On Celebrating Our Differences

 So this has been a time where Traci and I have shown our true colors. Normally, we agree on many things, and we work out the few minor issues that crop up. But this most recent trip we’ve taken-this time to celebrate our grandson’s fifth birthday-really brought out our differences, and in a very good way. 

To set the table for this, you need to understand a few things. She grew up in Tucson, spent many years in Northern California, has made a number of trips to Mexico growing up and in her first marriage, and as a result the things that are most familiar to her come from a Southwest bent. She cooks Mexican food like there’s no tomorrow, and long ago in our relationship I came to accept (and enjoy) that part of her.

I also grew up in Northern California and have been to Mexico-once-but the things in my life have more of a Japanese bent, if not outright Asian. San Francisco’s Japan Center-among other places and good memories-remains a favorite place to go, as are places like the Japanese Tea Garden and so forth and a lot of my youth is tied up in those things and that cuisine. A good example is rice: in our house, it was often used in place of bread for dinner. 

Back to today. If you’ve met either of us at all, you understand that we bemoan the fact that we have yet to find truly authentic Mexican or Asian cuisine where we live, and with two exceptions in my case-Uwajimaya in Beaverton, and Sunrise Asian in Eugene-I have a hard time finding many things I like/need. Meantime, Traci goes crazy trying to find some of the stuff she is so used to being able to find everywhere. There may be places locally that carry them, but we haven’t found them yet and Amazon is only so helpful. (In contrast, if I order certain things, I have a number of online shops I use. Right now, however, I can only get them shipped if I’m willing to pay DHL for them; standard Japan Mail is still not coming to the States.) 

So as I write this, we’re in Southern California. Saturday night, my dinner was fresh made ramen; Sunday at the party we enjoyed fresh street tacos, excellent quesadillas, and mulitas, and today we got to do a little shopping and finding of needed/wanted supplies. We didn’t need much-I can find most food items between the four Asian stores in Salem-and Traci’s still looking at mercados. But the main point is that we found everything we needed/wanted (and laughed as we did so.) It’s going to be easy enough to get them home, and while I will still need to get to Uwajimaya before year’s end, Traci will be set for a small time with what we bought today. 

Meantime…we’ve had a ball down here, being Granny and Grandad, and watching our grandson play with his new toys and having a good time. 

On Stupid Attempts to Save The Environment

There are a lot of things that my elected overlords public officials do that I wonder about. (The rest of the time I’m convinced, but sometimes I wonder.) This is one of those times.

A little background: My day during the workweek starts at 5:30AM. Most of the time, I leave the house around 7 so I can get settled in at the office before I actually have to start working. Some days, however, I require a jolt of caffeine to get my brain in gear. So, I will stop either at Starbucks or McDonald’s, get some sort of tea, and head in. Today was one of those days; I stopped at the famed golden arches to get a large tea. (I usually get 1/3 a large regular tea, and 2/3 sweet tea; it makes it drinkable that way.) So I walk in, and there are signs all over telling me that now have to ask for a straw. They can’t just leave them out like I free-feed the cat anymore; oh no. No, I now have to bother the poor cashier for this. It seems my publicly elected idiots officials have made them illegal to just leave laying around. I have mental pictures now of some guy in a trench coat walking up to someone, opening his left coat side, and speaking sotto voce “Pssst. Hey, buddy…wanna straw? Got ‘em, cheap.”  Or signs on the post office wall: “Wanted on a dozen counts of illegal straw importation and distribution.” I can even see the inspection station on I-5 starting to ask “Any fruits, vegetables, or straws?” Even better: The USPS asking, “Does this parcel contain anything fragile, liquid, perishable, potentially hazardous, including lithium batteries, perfume, or straws?” This is looking to me like since they have outlawed straws, only outlaws will have straws.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I truly do believe we should reduce, reuse, and recycle. On the whole, as Americans we generate way too much waste. I’m getting better about taking my own reusable bags into the store, and I pack my lunch in reusable bags and boxes where I can. (I also recycle the aluminum can my Coke comes in.)  I very well remember having to reuse water we showered in to water plants in the 1970’s because of the ongoing drought in California. I do think that reducing waste is a good idea. But I’m also for a little common sense: The single use lids are plastic that cover the cups, for all that. Why are those still laying around where innocent children might get them? What about single use plastic cups? You start with those, and before you know it, you’re hooked on plastics! It starts with straws…and before you know it, the local constabulary has you cornered, a wild look in your eyes, with a few sporks in one hand, your back pocket full of straws from, and a few plastic bags from the local supermarket tied together around your forehead making a headband.

