Sharing Someone Else's Photos

It was my weekly Chorale practice that made me forget to give you some more pictures from our Northern California trip earlier this month. Well, that is what I am claiming anyway. I can share with you some photos from one the dudes whose photo blog I follow. Check out his twelve choices that he really likes from his portfolio.

Speaking of claiming makes me think of Claim Jumper which makes me think of today's team event. We are ordering Claim Jumper food to be delivered and we are watching a recent Brian Regan routine on video. That should be fun as I really like his clean humor. I ordered the vegetable-filled baked potato, so that sounds healthy, right?

NZ Niece, I think there is a huge leap from eating more healthily and cutting out some of the 'bad' food, and going full-on vegan. Unfortunately and scarily, I am toying with that very idea. You could sort of tell from my choice of words, couldn't you? The books that I read, The China Study and Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, and the movie that I watched, Forks Over Knives, make it clear that I can avoid the problems Dad had by changing my diet. And it sounds like I could try it for 2-3 months and see if my numbers don't go down. It is also supposed to help with arthritis symptoms. I'd really like to get off cholesterol and reflux medicines, too. I'm not ready yet, though. CPA Cuz, dude, get off of tube steaks and onto tubers. Hmm, a hot dog does sounds really good. Do not watch that documentary before ordering one, though. I said don't.

At the other end of the healthy eating spectrum is this. Teacher Daughter, do not look at it.

I will admit that there are times when someone or something in my life provides fodder for this comic. There are other times, however, when I hear things from another source that makes me have an idea. Today's came from someone on my drive-time radio program that talked about their computer woes and booting into 'safe' more and what the heck is that, anyway. So, I liked the idea and made it my own.













Do any of you watch The Simpsons? They make a lot of references to culture, including movies. Check this out to see those movie references.

I have dumped enough info on you today, ranging from other people's photos to dietary worries to The Simpsons. And most of those things included a link, so you've got your clicking work cut out for you. I will leave you in safe mode and see you tomorrow.

Driving, Diet and Diapers

I am writing this post on Tuesday morning. Both Teacher Daughter and MBH were at school until almost 8pm, so the night was not our usual and I just forgot about this until it was too late. The only thing I can remember that we watched on TV was Dexter.

I came up with the idea for today's CoV during my extra-long commute today when I heard a car ad and a fast-talking sote voce disclaimer at the end. I decided I could use those types of limitations to promises about my projects.













Why was my commute extra-long? I arrived at my desk only to realize that I was here at work, but my computer was laying at home. So, I had to drive back home to get it and then commute again. Traffic is definitely worse 45 minutes later in the morning commute.

People, people, what am I going to do? I watched the Forks Over Knives documentary during lunch and when I got home yesterday. I do know that my eating habits are not very healthy. And I would like to be more proactive to avoid some of the problems Dad is going through. Luckily, I do like tubers. You do, too, right, Lewis? Ha ha. I am thinking to maybe start like NZ Niece and hubby. You know, cut out processed foods and sugar. I may go ahead and remove dairy and beef, also. I don't want to be an imposition on my family if I cannot eat whatever they have. We will see. Why don't y'all watch the video and give me some ideas? Click the link and you can watch it on Hulu. Here is what one website says about what Daniel and his friends did in the Bible. That might be a good place to start...try it as a 21-day fast. I will let you know what I decide.

Dad gum it. I forgot to upload the photos I was looking at last night. Sorry.

Oh, before I go, it sounds like our grandson is turning into a toddler. He walked across his living room last night. They could be in serious trouble once he can get around even more. So, he'll be practicing some more at our place this Saturday night. And the girls like school. That is good news. We will certainly hear some stories this weekend. Hey, remind me to take the Harry Potter game home on Friday, OK?

Since I am running late due to my own ignorosity, I had best get to work. Y'all have a great day. And good luck to any of you who are looking to move.

Starting Your Week With Cards and Canvases

Let's skip over the light banter we usually engage in when we get together, OK? No, not that I have anything important to share. I am typing this while watching Whodunnit and that keeps distracting me.

