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I’m lucky to work with so many fun and creative people...

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 13:20:03 -0700

I’m lucky to work with so many fun and creative people @miresball!

"Brevity is the soul of wit."

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 13:12:48 -0700

“Brevity is the soul of wit.”

- William Shakespeare

Clippy must DIE!!!!

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:07:32 -0700

Clippy must DIE!!!!:

As I struggled with getting a MS Word doc to format the way I wanted to late yesterday I was reminded of one of my favorite “Wait, Wait Don’t Tell Me” moments on NPR. And comforted by the fact that even though Word frustrated me with its inability to perform the simplest of functions consistently at least “Clippy” wasn’t around anymore to taunt me.

A family lost… The Whittington/Falkenberg family...

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:15:17 -0700

A family lost…

The Whittington/Falkenberg family weren’t the only folks I knew and cared for that died on September 11, 2001, but something about the entire family being wiped out made their deaths all the more tragic. After the initial shock and grief came the practical questions - What to do with their house? What about all of their possessions? Who will organize the memorial?

Leslie was my teacher, adviser, mentor in graduate school. I repeat stories and bits of advice she gave me to this day (go ahead and ask me about a sunk cost). Her little girls ran through the student lounge at Georgetown. We played with them, read with them, babysat for them.

The last thing I did before moving from DC to San Diego was visit the Pentagon Memorial - it had just opened. I held my tears back until I reached the very first bench in the field dedicated to little Dana. I was weeping by the time I reached Leslie’s bench.

It’s hard to articulate what it was like to live and work in DC on that day if you weren’t there (folks in New York know). But it’s possible to point to this wonderful family and say “see, this is what we lost that day.”

(See video beginning around the 2:30 mark)

Is that skunk?

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:31:41 -0700

Is that skunk?:

Every once and a while I learn something from TV. Last night I learned all sorts of things about skunks, yes skunks, on PBS. But beyond the fact that skunks eat bees (don’t their tongues get stung?!?), the most important thing I learned is that tomato juice doesn’t counteract the stink spray, but a precise combination of hydrogen peroxide, baking soda and laundry detergent does. Now that’s useful information.

"Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans."

Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:31:32 -0700

“Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.”

- John Lennon

I love ketchup

Thu, 04 Aug 2011 13:01:48 -0700

I love ketchup:

Ketchup (hold the tomatoes)

Chef Sang Yoon experiments at home with the condiment he doesn’t serve at Father’s Office.

Missing my favorite fruity drink—Rum Swizzle. Video...

Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:25:42 -0700

Missing my favorite fruity drink—Rum Swizzle. Video tutorial on mixing one up.

Taking a nostalgic ride on the world's oldest roller coasters

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 11:43:23 -0700

Taking a nostalgic ride on the world's oldest roller coasters:

You can keep your fancy loopers and hanging harnesses. Nothing compares to a ride on a classic wooden roller coaster.

I may be physically at my desk today, but my soul is still...

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 09:41:42 -0700

I may be physically at my desk today, but my soul is still dancing along the pink sand beaches of Bermuda…

"You can go to heaven if you want; I’ll stay here in Bermuda."

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:01:25 -0700

““You can go to heaven if you want; I’ll stay here in Bermuda.””

- Mark Twain

3,000 Words About Derek Jeter

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:48:24 -0700

3,000 Words About Derek Jeter:

“Jeter plays, therefore he is.”

"Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:22:51 -0700

““Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.””

- Ernest Hemmingway

Under the influence of Hemingway

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:22:05 -0700

Under the influence of Hemingway:

On the 50th anniversary of the literary giant’s death, a critic questions the writer’s relevance today but not the effect his style and authority have had on other writers.

Coyotes in the canyon

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 14:31:00 -0700

I live in San Diego. In the city. Technically. Although my neighborhood feels suburban with neat ranch houses and split levels tucked in on cul-de-sacs, I can see the downtown skyline from the street, hear airplanes as they take off from Lindberg field and watch police cars zoom by in high-speed pursuit. But I also live on the edge of a canyon, a wonderful ridge perched above Mission Bay and Pacific Beach along a fault line and formed by seismic activity I choose to ignore. Here in the middle of the city, in this suburban enclave, wildlife abounds. Hawks, lizards, moles, owls and all manner of critter are regular visitors to our yard.