Hey, here’s a more serious thought: what about getting rid of the plastic packaging that you can never open without a military grade cutting implement? See, there are things that can be done that don’t inconvenience so many people. I mean, straws aren’t like the old Styrofoam clamshells some places used to use to put burgers in; I don’t think those have started breaking down, even now. 

In fact, I can see a fast food joint fifty years down the road. Before walking in, you’ll have to make sure your spouse and kids have their reusable cups and clean reusable straws, your reusable bags, reusable plastic boxes for your food, and cloth napkins (because, you know, trees need saving too) before you leave home. Or, even better: just stay home and eat, because we all know fast food by then will likely have warning labels like cigarettes and alcohol does. I can see it now: “Warning: eating here may be hazardous to your health. Food is prepared by frying, which studies have shown lead to higher levels of trans fats and LDL (bad) cholesterol, which may increase your chances of heaving heart disease.” You may even need to be a certain age to eat fast food: “Warning: People under 21 not allowed. We serve fried foods, and plastic straws are on the premises.” 

On Holiday Memories

Funny things happen in people’s minds this time of year. In all the hustle and bustle of making sure we have the right gift for the right people, we sometimes forget to slow down and think of Christmases past. Or worse, we get bogged down in those memories we forget to enjoy what we have here today.

I was fussing with a box of botaname at my desk today, when it hit me: This was one of the tastes I associate most with Christmas. Botaname, for those who really don’t know, is rice candy. It’s usually a sweet rice millet wrapped in an outer wrapper-which used to be made of waxed paper-and an edible inner wrapper, and has a vaguely citrus flavor. It used to come-like Cracker Jack-with a small toy; now it comes with stickers that I would swear are made from the same stuff they make political bumper stickers from…because if you put it on something, it’s never coming off. It laughs at Goo-Gone, and is flame resistant; you’re better off covering it with something new. 

Most people either love botaname or hate it; it’s better if you can get a newer box and it’s softer. Mom-God rest her-always made sure I got two boxes, or roughly a dozen pieces, every year for Christmas for more years than I care to admit to. And while I buy my own throughout the year, it’s a taste I always associate with Christmas. The same for those pernicious chocolate oranges, Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk, and Swiss Colony’s Petit Fours. (For all that, most of Swiss Colony’s and Hickory’s Farm’s products.) We also got some sort of citrus fruit-not sure if they were tangerines or mandarines-in the toes of our stockings.  

There’s also certain smells I associate with Christmas. Things like the scent of the cheap candles from Candlelight Services at the church, a vaguely burnt electrical smell that meant Dad was soldiering something…or the TV was dying slowly…or we were losing (or had lost) a bulb on the ancient Christmas tree we had. Also model paints and cement, the smell of dinner cooking Christmas Day, the freshly cleaned tablecloth we put over that impossibly old table we ate dinner at, and the scent of new books that had been received as gifts. Two other smells come to mind: from 1985 forward, the chlorine that Dad used in the hot tub, and the Christmas Eve pizzas…either Skipolini’s or Strictly to Go.

Of course, there are sights as well, most of which only exist in pictures and memories: Mom and Dad at the house, waiting to have Dad take our pictures at the top of the stairs (I remember one year all three of us kids pulled cameras and shot the same time Dad did; I swear the resultant flash could have been seen from space!), standing in the front yard and seeing snow on Mt Diablo. The house and front yard belong to a new family; but I know Mt. Diablo still gets snow. 

The sounds of Christmas for me are of family talking softly so as to not wake anyone who’s dozing, the laughter as the sound of torn giftwrap fills the air, and music my folks had on an old reel to reel tape. (Much of which has been played so much by now I’m ready to move on, thank you very much.) Talking with friends excitedly about who got what, and, when I got a little older and was in high school, talking with whoever I was seeing at the time. Now I live with a wonderful woman that exudes Christmas all year ‘round, and I always look forward to coming home after work is done for the day. I’m blessed to have friends near and far, and loved ones as well.

All this to say, whatever your memories are-sights, smells, sounds, or the taste of your favorite candy-treasure those memories. But don’t get so lost in them you forget to enjoy the memories you’ll make this year. And no matter how you say it-Nollag Shona, Merīkurisumasu, or whatever…have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday if you celebrate something else! And may your coming year be filled with grace, peace, and blessings.

