charts the consequences in a family unit when the father secretly chooses to give away a twin born with D.S. while keeping the other. (This happens in the beginning -- I am not spoiling anything, don't worry.)
If you read either of them, please let me know what you think -- and be sure to pass them along to friends and coworkers, or whoever else might be in your book network. These books have a lot to say and need to be heard!
An organization in our office building apparently works with all kind of special needs children and adults, as there are many mornings in the week where the lobby will be full of these people as they await buses for a field trip. At first I was nervous -- am I staring? I am not looking enough? Should I smile or is that patronizing? -- but I've since learned that such second-guessing is not necessary. I treat them like anyone else I walk past, a smile if I make eye-contact, but for the most part being non-intrusive. I can't say that I've gotten to the point where I don't think about it when I walk in; I believe that's also because I relish the exposure. There are so many different walks of life that can give one's one life perspective, and daily reminders of perspective certainly don't do any harm.
In that vein, since as far as I know none of you work in my office building, I can recommend a few good books if you're looking for this particular kind of perspective.
1) Expecting Adam, by Martha Beck, a true story about a woman expecting a child with D.S. and the fantastic occurrences that herald his birth (and continue even after he's born). My aunt and mom clued me into this book -- it touched us all.
2) The Memory Keeper's Daughter, by Kim Edwards, which charts the consequences in a family unit when the father secretly chooses to give away a twin born with D.S. while keeping the other. (This happens in the beginning -- I am not spoiling anything, don't worry.)
If you read either of them, please let me know what you think -- and be sure to pass them along to friends and coworkers, or whoever else might be in your book network. These books have a lot to say and need to be heard!
Tuesday, June 20, 2006
lots of activity
This weekend S and I had a going away/birthday party. It was fun. We played ring toss again. The drinks were somehow slightly less disgusting than last time. For those of you I may not have indoctrinated yet, ring toss consists of putting the entirety of your liquor collection out, along with a few gross bonuses like vinegar or cooking wine or lemon juice -- and then tossing homemade aluminum foil rings until you land on three, which you then must drink in a shot. Since it's only a shot, you don't get drunk; mostly it's a gross out game. Also -- L made me a pear ginger upside down cake, not remembering that I don't like pears. Fortunately for everyone involved, the pears she'd selected where mild in both pear flavor and pear texture, and it turned out to be delicious. I ate it for breakfast the next couple days. :)
I think I have told most everybody that I am moving to a new apartment. We moved a bunch of stuff and found some furniture and planned some more. It was good. I think we might actually be ready to move in this weekend.
Yesterday morning I threw out my back. I have gotten twinges and soreness before, but this was quite demobilizing -- twin sneezes and suddenly tilting forward or backward causes intense pain. I have never had anything quite like this happen, especially without a known cause -- moving furniture, or playing a lot of volleyball, or whatever. The heating pad and I are once again sharing quality time together.
Oh yeah -- my birthday rocked. I had the actual day off from work, so S brought me up to Napa on Wednesday afternoon where we stayed at an adorable homey B&B, walked around, ate the yuppiest of cuisines, and went wine tasting. We each tried five at one place, split two flights (six total) at another, tried 8 at another automated place where you create a little debit card that you can stick into a machine which then pours 1 oz of whichever wine you choose, with each one pro-rated according to its overall cost, and then I had a glass with dinner. That's 20 -- count 'em -- different wines in one night. The highlight was the first place, which had great picks, and the automated place, which allowed you taste a couple $100 bottles. We tried one at $8.30 for one ounce -- it was a dark, luxurious cabernet. I quickly learned that one way to tell the difference between a bargain basement wine and an expensive wine is that first smell -- cheap wines just smell medicinal (one even smelled like bug spray!), while expensive wines smell like a pantry, or a basket of vegetables, or a freshly planted earthy field. In other words, they don't smell like alcohol, they smell like other smells. It's not a far leap to see how this contributes to their flavor. I also learned that the proper time to decant a wine is a couple hours before you intend to serve it. Cool.
