Apopheniac

I stumbled through the last two days of the week supported by frequent doses of Dayquil and a vaporizor secreted under my desk. Customers who spoke to me on the phone Friday probably thought they were speaking to some raspy throated basso profundo.
I made it to the weekend and I have spent most of it lying in my recliner listening to NPR shows recorded from internet radio. This afternoon I finally found the energy to come to the computer and tap out this post. Light at the end of the tunnel.

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Matt barbecued a brisquet. About 15 people showed up. Scott called from Atlanta and a great time was had by all.

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Today Kirk is 30 and the party begins in half an hour.

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I have posted the photos from our Christmas visits on Flickr for anyone interested.

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Kirk's birthday gift choice was the videogame Battlefield 2142. It arrived from Amazon and he has been closeted in his room since, with the sound of machine guns coming under the door.

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The cold weather finds my thoughts turning to Las Vegas. We just heard that Jean's brother John and his wife Vicki are going to be spending Christmas at the Bellagio, one of our favorite hotels. We have asked them to forward pictures which I will post when we get them.

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Yesterday was cold and rainy, hovering around the freezing point. In fact I was worried that the temperature would drop enough to glaze the roads before I got off work and headed home last night at nine. Fortunately it only went down to 31 overnight. There was a dusting of snow and sleet on the ground but the sun came up in a brilliant blue west Texas sky. Though the day promises to be brisk, traction doesn't appear to be a problem.

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I am incredibly pleased with my Motorola HT820 bluetooth headphones now that I have climbed the learning curve on how to have everything hooked up and operating. The sound quality is excellent both as wireless audio headphones and as a headset for my phone.

For stereo listening I installed the Blue Soliel for Windows XP on my computer. This allows me to listen wirelessly to the sound channel on my computer so if I am watching a video, playing a game or listening to a podcast I don't disturb Jean at her computer. If she wants to listen I just switch the computer to play through the speakers. For on the go listening I installed Softick Audio Gateway on my Palm T/X. I can listen to music, podcasts, audio books or videos. Today I listened to NPR Science Friday while I made a Walmart run for sickbed supplies for Jean and Kirk. They are down with the flu.

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If you are looking for a world class gift for your partner; if you love Cappuccino yet hate tossing Starbucks $3-4 for each indulgence and if you are strong on follow-through, then I offer you the following suggestion. Buy an espresso machine and a good coffee grinder and make your loved one's gift a year of latte or cappuccino in bed. I did this for Jean in 1996 and we are still enjoying both the memory of the gift and our lattes every day.

Several things argue in favor of this gift. First, so your lover won't have to enjoy their treat alone, you have to make one for yourself, and then you get to enjoy the time together. If you each have just one cup a day you will more than double your money with what you save at Starbucks and the quality of your life together will improve. You may also enjoy the slightly guilty pleasure of watching the reactions of other couples when they hear of your gift.

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We've worked our way through fruitcake and eggnog. This week we're adding soft peppermints and chocolate covered cherries.

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This weekend's project was hanging a new fan in the bedroom. Feng Shui indicates that standard square blades break up the flow of chi and directly above the bed is particularly bad. We've used a fan like this over our sofa in the living room and been quite pleased. Now there is one over the bed.

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Jean has gotten both of the Christmas trees up:
the gold tree is in front of the mirror in the living room

and the purple tree by the bay window in the family room.

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Judy Sanders just posted a great idea on PalmAddict for the parents of small children. Each time you leave for an outing, snap a photo of your tyke on your cameraphone. If they get separated or lost you will have a shareable photo of them in their current outfit which can be sent to anyone helping you look.

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Today I am beginning my new blog Techquisitive. Every day I am scanning the new gadgets and technology sites looking for what's new. I'll post the best of what catches my attention here. It is also an opportunity for me to try the Word Press blogging system.

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Lifehacker provides a link to instructions on how to make your own instant oatmeal. Jean and I consistently look for ways to replace sugar with stevia and reduce preservatives in our diet, not to mention save money.

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I read an interesting post in LifeClever about strategies for reducing traffic jams. After living in San Jose, Atlanta and Dallas I am well acquainted with the paralysis of gridlock. Even living in the mountains above Santa Cruz yielded traffic jams going to the beach & to Monterrey on weekends. But as I read this article I realized that for me it had an air of unreality. I realized that the three years I have lived in Lubbock, Texas have been virtually traffic free.

Lubbock's population of just over 200,000, is part of the answer. The fact that my work shift is noon to 9pm also sees to it that I don't see the worst of what little traffic Lubbock has. There are construction delays and Walmart and the Southplains mall parking lots fill on weekends, but I am able to largely avoid those. My work schedule allows us to do our shopping on weekday mornings (Mondays for Walmart - Thursdays for health food and groceries).

Reading that traffic article gave me an opportunity to reflect on how much less stressful our relocated and reorganized life is and to spend a few moments in reflective gratitude.

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Great article in the New York Times shows how to make free international calls & free information calls & get other free services from your cellphone.

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We went to CPU computer store today for the first time since they re-opened in their new Lubbock location about a year ago. They have a lot more space & inventory. It was a pleasant visit. They are on northbound west 289 just south of Marsha Sharp freeway.

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I was reading a Business Week article this morning on the Google's dealing with the copyright implications of YouTube and the author referred to watching an hour of sex pistols video. I have not used YouTube much, only occasionally following a link from a story or one of the blogs I read. (I was aware of but did not follow the lonelygirl15 hoopla.) Yet this reference caught my imagination and sent me immediately to YouTube to apply my music appreciation acid test. I searched for links to John Hartford and up came page after page of videos of John in performance. (Here he is with Ray Charles and Glen Cambell).

For those of you who don't know John he was a delight. When I hitchhiked from Texas to New Jersey in the mid 70s to visit my friend Gregg, one of the highlights of the trip was when Gregg played his LP of "Steam Powered Aeroplane." I was hooked. I got John's album and caught him live when he came through Atlanta with The Band.

John was a consummate musician and treasure trove of musical Americana, a steamboat captain, author of "Gentle on My Mind" (the success of which bought his financial freedom.) He was one of the major forces behind the music in the movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou." John passed away about 5 years ago but his music lives on and I have a new respect for YouTube.

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Lubbock is flat and windy and, though it occasionally makes interesting drifts, snow is usually scoured into a level sameness.

But at work there is an atrium and there are alcoves where the snow can collect with the peculiar beauty it provides when offered a little protection.

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