A Few Birthday Thoughts-and My Birthday Gift to You

So…Today’s my birthday. This isn’t really about that, though by the end you’ll understand a little better. 

In October, 1972 I was at some sort of drum corps function in Santa Clara, CA. with my family. To occupy my time (and keep me from complaining about being bored) my folks bought me a paperback book titled “Star Trek.” I don’t think they understood at the time what they were about to create. Years-and several conventions, a number of books, and some very patient television watching-later, I was a full on Trekkie. (Still am, to an extent.) Over time, I got models, blueprints, books, a Tech manual, tribbles, drinking glasses, posters, patches (and more stuff than I’m admitting to)…and an unwavering belief that there is hope for the human race, despite ourselves. 

“So what?” you’re asking. Be patient-a good story takes time. 

Star Wars came out, and I ate it up. Battlestar Galactica, Message from Space, Quark, Close Encounters of the Third Kind…all of that fueled my younger days. So did Marvel Comics, Anime and Manga, and a little something called Elfquest. Asimov, Heinlein, Harrison (if you haven’t read the Stainless Steel Rat books, you really should!), Ellison, Clarke…and Myers, whose “Frontliners” I read over and over again. If you were to say I lived in the future-or at least in some other world-you’d have been right. 

Time had a way of flying by when you’re not looking. Now all these years later, I have books of my own for sale. I just wrote some 57,755 words of a second volume of the “Stories of Dai Nihon Teikoku” during November for National Novel Writer’s Month (Or NaNoWriMo); that book will see print sometime next year. I might have written more, but an idea got lodged in my head about the crew of a StarCruiser. So I wrote a little bit of it every day for half a month…and over 30,o0o words later I’m still working on it. Below is an excerpt from that work; it’s my birthday gift to you. Enjoy! 

-------

Location: GSF StarQuarters, GSF Unified Date 2319.02.27, approximately 1000 base time.

Colt Richmond stood there, waiting patiently. He was heading for his new ship, new Captain’s stripes adorning his sleeves. He would likely be traveling with a few of his crew; that was to be expected from this part of space. In the meantime, he was cooling his heels waiting for his transport. He overheard some people getting into a heated exchange; curious, he wandered over to see what the issue was. Standing there was a diminutive woman-she couldn’t have been more than 1.21 Unified meters (roughly four feet tall), pointed ears and wings, holding her own against three larger males. As he approached, he heard what sounded like taunting or teasing  from the officers of equal rank. “What is the issue, everyone?” She looked up at him and spoke. Her voice was like a cross between windchimes and a hummingbird’s wings; he raised an eyebrow and replied in kind. Turning to them, he pleasantly said “The young lady would like her translator pin back. Do one of you happen to know what happened to it?” “Sir! No sir!” He looked at them all again, mildly irritated. “I hope you all aren’t serving on my ship; if you are I will find ways to make your lives miserable. Now…do you happen to know what happened to the young lady’s translator pin?” One of them looked a little embarrassed. “Sir…I think it might be right here.” “Good. Hand it over to me…and get lost.” “Yessir” they replied, and scattered in three different directions. Calmly he turned to her and spoke; she replied rapidly. Nodding, he replaced the translator pin on her collar; it remained on for a moment, then fell off again. Sighing, he spoke to her in her language and explained what the issue was. Nodding she hummed and whistled at him as they walked to the station exchange. Five minutes later, he carefully repinned her translator pin to her collar. “Thank you enough, sir, I cannot. Hard it is to speak Unified. So…where headed are you?” “SC Shizukaze. Her new Captain I am; Colt Richmond my name is.” “Sir! To you I am reporting. Lieutenant Fae G’zlda I am. New Head Nurse of SC Shizukaze I am.” “The pleasure mine is.” “The pleasure mine is. Elvenspeak you well.” “Fae I am not.” “Guess well you have, sir. Fae I am. From Tsh’ree I am. Pointed ears have you. Elvish you have?” “Tsh’reen am I half. Terran am I half.” “Explains about you much. Ship departs when?” “Minutes Unified fifteen. To dock we should proceed.” “Agree with you I do, sir. Late we should not be.” 

