"nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands"

written November 30, 2001
I was trying to buy some shoes today and the shoe salesman was teling me about how bad George Harrison's life has been ever since he had that intruder/attacker at his home. I said yeah, the last three years have been pretty tough for him but at least thirty of the years before that were pretty damn good. He agreed and went back to trying to sell me shoes. Unfortunately I just didn't like/fit any of shoes he was pushing so he told me of a couple other places around town I might get lucky in finding a pair of shoes that fit me and looked good. the thing is that I don't want boots because they are not practical in Hawaii but I want a boot/shoe that will keep my feet warm and dry in cold/wet weather. he was a decent enough guy though, in fact I spent so much time there looking at shoes that I missed my hair appointment. I have never been big on places where I need an appointment so I didn't mind missing out on that. Instead I had some Asian girl cut my hair who had been to Maui in February. She was nice and washed my hair so I wouldn't worry about the itchiness later. Haircut and wash for $15 was a bargain to me, but not the best I ever had :)
So now I am awaiting Kathryn's arrival at 6:15 which should be nice. we will hit dinner in the North End and then move on to beverages and tomfoolery thereafter. I hope Strombo meets us out on the town but I also understand that he hasn't spent much time with his wife since I have been in town and that might be a more sound decision. My stay has been a really good one but I sort of fear that I should have made arrangements to stay in town tonight rather than some home late to his place. Kind of rude, but hey, by now I am family. I don't plan that well, but I ma working on it. I am planning dinner and drinks aren't I?!
It was good talking to Bert last night because that guy has a lot of go in him. I am not saying Strom doesn't, they are just two different kind of guys. Bert brings out the Id in me (even if he says it is vice versa) and Strom more the patient, easy-going me. They both have kid(s) now so they aren't quite as crazy, but neither am I. It's nice to remember when though. And there certainly were times. I am glad we had them but also glad we didn't get stuck in them. ("Hurry up please, it's time")
Kathryn sent me an e-mail and told me she was listening to Weller at work and was really into it. Now that makes me smile. Weller's "Wild Wood" is right up there with my favorite album of all time. But because he is less well known it is more impressive when someone tells me they are listening to him. I may have given her the CD but hey, at least she is listening to it. Right now I am listening to the Beatles non-stop because of Georgey Porgey passing. He had a good hand in it all and I am sorry he had to go out early but he had the Chris/Mando/Carlos disease. I am sure it is tough to kick but both my Mom and Dad did it, separately, in 1987. So it can be done. I guess you REALLY gotta want to.
Thanks again to Helen for introducing me to the break so that my entries are no longer one big paragraph. I know Chris should get the props for that but I didn't really remember it when he showed it to me. I just wasn't using it. And you know what they say about using/losing it. Next time I need more skills I will hit the webmonkey site. But don't look for anything more than a link and paragraph breaks. Because the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. . . or something like that.
I can't believe my silly company paid me for another two weeks of work when I have already left. I suppose they will correct it through my bank soon but it's still funny in a stupid way. I half thought of closing me account so they couldn't do it but then they would be after me for a Grand and it's just not worth it. next thing you know I won't be let back in the country from Chile until I cough up there money because you know the country is run by big corporations. And while WFI isn't that big, they are bigger than me :) And I need back in the country for a warm shower and cool breeze.
Maybe the best thing about hanging with Strom (at his house) has been sampling his homebrew. I/we drained the first little keg and I have been anxious for him to tap the next one but it has had complications along the way. No CO2, then sanitizing the old keg, now just finding the time to put the good brew in the keg. I am hoping he can do it tonight so there can be many brews had tomorrow. It's some good shit Maynard, real good and fresh and tasty. I like drinking beer with Strom because he has a similar appreciation and he can explain the nuansaces of the character in a very articulate manner. All I can say is, "mmm, beer good." But that sort of says it all. These Beatles tunes are non-stop greatness.
I won't get into it much here because I keep hearing in my head ("Hurry up please it's time" and then some conversation about a wife not paying attention to here wife after the war) but I have learned alot from staying at Strom's this past week. Mostly about love in a family way, a pure way. It's real easy to get upset at a kid because they whine a lot, they are demanding, they often don't want to do something just because you want them to do something and you are in a hurry, and in general they just don't care that much about what you want because they get locked in on their wants. So watching Strom and Isabelle resolve conflict after conflict in a timely/wise/judicious manner and then kiss them on the heads and tell them they love them and that they are special, that's something. And their relationship itself doesn't seem strained by the kids but oddly enhanced. Anyway, I said I wasn't going to get into here and I won't, it just seems pretty damn ideal. And even though that is from the outside looking in, it can't be too far from the truth.
wherever you are I hope you are happy and having fun (that includes you George) and I will catch you on the backswing. soon.