A friend at work had written a quote after he heard it on one of his calls. So, once I hear it, it becomes fodder for the CoV machine.













We had a game night this past Saturday over at the GRANDS place. Here, you can see me and Bella playing a Harry Potter card gameCards and Canvases from a previous game night. This time, we were playing Tsuro, my newest game purchased using a gift card from JV+KLIK. She and I played three games (one included MBH). I also went over to Dad's house yesterday and he and I played three games of it before I left. That still leaves one game in my "Games I Want to Own" queue. That would be To Court the King, a hybrid cards+dice game. Have any of you played it? Have you played any games recently that you enjoyed (or maybe any that you did not enjoy)?

Speaking of Dad, he is doing quite well, thank you. However, my point was that he finished framing my photo canvases and came over to help me hang it. Take a look. The crookedness is due to my inability to keep the camera level, not a poorly hung canvas.

Two of the certification study group are taking their test this morning. I know they will both do well. I am glad my test is already behind me, though.

[Monday musings] Have any of you ever seen Forks Over Knives, a documentary about... well, let me let them tell you. "Forks Over Knives advocates a whole-food, plant-based diet. The program is based on whole or minimally processed plants, primarily fruits, vegetables, whole grains, tubers, and legumes. It excludes or minimizes animal-based foods such as meat (including poultry and fish), dairy, and eggs, as well as refined foods like bleached flour, refined sugar, and oil" I have minimally changed my eating, striving to do more salads and fewer sweets, but I have not jumped in like the dude that loaned me the DVD and a couple of books about the benefits of plant-based eating. Anyway, have any of you improved your eating or exercise habits recently? How is that going?

OK, my typers are tired. Let's save further conversating until we meet again. Hmm, that phrase, "until we meet again", made me think of the old song Happy Trails. How many of you have ever even heard of it? Stop trying to get me going again. I'm outta here.

Another Week Goes Gently Into That Good Night

That (slightly tweaked) quote is from a poem by Dylan Thomas published in 1951. Have you heard it before? I actually thought it was "go quietly" instead of gently. Did you know that Bob Dylan (born Robert Zimmerman) took his professional name from Dylan Thomas because he was a fan of his work?

While we were watching the voted out of the house episode of Big Brother on Thursday night, I remembered to upload some photos from our summer vacation. Here are three that were from our days in the Bay area.

There are usually a number of sea lions on the pier beside the shops at Pier 39 Fisherman's Wharf. Right now, though, this guy was the only one to show up. The others are gone for mating season (apparently). Don't you feel sorry for this lone nerd sea lion?

Hmm, is it time to get Kenz piano lessons? She certainly practiced this a lot at Pier 39.

I told you recently that I passed my certification test. Here is what I did every morning of our trip before the others got up. This photo was taken at our hotel in Millbrae.

And here is what I do every workday morning when I am not on vacation.













And here is what I do after I have done all the above. I say "OK, it is a workday, so I am outta here. Y'all have a good weekend and be sure to check back next week for more hilarity and levitation levity."

It's Pre-Friday

[Thursday thoughts] The commute today was horrible. It is monsoon season (6/15-9/30) and it is in full force today. Now, our usual rainfall for June-Sept is 2.6", so it is not the same as some of you in wetter climes. Still, it messes up traffic, it quickly overloads our underpasses and drainage system, but it passes pretty quickly, too. Fine, I'll put up with it. I understand that it is part of living in the desert.

It must be time for a CoV involving a misunderstanding. Notice that no one is wearing a pimp outfit today.

Speaking of pretty, here is a nice shot of Pier 39 in SF at sunset.

While it may have been pretty in SF, JV seemed just as happy to play with wood chips in the playground.

[Thursday thoughts 2] I have two meetings in other buildings today, and although they are maybe 1/4 miles apart, it's raining. Don't you feel sorry for me? Oh, I just heard thunder outside. That's weird for here. Anyway, the rain must have washed away my blog ideas because I am already running on fumes. Let's float on down the lazy river today (well, or the storm drain) and get back together in the morning.

