Chinese New Year has stealthily approached, and now makes its arrival known. The officers of Binkomonster, as is the usual habit, are making the big trek over to the right coast for some family, festivities, and frigid weather. I sit in an enormously oversized metal bullet, speeding along the skies at 37000 feet, comfortably burrowed and blogging away. Just like last year.
Well, the slight difference being that last year it was a first class seat instead of coach. But the flight isn’t full, and the seats are roomy, so who am I to complain?
Affairs at the lair of ‘the man’ have been left reasonably in order (or so one hopes). And the tribe is in the good hands of the close family friend.
So it seems appropriate to start moving the mental mindset to that of the explorer. Ready for adventure, for something new.
Unlike the quick day trip up North last week (to Seattle, cool city among our faves), this trip has been a more comfortable one in terms of turbulence. That plus being sacked out for a little bit helped. Most of the previous evening was spent packing, which left only 4 hours to sleep and cuddle with our most affectionate of the tribe, booboo.
We’ve ignored most of the inflight entertainment, but perked up seeing that they have Jamie Oliver on a Tonight Show segment. Showing Dave how to cook (lamb?) and promoting his latest cookbook. Sweet. Making us all the more hungrier for our food adventure tomorrow night at Babbo. Yep, Mario Batali’s joint. Been looking forward to it. Fruit flavored bellinis, wine tasting, and the most wonderful pasta you ever tasted. To be preceded of course by lunch at Bergdorf’s Café on 5, and some tromping through Manhattan (side trip to ABC Carpet and Home anyone?) In a rush of packing and getting some things done last night, wrote up a target list (Magnolia Bakery, Joe, Schiller’s Liquor Bar) most of which we probably won’t get to. But hey, maybe we’ll get lucky. If you think the list reads like something off of Gawker or Gothamist, well, you’d be amazingly right. Daily reading encompasses both of those wonderful blogs. Never lived in NYC, but I seem to have a fascination for it (or at least the things that go on there). It helps that much of the year I can read stories about the miserable weather (wet/snow/ice) and be comforted by the fact that for the most part its warm/dry and comfortable out on the left coast. I consider us insanely lucky.
Speaking of temperatures, we don’t look forward to the rigors of acclimatizing back this short week. Having passed the threshold of blood thinning and become true Californians (oh man, its 60 degrees out, its FREEZING), you can imagine that adjusting to snow and 40s is not going to be fun (shake shake shake).
Ugh.
Things have seemed relatively relatively quiet this week. On all fronts (personal, world, Binkomonster). It’s a good thing. Silence and calm is always a great contrast to frenzy and mania. Or more appropriately put, it is a joy to experience the alternate direction in the roller coaster trajectory. Things will start to change however, as they inevitably do. GDC is around the corner. WinHEC not long after that. Siggraph comes with summer, and in the fall, its time for ITALY. Our great big adventure. Yes we measure our life by technology conferences as markers. Sad? Perhaps. Geeky? You bet. Hee.
Another attempt at the front door of the castle. We have had a locksmith come and completely fortify the door. Metal strip on the inside. Door guards up and and down the entire length, and the door handle replaced. As we go rushing off this morning, a notice is made that there is a quarter inch hole that has been gored by a screwdriver or other such implement against the door guard trying to force entry into the hall. Do I have concerns about the new hardware holding? Only slight. We have now been convinced that it really would take someone breaking the door to get in. Nevertheless, every time I see a fresh mark on the door it makes me seethe. I want to go and rig up that wireless web cam and just watch. Watch until I can’t stand it anymore. Until I can see the face of this stupid, piece of trash, fucking asshole who keeps trying to get in.
Perpetrator? Listen, you had your string of luck, all the good stuff in the garage is gone. The bikes, the climbing equipment, odd sundries. Give it up already.
Go lie down in the street, overdose or get hit by a car already so that we are rid of your useless pathetic existence.
A word to you. At some point, I will see you or catch you or find you trying to get your way in. And when I do, you really, really will regret it. In such a big way I assure you. Hell hath no fury like me when I've caught the nagging blight that makes me sleep erratically at night. I will pound your skull in, tear off your limbs and put them in a box to ship to China for the hungry rodents to eat.
I hope you think its worth it. Asshole.
Awright. So. Change of topic.
The library got a visit, and some majorly overdue books. Of course followed by me trundling out with some more. Hee. Only I seem to be acquiring a small shred of common sense and only taking 4-5 books instead of the usual 10-12, hoping that my reading completion rate improves. 2 almost down, 3 to go. Yipeee.
Though we need to work on better book choices. Masters of Doom is proving to be an interesting read (especially having met one of the subjects). The biography of Ethel Kennedy (WHAT was I thinking?) proved to be a waste. Rich socialite, marries into rich family, has 11 kids, most dysfunctional, sees herself as the successor to that other matriarch (Rose), uses power/influence to squelch consequences for said dysfunctional children, and on the larger scale of things, is irrelevant, bothersome to most. End of story. Bleah. I should have stuch to my original plan which was to get a biography of Jackie Kennedy (its the style thing that is interesting to me, really, nothing more), or gone for that life history of Benjamin Franklin. Come to think of it, Ben was the right choice. As much I rush to scour through the online tabloids for some brain candy, and flip through those glossy bios like someone watching a car wreck, of late the thrill is leaving me.
I cannot escape the feeling that I could be spending the brain cells and comprehension on something more interesting and apt to improve self. At the end of the day, who cares
-who Jackie slept with,
-whether Britney is pregnant,
-who Jen and Brad are now going to date.
If I see one more picture or read one more pointless story about Paris Hilton, Im going to staple my eyes shut.
Can we say something good today? Yes indeedy.
Thanks Craig Newmark. Your little idea is one of the best things out there in the known universe.
It has helped me get rid of my unwanted stuff, and more importantly its helped me to while away time laughing myself absolutely silly at your 'Best of Craig' links.
Sigh.
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