georgeisgonebutthat'sokay
I was trying to buy some shoes today and the shoe salesman was teling me about how bad George Harrison's life has been ever since he had that intruder/attacker at his home. I said yeah, the last three years have been pretty tough for him but at least thirty of the years before that were pretty damn good. He agreed and went back to trying to sell me shoes. Unfortunately I just didn't like/fit any of shoes he was pushing so he told me of a couple other places around town I might get lucky in finding a pair of shoes that fit me and looked good. the thing is that I don't want boots because they are not practical in Hawaii but I want a boot/shoe that will keep my feet warm and dry in cold/wet weather. he was a decent enough guy though, in fact I spent so much time there looking at shoes that I missed my hair appointment. I have never been big on places where I need an appointment so I didn't mind missing out on that. Instead I had some Asian girl cut my hair who had been to Maui in February. She was nice and washed my hair so I wouldn't worry about the itchiness later. Haircut and wash for $15 was a bargain to me, but not the best I ever had :)
So now I am awaiting Kathryn's arrival at 6:15 which should be nice. we will hit dinner in the North End and then move on to beverages and tomfoolery thereafter. I hope Strombo meets us out on the town but I also understand that he hasn't spent much time with his wife since I have been in town and that might be a more sound decision. My stay has been a really good one but I sort of fear that I should have made arrangements to stay in town tonight rather than some home late to his place. Kind of rude, but hey, by now I am family. I don't plan that well, but I ma working on it. I am planning dinner and drinks aren't I?!
It was good talking to Bert last night because that guy has a lot of go in him. I am not saying Strom doesn't, they are just two different kind of guys. Bert brings out the Id in me (even if he says it is vice versa) and Strom more the patient, easy-going me. They both have kid(s) now so they aren't quite as crazy, but neither am I. It's nice to remember when though. And there certainly were times. I am glad we had them but also glad we didn't get stuck in them. ("Hurry up please, it's time")
Kathryn sent me an e-mail and told me she was listening to Weller at work and was really into it. Now that makes me smile. Weller's "Wild Wood" is right up there with my favorite album of all time. But because he is less well known it is more impressive when someone tells me they are listening to him. I may have given her the CD but hey, at least she is listening to it. Right now I am listening to the Beatles non-stop because of Georgey Porgey passing. He had a good hand in it all and I am sorry he had to go out early but he had the Chris/Mando/Carlos disease. I am sure it is tough to kick but both my Mom and Dad did it, separately, in 1987. So it can be done. I guess you REALLY gotta want to.
Thanks again to Helen for introducing me to the break so that my entries are no longer one big paragraph. I know Chris should get the props for that but I didn't really remember it when he showed it to me. I just wasn't using it. And you know what they say about using/losing it. Next time I need more skills I will hit the webmonkey site. But don't look for anything more than a link and paragraph breaks. Because the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. . . or something like that.
I can't believe my silly company paid me for another two weeks of work when I have already left. I suppose they will correct it through my bank soon but it's still funny in a stupid way. I half thought of closing me account so they couldn't do it but then they would be after me for a Grand and it's just not worth it. next thing you know I won't be let back in the country from Chile until I cough up there money because you know the country is run by big corporations. And while WFI isn't that big, they are bigger than me :) And I need back in the country for a warm shower and cool breeze.
Maybe the best thing about hanging with Strom (at his house) has been sampling his homebrew. I/we drained the first little keg and I have been anxious for him to tap the next one but it has had complications along the way. No CO2, then sanitizing the old keg, now just finding the time to put the good brew in the keg. I am hoping he can do it tonight so there can be many brews had tomorrow. It's some good shit Maynard, real good and fresh and tasty. I like drinking beer with Strom because he has a similar appreciation and he can explain the nuansaces of the character in a very articulate manner. All I can say is, "mmm, beer good." But that sort of says it all. These Beatles tunes are non-stop greatness.