Two Weeks in a Row

...is how many times the folks have made it to Chorale practice. That speaks to how well both are doing right now.

I played a couple of games during lunch yesterday. Did I say a couple? Wow, how long is my lunchtime? No, these are actually about 20 minutes per game, which is rare. Games like Bang!, Dominion, Last Night on Earth, all take over an hour to play a single game. Yesterday's choices, Tsuro and Biblios, are nice because you can knock a game out quickly. Biblios is mine, and Tsuro belongs to another member of the Games Gang.

Oops. I was away from the blog for a while reading about a new version of Tsuro. That's the danger of a site like boardgamegeek. And the danger with my posts is the hilarity and humorosity of the daily Clarity of Vision. In case you forgot in the four years since I started these comics, I named it that because I was supporting a tool called Clarity at the time. So, I thought of the name by starting with that word. OK, now on to today's funny bone buster.















Last night being Chorale, I did not think to review any photos for today's post. So, except for the CoV, it is a text-only day.

The summer is winding down now as the teachers in the family begin reporting to work today. I think the students actually start on Monday. That also means the afternoon car lines start up, which is no fun in 110F+ temps. At home, we now begin the challenge for hot water during our morning showers. For me, though, I am not using much during these nice warm days of the summer.

I hear noises around me, and I certainly have plenty to do, so I'd best begin doing it. How about you? Lots to keep you busy today? OK, we can visit again tomorrow.

How Dry I Am

I do not want to hear any scoffers out there when I say that we have had some flooding recently. After all, when you live in the desert, it does not require the same drainage infrastructure as a wetter climate. So, when we do get those summer monsoon rains, it does not drain away as quickly or easily. So, for the rest of this week, we will be drying out a bit and raising our temps back up to around 110F. And 110F with 10% humidity is much better than 105F with 60% humidity.

To any of you who asked what my actual score was on the certification exam, I can't tell you. No, it's not one of those cases where I would have to kill you if I told you. It is because they do not tell us. All you get to know is that you passed and how you did on the process areas of initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling, and closing. According to the test results, my worst was initiating and my best was planning. BTW, Lewis, that was a clever rejoinder yesterday (and how often do we get to use that word?).

No, I did not actually wear purple to the office yesterday. However, I am reluctant to let my CoV character give up on his PMP outfit. So, here we go again all over again.

 











No, dad gum it, I did not write this on Monday night and I did not upload any photos...all over again. And I do not even have a good excuse. Just ignorosity, I reckon.

Hey, do y'all look through the emails in your spam folder before you delete them? MBH does not but I do. Wow, a LOT of women want to meet me.

I heard about a playlist-type feature in YouTube this morning. Type in www.youtube.com/disco, then type in an artist name or a song name, and it will play the videos one after another. However, I entered Glad, expecting the Christian a capella group. Instead, it came up with The Wanted singing Glad You Came. I liked it, but it was not what I was looking for. Hmm, how can I find the group Glad using this tool? I did go into youtube and found this Variations on a Hymn and this History of A Cappella.

OK, enough pondering and postulating. Let's get Tuesday started. You're ready, right?

Again, A Day Without Pics is a Day Without ... I Don't Know

After I got home from the Chorale concerts last night, I just forgot to upload any of the photos for today. But, come on, you got some on Friday. Go back and look at those again if you want.

Would you drive a car with no luxuries, poor seating, body of plastic, if it meant you would get 261 mpg? Well, Volkwagen has announced a working model. Read about it.

Hey, did I mention that I passed the certification exam last Friday? Not yet? Well, here is my way of announcing the results.













We had a good time swimming with the GRANDS this weekend. We went over to the folk's pool so the girls could try out the diving board. They both loved it. We will certainly do that again. Before we came back home, Dad and I tried out my newest game, Biblios. We could not figure out how to play it until we used Teacher Daughter's iPhone to watch a boardgamegeek video review of the game. Then, we zoomed through a quick game (it only takes maybe 30 minutes) and I won on a final tie-breaker.

