Sith Happens

I just finished watching Star Wars Episode III : Revenge of the Sith for the first time.

What a depressing movie.

It was well done, gorgeous, and I liked it, but I've not left a movie feeling in such a funk for some time now. All of these characters I'd come to love were betrayed, seduced by power, killed, or mind-wiped. The musical score was gorgeous, and just served to underscore every hit. I cried.

As much as I've blasted Lucas for writing bad dialogue in the past, some of the things said between Obi-Wan and Anakin towards the end really hit home for me. I'm not sure that it's anything that would make sense if I were to try to put it into words, but I feel right now like I need to spend a little more time listening to the Obi-Wan on my shoulder.

Screw angels and devils, that's so passe. I've got Jedi on my shoulders, acting as my consciences. Well, one Jedi and one almost-Sith.

Parting Shot

This last one is a picture that Ashley actually took, which came out gorgeously. She just came in to let me know that she had a print made up for me as well. I'll be framing it!

Fine China

Here are a handful of shots from Ashley's trip to China. There are a few others I want to put up that we haven't found the digital sources for yet, just the prints. This last one is probably the best from the entire trip. I've never seen such a great photo of Ashley.

Getting Harder and Harder to Breathe

Well, I'm no longer feeling sick. I feel short of breath all the time due to the bronchitis, but I'll see my physician again today to see if we can't take care of that.

I feel decent enough to even write up a worthwhile entry here.

It's been a really quiet vacation so far. I got here, almost immediately got sick, and then slept and slept. There's been a lot of subtle nice things happening too though. I've really enjoyed being able to have meals with my family. We cook together, eat together, talk and enjoy ourselves. It's the kind of thing that I've really come to appreciate while living on my own through its absence.

Bear, our golden retriever, just came downstairs to join me as I'm typing. It's about 6:00 AM, and I'm the first one up today. Bear is such a social dog. He always needs to be around people. Just needs to be in the room.

I'm looking forward to doing some driving once I stop coughing. Dad got some new tires for his car, and they're amazing. It's like the car is on rails. There's a huge amount of traction available to work with, and with between the Renesis engine in the RX-8 and the huge disc brakes, accelleration becomes something tangible. You can sculpt it.

I love lounging in the basement down here. We've got a stereo system with nice speakers, and I've got my iPod hooked up playing music quietly. These speakers are something else, actually. They date to about 1980 (the ones upstairs are from about '77). Some of the foam in the drivers was getting old, so Daniel got a foam kit and rebuilt them. Now they sound brand new. They're a Cerwin-Vega model that is still rather popular on the aftermarket.

Giftgiving was a lot of fun this year. It wasn't as fancy as it's sometimes been in the past, but there was a lot of thought put into this time.

We got my Dad a wireless router for Christmas, so I'm using that to connect to the network in the basement. It's nice. We got him a wireless mouse and a microphone headset as well, for the new laptop he was issued at work. He's really enjoying them. The router was a WRT54G, same model as mine. Very solid product, and that's been appreciated. The mouse ended up being impressive as well. It's a Microsoft model which is just well designed. It's the kind with a USB dongle that houses the rf unit. Unlike the other ones we looked at though, the dongle snaps into a depression in the base of the mouse when you're done with it. And when you push it in place, it shuts off the mouse. It's very slick.

Ashley probably brought half of the family's gifts from China. The gift getting the most use at the moment is the bootleg box set of Ghibli films. We've been slowly working through the collection - we've watched Howl's Moving Castle, Lupin the Third and the Castle of Cagliostro, and Porco Rosso in the last two nights. It's nice to be able to sit down with everyone and enjoy a film.

I've been watching a lot of DVDs with the family. We burned through Firefly, which was a huge hit. Everyone really liked it. My dad really appreciated how it had a lot of nods to shows like Gunsmoke that he grew up watching. The two of us had an engaging conversation talking about parallels between the two shows. I could tell that he was really getting into it - there was a certain glint in his eye that shows up when he's really enjoying himself. My folks got me Serenity on DVD, so we watched that too. Also a hit. We're hoping to go see Narnia or maybe King Kong as a family once everyone's feeling better. It's no fun to go do something like that with half the people being sick.

Mom's really enjoying the books we got her - a couple of huge volumes by Hugh Nibley. She's just devouring them. I always enjoy seeing her get so involved in her reading. It's good to remind myself sometimes that reading can be something to do for fun, instead of just work. Actually, on the flight here I got about halfway through Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere. I'm enjoying it. I think I'll finish it on the flight back.