I often take for granted the dueling interests of the wild and our urban lifestyle. I sometimes forget because I live in the “city” that people pushed themselves into territory populated by other species long before us. This morning I saw a pair of coyotes trotting down our street. They nonchalantly sniffed garbage cans, gardens and the toys of neighborhood kids scattered across lawns. They hopped retaining walls, ignored fences and wandered into the canyon where they’ll remain until they decide to go somewhere else. A reminder that we are the ones passing through their habitat, not the other way around.

"After all, tomorrow is another day…"

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 12:23:58 -0700

“After all, tomorrow is another day…”

- Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind

It's 4 a.m. something bad happened.

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:47:00 -0700

Unexpected late night phone calls are never good. So when I saw Jay’s number pop up at 4 am Eastern I didn’t have to answer to know that the news was not good. Our childhood friend Kim had been in the hospital for over a week now fighting the latest battle in her ongoing war with cystic fibrosis.

When we were 10 years old and running around on playgrounds together our parents tried to prepare us, they warned that Kim would probably not graduate from high school with us. But she did. When we all went our separate ways and off to college we were told she probably wouldn’t live past 25. But she did. As we started to get married and settled down, we were told that Kim likely wouldn’t see her own wedding day. But she did. Then the babies started to come, and yup, Kim had one too. But now in our mid-30s the miracles, medical advancements and pharmaceutical innovations just couldn’t keep up. Kim won many battles, but ultimately lost the war. Cystic fibrosis claimed another precious life.

From 3000 miles away Kim’s death is hard to process. She always beat the odds. Always lived her life. Never accepted her disease as a limitation, just plowed forward as any other person would. Her life was not one of missed opportunities. Even though I’m sad and will miss her dearly, I know she squeezed every ounce of joy out of life. I know she was happy. I know she lived a good life. And that’s more than most people can say.

As I walked down the sidewalk to my office this morning, a little spotted dog popped out of the bushes. It stopped, considered me, and then without warning yipped happily and took off in the opposite direction. I called after it, concerned it would get hit by a car in the street, but it didn’t stop. It bolted down the block. Stopped. Looked back again. And then took off running full speed into the distance. Kim?

Bad energy.

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 16:05:06 -0700

I grew up on the East Coast. The Northeast Coast more specifically. In and around New York City exactly. The world of my youth was fast, competitive and exciting. New York felt like the center of the universe, and, well, as Frank sang, “if you could make it there you could make it anywhere.”

After earning my college degree in New England alongside of a cadre of over-achievers I landed in DC, a city that brought new meaning to the word “competitive.” So you can imagine that after 30-some years in a fast-paced, highly competitive, over-achieving, push to you get it right and don’t stop till you do world moving to Southern California was a bit of a shock.

Don’t get me wrong, I love San Diego. I love wearing jeans and flip flops to work (although Brooks Brothers is lamenting that change…). I love going home at 5:30. I love saying, “I’m going on vacation and will be unreachable for two weeks.” I love the easy-breezy SoCal attitude that nothing is really worth stressing over. There’s always another wave, another sunny day, another opportunity around the corner, so dude, don’t harsh my mellow.

So why is it driving me crazy that all day long, every day, one of my colleagues does nothing but whine? Whine about how her clients are mean to her. Whine about how much work she has to do. Whine about how her instructions are unclear. Mind you I don’t ever see her do any work, just yap all day on the phone to other people about her so-called problems.

On the West Coast you’re supposed to just ignore the things that don’t directly affect you. You’re supposed to just let it all slide away. You’re not supposed to let someone else’s “bad energy” infect you. Put your headphones on and just ignore it. But the hyper-competive, over-achieving East Coaster in me wants to yell out, “just do your f*cking job! And if you don’t/can’t/won’t then we’ll hire someone who will.”

Fortunately I manage to suppress that urge. I suppose if I suppress it long enough it will eventually fade away…and then I’ll be a West Coaster…for now though, nope, thankfully it’s still there ;-)

"Hates California, it’s cold and it’s damp…"

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:59:52 -0700

“Hates California, it’s cold and it’s damp…”

- The Lady is a Tramp

Peony in pink.

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 10:36:06 -0700

Peony in pink.