Some thoughts on going to Disneyland

Yeah, it's been a few years since I've posted anything here. I've been busy...I now work for the State of Oregon; we lost Mom a few years back; and I'm editing a bunch of books to get out on the Kindle platform. 

Having said all that, I have an admission to make-or maybe better, a confession: I’d forgotten how to fly. Like Peter Banning-played remarkably well by Robin Williams in”Hook”-I’d lost my ability to fly. I’d lost my happy place, then became tired, a bit of a drag, and in desperate need of a real vacation. I got my vacation, and rediscovered in the process just how much fun Disneyland really is. I came here several times a year when I was younger; the choir performed here three of the four years I was in high school and I seem to remember marching here with the Blue Devils B corps. Barbershoppers have taken over a few times-1984, 1999, and 2009 come to mind. But over time, like many people I moved on and moved far enough away to not come as often. 

That changed when my beloved Traci came into my life. She loves Disneyland, she loves to come and play in the Magic Kingdom. And play we did, becoming teenagers again for five wonderfully fun days. When I originally wrote this it was  the end of day four and the start of day five. Day five was our last day here, and then we headed home. So I didn’t take much time on that morning to write. But I did want to jot down some of what I learned along the way. I wanted to share some of what I learned on my way to finding my happy place once again while it was still fresh in my mind. And while this is somewhat tongue in cheek there’s a few very serious tips here, written by a guy who’s no expert on park travel in the modern world…but who’s logged maybe a few too many miles over too many years. 

One: Time loses any serious meaning once you’re on the property. Oh, sure…the sun rises and sets, unlike in much of property where we live-the Pacific Northwest-where the sun sets sometime in September and the rain starts up and doesn’t seem to end until some time around June. But please be aware that time has no real meaning (unless you have a reservation for a character meal-see below). You may stand in line for fifty minutes and time pleasantly goes by, unlike say, standing in line at the local DMV where fifteen minutes seems like an hour-and an hour seems like an eternity.

Two: Speaking of lines, be prepared to spend time standing in them. Lots of time. Lines for rides, making a purchase, getting a meal, meeting a character, and going to the restroom. I’m not kidding; I stood in line for ten minutes just to throw my Coke cup away. It gets to a point where if you see a line, you’ll stand in it just to find out what it’s for. If you have a reservation for anything, figure out how long it will take you to get there-then add fifteen minutes, minimum. This is especially true for meals, character or otherwise. Why? Because there’s a line for everything! 

Three: If you’re on a diet, go somewhere else. While there is healthy food available, there are also churros, turkey legs (which are huge and smoked to perfection), awesome corn dogs, frozen bananas, a substance called Dole Whip, popcorn, pickles, and so forth. The best fried chicken I swear I’ve ever eaten is found just off Main St. USA, near Tomorrowland. And that’s just Disneyland proper. California Adventure has amazing food as well, including a mighty fine clam chowder in a genuine Boudin sourdough bread bowl. If you are seriously worried about calories, stop it. We were there five days; I averaged 5.5 miles walking a day over the five days we spent here.  Which brings me to….

Four: All the guide books tell you to wear comfortable footwear. They’re not kidding. At the end of day three, I took my shoes off and literally watched my feet swell two sizes in roughly ninety seconds. You will walk a lot, when you’re not standing in line. (Have I mentioned you will spend a lot of time standing in line?) Speaking of the guide books, get them, read them, pore over them, memorize them if you want…then leave them at home. They’re written by well meaning professionals who want you to maximize every second. They mean well-but believe me when I tell you that everyone else in the park has read the same books. Plan ahead, by all means; you should. Then toss most of those plans out the window when you get here, and plan as you go. The smartest plan we made before we left was to spend five days on the property. This allowed us to do a lot without feeling like we needed to march through and lay waste to everything.

Five: Everything in the resort is designed to separate you from your money. It’s okay to spend a little here and there. And when your granddaughter wants a blue slush with a glowing x-wing fighter straw you will spend nearly ten bucks to get her one, because it makes both of you happy. The same thing with mouse ears: if she wants you to get a set and wear them all day, I don’t care how big, strong, and macho you are…you will get and wear mouse ears all day. Spend the money and go to a character meal at least once; the food is pretty decent. We went to one for breakfast, got to meet five different princesses-Ariel, Cinderella, Belle, Rapunzel, and Tiana-and I had tri-tip, scrambled eggs, and hash browns-plus fruit, breakfast breads, and tea. That’s no kiddie meal, friends, and frankly was worth every penny. I’ve eaten in three star restaurants that could learn from this. 