Ashley's started a huge scrapbooking project to hold all of her memorabilia from her semester in China. There's bits of colorful paper and such all about the house. She brought back some amazing photographs. A lot of the pictures are of the people she went with, and so not terribly exciting if you don't know them. But others are just stunningly gorgeous. Apparently one of her friends there knows a ton about photography and she set up some great shots. I'll try to get some copies and post them here. I'm not sure if they'll be as impressive online as the prints Ashley had made from the digital files though.

Daniel's been spending most of his free time with his high school buddies Tom and Nick. They're good guys. The three of them are currently playing through Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones on the GameCube. But between that and Daniel being sick, I've not seen much of him.

My dad and I have been trucking through Lego Star Wars. The game is a hoot in co-op mode. There's just something about lightsaber battles with little lego men. Force pushing droids into walls is a lot of fun too. We're about two-thirds of the way through the game right now, but we've been going back to collect all the secret items. It's a bit slower going when you try to find all of that stuff.

I've been playing a fair bit of FFXI while I'm here. I've been taking part in a bunch of organized group activities in the game. It's a bunch of fun to run around wreaking havoc with a bunch of friends in that game. At this point the folks I play with all really know there stuff so we can go do crazy things and have a chance at surviving :)

I actually got a digital camera for Christmas. I'm really excited about it. It's a Canon PowerShot A520 - same model as Miriam's new camera, actually. I went yesterday and picked up a 1GB memory card, a carrying case, and a rechargable battery kit. I'm looking forward to shooting a bunch of photos, and posting up some good ones here! Ashley picked out the camera, actually. She got some advice from her photographer friend, and picked out a good model. Ashley's got a surprising amount of aptitude when it comes to things like that. She's not a camera afficionado, but she knows how to find out the right questions to ask to find the right model for someone who is. She's not a car buff, but she helped dad pick out the car he really wanted.

Outside of being horribly sick, it's been a pleasant, low-key vacation.

This Blog Kills Fascists

Do please note that I have huge respect for musical Artists. Just not the industry that publishes them.

And now it seems I've officially overcome my virus, only to be hit hard by bronchitis. It really really sucks. I'm so drugged up right now it's not even funny. Can't talk for fear of hacking out living chunks of my lungs and trachea. I was a bit surprised to have gotten this, as usually I'm the best-off in my family when it comes to breathing issues. I'm the only one without asthma, and I've never had the big nasty B before. *sigh* *cough cough cough cough cough cough cough cough*

Comfortably Numb

Whenever I'm sufficiently sick, or sufficiently tired, music affects me differently. Currently I'm listening to the CDs Daniel and I got for Ashley for Christmas. They've both got a folks-bluesy rock feel to them. Dar Williams and Martin Sexton are the artists. I'm quite enjoying them. But somehow the music goes right past my mental filters and hits me right in my heart. It's really unusual. I can tell that the music is good, but currently I'm totally incapable of telling you what I'll be impressed with tomorrow and what I'll think is just clever songwriting.

Now for a quick rant on why I hate being called a "consumer." Especially when it comes to the music industry.

I've got a horrid hacking cough at the moment. Yet, it's what is called 'productive' by virtue of the volumes of phlegm I'm pouring into an increasingly large pile of tissue in a small wastebasket at my feet. In this metaphorical system I am a Producer. Big-P.

What does this make the rest of us? Consumers. Of what?

...

That would be "the main product of the music industry."

hork.

Sick. Christmas nice, sleep more now. Talk to you later.

Jung at Heart

So, I fell onto the bandwagon and took a simplified online version of the Myers-Briggs personality test. Let's see how it matches up with the other folks doing so in this little blogging enclave.

Your Type is INTJ

Introverted	Intuitive	Thinking	Judging
Strength of the preferences %
44	38	12	33

Qualitative analysis of your type formula You are:

• moderately expressed introvert
• moderately expressed intuitive personality
• slightly expressed thinking personality
• moderately expressed judging personality

Introverted iNtuitive Thinking Judging by Marina Margaret Heiss

Profile: INTJ Revision: 3.0 Date of Revision: 27 Feb 2005

---

To outsiders, INTJs may appear to project an aura of "definiteness", of self-confidence. This self-confidence, sometimes mistaken for simple arrogance by the less decisive, is actually of a very specific rather than a general nature; its source lies in the specialized knowledge systems that most INTJs start building at an early age. When it comes to their own areas of expertise -- and INTJs can have several -- they will be able to tell you almost immediately whether or not they can help you, and if so, how. INTJs know what they know, and perhaps still more importantly, they know what they don't know. This definitely rings true to me.

