Catching up...
Dec. 24th, 2006 01:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jayI haven't felt much like writing lately... or when I have, I've been busy.
Going back over a week ago, AGU was fun... at what other technical conference does the trade show have booths selling rocks? I succumbed to temptation and pre-ordered a $400 geomagnetic reference book for work. And I had a brief oral presentation, which are hard to get... but wasn't up until 6pm (on a Friday...). Afterwardscyan_blue and I took take-out food up to her office. :) And then I drove home and took patgreene and the kids to downtown San Jose to see the lights in the park. Kevin and I went up in a Ferris wheel at an adjacent carnival, his first.
Saturday a week ago I stayed home withpatgreene and built a fire and sipped wine... comfy. And that was a conscious choice, despite having three offers to go out with others. :) And the following day cyan_blue came over and we took D&K out on a hike and to a movie.
Work-wise, it was a slow week, but I received more favorable feedback from JPL and they are likely to fund a DAME follow-on demonstration in 2007, using their testbed with the current software and drill. I'm supposed to send them a scaled-down proposal in early January. And I caught up on bureaucratic busywork like travel vouchers and purchase orders. Had a quick lunch Monday withp3aches. And Les and I went to the East Bay poly potluck after work on Tuesday. Starting Wednesday, I took vacation time.
My church's Christmas Pageant was Wednesday night... both David and Kevin had roles. David had a speaking role as a shepherd, and Kevin played his trumpet -- they did a James Bond-like hack on the usual pageant, so Kevin was a jazzy herald sidekick to a Gabriel in an angelic ninja outfit. Etc.... it was sort of cute.tenacious_snail and cyan_blue came to see it, and Geri stayed afterwards with us at the church's usual Wednesday night parish dinner. Everyone got along fine. :) Afterwards, D&K and I went to the Yule celebration at the Rabbit Warren, which was social and fun and cuddly. David conked out on the couch, in the midst.
Thursday morning I went back to work to finish my physical (everything clear, including blood tests), then had lunch withpatgreene and cyan_blue together. We finalized plans to go to San Diego next week. And I took apart and repaired our oven.
Friday, I played social butterfly while going to IKEA in Emeryville to buy kitchen cabinets. I stopped on my way at the Rabbit Warren, and dropped off a gift withinflectionpoint. Then the shopping throngs, then a stop at the Choirloft to pay respects to deedeebythebay out of the hospital, and see cyan_blue. And to House Weirdness, to drop off Girl Scout money with dawnd and talk for awhile. And finally back by the Rabbit Warren to pick up cookies before I went home... and then out for a date with tenacious_snail. Whew. :) I'd talked earlier to Nancy by phone, too, and had tried to call geekchick...
Yesterday was spent cleaning... kitchen, spot-cleaning cabinets, the bar, and 3 hours spent disassembling and deep-cleaning the refrigerator, which now shines. With shiny appliances and countertops, too bad we have grungy old linoleum floors.
Finally... our neighbors across the street had a lawn creche set up with over 100 ceramic and plastic figurines, brought from Mexico... early Saturday, sometime between 1:30 - 6am, these were smashed and broken and scattered over surrounding lawns, even placed in trees. A couple were on my car that morning. Most were broken or damaged. The police came and took a report, but said that they couldn't do much without any evidence or witnesses. Sigh. I posted this news on our neighborhood mailing list, and am currently taking a collection from neighbors (to replace the creche, as well as for the family in general -- they are renting, have five kids, the mother doesn't speak English well and the father (Victor) works two jobs).
Going back over a week ago, AGU was fun... at what other technical conference does the trade show have booths selling rocks? I succumbed to temptation and pre-ordered a $400 geomagnetic reference book for work. And I had a brief oral presentation, which are hard to get... but wasn't up until 6pm (on a Friday...). Afterwards
cyan_blue and I took take-out food up to her office. :) And then I drove home and took patgreene and the kids to downtown San Jose to see the lights in the park. Kevin and I went up in a Ferris wheel at an adjacent carnival, his first. Saturday a week ago I stayed home with
patgreene and built a fire and sipped wine... comfy. And that was a conscious choice, despite having three offers to go out with others. :) And the following day cyan_blue came over and we took D&K out on a hike and to a movie. Work-wise, it was a slow week, but I received more favorable feedback from JPL and they are likely to fund a DAME follow-on demonstration in 2007, using their testbed with the current software and drill. I'm supposed to send them a scaled-down proposal in early January. And I caught up on bureaucratic busywork like travel vouchers and purchase orders. Had a quick lunch Monday with
p3aches. And Les and I went to the East Bay poly potluck after work on Tuesday. Starting Wednesday, I took vacation time.My church's Christmas Pageant was Wednesday night... both David and Kevin had roles. David had a speaking role as a shepherd, and Kevin played his trumpet -- they did a James Bond-like hack on the usual pageant, so Kevin was a jazzy herald sidekick to a Gabriel in an angelic ninja outfit. Etc.... it was sort of cute.
tenacious_snail and cyan_blue came to see it, and Geri stayed afterwards with us at the church's usual Wednesday night parish dinner. Everyone got along fine. :) Afterwards, D&K and I went to the Yule celebration at the Rabbit Warren, which was social and fun and cuddly. David conked out on the couch, in the midst.Thursday morning I went back to work to finish my physical (everything clear, including blood tests), then had lunch with
patgreene and cyan_blue together. We finalized plans to go to San Diego next week. And I took apart and repaired our oven.Friday, I played social butterfly while going to IKEA in Emeryville to buy kitchen cabinets. I stopped on my way at the Rabbit Warren, and dropped off a gift with
inflectionpoint. Then the shopping throngs, then a stop at the Choirloft to pay respects to deedeebythebay out of the hospital, and see cyan_blue. And to House Weirdness, to drop off Girl Scout money with dawnd and talk for awhile. And finally back by the Rabbit Warren to pick up cookies before I went home... and then out for a date with tenacious_snail. Whew. :) I'd talked earlier to Nancy by phone, too, and had tried to call geekchick...Yesterday was spent cleaning... kitchen, spot-cleaning cabinets, the bar, and 3 hours spent disassembling and deep-cleaning the refrigerator, which now shines. With shiny appliances and countertops, too bad we have grungy old linoleum floors.
Finally... our neighbors across the street had a lawn creche set up with over 100 ceramic and plastic figurines, brought from Mexico... early Saturday, sometime between 1:30 - 6am, these were smashed and broken and scattered over surrounding lawns, even placed in trees. A couple were on my car that morning. Most were broken or damaged. The police came and took a report, but said that they couldn't do much without any evidence or witnesses. Sigh. I posted this news on our neighborhood mailing list, and am currently taking a collection from neighbors (to replace the creche, as well as for the family in general -- they are renting, have five kids, the mother doesn't speak English well and the father (Victor) works two jobs).
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no subject
Date: 2006-12-24 10:05 pm (UTC)GSA? And I bet that pales in comparison to the booths at gemmology conferences. But, I'm happy with my new ammonite necklace :)
no subject
Date: 2006-12-24 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-24 10:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-24 10:54 pm (UTC)Are there any kinds of plans for your neighbors?
Date: 2006-12-25 01:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-25 07:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-25 07:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-12-25 02:57 pm (UTC)Have any of the local papers picked up the story? I really don't like the hate crime aspect. It'd be nice to at least show them some kind of support, like if we all send them a card or something.
no subject
Date: 2006-12-25 01:16 pm (UTC)And sad. How kind of you and the neighbors to get involved in this way that you can.