On the way home, we were passing by a six flags and though, why not? It turned out to be a great day for it. Being a week day and still early enough in summer not to be too inundated by families, the lines were fairly short and the crowds were manageable. We rode some great coasters, ate some greasy grub and dippin' dots (which are always an interesting taste sensation) and spent about 5 or so hours being, well, amused. They also had a sea world there and we ended up catching a show in which a dolphin and an orca swam around and showed off -- together. That was a first, and pretty fun to watch.
It's been a great last few days and a wonderful birthday. We're smack dab in the middle of a huge transition, but everything's going smoothly. In a few weeks time, we'll be starting a whole new phase of life.
Which reminds me, I signed up for the GRE in August. It's about time to start planning ahead.
I think I have told most everybody that I am moving to a new apartment. We moved a bunch of stuff and found some furniture and planned some more. It was good. I think we might actually be ready to move in this weekend.
Yesterday morning I threw out my back. I have gotten twinges and soreness before, but this was quite demobilizing -- twin sneezes and suddenly tilting forward or backward causes intense pain. I have never had anything quite like this happen, especially without a known cause -- moving furniture, or playing a lot of volleyball, or whatever. The heating pad and I are once again sharing quality time together.
Oh yeah -- my birthday rocked. I had the actual day off from work, so S brought me up to Napa on Wednesday afternoon where we stayed at an adorable homey B&B, walked around, ate the yuppiest of cuisines, and went wine tasting. We each tried five at one place, split two flights (six total) at another, tried 8 at another automated place where you create a little debit card that you can stick into a machine which then pours 1 oz of whichever wine you choose, with each one pro-rated according to its overall cost, and then I had a glass with dinner. That's 20 -- count 'em -- different wines in one night. The highlight was the first place, which had great picks, and the automated place, which allowed you taste a couple $100 bottles. We tried one at $8.30 for one ounce -- it was a dark, luxurious cabernet. I quickly learned that one way to tell the difference between a bargain basement wine and an expensive wine is that first smell -- cheap wines just smell medicinal (one even smelled like bug spray!), while expensive wines smell like a pantry, or a basket of vegetables, or a freshly planted earthy field. In other words, they don't smell like alcohol, they smell like other smells. It's not a far leap to see how this contributes to their flavor. I also learned that the proper time to decant a wine is a couple hours before you intend to serve it. Cool.
On the way home, we were passing by a six flags and though, why not? It turned out to be a great day for it. Being a week day and still early enough in summer not to be too inundated by families, the lines were fairly short and the crowds were manageable. We rode some great coasters, ate some greasy grub and dippin' dots (which are always an interesting taste sensation) and spent about 5 or so hours being, well, amused. They also had a sea world there and we ended up catching a show in which a dolphin and an orca swam around and showed off -- together. That was a first, and pretty fun to watch.
It's been a great last few days and a wonderful birthday. We're smack dab in the middle of a huge transition, but everything's going smoothly. In a few weeks time, we'll be starting a whole new phase of life.
Which reminds me, I signed up for the GRE in August. It's about time to start planning ahead.
Friday, June 09, 2006
Warning: extreme cuteness content below
This one HAD to get a mention on my blog. It is just too cute. SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
I would post it here but photographer has set it up so you can't capture her pics. The Cat's Jungle pictures of animals are awesome -- she's a regular at the San Francisco Zoo. But it's her otter set that has totally captivated me. They are so photogenic and adorable. I believe that's why this photoshopped pic rings so true. :)
Oh my goodness, it's nearly unbearable...the further along you go in the set, the cuter they are.
See? Otter cuteness even makes the otters squeal!
(This is from a different photographer all together...I'm just illustrating.)
I would post it here but photographer has set it up so you can't capture her pics. The Cat's Jungle pictures of animals are awesome -- she's a regular at the San Francisco Zoo. But it's her otter set that has totally captivated me. They are so photogenic and adorable. I believe that's why this photoshopped pic rings so true. :)
Oh my goodness, it's nearly unbearable...the further along you go in the set, the cuter they are.