INTJs are perfectionists, with a seemingly endless capacity for improving upon anything that takes their interest. What prevents them from becoming chronically bogged down in this pursuit of perfection is the pragmatism so characteristic of the type: INTJs apply (often ruthlessly) the criterion "Does it work?" to everything from their own research efforts to the prevailing social norms. This in turn produces an unusual independence of mind, freeing the INTJ from the constraints of authority, convention, or sentiment for its own sake. This is close, but I get bogged down more than I'd like.

INTJs are known as the "Systems Builders" of the types, perhaps in part because they possess the unusual trait combination of imagination and reliability. Whatever system an INTJ happens to be working on is for them the equivalent of a moral cause to an INFJ; truth! both perfectionism and disregard for authority very much so may come into play, as INTJs can be unsparing of both themselves and the others on the project. Anyone considered to be "slacking," including superiors, will lose their respect -- and will generally be made aware of this; INTJs have also been known to take it upon themselves to implement critical decisions without consulting their supervisors or co-workers. On the other hand, they do tend to be scrupulous and even-handed about recognizing the individual contributions that have gone into a project, and have a gift for seizing opportunities which others might not even notice.

In the broadest terms, what INTJs "do" tends to be what they "know". Typical INTJ career choices are in the sciences and engineering, but they can be found wherever a combination of intellect and incisiveness are required (e.g., law, some areas of academia). INTJs can rise to management positions when they are willing to invest time in marketing their abilities as well as enhancing them, and (whether for the sake of ambition or the desire for privacy) many also find it useful to learn to simulate some degree of surface conformism in order to mask their inherent unconventionality.

Personal relationships, particularly romantic ones, can be the INTJ's Achilles heel. While they are capable of caring deeply for others (usually a select few), and are willing to spend a great deal of time and effort on a relationship, the knowledge and self-confidence that make them so successful in other areas can suddenly abandon or mislead them in interpersonal situations. This sounds familiar...

This happens in part because many INTJs do not readily grasp the social rituals; for instance, they tend to have little patience yes and less understanding of such things as small talk and flirtation (which most types consider half the fun of a relationship). To complicate matters, INTJs are usually extremely private people absolutely, and can often be naturally impassive as well, which makes them easy to misread and misunderstand. I get this complaint a lot. Perhaps the most fundamental problem, however, is that INTJs really want people to make sense. :-) Truly a weakness if there ever was one ;)This sometimes results in a peculiar naivete', paralleling that of many Fs -- only instead of expecting inexhaustible affection and empathy from a romantic relationship, the INTJ will expect inexhaustible reasonability and directness. Heh. Yep.

Probably the strongest INTJ assets in the interpersonal area are their intuitive abilities and their willingness to "work at" a relationship. That phrase is eerily famliar. Although as Ts they do not always have the kind of natural empathy that many Fs do, the Intuitive function can often act as a good substitute by synthesizing the probable meanings behind such things as tone of voice, turn of phrase, and facial expression. This ability can then be honed and directed by consistent, repeated efforts to understand and support those they care about, and those relationships which ultimately do become established with an INTJ tend to be characterized by their robustness, stability, and good communications. Sounds about right.

All in all I think it's pretty accurate.

---

Functional Analysis by Joe Butt

Introverted iNtuition

INTJs are idea people. Anything is possible; everything is negotiable. Whatever the outer circumstances, INTJs are ever perceiving inner pattern-forms yes and using real-world materials to operationalize them. Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. Absolutely. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems.It's so much fun!

Extraverted Thinking

Thinking in this auxiliary role is a workhorse. Closure is the payoff for efforts expended. Evaluation begs diagnosis; product drives process. As they come to light, Thinking tends, protects, affirms and directs iNtuition's offspring, fully equipping them for fulfilling and useful lives. A faithful pedagogue, Thinking argues not so much on its own behalf, but in defense of its charges. And once you understand that, you'll understand me that much better.And through this process these impressionable ideas take on the likeness of their master.