On Friday, I started out the post thinking I didn't have much to say, and ended up saying an awful lot. Today, I thought I had a lot to say, but am already struggling to find interesting topics. So, rather than waste both of our times, I will end the post early. How will you know when I have stopped. Well, when the post seems to be ove

Did I Pass? I Don't Know Yet

I plan to publish it before my certification test on Friday morning, so you may not find out my results until Monday. Is that OK?

This post is being written Thursday night, so I remembered to load a few pictures from our CA Coast Vacation.

Here are the girls loading up for the Xcelerator at Knott's Berry Farm toward the end of our vacation. You can see Bella and Daughter-in-love in one row and Teacher Daughter in the row in front of them.

And here they are zooming out of the loading area, reaching 82mph in 2.3 seconds. No wonder they look blurry. Check out TD and D-I-L screaming.

And this is the initial climb they make...pretty much straight up and straight down. In fact, the website says it is a 205 foot ascent and then a completely perpendicular drop. The whole ride only takes 1 minute 2 seconds.

I joined the lunchtime game group Thursday to play To Court the King. I really enjoyed it and will start looking for my own copy very soon. It is half dice and half cards and all fun.

[Friday Facts] Since I dropped by the office before my test, I took the time to create today's CoV.






















I also will go ahead and send my boss the weekly status deck. Yes, I am coming back after the test, but I am not sure what time he needs the slides, so I will send them early. Even though I will be here after lunch, and I will already know whether or not I passed, you won't know until Monday. As they say on The Simpsons, "Ha ha". Have a good weekend. We are keeping the GRANDS tonight and having a swimming part at the folk's because they have a diving board. The girls are swimming fools now that both have had lessons.

De Fotos! De Fotos! (Read that in a voice from the opening of Fantasy Island)

Hey Cuz and Niece. Thanks for the comments on yesterday's blog. I passed the info along and we'll see what happens.

Here's a sweet boy in a sweet shop. Did I mention that he is sick right now? I hear it could possibly be a scorpion sting.

And of course, rest always helps when you are sick. Rest also helps during your workday when you are having to work, like, all day. And that seems worse when you return from a vacation, right?













OK, I promised photos and I remembered to load some Wednesday night.

Here's the other GRANDS looking in a petting reef (or whatever you call this sort of hand-on space in an aquarium. They are still in swimming lessons this week and I heard that the younger one was mentioned as an example by the teacher because of how well she is doing.

Here is a view on sea lions laying on rocks out behind the Monterey Bay Aquarium. See them? There is more that one in the shot.

Speaking of rocks makes me think of the Rockies which makes me think of Colorado. Did you read about this dude that has been building his own castle in Colorado for decades? No? Well, now you can read it here.

I have 25.5 hours left before my certification test as a PM. I am just about as ready as I will get, so let's light this Roman Candle. Let's do this thing. Let's make it happen. Oh, sorry. I think you are picking up what I am putting down. You're getting my drift, aren't you? Enough idioms.

And enough reading for now. You did really well. You barely moved your lips as you read. I think you are getting better at it. Keep practicing using my blog. Come back tomorrow.

Oops. I Did It Again.

Did you think of Britney when you read that? That means you are either young or have a kid who passed through the right age to listen to Britney Spears. That has nothing to do with why it is the title of today's post, though. I meant that I forgot to load any photos for you...again! I am so sorry. Then again, you knew it was Chorale practice night, so there was every likelihood that I would not think of blog prep at 9:30pm.

One thing that I did think of, though, happened when I laid my stuff on the table to bring to work on Wednesday. There was a box there for writing prompts. You can read the full story over in the other blog (see link on the right). Suffice it to say, it brought a comic idea to mind.













Today is my final prep class before my test Friday morning. Yes, I am getting a little nervous. Remember that I seem to be stuck in the mid-70s on my scoring. I don't have time (won't make time?) to do a full 4-hour practice test again tonight, and all studies for test anxiety say take the evening before the test off from hard studying. Well, I will keep you updated.