I won't get into it much here because I keep hearing in my head ("Hurry up please it's time" and then some conversation about a wife not paying attention to here wife after the war) but I have learned alot from staying at Strom's this past week. Mostly about love in a family way, a pure way. It's real easy to get upset at a kid because they whine a lot, they are demanding, they often don't want to do something just because you want them to do something and you are in a hurry, and in general they just don't care that much about what you want because they get locked in on their wants. So watching Strom and Isabelle resolve conflict after conflict in a timely/wise/judicious manner and then kiss them on the heads and tell them they love them and that they are special, that's something. And their relationship itself doesn't seem strained by the kids but oddly enhanced. Anyway, I said I wasn't going to get into here and I won't, it just seems pretty damn ideal. And even though that is from the outside looking in, it can't be too far from the truth.
wherever you are I hope you are happy and having fun (that includes you George) and I will catch you on the backswing. soon.

georgeisgonebutthat'sokay
I was trying to buy some shoes today and the shoe salesman was teling me about how bad George Harrison's life has been ever since he had that intruder/attacker at his home. I said yeah, the last three years have been pretty tough for him but at least thirty of the years before that were pretty damn good. He agreed and went back to trying to sell me shoes. Unfortunately I just didn't like/fit any of shoes he was pushing so he told me of a couple other places around town I might get lucky in finding a pair of shoes that fit me and looked good. the thing is that I don't want boots because they are not practical in Hawaii but I want a boot/shoe that will keep my feet warm and dry in cold/wet weather. he was a decent enough guy though, in fact I spent so much time there looking at shoes that I missed my hair appointment. I have never been big on places where I need an appointment so I didn't mind missing out on that. Instead I had some Asian girl cut my hair who had been to Maui in February. She was nice and washed my hair so I wouldn't worry about the itchiness later. Haircut and wash for $15 was a bargain to me, but not the best I ever had :)
So now I am awaiting Kathryn's arrival at 6:15 which should be nice. we will hit dinner in the North End and then move on to beverages and tomfoolery thereafter. I hope Strombo meets us out on the town but I also understand that he hasn't spent much time with his wife since I have been in town and that might be a more sound decision. My stay has been a really good one but I sort of fear that I should have made arrangements to stay in town tonight rather than some home late to his place. Kind of rude, but hey, by now I am family. I don't plan that well, but I ma working on it. I am planning dinner and drinks aren't I?!
It was good talking to Bert last night because that guy has a lot of go in him. I am not saying Strom doesn't, they are just two different kind of guys. Bert brings out the Id in me (even if he says it is vice versa) and Strom more the patient, easy-going me. They both have kid(s) now so they aren't quite as crazy, but neither am I. It's nice to remember when though. And there certainly were times. I am glad we had them but also glad we didn't get stuck in them. ("Hurry up please, it's time")
Kathryn sent me an e-mail and told me she was listening to Weller at work and was really into it. Now that makes me smile. Weller's "Wild Wood" is right up there with my favorite album of all time. But because he is less well known it is more impressive when someone tells me they are listening to him. I may have given her the CD but hey, at least she is listening to it. Right now I am listening to the Beatles non-stop because of Georgey Porgey passing. He had a good hand in it all and I am sorry he had to go out early but he had the Chris/Mando/Carlos disease. I am sure it is tough to kick but both my Mom and Dad did it, separately, in 1987. So it can be done. I guess you REALLY gotta want to.
Thanks again to Helen for introducing me to the break so that my entries are no longer one big paragraph. I know Chris should get the props for that but I didn't really remember it when he showed it to me. I just wasn't using it. And you know what they say about using/losing it. Next time I need more skills I will hit the webmonkey site. But don't look for anything more than a link and paragraph breaks. Because the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. . . or something like that.
I can't believe my silly company paid me for another two weeks of work when I have already left. I suppose they will correct it through my bank soon but it's still funny in a stupid way. I half thought of closing me account so they couldn't do it but then they would be after me for a Grand and it's just not worth it. next thing you know I won't be let back in the country from Chile until I cough up there money because you know the country is run by big corporations. And while WFI isn't that big, they are bigger than me :) And I need back in the country for a warm shower and cool breeze.
Maybe the best thing about hanging with Strom (at his house) has been sampling his homebrew. I/we drained the first little keg and I have been anxious for him to tap the next one but it has had complications along the way. No CO2, then sanitizing the old keg, now just finding the time to put the good brew in the keg. I am hoping he can do it tonight so there can be many brews had tomorrow. It's some good shit Maynard, real good and fresh and tasty. I like drinking beer with Strom because he has a similar appreciation and he can explain the nuansaces of the character in a very articulate manner. All I can say is, "mmm, beer good." But that sort of says it all. These Beatles tunes are non-stop greatness.
