Friday, February 03, 2006
Read This Sometime
If you have yet to read any of the blog 'Baghdad Burning' , you really should. Riverbend (the name the author uses) is articulate and has a perspective that you will not likely find in the news. Somehow anything else I would say seems trivial compared to what she has lived through and written about. (Much of the blog has been published as an award-winning book).
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Le Matin
Good morning. Morning here, anyway. Snow, ice, a pile of firewood. The odd squirrel or bird. Groundhog Day. Not very shadowy at the moment.
=====
It's later now. We had a Language Society council meeting today - I love those, such a mixed group of styles and it's a wonder we get anything done. We have nationals who speak Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and several of us who make the attempt to speak some of these, all teacher/leader types and we're trying to conduct business. It's fun - somebody manages to pull it together eventually.
There was a special visitor at work today who came to give a talk. It went pretty well, he had to use a lot of technical words that I'm guessing weren't very familiar to him and I was just cringing waiting for it go wrong - at one point stumbled on 'single compression' which really was supposed to be 'signal compression,' but overall not too bad. Cynthia got to see the motorcade on the freeway. Seems to have gone off without any problems, which is good.
Music team rehearsal tonight, somehow the social time seemed natural and relaxed, I think we were all a bit tired - we have gotten to know each other well enough to laugh and have fun with the time. I think most of us have kids so it is kind of break and time with other adults doing something enjoyable like learning new songs to play/sing.
The van has a very squealy serpentine belt, Cara was telling me off about it this morning - "Dad, this is really bad. You need to get a new car." Maybe she's right. At the least, I need to take care of the belt somehow.
Have a good evening, and don't forget to look at the sky sometimes.
Steve
=====
It's later now. We had a Language Society council meeting today - I love those, such a mixed group of styles and it's a wonder we get anything done. We have nationals who speak Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and several of us who make the attempt to speak some of these, all teacher/leader types and we're trying to conduct business. It's fun - somebody manages to pull it together eventually.
There was a special visitor at work today who came to give a talk. It went pretty well, he had to use a lot of technical words that I'm guessing weren't very familiar to him and I was just cringing waiting for it go wrong - at one point stumbled on 'single compression' which really was supposed to be 'signal compression,' but overall not too bad. Cynthia got to see the motorcade on the freeway. Seems to have gone off without any problems, which is good.
Music team rehearsal tonight, somehow the social time seemed natural and relaxed, I think we were all a bit tired - we have gotten to know each other well enough to laugh and have fun with the time. I think most of us have kids so it is kind of break and time with other adults doing something enjoyable like learning new songs to play/sing.
The van has a very squealy serpentine belt, Cara was telling me off about it this morning - "Dad, this is really bad. You need to get a new car." Maybe she's right. At the least, I need to take care of the belt somehow.
Have a good evening, and don't forget to look at the sky sometimes.
Steve
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Le Soir
And another Noisy Withdrawal rehearsal is complete. We rent a practice room in what used to be a manufacturing building, shared with another group and it works out pretty well. There are nine of us and it's difficult to get everyone there at the same time, but it works out and sometimes it actually sounds ok.
Not a lot else to report this evening. Everyone is home ok and bouncing around, I've escaped to the downstairs 'office' for a few minutes. A bit brain dead after being 'on' all day. Work will do that. Listening to Jim Collins' 'Good to Great' in support of some leadership training that's going on. Kind of interesting, the leaders who take companies that extra step usually are quiet and have long term goals and focus (vs the strong ego type who may make a big impact but when they leave, things don't run so well). Lincoln cited as an example...
Lots of time at the keyboard, all day it seems. Important to take breaks, shift gears, go for a walk, talk with somebody. Did some of that today, looking back. Since my job has changed there are people that I used to supervise that still come by to chat, I like that. I guess some of them maybe read this...so I'll limit any other comments, keeping the distinction of slog2live and actually slogging to live somewhat separate.
Hello out there, art person who writes the poetry! I miss your writings...hope all is well. Life must have you somewhere else for now.
Natalie's spring semester will be starting soon, into the calculus with the same guy I had those many years ago and also continuing with the organic chemistry, again with a prof that I had - one of my favorite - there were several. What are the chances? She's getting to do a little research with goldfish, getting thermodynamic equations out of their behavior swimming from one side of the tank to the other, with a divider that has a hole for them to swim through. I don't know the details, but I think the fish are treated well. Some kind of optical measurement of when the fish swim through the hole. Brings back some memories of working with Ole.
Right, well it's chilly down here and I need to get some rest. More tomorrow, Take care.
Not a lot else to report this evening. Everyone is home ok and bouncing around, I've escaped to the downstairs 'office' for a few minutes. A bit brain dead after being 'on' all day. Work will do that. Listening to Jim Collins' 'Good to Great' in support of some leadership training that's going on. Kind of interesting, the leaders who take companies that extra step usually are quiet and have long term goals and focus (vs the strong ego type who may make a big impact but when they leave, things don't run so well). Lincoln cited as an example...
Lots of time at the keyboard, all day it seems. Important to take breaks, shift gears, go for a walk, talk with somebody. Did some of that today, looking back. Since my job has changed there are people that I used to supervise that still come by to chat, I like that. I guess some of them maybe read this...so I'll limit any other comments, keeping the distinction of slog2live and actually slogging to live somewhat separate.
Hello out there, art person who writes the poetry! I miss your writings...hope all is well. Life must have you somewhere else for now.
Natalie's spring semester will be starting soon, into the calculus with the same guy I had those many years ago and also continuing with the organic chemistry, again with a prof that I had - one of my favorite - there were several. What are the chances? She's getting to do a little research with goldfish, getting thermodynamic equations out of their behavior swimming from one side of the tank to the other, with a divider that has a hole for them to swim through. I don't know the details, but I think the fish are treated well. Some kind of optical measurement of when the fish swim through the hole. Brings back some memories of working with Ole.
Right, well it's chilly down here and I need to get some rest. More tomorrow, Take care.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)