History

For a while now I've been looking for something to blog about, and I guess this would have to qualify as something to write about. I've seen "history" made in my lifetime, not all of it good, in fact most bad, or at best just sad.

July 20, 1969 man lands on the moon, I didn't really see it I don't think, but I was alive. This was good. August 9, 1974 Nixon resigns. April 30, 1975 last choppers out of Saigon, the end of the Vietnam War. 4 November 1979 Iran takes US Embassy, hostage crisis begins. 8 December 1980 John Lennon shot. March 30, 1981 an assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. November 9, 1989 the Berlin Wall fell, and on December 25, 1991 the Soviet Union dissolved.On December 19, 1998 Bill Clinton was impeached and acquitted narrowly of the charges on February 12, 1999. September 11, 2001 is hard to think about even today. I could go on with the Iraq War, the War in Afghanistan, but I think enough time has been spent dwelling on the past.

Tonight, at 11:30 John McCain gave his concession speech, and another moment in history, one I can say I'm proud to have seen, occurred, an African American, a black man if you want, was elected President of the United States of American. September 22, 1862 the Abolition of Slavery, the Emancipation Proclamation, was issued. 146 years later Barack Obama is our President Elect.

The vacation is over!

A week in Florida and no updates thanks to a forgotten power cable for the iBook. Photos will start going up soon (1200 plus to sort through) and more text as well. Vacation I miss you already.

DCon survived sucessfully

DragonCon 2008 has come and gone. Best of the past several years, had a blast, saw panels, people watched, drank some, and laughed way to much (is that possible?).It was a wonderful little geek/nerd vacation and I'm actually looking forward to doing it again next year. I might try to go into more detail later but right now I need a little sleep. Check out the pictures and look around Flickr for even more.

Just a good day.

I was feeling good about the day and thought what a novel thing to blog about, no insightful thoughts, no gripes or grievances, no epiphanies, just simply a satisfying day. Have you had one of those days lately? Nothing too hard nothing too easy, just right. Learned a couple of things (and probably forgot a couple) made a couple steps forward without falling back any, I guess this is what Goldilocks found...does that mean there a couple pissed off bears waiting for me around the next corner? Oh well it might just be worth it, if I see Goldy I'll make sure and ask.

Social?

I was just thinking, I belong to a fair number of "social" networking sites, and they all seem to involve me sitting alone in my house typing on a keyboard. Doesn't seem very social does it?

New Day Rising

It is my favorite Hüsker Dü album, but it's also what's happening, that's all I'll say for right now.

Independent soon!

The 4th is upon us again folks, cookouts, a long weekend, fireworks, and all the trimmings. I can't wait! Had dinner and drinks this evening with friends in celebration of a birthday, I'll keep the names and ages out to protect the innocent. Camping again soon, and this time a little more rustic, I can barely contain the joy!

Why don't yards mow themselves?

I really wish they did, I tell you that for nothing. I have more important things to waste my time and money with, like, well, I'm sure I can come up with lots of things I could be doing, later. I mean like ridicules posts on my blog, daydreaming about better jobs and places to live. Any number of possibilities jump to mind. I just saw my house on Google Street View, I think my yard was mowed then. The sun was just coming up, my old car was in the drive way, rest it's soul, and my house didn't look too terribly bad. A little bland but not bad.

Fireflies

Saturday evening (after Big C's 8th birthday party!) I went with friends to Elkmont in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park to watch the synchronous fireflies, a phenom I am to understand only happens in a couple of places in the world. They blink together in groups, not all in sync but large groups in sync, it looks like living Christmas tree lights. Got some interesting photos off the Little River while waiting for the sun to go down. I thought I might get some shots of the fireflies but it just didn't pan out. All in all wonderful and magical, the only thing I didn't like was standing in line for the trolley back, and even that wasn't a real chore. We stopped in Gatlinburg on the way back and took a couple of pictures around Gatlinburg, my favorite is the one with this post.

Post Meatfest

I don't know if I like the way that sounds...Meatfest, but I don't know if there's a better title for a festival celebrating the charring and eating of meat. It happens every Memorial Day weekend and it is wonderful. This year was made even more so when the roster was bolstered with new friends, Missy, Bob, Barry, Jenni and Kaylea. All wonderfully wicked senses of humor and fantastic stories. I just realized this is the "brightest" post in quite a while, I'm sure that'll be over soon. Work began on Tuesday and now by Wednesday it feels like Thursday. I know you're asking yourself "What the hell does Thursday feel like?" Closer to the weekend that's what! The week's been good this far so I'm outta here before I jinx it.

An afternoon drive

I started out today for a short drive to clear my head, I ended up in the Twilight Zone. I started in Sweetwater (don't ask why) and decided to drive by the Lost Sea and head back to Knoxville via Hwy.411. When I got to Madisonville the road to the Cherohala looked empty and I thought what the hell let's try it. It's usually a hell of motorcycle riders. I never thought about how long it would take to drive. By the time I got to Robinsville NC it was dark and I had to drive "The Dragon" in the dark. With only my headlights the entire curvy hell looked the same, and after a while I began to think I was driving the same two curves over and over and over again. The next mistake I made was thinking that the Foothills Parkway would be shorter than Hwy 129, DUH! Long dark and empty, both the Dragon and the Parkway. Pictures are up on the Flickr and maybe when I've some sleep I'll write some more.