Six: Believe it or not, there actually is an “official/unofficial” sport on the resort properties: Pin collecting and trading. You start by getting a lanyard and a starter pin. My beloved Traci has enough pins on one lanyard to anchor the USS Ronald Reagan in place. I have some “retired” pins; so does she. So we’ve started new lanyards together. Whilst in the park I’ve seen a few lanyards that look like they weigh enough to keep California Screamin’ from achieving its max speed of 55 mph. In fact, if the person wearing them fell down it would take a crane to lift them back up. If you’re smart, you’ll either get several lanyards or get a pin book. Bonus tip: don’t make the rookie mistake and trust the pin backs will survive all the rides; while they are firm and pretty well made, spring for a package of locking pin backs. Trust me on this one, if you trust nothing else I’ve written in this article. Keep the old pin backs for your retired lanyard at home or that pin book.

Seven: Leave your camera at home and get the one-week photo pass…then get as many pictures professionally done as you can. This is especially true if you’ve spent on a character meal. I know, I know…funny advice from a guy who will take his trusty Nikon just about anywhere. But not only will your back thank you for not lugging that extra weight around, you’ll actually be in more pictures. And with everyone using smartphones these days, you’ll have plenty of memories. Besides…it’s very easy to see it vanish on a ride, get broken, etc.

Eight: speaking of your smartphone, three things to consider: First, carry a sandwich sized baggie to put your phone in, and multiply that by each phone…then multiply that by the number of days you’re there. A wet smartphone is a very dead smartphone, and there are plenty of chances to kill your smartphone even if it is in a nearly indestructible case. Second, download the Disneyland app already. Don’t wait until you’re on the resort grounds to do this. It’s worth the bandwidth and memory space to see the wait times for rides, and the map function is very useful once you’ve lost the paper map they give you. Third, invest in a couple of FuelRods before hitting the park. These little lifesavers will recharge just about any phone or tablet you’ll carry, and are worth their weight in gold. Inside the park, they’re thirty bucks. We bought two on Amazon for forty bucks-and if you don’t recharge them in your room at night (provided you’ve used them) and they’ve done their duty, you can exchange them for a loaded one. Plus, after your vacation is over…you can use them at home. (Come on. Be honest…how many times have you been horrified to discover you have 10% charge left on your phone when you’re out on the town?)

Nine: If you can swing it, stay on the property. Sure, you can save a few bucks on a room offsite. But then you have to either (A) pay for daily parking-and the hassles thereof-or (B) walk to and from your hotel. If you want to haul the dead weight of an exhausted child halfway back to beautiful downtown Burbank at the end of a long day on your feet…be my guest; you’re a better man than I, Gunga Din. On the other hand, the Monorail drops you near the Disneyland Hotel-and about two blocks from Paradise Pier, where we stayed. Added bonus: you’ll be two blocks from the closest Starbucks. Speaking of which…don’t cry to me about the commercialization of Disneyland; you know good and well you want your mocha non-fat with whip in the morning and will cheerfully walk that two blocks to get it. Besides…when I was a kid, everything had a sponsor in the park. (Does anyone other than Traci and I remember the Sunkist Citrus House on Main Street USA or Casa de Fritos in Frontierland?)

Ten: Speaking of commercialization, let me take a moment to discuss Downtown Disney. It’s the outdoor shopping mall built by the House of Mouse and it’s a winner. Everything from a LEGO store to the biggest Disney themed souvenir stand sits there. All kinds of food and shops are there, plus a movie theatre. I may be the only person in the world that truly likes the concept, because I’m starting to think maybe Disney’s next empire should be shopping malls. Neat, clean, well lit, and lots of space to move around in even when busy. Hint for those of you whose kids are old enough to be in the park on their own: go there to eat an adult meal.

