• 27 November 2008 05:38pm: We're having leftovers for turkey day because we're having our bird on sunday.
• 1 December 2008 10:21am: Conference this week so I only have to work two days this week. Larry Wall is the keynote on Thursday. I know I know, who?
• Yesterday at 10:42am: Made it to the conference of geek. First rule: no language bashing. Guess how long it took for someone to bash ruby.
• Today at 08:53am: Day two of the conference and the internets are working this time. I think Larry Wall is wearing the same Hawaiian shirt as yesterday.
• Today at 10:21am: In the microsft presentation the queen's portrait is on the wall. Guy is obsessed with lolcats :/
• Today at 11:32am: Walked to the confrence today. Going to walk home too. Nice to not need a train or car or bus or stuff like that for once.
• Today at 01:48pm: FOSS vs. The World talk is just as bad as I expected it would be. The ghost of Richard Stallman haunts these halls. Jerk.
• Today at 09:48pm: Arianna Huffington made a terrible pitch about blogging on the Daily Report Colbert Report and so I decided to micro blog it on the twitter.

twitter.com/plicease

Finally got started on my spring cleaning. Did the kitchen today. It looks real pretty.

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Also did part of the living room.

and this is one of the turkeys that we didn't eat yesterday. What do you think I should name him?

Happy Turkey Day everones who is in America (or who celebrates anyway).

I for one am going to spend the day doing some spring cleaning, because it’s spring and the place is starting to look like it needs to be done.

The Chrissy^[1] decorations are out already. In America don’t they usually wait until after Thanksgiving for that? Anyway, it’s not the timing that is unnerving for me, but the time of year. I know I will have to get over this, but this isn’t the time of year that you expect to see snowmen and fat guys in cold weather gear.

(weekend and food stuffs...)

On Saturday I had a tele-conference with Joe, Cicely and Brian about our summer vacation (summer vacation = this December/January). I was making fun of Joe for making a spreadsheet to plan our vacation, but I admitted that the tele-conference was my idea :) Anyway, it was really nice talking to them again. I know I am like el broken record, but I really miss those guys! Inexpensive calling cards are awesome.

It was all rainy and cruddy this weekend. We went down to Wollongong to meet Don at the finish line of his bike ride^[2] and to have a picnic. The picnic was cancelled on account of rain and wind and windy rain. Instead we went to this fabulous little mom-and-pop restaurant, where we ate well and had a wonderful passion fruit ice cream dessert. I totally want to go back there to try out the waffle cones.

The other day I had one of the best mangos that I have ever had. I can’t understand how it is that American’s can live without mangos or passion fruit^[3]. I mean, I do understand why they aren’t into Vegemite; I love that but I know it is an acquired taste. But mangos and passion fruit... they are just goodness.

In the elevator after a wet and windy day, mum and I were talking about what a miserable day it was, when the old lady who was also in the elevator told us that it was actually a wonderful day for all the people who were born today. She was a “philosopher” as my mum later described. Personally at that exact moment, I could do with a little less philosophising. It’s terrific that someone was born today, and it is super that you are thinking on the bright side of things, but think also of all the people who died today, but most importantly the fact that my shoes are soaking wet and it’s miserable outside god damn it.

Actually, I’m kidding. My shoes were actually pretty dry. My point is that whenever you start getting philosophical in your elevator small talk then lets face it: you’ve gone too far.

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1. Australian for Christmas
2. the “Gong Ride” or Sydney to Wollongong bike ride
3. Or for that matter, how I managed to get along without it when I was over there

What was 2004? It was a year of stolen and disputed elections in Georgia and the Ukraine, the rise and fall of Howard Dean and John Kerry, the first private space flight and the end of the "X-Prize," disaster in Darfur, prisoner abuse in Iraq, expansion of the European Union, the death of Ronald Regan and a month of flags at half mast, the return of Greek Olympics and a very smug presidential victory. In less political but tragic terms, the worst natural disaster in my memory has occurred in Asia as Tsunami death tolls top 135,000 according to CNN.com.

For me, the year started out as a bleak one in the coldest New York winter I have ever experienced. My mother came to visit me for her birthday. We stayed in Manhattan and it was bitterly cold.

Lowel and Johanna

I took a lighting class at Dutchess which was a blast. Some of my friends from Black and White II were taking the class and I met some other cool people. It was so much fun working with those people, including the teacher, Lowel Handler.

(Read more...)

In Short, 2004 was A Great Year and I have high hopes that 2005 will be even better.

First of all, I have been crazy busy lately, so if you have written me recently and haven't gotten a reply, please bare with me because things are going to settle down soon!

What happened today?

I have been working on Parallel Abstraction for most of 2004 now, with little to show for it. Well, that isn't entirely true. I have actually accomplished a lot, it just doesn't feel that way sometimes, you know? Anyway, I have been extremely stressed about this because the thing is supposed to be working by mid December, and I have my doubts about it.

I realized it really doesn't matter if I don't finish Parallel Abstraction, because it doesn't matter anymore if I get a bad performance appraisal for 2004. I was completely relieved and stress free for the first time in recent memory. I'm not going to stop working hard to make sure that Parallel Abstraction is working in time, but I realized in this case, failure really is an option. I didn't write the code originally, after all, so I don't feel I ought to be held accountable for it.

My partner came over to my office and we looked at a section of the offending code for about a half an hour, and we found the memory error that has been dogging me for the entire time that I have been working on Parallel Abstraction. I kid you not. It was like as soon as I decided to let go everything fell into place. Parallel Abstraction isn't done yet... but this is big. Melly told me that this would happen.

The major downer of the day was when Art came by to wish me luck. I told him that I was sorry to see him go, which is honest. I think he is a decent, hard working man and The Company needs more people like him, not less.

After work, I drove up to school to get one of my slides from Sarah. I really wanted to tell her about the things which are going on in my life, and ask about how things were going for her. She seemed real excited for me, and I think she's is also doing well.

On the way home, I stopped at Hanaford to pick up a Turkey for next week. I flirted with the pretty check out girl, enough so that I forgot to press "YES" on the touch pad which takes the credit card. It was a pleasant experience.

My mom and step father Don are flying in next week for Thanksgiving. They haven't been up since I moved, so this will afford them the opportunity to see my new place.

I called E as I drove home and told her what was going on. She was real happy for me too.

Yes, my friends. Life is good. It's like that Sheryl Crow song "It's not having what you want / It's wanting what you have." It's only going to get better.