jay | Near things

Today a well-known SF author (Greg Benford) and another UC Irvine scientist were hanging around the Center for Mars Exploration offices at work... he listened in on a discussion that

hopeforyou and I had regarding next year's human vs. robotic exploration research. Benford was apparently here to gather background on Gusev Crater on Mars, which we think is a likely paleolake.

While many friends were at WorldCon or Burning Man this weekend, I stayed home and was domestic. Sunday I painted a storage unit and maneuvered it into the kids' room... a near thing, it almost got stuck in the hallway (sheepish grin, I didn't measure the door height 1st). Afterward I went to the city pool with Pat and the kids, and tried out the new waterslide.

patgreene made a mouth-watering peach cobbler for me to take to a non-WorldCon, non-Burning Man party at

kokoro43's house. (Now, *that*'s supportive... she rocks :-). There was a hot tub there, and only 8 of us... we all squeezed in ;-). With one person in the middle, on whom there would be much laying of hands, accompanied by singing whatever songs for which we knew the lyrics. I'm happy to give affection, but reluctant to receive it (feeling unworthy, or an imposition on others) but was eventually persuaded to try being in the center. It was... a bit overwhelming. But very good, feeling surrounded by warmth and love and affection, very inclusive. An interesting newcomer C also flirted a bit.. then again, she was affectionate with several of the guys there, so I don't think it meant anything in particular.

patgreene was grumpy because I was over an hour late getting home... she's on edge lately because she feels lonely and isolated, while I appear to be awash in friends and activities. And her pending major surgery is in one week... I'm bracing myself to carry the whole household along for the next few weeks.

Before retreating into semi-seclusion next week, this afternoon I took a late lunch and drove up to SF with

hopeforyou to meet

clairade, driving to an Italian restaurant (Giorgio's) where I enjoyed far-ranging conversation and vegetarian lasgna (no mushrooms) with my literally generic soft drink ("we serve generic here"). Then it was teatime back at Rose's place, and she showed us her latest collages.

Then back to work, picking up camera equipment before our remote field testing in Arizona later this week.