Eleven: Not that it’s a dud-not by a long shot-but as much as I love Disneyland and enjoy Downtown Disney…Disney’s California Adventure (or DCA) is a park in search of its identity. I don’t think it knows what it really wants to be when it grows up, and the fact they keep redoing so much of it is a clue. Part old time boardwalk, part Hollywood Blvd, and part…well…something. The Magic Kingdom has clearly defined lands, boundaries for each one, and its own etiquette. DCA seems to me like they had a whole bunch of ideas for new stuff, and they threw it all together and instead of a gourmet meal got goulash. For starters, it really needs its own Monorail stop, preferably linking it to the rest of the resort. (For all that, so does Paradise Pier hotel.) Next, either really do the California theme up and stay with it, or rename the place and lay the lands out a little better. Paradise Pier is not quite the boardwalk I remember from my younger days visiting the Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk, and the rest of the park is a hodgepodge of different lands and areas. In my opinion, if you only have a few days to spend at the resort, spend one here-you must do at least Soaring, California Screamin’, and eat in any number of the great food places and carts-and spend the rest of your time in Disneyland proper. (I know there’s been some changes since I first wrote this. That just proves my point; Paradise Pier is now being redone into Pixar Pier. California Screamin’ is becoming the Incredicoaster, for example.)

Twelve: You will want to overpack for your trip. Resist the urge to do so. This is because (A) airlines will charge you some serious bucks for an overweight bag, and (B) you will need a place to stow all your purchases for the trip home. This is as good as any place to mention not buying things you will never use again. The sole exception to this rule are mouse ears. (Remember, Mr. Macho type…if your granddaughter wants you to get a pair and wear them, if you value peace and your sanity, you will do this.) Most of the time, you’ll be in t-shirts and jeans…or shorts if it’s summertime. Guys, bring one polo shirt to dress up for that dinner in Downtown Disney. Wear sneaks…with padding. Ladies…I’m not going to tell you what to pack. But I can promise you that you won’t really need that floor length gown or high stiletto heels. (I have mentioned the lines and the amount of walking you do, right? On concrete? Around tens of thousands of people?) 

Thirteen: Turn off your e-mail and get your face out of your smartphone. I made few Facebook posts, and kept my phone in my pocket most of the time except for pictures and checking wait times. You’re on vacation…so unplug already! I promise that anything that was a problem before you leave will still be there and have friends with it…but you’ll be better prepared to deal with it. Plus, by putting your phone away, you won’t walk into people.

Fourteen: If you’ve been living living under a rock, don’t follow the news, or simply didn’t pay attention…Disney owns Lucasfilms and Marvel. This means that half of Tomorrowland has now Stormtroopers and lightsabers. DCA is where all the superheroes live, and that’s fine. But this also means that both franchises have a lot of merchandise in the stores, next to Mickey Mouse and Company, Buzz and Woody, and all your favorite characters. (Hey, Disney…speaking of characters, I’d love to see some new pins from Robin Hood, if you’ve a mind to make some.)  

Finally…this is the one time you don’t want to “wing it.” Use either Disney’s travel agency or Costco’s; I don’t care which. Prepaying for as much as you can-even if it’s just your park hopper passes-will save you some serious bucks long term. Walt Disney Travel Company asked for $200 up front, and the balance paid something like 30 days before our trip. The further ahead you plan, the better off you’ll be. (Of course, that’s true of any vacation, but a Disney vacation especially.)   Yeah, we spent a pretty penny on our trip…but we also prepaid our hotel room, five day park hopper passes, one character meal, and airfare. It was nice to know we didn’t have to save money to pay the hotel room at the end of our stay. 

I had a ball. We had a ball-Traci and I-plus Addy, Jordyn, Alex, Cam, Tylar, and Frankie-had a great time. We're talking about doing it again soon...not soon enough for me, though. I'm ready to go back now....

Thinking of Dad at Christmas....

Hi, Dad—

As you would have said, time flies like the wind…and fruit flies like bananas. It’s been a bit since I’ve written my thoughts down; it’s hard to believe you’ve been gone seven years. Still, I remember that Christmas was always one of those times that you seemed to enjoy…and it seems appropriate that I take a few moments and jot some thoughts down. This year’s a little more difficult; my thoughts are as scrambled this year as they were in high school.

Speaking of years…thanks for the backbone. Not the metaphorical one; the genetic one. I’ve discovered why you disliked cold and damp so much. (Given your current resting place, there’s a certain irony to that, you know.) I wake up in the morning and could sell Rice Krispies: Snap, Crackle, POP! and my spine aligns. Thanks loads! Yeah, I know living in Oregon isn’t helping. On the other hand, I’d rather be here than in the midwest-or the east. I can see why you didn’t want to live in New Jersey! You always said the meek would inherit the earth; with my luck I’ll end up with Bayonne. 