Hey, CPA Cuz, I have not heard from you in a while. I have a question for a friend (no, really. It is not for me). If someone were to be interested in getting into accounting, what would be the best way? Would they need to go the whole CPA route? I read a lot that implies good positions want experience, even if you have an accounting degree. NZ Niece, what do you think?

Wait a minute! I almost forgot to mention that the folks came to Chorale practice last night. They stayed the entire two hours, so that is more great news confirming the health. I forgot to ask Dad how he did with the words. Dad, did you remember them better?

I also almost forgot to tell you that we had a little game action during lunch yesterday. Three of us played Pandemic, but we lost. An outbreak in North America wiped out enough cities that we lost. It was pretty fun. It took just over one hour, in case you were curious. I hope no real virus can work that quickly.

OK, we've had our fun for today. Let's save something for tomorrow.

Nothing to See Here..Or At Least, Very Little

Oh man. Another day when I forgot to capture any photos for the blog. You are probably thinking that I did not take any at all. That is not true, but I don't want to become the boy that cried wolf. With Chorale practice tonight, it is entirely possible that I will forget again.

Plus, with this new project on me, I will probably not have time to do any study for the  certification test on Friday. Yes, I have been crazily consistent in my practice tests, but it is scarier approaching the actual test. I need to take a drive to the place before then so I am not searching and even more anxious that morning. Do not let me forget that.

Speaking of forgetting (which I seem to have been doing all morning), I do not want to forget today's CoV, which is pulled from the exciting concepts that are part of my job and part of the PMP test.

It sounds as if some people are wanting to restart the lunchtime game group. I know some got together during my vacation, and five of them met yesterday over at the main cafeteria for...I don't remember which game but it only takes about 30 min per game. I will keep you informed. Probably until after my tests, though, I will not participate.

Speaking of precipitation (we were not, but it sounds kind of like participate, which I did say), we had a crazy 60mph monsoon storm blow through Monday night. MBH and I had to go clean the pool, deck and patio to get rid of leaves and junk. Otherwise, it could have blocked the water flow for the pump/filter and possibly messed up the chemical balance (not related to Chemical Brothers, an electronic music group). That's the down side of pool ownership.

So, do you want to start a discussion of the recent Zimmerman trial? Want to talk about Napolitano leaving the Homeland Security position to lead the UC family of schools? What about Finn (from Glee) dying? I don't, but you are welcome to do so.

Thanks, as always, for dropping by.

Slow and Steady. I Hope I Win the Race

I took my (probably) final test exam for my certification last Saturday. I seem to be stuck at around the same score, no matter how often I study...which has certainly fallen off since vacation. I made a 76.5%. Yes, that would let me pass, but I'd like to have a score closer to 80% as I near the test this coming Friday.

It is scary as I near the date. I have one more prep class on Wednesday. Something else that is scary?

MBH was loading vacation photos into Facebook last night, and I helped prepare them, but then forgot to load any into today's blog post. Sorry. If you want to see them before I publish and here, go on over to FB.

Dad seems to still be getting better, so that is great news. Mom is doing well and was in good spirits yesterday at lunch, and that makes the visits even more fun. JV is sick, so that is sad news.Daughter-in-Love said what was wrong, but I cannot remember. That was, like, a whole day ago.

Let me tell you, that new project I inherited is going crazy. I got a request from the sponsor to have the schedule and startup documents ready by tomorrow at the latest, so I will likely do some work today. What about you? Anything due today or tomorrow? Will you make? I sure plan to. We should both get after it. Good luck.

The One Where Dad Emails His Status

Dad sent out a family email Thursday letting us all know he is healthier than he was when he was 20. No, looking back over the email, that was not exactly what he said. He did say that he is not in as dire straits as he was told in San Diego. So, we Praise God for that. And Mom is doing better (but still needs your prayers), so all is well at Casa de Mis Papas. I will see them sometime over the weekend, I am sure.

I will also see the GRANDS...tonight. It is swimming party and pizza night. We will probably not allow the pizza in the pool, though.

Here we are driving somewhere in SF. Salesman Son was driving because (a) I wanted to take photos, and (b) he has a smartphone for directions. Anyway, can any of you guess where we are?