Introverted Feeling

Feeling has a modest inner room, two doors down from the Most Imminent iNtuition. It doesn't get out much, but lends its influence on behalf of causes which are Good and Worthy and Humane. We may catch a glimpse of it in the unspoken attitude of good will, or the gracious smile or nod. Some question the existence of Feeling in this type, yet its unseen balance to Thinking is a cardinal dimension in the full measure of the INTJ's soul.

Extraverted Sensing

Sensing serves with a good will, or not at all. As other inferior functions, it has only a rudimentary awareness of context, amount or degree. Thus INTJs sweat the details or, at times, omit them. "I've made up my mind, don't confuse me with the facts" could well have been said by an INTJ on a mission. Sensing's extraverted attitude is evident in this type's bent to savor sensations rather than to merely categorize them. Indiscretions of indulgence are likely an expression of the unconscious vengeance of the inferior.

Famous INTJs:

• Dan Aykroyd (The Blues Brothers)
• Susan B. Anthony
• Augustus Caesar (Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus) Cool!
• Jane Austen (Pride and Prejudice)
• Chevy Chase (Cornelius Crane) (Fletch)
• Phil Donahue
• Hannibal, Carthaginian military leader Also cool!
• Angela Lansbury (Murder, She Wrote)
• Peter Jennings
• C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia) I need to go read more of his stuff now.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California
• Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor
• General Colin Powell, US Secretary of State
• Lance Armstrong Nifty.

U.S. Presidents:

Chester A. Arthur

Calvin Coolidge

Thomas Jefferson

John F. Kennedy

James K. Polk

Woodrow Wilson

Fictional:

Cassius (Julius Caesar) Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) Buahaha. Gandalf the Grey (J. R. R. Tolkein's Middle Earth books) Interesting. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs) Professor Moriarty, Sherlock Holmes' nemesis Ensign Ro (Star Trek--the Next Generation) Rosencrantz and Guildenstern (Hamlet) George Smiley, John le Carre's master spy Clarice Starling (Silence of the Lambs)

Copyright © 1996-2005 by Marina Margaret Heiss and Joe Butt

---

Now for the listing of how I relate to the others who have taken this personality sorter!

• ISFJ: Pratt - enigma - a puzzle: totally foreign in nearly every facet
• ENFP: Brad - pedagogue - each is both the other's mentor and student: has a "parent to child" feel
• INFP: Robert - advisor - each has an area of insight that the other lacks
• ENFJ: Miriam, Jill - tribesman - share a sense of culture, but with different interests and abilities
• INTP: Matt - complement - compatible strengths with opposite emphases
• ISTJ: Roxanne - neighbor - arrive at the same place by variant processes

Whew! I think that's it for this post. It's definitely given me some food for thought.

Influenca

Looks like I've been upgraded to Flu status. On some completely unrelated notes, I have hooked my folks on Firefly. They've watched the first two discs of four between yesterday and today. My dad got a new laptop at work. Unfortunately he's not got administrative access, so our project over break is to crack the admin account so that he can get on with his work. I'm making good progress on that front.

Hack

Now playing : Dancing Mad (FFVI) by The Black Mages Everyone in my family's got a miserable cold now. I'm coping by living in the basement with the space heater running, playing video games and listening to music. Its kinda weird - I've gone almost an entire day without seeing anyone, due to all of us taking longish naps periodically throughout the day. It's a bit lonely, actually.

Cell Phone Inquiry

Ok, I need to know something. What cell phone services are y'all using? What network and plan and whatnot? The family here's starting a cell phone plan investigation to see if something would suit our needs.

Dinner With the Hearns

James: So, what was the wierdest thing you ate while you were in China? Ashley: Hmmm. Probably the duck blood. Daniel: Duck blood? Ashley: Yep. It was kind of like a JELL-O, but it was blood. James: And you ate it? Ashley: Mmmhmm. James: Well, what was good that you hadn't tried before? Ashley: I really liked the lotus root. It was kind of crunchy, like a carrot. James: Did you try anything that you really didn't like? Ashley: Yeah, I didn't like the donkey we had. James + Daniel: Donkey?! Ashley: Yup. You know how burrito means "little donkey"? Well, this was donkey. I didn't like it very much. Daniel: What did it taste like? James: It probably tasted like ass. *beat* The rest of the table erupts turns bright red and erupts into laughter.