It’s been a busy year. I’m singing with the Salem SenateAires these days; no, I’m not directing-but I’m having a ball. Traci’s been a wonderful support; I doubt I could have done half of what I did without her help. I’ve also been learning a new career; I know you understand how that works, having gone from one to another more years back than I want to admit to. I also have family: Traci has two daughters-Adrianne and Jordyn-and third daughter, Tylar. Addy has a partner-Alex-who has a cute daughter of his own, Cammy, whom we call the Bug. I love them all like they were my kids; you’d have fun discussing many things with Jordyn-and the Bug would love on you like there’s no tomorrow. Traci and I share a relationship that’s much more than a marriage. You’d love her; heaven knows I do!

Speaking of the family…the rest of the family is doing well. Mom’s doing well enough, and Amy, Kim, Liz and Patti are okay. Mom isn’t getting around as well as she could…but frankly, non of us are. As you know, none of us are getting younger-and every time I see them it’s all good. We’re taking care of Mom as best we can, but sometimes it’s harder than others. 

Enough of that, though. Tomorrow is Christmas, and there will be gifts to open, pictures to take-no, I haven’t forgotten taking the pictures at the top of the staircase!-and food to enjoy. Know that you’re missed, and never far from our thoughts. Traci has a song playing called “Good to be Alive RIght About Now.” She’s right…it is, and while you’re missed, know that we’re all taking very good care of each other. I know you’d like to know that!  

Love you and miss you--

Matthew

On What's Eating My Hard Drive

Wow. I haven’t sat down to blog much in over a year. Part of that is due to my continued writing/editing of the The Cosantóirí Chronicles. Part of that is due to a rather large set of life changes; I won’t go into my divorce here as it’s not germane to what I’m thinking about and the job changes are, sadly, a part of that divorce. While my life is much better now, there’s still stuff I’m not going to discuss in such a public forum as yet. Suffice it to say I’m far happier, and to detail some of the stuff I went through and put up with isn’t where I’m at right now.

No, what’s on my mind is the aftereffects of some of all of the above and the effect its had on my trusty MacBook. I looked at the hard drive on said trusty MacBook not that long ago and discovered I had…oh, about 27 GB left. 27 gig of a 250 gig hard drive. I looked at that and what came out of my mouth is not something that a former pastor should be caught saying...ever. Where did it all vanish to?

Culprit number one: My Nikon. Shooting in RAW is wonderful stuff. But it eats memory like I munch on Reece’s Pieces (or any other form of chocolate). Pull 29 files of photos from 2014 off-plus some duplicates in iPhoto and a lot of shots from my old and new iPhones-and that gives me some space. A friendly reminder: always back up your work, kids. And yes, I have a nice new iPhone 6 that my partner Traci got from Verizon. She got her kids, herself and I new iPhone 6’s as part of Verizon’s Edge deal; we share a plan to save a few bucks.

Culprit number two: Those former ministries I held. I finally removed the last of the files from Master’s, the files from my pastoral work the last few years, and my dissertation files. Years of work logs (I logged every paper I graded, to account for my hours), classes I taught/took, sermons, powerpoint presentations, photos from various events…all neatly filed onto DVD’s. That gave me back even more space.

Culprit number three: Yours truly. Years of other files, scans, other photos that hadn’t been cataloged (and now have), other files that I need to keep for various reasons, and so forth had to come off. I mean, I use the MacBook for everything: work, music, photos, letters, my books, and so much more. And you don’t think about a few KB here, a few MB there. I mean, 250 GB was a lot of memory. A program here, a few dozen photos of the family there (shot in RAW, of course), an update over there, and suddenly the hard drive’s filling up like a teenager at a fast-food joint. The only difference is that the hard drive has a limit to how much it can hold. All that stuff has to come off and get filed. 

I still have a lot of stuff to go through and file or get rid of. Some programs have hidden files they keep; and I’m starting to consider trying to save or delete a number of apps for the iPhone I’m not using as there’s nearly a fifth of my hard drive getting eaten by the little buggers. But what I really need to find is what is eating nearly 100 gig; I don’t have that many programs for a reason and I’ve already discarded several-plus an older copy of Xcode-I’ve either not used or don’t remember where I got them.

But at the end of the day, I have a sneaking hunch that I’m going to have to remove a fair number of other photos and documents and file those as well. Still…I’ve managed to recover enough memory to account for almost 40% of the hard drive. That is a win in my book.

Enough for now.