And here we are, driving somewhere else in the SF area while being swallowed in fog. Surely you can guess this one. And don't call me Shirley.

I have not mentioned what is on TV as I write my blog recently. That's because I have been writing it the morning I post. Tonight, we are watching Under the Dome.

Friday morning, though, is a time for comics. Oh, here's one now.















Unfortunately for me, two things are obvious right now. One, I did not hardly study at all this week for my certification test ONE WEEK FROM TODAY. Aggh! I'll need to make time each day next week like I did on vacation. Two, I am out of blogging time for the morning, so I need to let you go.

(Hints for photo locations: crooked street and famous bridge)

Only Eight Days Left

As of Thursday morning, I only have eight days remaining until I take my certification test. Sure, I am nervous. I will for sure take one more full four-hour practice test over the weekend and see if I am ready. No, I am not studying nearly as diligently as I did during vacation. Too many other things seem to get in the way now that we are home and I am back at work.

We had Chinese food for dinner tonight, but it pales in comparison to the food we ate at Wonderland in Chinatown last week. I mean, it wasn't bad, but it was not in the same league. Oh well.

Speaking of SF, here is one of my final shots in SF looking back at the Golden Gate Bridge at sunset. There it is, off to the left. Alcatraz is out of the shot to the right, but you can imagine it. You're creative.

And even though my narrative may not align with the photos, I will go ahead and share a shot of the fireworks from the Rose Bowl on the Fourth.

Were we really close to the Rose Bowl or did I use a honking big lens to see things frmo afar. No, we were pretty close and I used my 70-200mm lens. Here is how close we were.

I did not tweak today's photos with Photoshop, but so what if I did? They are my shots. You should look at these statues, though, for what someone can do with Photoshop.

You've done a great job reading down to this point. I will reward you with today's Clarity of Vision comic.













OK, I see the sun breaking in the east, so it must be time to tighten my belt and start loading my sixteen tons. I'll see you tomorrow, another day and almost certainly deeper in debt...unless St. Peter calls me.

Happy B-Day, Architect Bro!

Yup, it is my brother's birthday. Then again, maybe he has given them up to try and stay young. I won't say how many years since he may have stopped at 29 or 39. Anyway, if you see him, wish him a good b-day.

It has been forever since we saw a movie. I still have not seen the new Star Trek nor Superman movies. How about you? Have you seen anything recently that was worth the admission price?

Somewhere in the SF area, we drove through a section where road work was underway. There was a sign stating that this was a double fine area. Sure, it was nice, but was it double fine?













Have you seen those photos where someone is position so that it looks like they are interacting with the subject of the shot? We decided to try it with one of the lighthouses we passed. How did Salesman Son do?

Here is a cool waterfall that we had seen before, but thought the family would enjoy seeing. It is McWay Falls.

I took over an in-process project from a coworker and, whew, it's going to be a handful. We held the kickoff meeting yesterday and there are a lot of moving parts. So, I need to finish documenting the meeting minutes and build a schedule for the Planning phase. No time to talk. I gots to walk. Peace out.

My Time With a Conductor was Electrifying

Oops. I forgot to load any trip photos into a blog post last night and I am already at work today.

However, since I can create a CoV from anywhere with interweb access, I can inflict one of those on you. Here is one inspired by our cable car conductor who was flossing and spitting off the back deck as we traveled through San Francisco.

Since I mentioned our conductor, though, I will tell you about Calvin. He was a SF bus driver for 12 years before getting hired on as a cable car conductor, where he has worked for the last 5 years. I do not know if he aspires to become a gripman or not.Calvin stands on the rear deck and controls the brakes when descending hills. When we first got on his car, he placed Salesman Son and I on the back with him and corralled the rest of the family into the car. He made someone give up their seat to Daughter-in-love and the baby. She said it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. A lady next to them also invited KNW to sit on her lap.