Comments

A few comments to throw out before taking off for St. Louis. (Though, in all honesty, I'll probably update more from there than I ever do here.) I'll be doing all my Christmas shopping in St. Louis, so look forward to all that gifty jazz upon my return. I'll be getting my baking done then as well. I'm looking forward to break for a variety of reasons. Seeing family, getting real food, having access to a car (a nice nice one), soaking in the hot tub, playing computer games... It should be nice.

Another Letter

I feel that I should clarify a bit about the context of this letter. I started writing it on Friday the 2nd of December. I had been planning to pen it by hand and give it to Miriam, but for a variety of (mostly stupid) reasons I hadn't shown it to her until I posted it here, tonight. --James Miriam, A few days ago you said that you felt like you didn't know why I love you. Maybe I haven't expressed myself well enough. There are so many ways I love you that I've had to take a few days to figure out how to write them all down. You care about your friends, and find ways to show it. Whether it's making cookies for Nate when he was feeling down, or looking out for Brad when he's hard up for food, you always seem to know just what to do for people. You are shockingly intelligent. You understand so many things, and always bring a unique perspective to a conversation. You are sensitive to the spirit of things. You look behind the facades that so many people, ideas, and activities project and see their true faces. You understand people, and read them well. And you try to use this understanding for their benefit, rather than your own. You have a deep and personal testimony. The faith that you've expressed to me is sincere and heartfelt, and inspires me to lift up my eyes and pick up my pace. You are talented, creative, and artistic. You are eloquent both in speech, in thought, and in writing. You can express things through images in ways that astound me. You are beautiful. You have a sense of style and poise that is rare. You are a classy lady, and I love it. I love how you get this little crinkle at the corners of your mouth when you smile. Somehow you always manage to cheer me up when I feel morose or uncertain. Whether I feel sick, depressed, or just plain gloomy, talking with you always lifts my spirits. You have a sense of responsibility and maturity which belies your years. You think and plan ahead, and do what must be done to make your dreams real. You have a love of language, and know how to write words which resonate in the mind of the reader, or which linger in the ears of the listener. I love conversing with you, in any medium. You know the worth of things, both spiritually and financially. You see how to live life fully and without waste. You care about family. You watch out for both your current family and the one that is yet to be. Miriam, you're always on my mind. I want for you to be happy. It pains me to argue with you, or even to just loudly disagree. I worry when I see distress etched on your brow. I see the love you have for me, and I want for this love we share to continue to strengthen and deepen. I hope that this letter helps you to understand, even a little bit, what I see in you. I've written this down so that you can have it to hold and to keep. Remember what I've said here, whenever I say the words "I love you." Miriam, I love you. James