See? Otter cuteness even makes the otters squeal!
(This is from a different photographer all together...I'm just illustrating.)
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
House Finch
That lovely bird in my profile photo is a house finch. I found Larry Hamrin's photo collection on Flickr; he is a talented photographer of all manner of birds, and was willing to share this photo for the sake of a pun on my last name.
Larry if you see this -- thanks again!
Larry if you see this -- thanks again!
Monday, June 05, 2006
Changes afoot
Most of you know by now...
Steve is moving (states, possibly even countries).
I am moving (neighborhoods).
Life is moving along.
Eh-adventures indeed!
We are having a going-away party on the 17th of June -- if you would like to go, email me. (Or leave a comment.)
Hurrah!
Steve is moving (states, possibly even countries).
I am moving (neighborhoods).
Life is moving along.
Eh-adventures indeed!
We are having a going-away party on the 17th of June -- if you would like to go, email me. (Or leave a comment.)
Hurrah!
Record breaking month for organ donation
In the month of May, 2006 the nation saw 733 donors in a single month. This is the first time the nation has seen the 700 donor mark...
Consider this:
The first time we reached the 400 donor/month benchmark was July, 1990.
The first time we reached the 500 donor/month benchmark was April, 1998 (~8 years later).
The first time we reached the 600 donor/month benchmark was May, 2004 (~6 years later).
The first time we reached the 700 donor/month benchmark was May, 2006 (~2 years later).
800 donors per month -- here we come!
Consider this:
The first time we reached the 400 donor/month benchmark was July, 1990.
The first time we reached the 500 donor/month benchmark was April, 1998 (~8 years later).
The first time we reached the 600 donor/month benchmark was May, 2004 (~6 years later).
The first time we reached the 700 donor/month benchmark was May, 2006 (~2 years later).
800 donors per month -- here we come!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Top O' The Bottom
My coed volleyball team played in our league playoffs last night and won!
'Cept what we won was the "silver pool" of our league. The league manager splits each league into two based on their season record; the top 6 or so teams play for the "gold" title and the bottom five teams or so play for the "silver" title.
So we won the silver, which means we're top of the bottom.
Got a clever way to say it? Stuff I've thought of:
Best of the Worst
Champions, Lite!
Halfway Fabulous
Champions, Jr.
Masters of the Molehill
I welcome further teasing!
'Cept what we won was the "silver pool" of our league. The league manager splits each league into two based on their season record; the top 6 or so teams play for the "gold" title and the bottom five teams or so play for the "silver" title.
So we won the silver, which means we're top of the bottom.
Got a clever way to say it? Stuff I've thought of:
Best of the Worst
Champions, Lite!
Halfway Fabulous
Champions, Jr.
Masters of the Molehill
I welcome further teasing!
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Arthur Jackson
The modern day Patron Saint of San Francisco died yesterday morning: Arthur Jackson.
I knew him as the hands-on owner of Jackon Personnel, a temp agency in the city specializing in non-profit jobs. I walked into his office one day last March and had a month long non-profit temp job the very next day. This is also the man who, when that ended, placed me here at the donor network. The man who found me some permanence in a city known for its high cost and instability. He handled everything in that agency; I have no idea what will happen to it now.
In my short time getting to know him, I learned that he was a kidney recipient, the former Public Health Commissioner in San Francisco, and more recently appointed to the Commission on Homelessness -- he even brought me to one of the meetings as a public member, so I could learn more about the city perspective on homelessness. His agency was the donor network's source for administrative assistants; in fact, we only went to him. I sent five of my friends to him for jobs, with my full recommendation for his abilities.
