• We now have a working exhaust fan in the other bathroom (not sure what to call it – it’s the upstairs bathroom that’s not the Master bathroom and not the downstairs powder room).
• I now have a new line item for my homeowner resume (ceiling exhaust fan installer).
• I now realize just how cramped our attic is for extended work, and could really use a massage, or at least a muscle relaxant.
• Should’ve taken photos, but was too focused on getting the project done without crashing through the ceiling.  In that sense Nala is certainly the better multitasking homeowner.

Beeping from the BlackBerry woke me from my poolside siesta to dire news about a snow storm attacking the sietch.  I was concerned for a moment, then I realized I needed more sun screen, but fell back asleep before I could do anything about it.

After a day of decompression and complacency, the wind has shifted bringing the smoke back into our neighborhood, and the noise pollution is off the scale as the trees and brush separating Casa from the neighboring transformer station (no Nala, not Transformers) get removed.  Also pissed at myself for breaking some glass while unpacking from Monday’s evacuation.  Is drinking before noon really that wrong?

Been looking forward to the new Bionic Woman, so when Nala mentioned that it was available on OnDemand, the law firm called a mandatory staff meeting for an afternoon screening. 

Spoilers Below…

(more…)

Go wish a Happy Birthday to Nala.

The morning is normally a nice peaceful time. I sleepwalk through the park with Pongo, then settle in at the desk. The kind people at KCRW read me the news slowly while I surf a few sites and transition into the morning work. It’s a good time to answer e-mail while the first pot of coffee works its way into my veins, and when big days arrive, like Nala’s birthday, this is a good time to send the greetings. This is when I knock out the bigger projects – hopefully before the clients panic attacks set in and take my schedule and pathetic planning efforts out of my hands.

So why is that Texan mangling the language live when NPR is supposed to be reading me the news in precise and educated English? So far he hasn’t said anything new or original. In the fourth year of the war he just found it necessary to explain to some reporter what an IED is. Somehow I think most people, including the inquisitive reporter, know that particular acronym by now.

Don’t need to be talked down to this early in the morning. That kind of thing is not good for my morning calm.

The anxiety from the terrorist leprechauns’ destruction of my former PC has passed, and dual core serenity is now settling in. No data was lost, just lots of time that could have been put to better use. I’m noticing that it was also way past time to untangle the wires behind the desk. With the quaint design of my older apartment combined with modern needs, I seem to be running twelve (thirteen in summer) items off one wall socket that has been creatively expanded through three power strips. Things can get a little messy as componants get moved around the desktop. Time to simplify and and let the desktop calm again.

Tied down by the cube’s tether this weekend, but I managed to catch some water polo Friday night and had a great time just hanging with some friends on Saturday. We would have considered going to the Polish Festival here Saturday, but after their snub of the world’s most beloved Polish-American, it just didn’t seem right. Today’s just been pretty much chill, with a stroll around the zoo and some grocery shopping, and a bit of the online shopping too.

Won’t be depressed and bored forever though: a client got me some VIP passes for the Miramar Air Show next weekend, so some friends and I will go and see the jets go fast and stuff, and in fifteen excruciatingly long short days Civilization IV, the sequel to the greatest time-suckers of the last decade or so of my life, will be released.

Yep, I played the original Civ on a Commodore Amiga, Civ II on the Mac, and Civ III on the PC. The kiddies today don’t know how rough we had it back then – the decision to quit and start again is a lot more difficult when it takes thirty minutes to come up with a new world, let me tell you. OK, not as bad as walking to school for eight miles in the blizzard, but even geeks can have rough early adulthoods. Hopefully I’ll live long enough to lead the Big Surians to global domination on Civ XVIII in my home holosuite, for I am truly an addict.

Sick, greedy, bastard (the owner that is). I have no trouble working for my keep. I gather the laundry. I prewash the dishes. I bark at the ghosts at three in the morning to keep them from bothering the big guy. But this is unconscionable. You humans can mark yourselves up all you want, but leave us dogs to our natural spots and colors. [Link via Nala]

Nala has a very good post on Ohio’s proposed regulation of eBay sellers as “auctioneers.” The little-L libertarian and free-market guy in me was nodding his head in agreement. Things like this are what happens when politicians have too much time on their hands. If stupid ideas like this are going to impact internet commerce, they at least need to originate in the homeland of stupid ideas and trends, my beloved California.

Then I stumbled on Lance Arthur’s post on Glassdog on someone auctioning his skin as a billboard on eBay. Hmm I thought. Maybe some eBay sellers need a little ‘supervision’ after all.

Don’t worry, just a momentary lapse. Free market. Government out. Go Nala.

Done. Went down bright and early this morning and filled in bubbles indicating my choices. Maybe it was symbolic of the direction of the country, but after years of touch-screen voting here and elsewhere (with up-to-date 1980s technology!), the Luddites have forced San Diego county to revert to this paper-ballot system. Glad to see we’re now condemning technology for all the problems in Florida four years ago and hope this reversion to a simpler time calms some people down.

Now, heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to work I go. Just four more days until vacation.

And now, as a thank you from Howling Point for reading our crap, here are some links to good election day posts:

- Running With Lawyers
- Naladahc