Letter of Resignation

Miriam, We spoke last night about how you thought it would be best for us to stop dating and to just be friends. I was very disappointed, but I could see why you would feel the way you do. You said that you would leave the door open for the future, but that you would have to see some fairly deep changes on my part before you could even consider dating. After having some time to reflect upon the course of our relationship, I feel the same way about you. It wasn't until after running into you after lunch today that I realized that more than anything, I now feel relief about being apart. I thought that this was an odd reaction, and tried to figure out what would make me feel this way. After giving the matter some reflection, I think I finally understand. I have a hard time assigning blame to others in any sort of conflict. I try to do everything in my power to smooth things over, even at my own expense. I'm a peacemaker to my core. I can see multiple sides of any argument, and can make a case for most of them. Even the ones I disagree with. After a while though, denying myself to satisfy others ceases to be peacemaking, and becomes appeasement. Any relationship which has reached that point is a very unhealthy one. You asked many things of me during our ten weeks together. Some of them were good and right, and I thank you for that. You reminded me of some things that are important to me, things that I had almost given up on. I am happier with myself than I have been in a long time. Other things you asked that I could not in good conscience give. You asked that I give up media that I believe to teach good and right principles because they deal with subject matter that disturbs you. You asked me to ignore a good friend of mine because you were paranoid that I would leave you for her. You asked for all of my free time, and even some that was not free. You pressed me into doing things that I knew were wrong, in a misguided attempt to test me. You asked that I cater to your every fear and worry, and that I try to be super-human in my treatment of you. I tried to give you these things, even when I should have realized that they are against my best interest. A relationship has to be founded upon trust and respect, and I received very little of that from you. You have a very specific set of things you are looking for in a boyfriend. You call them "standards," and try to frame them as being matters of right and wrong. In the end though, they deal not with issues of morality, but with attempting to protect yourself from any sort of contact with certain issues that frighten you. You brook no alternative points of view. Even honest and righteous ones. Your fear of being hurt or disappointed serves only to make you more vulnerable. You said last night that every week since the third week we were dating, you've cried yourself to sleep some nights. You even said that it was over minutiae. The fear and paranoia and lack of trust which prompts such responses is unhealthy, and will only bring you more unwarranted pain in the future. I will not claim to have been perfect. I made several stupid mistakes over the course of our relationship, but I recognized them, dealt with them, and did my utmost to not make them again. I put enormous effort into treating you with the respect and love you deserve. Last night you told me a bit of what you are looking for in a relationship, and I was saddened to hear that it can be summed up as being someone who agrees with you in every way on certain topics you find painful. A person who sacrifices themself for you, without asking anything in return. I do not think that you will ever find such a person. If you were to find one, those qualities will not ever bring you true happiness. I tried to be that person for a while. I thought it would make you happy. Somehow I twisted my perceptions to see all of the faults and weakness in myself which you perceived to be there. I became very unhappy and distressed when it became apparent that no amount of change or agreement other than utter submission would suffice. I tried to ignore that I was breaking myself apart. I have seen us drifting away over the last few weeks. I redoubled my efforts to make this relationship work. But the fundamental dissonance inherent in what I attempted to achieve made the endeavor futile. Now that I am free from the impossible expectations you set, I feel at peace with myself. I have to thank you for the kindest break-up ever. I'm happy to realize that I believe we can be good friends. I still have great respect for you, and see so many admirable qualities in you. I look forward to associating with you without feeling that I need to force myself into a mould that does not fit. I feel that I come out of this relationship a better person. I am stronger, healthier, and happier. I am glad to have spent these last few months with you. I still care about you deeply, but for my own sake I can no longer be beholden to you. Miriam, I'm grateful for your friendship. I'm disappointed at breaking up; nobody ever wants to see a relationship founder. But until you conquer some of these demons that you allow to rule you, we can have nothing more than friendship. Gently, James

力

Today was an enjoyable day. I got call in the morning, requesting that I provide a reference for Brad on one of his job applications. I was a bit groggy at the time, but managed to make a positive impression. Brad got the job today, and that's what matters. Work was a blast today. I clocked in at nine hours for the day. I spent all day writing shiny new code for the network discovery code. It's designed to scan the entire BYU network and report back all the things it finds. There's a crufty old version which is just broken, and I'm working on the replacement. Now that I've got some decent processes in place, writing and modifying code is just a breeze. Eclipse + CVS + Wiki makes for a very pleasant development environment. Though I think Eclipse has a very beta feel to it. It needs polish badly. The foundation is there, but the UI is arcane and there are way too many ways (most of them completely unexpected) to do the exact same things. Are you reading this, IBM? The Film Forum was showing "The Greatest American Hero." It's a cheesy 80's TV series about a schoolteacher who is gifted a pair of PJs that give him superpowers. The pilot was fun enough, but I was ready to go before the next episode started playing. Oh well. It was fun to hear Matt laugh from across the room and set off a chain reaction of titters. Afterwards we drifted towards Leatherby's Creamery. There was quite the group - about 18 I think. Much fun and laughter was had. And food. Lots of food. Primarily ice cream. Which included that melted peanut butter topping. Wow that stuff is good. Tonight was the first time I've actually felt cold this Winter. Matt and I were estimating temperatures in the single digits. (Fahrenheit). The ice on the sidewalks was the sort of hard pack which doesn't slush about when you step on it. My ears went numb after a while outside. And I was thankful that I've started taking my gloves with me. It was finally enough to be called Cold. We've not yet hit Really Cold yet though. I reserve that for the days when you step outside, only to have the wet crusties in your nose immediately freeze hard. Way Too Cold is when your breath freezes and tinkles on the ground.

Allowances

My good friend Andy left me with this interesting quotation. "One thing I found while trying to write every day is that there's always something interesting going on, you just need to allow yourself to recognize it." So, what's been interesting lately?

• The Synthesis concert was great fun.
• I enjoy writing code at work, rather than doing sysadmin work.
• Casablanca is a great film with refreshingly good dialogue.

I'm not feeling terribly witty at the moment, but I like the idea of finding at least one interesting thing in a day. Today had my mother calling me to ask a simple question. We ended up talking for about two hours. It's been too long since I called home just to say hi. I feel much more grounded somehow.