Because he was such a public figure, so involved and so vocal, I figure the best way to eulogize him would be to do a search for him on the San Francisco Chronicle's site. Here's some of what I found, which paints a picture of the man he was:
"Arthur Jackson, a dynamo in local government and business, got a phone call Tuesday afternoon: ``Mr. Jackson, have we got a kidney for you!'' Jackson has been on dialysis for six years, waiting, a dynamo cut to half power by a funky organ. Yesterday, he got his kidney. Arthur runs Jackson Personnel Agency and has been commissioner of the Public Health Dept. and the Commission on Aging. This is your man if you're looking for someone who gives his heart to the city. So Arthur getting a kidney seems like a fair trade." 1/13/00, Scott Osler
"Among the impressive new candidates [...and...] likely to provide clear, fresh thinking at City Hall are Casey, a business consultant, and Jackson, an employment agency owner. They both display the energy and inclination to demand government accountability. For a board with fortitude and balance, we recommend Kaufman, Katz, Yaki, Marquez, Casey and Jackson." Editorial, 10/25/96, re: Board of Supervisors election
"For Arthur Jackson of San Francisco, ``helping out'' was something he observed growing up in his Chicago neighborhood. ``Maybe there wasn't anybody to borrow money from, but if someone got sick, everyone cooked something and brought it over,'' said Jackson, who has volunteered most of his adult life, helping seniors and youths and working on public health issues." 9/13/99, Thomas Ruppaner
"[Mayor Willie] Brown spoke about Arthur Jackson, a member of the city's Commission on Aging who finally received a kidney transplant after waiting four years for a new organ. ``He had spent full time over the past four years wondering if his life would be snuffed out,'' said Brown. ``Finally, just about four months ago, Arthur got the kidney. I had the great pleasure this past week to swear Arthur in for another term on the commission. He looks totally and dramatically different.''" 4/17/00, Jonathan Curiel
"If you need a job done right, you give it to Arthur Jackson, businessman and community activist, and imagine what Arthur could do if he didn't spend half his waking hours hooked up to a dialysis machine. Tomorrow afternoon, Arthur will be sworn in by Willie Brown to serve on the city's Commission on Aging. It's one item on Jackson's list titled ``Things to do while waiting for a new kidney.''" 1/20/99, Scott Osler
"Arthur Jackson, who serves on the Commission on Aging, wanted more money for senior services. He said at least $2 million is needed - for meal programs, legal advocacy, housing support and transit, among other services. He and other senior activists said waiting lists for food programs include many elderly. "We must have a zero tolerance for hungry seniors," Jackson said." 6/20/99, Rachel Gordon
"Arthur Jackson, local business and political figure, is a compassionate champion of the underdog. It's his life. But recently Arthur has been haunted by the memory of a kid from his high school. ``Ronnie Gebron,'' Jackson says. ``He was fat, had red hair and freckles and wore glasses. That's the grand slam of nerdiness, isn't it? We were never kind to him in four years. He must have been angry.'' Arthur was a high school jock, a soccer star. The scariest thing he and his pals could imagine was to be seen being nice to a Ronnie Gebron. And sweet Jesus, what if Ronnie somehow showed up at a party? ``Why was I like that?'' Jackson says. ``I wasn't brought up that way. And it was a Quaker school. But they never once told us, `You've got to be nice.' We have to teach that.''" 5/19/99, Scott Osler
I knew him as the hands-on owner of Jackon Personnel, a temp agency in the city specializing in non-profit jobs. I walked into his office one day last March and had a month long non-profit temp job the very next day. This is also the man who, when that ended, placed me here at the donor network. The man who found me some permanence in a city known for its high cost and instability. He handled everything in that agency; I have no idea what will happen to it now.
In my short time getting to know him, I learned that he was a kidney recipient, the former Public Health Commissioner in San Francisco, and more recently appointed to the Commission on Homelessness -- he even brought me to one of the meetings as a public member, so I could learn more about the city perspective on homelessness. His agency was the donor network's source for administrative assistants; in fact, we only went to him. I sent five of my friends to him for jobs, with my full recommendation for his abilities.