I won't get into it much here because I keep hearing in my head ("Hurry up please it's time" and then some conversation about a wife not paying attention to here wife after the war) but I have learned alot from staying at Strom's this past week. Mostly about love in a family way, a pure way. It's real easy to get upset at a kid because they whine a lot, they are demanding, they often don't want to do something just because you want them to do something and you are in a hurry, and in general they just don't care that much about what you want because they get locked in on their wants. So watching Strom and Isabelle resolve conflict after conflict in a timely/wise/judicious manner and then kiss them on the heads and tell them they love them and that they are special, that's something. And their relationship itself doesn't seem strained by the kids but oddly enhanced. Anyway, I said I wasn't going to get into here and I won't, it just seems pretty damn ideal. And even though that is from the outside looking in, it can't be too far from the truth.
wherever you are I hope you are happy and having fun (that includes you George) and I will catch you on the backswing. soon.

crying
I can't believe I am 35 today. It's kind of major in its own way. To celebrate I had BBQ and went out on the town with Strom. Strom is married with children so it wasn't quite the same as me and someone else going out. But we did have our share of brews and we did play some pool so it was similar to what I might have done had I been in HI or SF.The only real detraction about the evening was that I lost the last game of pool that I played in. It would have taken some skill on my part to close out the game with four straight shots but it certainly wouldn't have been impossible and therefore I am a bit bummed.
Okay, so that wasn't the ONLY thing that bothered me about my birthday. Also, the only one who called or sent me an email was Miles, who also got me a cool knife for my birthday. All right I am done whining. It's like I don't feel like I have a bunch of excellent friends that I really don't deserve to have, it's just that I feel a bit alone out here. And I feel a bit old. what else can I say. I had a good time in SF when I was there and Hawaii is a long long way away. Looks like I got plenty of thinking to do when I am in Chile.
This old man, signing off.

kids, roads and cold
I can't even begin to believe that it is Sunday night already. Since I arrive in Boston on Friday I havve managed to lose my phone, hear a million cries of children, bond with the dog, sneak in several late night beers with Strom and learn that parenting is a 24 hour job. I haven't been around a hundred kids and their parents but I still think that Strom's wife, Isabelle, is a model mother. Maybe it's the negotiation skills she learned when she got her JD and was practicing for a few years but she is great! Constantly feeding the kids with questions and simple answers to their potentially crying-breakdown questions, it's amazing. If I weren't developing writer's cramp from Strom's horrible keyboard and slow motem I would write much more about Iz and her aptitude as a Mom.
But alas it is midnight and I have to go to the Providence airport tomorrow to pick up my phone s oI mus be on my way. It has been cold so far here but in a good way. No sleet, no rain. I am adapting well although I certainly look forward to Chile. I want the 18 hours of sunlight and being alone in a crowd. But for now I love the surroundings. We went for a ride up past Concord where the War of Independence began at it was cool. Past Ralph Waldo Emerson's house. It was all very nice.

moving
It's wednesday before Thanksgiving and I have been going, going, going lately. My last day of work was on Friday, I arrived at SF early Saturday, went through all kinds of eating and drinking festivities and now I am in Sacramento. I didn't end up doing the Anchor Brewing tour because I was tired of drinking by Tuesday so Chris and I went and bowled. I came out of the gates smoking with a 169 but I soon grew tired and barely eeked out a 105 in my last game. I guess he beat me again.
The night before he and I teamed up to totally dominate these two dudes that were drinking water at the Horseshoe. They beat us the first two games but then I think we must have beat them at least six times in a row. Once Chris got on track it was over. I played a lot of pool while in SF and it was great fun every time.
One of my favorite times in SF was the first night I got there when I got to go to Foreign Cinema for dinner. It was a very good dining experience. Good to see Charlie, Jeff, Mark, Neek, Kristie and Jacque at one sitting. Jeff was ordering up some nice wine at exhorbitant prices. I must be a pedestrian but I never get $75 bottles of wine. He basically got three. The cool thing was that he offered to pick up the wine tab. What a guy! Thanks Jeff.
Even though Helen was sick she rallied to hang out with me and chauffer me around Berkeley on Monday. I felt bad that she was dragging so much but I was very apprciative of her yomen effort just to do stuff with me. I gotta cut htis short because I have lots to do today before it's over. If you sent me an e-mail I hope to check that soon. Next stop, Boston!