...and the days roll on...

The days seem to speed by, and camping is this weekend! Supplies and plans that my week outside work.

More than a month has gone by since I "wrote" anything here. I could blame the end of winter for some sort of general malaise, for me feeling "half a bubble off plumb" or any number of things, but the truth is I haven't felt as though there was anything to write about. It feels a little like an eddy in the stream of things, not much movement on any front and really who wants to read another post like that? Things change, and this looks to be a busy month, get togethers (is that really a word?) with friends, camping, maybe even a little travel.

Speaking of travel I have to admit a bit of the wanderlust. No where specific except maybe West. I used to travel quite a bit, and a lot of it was by myself. It seems that time for ones' self has a cleansing effect for me. Maybe I'm just imagining that but I do miss it. Alone or with friends I want to do it more.

Snow on the Mountain

Went up to the mountains today, really cool little trip. It went from early Spring to Late November in a matter of miles. The change wasn't just in temperature, the light changed, and even the mood. It actually looked like snow might fall again this evening up there.

Please warm up

I've been looking at camping books, web sites, asking other people about where they go, and any type of other research I can in prep for the coming Spring and Summer. I so want to do a little wilderness exploring, if you can call front country camping "wilderness" exploring. I think I'm even making a trip to the Coleman outlet today.

Bindi...

...it might be all but is it enough? According to Mindtree (an Indian company) it might be more than enough. Mindtree's analog integrated circuit is featured in the photo.

Normal?

I'm trying to get back into the swing of "normal" life, or what I'd like it to be anyhow. Played the first racquetball since sometime well before the holidays, sorting through some pictures from the recent LA trip, and deceiding what to do this weekend. Maybe the comic shop and pickup my subscriptions, dinner with friends, see a movie, grocery shop? Who knows but I want to be leisurely that's for certain.

Reporting in

Well I'm back and things went well after my last post. The show and pack out went well (and for pack out of the booth FAST). We made it to LA and had a couple of days full of meetings and visits. Since I got back I have been "hiding", getting those little bits of "alone" time that life allows and you need after a trip. Check flickr for the newest pictures and I'll be back soon.

Next to last day

After tomorrow I hope to be able to get back on and upload more pictures. NAMM deceided to check IDs more this year and the attendence on Saturday was down big time. Are these two related ? I can't say but it sure seems like it.

More problems

I think the connection here just isn't robust enough for all the current users so I can't seem to get any pictures uploaded right now. I'll do it the first chance I get, and by then I should have quite a few.

Delays

I tried to post the following last night but the connection here at the hotel was for crap -

"A long day in the convention center here in Anaheim, all of it spent waiting for two chairs, a table , and a podium. We got them about 7 tonight. Walked all over the convention floor while waiting, and took a lot of pictures. I'll try and sort the majority out later and put just the real stand outs up right now. High winds when we finally left the building (see flickr), we went to the hotel, grabbed a car and made for a local sushi joint, Tokyo Love! Wonderful place, great staff and equally great food. We ate way to much sushi. So far I think the product of the show might just be the "Guitar Hero" (a video game for those without children or gamers) controllers from Peavy. Show opens tomorrow more then."

Today was the first day of the show and traffic was light, I wish I could say the same for the guy at Ilio demoing the new piano synth, most everyone on that is ready to kill him. Went to Angelo's and Vinci's tonight, a NAMM tradtion now, good service, great food and a lot of fun. The some of the Waves guys went with (and they paid) and we all ate too much, drank wine, and had good time. MOre tomorrow I hope but this paying for internet is starting to hurt so no promises.

Goin' back to Cali

Well it's off to NAMM again and that means flying to Los Angeles. We booked flights, got seats that weren't too bad, and then mechanical problems. This means the second leg of the trip (the longest one) was spent on a smaller crowded plane. No way to get up without making a huge scene, no leg room, and smaller seats. The plane did have seat back TV, those little monitors mounted in the back of the seat ahead of you. Having TV to watch and access to maps following our progress was cool but also annoying in strange way to see just how much time was left (never goes quick enough). Sailed thru the car rental place and had a good trip to Anaheim. Hotel check in was easy, the room isn't as swank as the one last year but all in all good. The show starts Thursday, and we should finish set up early tomorrow, it's all going good, now I just hope for some juicy announcements at the show.

Happy New Year

I hope as it is said you all had a happy and safe New Year's Eve, I know I did. Spent mine with friends quietly at their house just about 9 or 10 of us having finger food and a (very) few drinks. Soon after the New Year was toasted (and a pitiful Dive Clark appeared on TV) things wound down. The promise of a new year looms, I guess this means resolutions. I think the only resolution I have is not the same as last, better. The year to come that is, nothing specific just more, better, different. I know it sounds ridiculous to be that vague, but there are too many things I want to change to be too specific. Anyway I think it's what we all want, more, better, there are so many adjectives that could be added there, but I think you get the idea.