As we moved around on the deck, Calvin and I started talking, where I learned the above info and that he cannot afford to live in the city, so he lives in a suburb where the summer temps reach into the 100s. He has two kids, but I did not learn more about them...this time. By the way, he said he was not supposed to tell his name to passengers, but he felt it was OK with me.

When we were on the top of the hill at California Street, just as we started moving, he pointed to the East and said, "Did you get that picture?" Wait! What?! There was a beautiful shot of the sun glinting off the Bay Bridge, but I could not get my camera up in time. He promised to remind me on the return trip, but by then, the sun was gone. Oh well. I took the shot offered anyway. Maybe I will remember to post it tonight.

Wait. One more anecdote. At a point when the car was moving between cables, Calvin had jumped off and flipped a lever and was laying on the ground when the rest of the family saw him and he noticed them. We were on the return and he had allowed me to again be on the back deck with him. The rest of the family was in one of the benches at the front facing outwards (they had been inside in the back on the first trip and could not see anything. When we reloaded, he would not let anyone sit there until our family got seated). Anyway, he was laying on the ground, looked up and said "Hey, there's The Randys." He only knew my name, but knew they were with me. Any of The Randys have something they want to share about Calvin?

If you are going to SF, he said we should ride the Hyde Street line next time as it is the most dramatic line in the system. He said that, sometimes, the gripman will only lightly connect to the underground cable and the car can really get moving on long, downhill stretches. Even if you cannot, though, ride the cable cars. We had a blast.

I did not talk to the folks today, and that's good. Hmm, that did not sound right. I meant it to imply there was no problem for which they felt I needed to be notified. I was distracted when I left work because the power was off at the house for a while, and when the temps are above 115F, that is not good.

I really need to make a new version of this show. It is a photo mosaic, made up of hundreds of other shots. This was many years ago, and I know I have thousands more shots available now as source material. For now, though, enjoy.

I am taking over a project from another PM today, and our first meeting is in two hours, so I need to read over the documentation so I can lead it. I will be sharing more vacation verbiage tomorrow.

Hot to Cool to Hotter

Did anyone notice there were no blog posts last week? You are probably wondering when I got so lazy that I could not even type a few words. Actually, I am that lazy, but I was also on vacation last week up in San Francisco. The whole family (MBH and Ali and JV+KLIK) traveled up the Pacific Coast Highway and spent a few days in SF. We had a great time and I will be sharing anecdotes as I recall them.

Luckily, we chose a good time to be leaving with the temps heading up to almost 120F. And it is a bit cooler than that now, but it feels stinking hot after being only in the 80s in the Bay Area.

Anyway, our first night found us in Thousand Oaks, CA, after spending the afternoon at The Grove and downtown Hollywood. Here is a shot of Kenz at the American Girl store watching her doll, Lexi, get her hair done and her ears pierced.

Bella also let her doll, Camryn, get a little makeover with a hairdo and ear piercing and a spa package.

Salesman Son and I certainly enjoyed our time at AG (that's what those of us in the know call the store).

And that is all we did. We ate healthily with no snacks that I know of. Hey, where did this photo come from?

Let's move from vacay to Dadday (that is the only way I could be sure you would read that as a rhyme). Dad is doing so well that you would not know he was ever sick. He is even letting his hair grow out (ha ha. That is a joke because they shaved it for the surgery and it is just now growing again). That reminds me of a vacation story, though. Salesman Son always has a little chin hair. I noticed towards the end of the trip that he was looking scraggly. When I asked him about it, he said he never shaves on vacations (not even to trim it). Hmm. I don't think I'd like a two week trip with him looking all hippie-ish.

Mom is having a little upper back pain that the chiropractor has not yet helped. She is going back sometime early this week.

I took my second practice exam for my professional certification and moved up only veeeerrry slightly to 75.3%. I did study each morning on our trip by getting up before everyone else and sitting in the car. I am fairly strong on the download sheet where I write down my project workflow and keywords just as I will do during the test. Today, I finished that in 10 minutes (and we have 15 to do it for the test).

And in case you thought I forgot today's CoV, here it is.















Your eyes are probably tired reading all this after a week's absence. I will end for today and share more tomorrow.