Because he was such a public figure, so involved and so vocal, I figure the best way to eulogize him would be to do a search for him on the San Francisco Chronicle's site. Here's some of what I found, which paints a picture of the man he was:
"Arthur Jackson, a dynamo in local government and business, got a phone call Tuesday afternoon: ``Mr. Jackson, have we got a kidney for you!'' Jackson has been on dialysis for six years, waiting, a dynamo cut to half power by a funky organ. Yesterday, he got his kidney. Arthur runs Jackson Personnel Agency and has been commissioner of the Public Health Dept. and the Commission on Aging. This is your man if you're looking for someone who gives his heart to the city. So Arthur getting a kidney seems like a fair trade." 1/13/00, Scott Osler
"Among the impressive new candidates [...and...] likely to provide clear, fresh thinking at City Hall are Casey, a business consultant, and Jackson, an employment agency owner. They both display the energy and inclination to demand government accountability. For a board with fortitude and balance, we recommend Kaufman, Katz, Yaki, Marquez, Casey and Jackson." Editorial, 10/25/96, re: Board of Supervisors election
"For Arthur Jackson of San Francisco, ``helping out'' was something he observed growing up in his Chicago neighborhood. ``Maybe there wasn't anybody to borrow money from, but if someone got sick, everyone cooked something and brought it over,'' said Jackson, who has volunteered most of his adult life, helping seniors and youths and working on public health issues." 9/13/99, Thomas Ruppaner
"[Mayor Willie] Brown spoke about Arthur Jackson, a member of the city's Commission on Aging who finally received a kidney transplant after waiting four years for a new organ. ``He had spent full time over the past four years wondering if his life would be snuffed out,'' said Brown. ``Finally, just about four months ago, Arthur got the kidney. I had the great pleasure this past week to swear Arthur in for another term on the commission. He looks totally and dramatically different.''" 4/17/00, Jonathan Curiel
"If you need a job done right, you give it to Arthur Jackson, businessman and community activist, and imagine what Arthur could do if he didn't spend half his waking hours hooked up to a dialysis machine. Tomorrow afternoon, Arthur will be sworn in by Willie Brown to serve on the city's Commission on Aging. It's one item on Jackson's list titled ``Things to do while waiting for a new kidney.''" 1/20/99, Scott Osler
"Arthur Jackson, who serves on the Commission on Aging, wanted more money for senior services. He said at least $2 million is needed - for meal programs, legal advocacy, housing support and transit, among other services. He and other senior activists said waiting lists for food programs include many elderly. "We must have a zero tolerance for hungry seniors," Jackson said." 6/20/99, Rachel Gordon
"Arthur Jackson, local business and political figure, is a compassionate champion of the underdog. It's his life. But recently Arthur has been haunted by the memory of a kid from his high school. ``Ronnie Gebron,'' Jackson says. ``He was fat, had red hair and freckles and wore glasses. That's the grand slam of nerdiness, isn't it? We were never kind to him in four years. He must have been angry.'' Arthur was a high school jock, a soccer star. The scariest thing he and his pals could imagine was to be seen being nice to a Ronnie Gebron. And sweet Jesus, what if Ronnie somehow showed up at a party? ``Why was I like that?'' Jackson says. ``I wasn't brought up that way. And it was a Quaker school. But they never once told us, `You've got to be nice.' We have to teach that.''" 5/19/99, Scott Osler
Friday, March 31, 2006
Queen Anne's Lace
Steve has a friend, Anne. Anne has a husband, Alex. Alex and Anne moved to Laos about a year ago. Anne posts about it on occasion.
Anne's writing is complex and playful. Her latest post is gorgeous. An exploration of hell, physical, personal, religious, ending at the crossroads.
I am always impressed by Anne's writing, but this time I liked this post so much I had to share it with you.
Does it come as a surprise to you that Anne worked at a company that published children's books while she was here? Probably not. (~_~)
Anne's writing is complex and playful. Her latest post is gorgeous. An exploration of hell, physical, personal, religious, ending at the crossroads.
I am always impressed by Anne's writing, but this time I liked this post so much I had to share it with you.
Does it come as a surprise to you that Anne worked at a company that published children's books while she was here? Probably not. (~_~)
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