Best wishes to all on the trick-or-treating tonight. I did mine Saturday, with Dr. Chuck the Butcher-Surgeon scoring three pumpkin ales and a seat on the floor for It’s The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. If you want scary, go outside and look at all the crap memories still in my truck. Last year’s Jack-o-lantern remains lit for those who appreciate the spirit of the day. bwahahahaha

Turned in the keys to Casa Tecolote an hour ago.

I guess there’s no backing out now.

Yes, I’m up and posting at 5:30.  I’ve been up and working since 4:30.  Sometimes that’s just how life goes.  Time to get ready for the drive to farm country.

Saturday: Watched a little swimming and diving. Moved a few boxes. Attended a cool halloween party, even if Edward Scissorhands is not a scary movie. Waited to see if a client will get back to me before a hearing in farm country Monday morning.

Sunday: A bit of photoshopping. Coffee and breakfast soon. Need caffeine desperately.  Then more moving and waiting.

Part of me thinks I should spend Saturday finishing up the move and prepping for a hearing set for way too early Monday morning.

The rest of me, prodded by a gently tinkling glass of Bowmore, says I should go cheer on UCSD against Utah’s swim and dive team, and maybe take a few photos while I’m in the neighborhood. Anyone want to help with the decision?

Went out beyond farm country today for what should be an interesting case.  Sometimes I forget how varied the geography of California can be, even just within a two hour circle.  It’s also strange seeing how some of these places that used to be gas stops off the Interstate have grown.  Today’s stop in particular used to be a wasteland with some gas stations and tumbleweeds – now the food court at the mall features a piano player at lunch.  Not saying one’s better than the other – I kinda like tumbleweeds sometimes.  Just strange to be visiting those old haunts again and not recognizing them.

Yay for zoops.

Spent last night at a local event trying to entice local young’uns to attend Cal. There were some interesting attendees, and as always it was a blast hanging out with the other alums. One thing that still amazes me is the confusion between Cal and Berkeley. Had a swimmer ask me if Berkeley had a swim team, and a football player ask if we had a football team. Once I said Cal, they both did the ‘oh, ah’ and you could literally see the lightbulbs going off over their heads. For the record, Golden Bears football if 7-1 and ranked 11th in the country, and the men’s and women’s swim programs are ranked 6th and 1st respectively. But when people hear Berkeley they think Nobel prizes and hippees of a bygone era. But it was fun getting out and talking, and hopefully some of the good ones will go there to work on bringing the Nobel in Aquatic Sports home to Cal.

Wound up the evening with a late swim of my own and a steam at the local branch of my gym and ended up sleeping like a baby.

Today was the first full day working at the new home office with all my own stuff. First impressions: work will be more focussed without a TV visible from the desk. Fairly productive day, even though people weren’t returning calls. There were lots of pending projects that had been pushed back to accomodate my three-days-of-farm-country special project, so the fingers were a furious blur on the keyboard knocking out documents left and right.

I’ll have a couple more visits to farm country over the next month, but these will be scheduled, and hopefully I’ll have time to drag the camera out on one of the hearing dates. Among other things, farm country has a beautiful old courthouse dating back to the 1920s that I’d really like to catch in the right light. Not that many of you look at the landscape photographs around here. Or even the shots of cute fuzzy animals. Y’all seem to be very sports-minded. Not that that’s a bad thing.

NGF’s beloved Puddin passed away last week.

Puddin IV was believed to be about three years old, and had recently retired from a career in education, where she particularly enjoyed being a role model and inspiration to fifth graders. Many of her former students have emulated her lifestyle of spinning in a wheel that goes nowhere and waiting to be hand-fed, and as imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, she was very proud every time she saw one of her chubby little proteges sitting around doing nothing.

No slacker herself, in her personal life she was a skilled ball racer (see photo) and was considering a professional career in the sport before her life was tragically cut short. She was found under her wheel last Wednesday, possibly the victim of a training accident. Her family, extensively involved in the fields of primary education and medical research, would love brightly colored flowers, preferably with a light vinaigrette.

Had a nice swim last night. Didn’t need the exercise after two days of moving boxes, books and La-Z-Boys up and down stairs, but really needed the mental health benefits. Thirty minutes with no thoughts of furniture placement or salvage v. storage issues. Just following the black line with occasional thoughts about why the guy in the next lane was going so much faster than I was. My theory: the little speedo MP3 player on the back of his goggles was giving him an advantage. I won’t admit to skill or experience problems – it must be the equipment.

Just like golf. I’d put Tigger to shame but for my nasty old clubs. They’re currently here, but probably destined for storage unless the new apartment grows a closet while I’m out today.

And as for here, currently on my own computer from the new place. Trying to get psyched up before heading north to face entrenched court clerks in farm country. That and some Business of Law™ stuff. Time to pay the bills.