The Santa Fe Depot Fountain

Video from 12/24/06

Blogger recently added a video upload button. Now I can post my own videos directly to my blog without first boring everyone on YouTube. This video is from my trip last Christmas Eve to Mt. San Jacinto State Park at the top of the Palm Springs Tramway. I previously posted a slide show of still shots from that trip with my friend Stan. For the video I just stood in one spot and slowly turned around in a circle so you can see the whole landscape and hear the children's voices.

My September 11th Story

Like December 7, 1941 and November 22, 1963, anyone old enough to remember September 11, 2001 will never forget what they were doing and how they experienced the events that day.

I was living in Vista, California, having moved with my partner at the time to the San Diego area from Central Illinois just a few shorts weeks prior to 9/11. Brian had returned the night before from a week long business trip to Germany. I hadn't found a job in California yet. We had just gotten out of bed and were heading towards the bathroom and kitchen when the phone rang. I answered it and found myself talking to his mother who was all in a panic. She knew he'd been out of the country but didn't know he was back and was worried he was on one of the flights. I quickly got Brian on the phone with his mom and I turned on the TV. At 7am West Coast time only 1 tower was damaged and both were still standing. I remember watching the news with a sense of unreality and thinking the newscasters were having just as tough a time trying to make sense of it all and come up with something meaningful to say. It wasn't until much later, after more information was available, more images came in, and both towers fell, that it all sank in. To this day any image of the burning or collapsing towers is very upsetting to me.

Some time in the early '90s I took a trip with friends Deborah and Peter to New York City to see our friend Janet in her Carnegie Hall debut as the soprano soloist in Verdi's Requiem. During that trip we had breakfast at the top of the World Trade Center and very much enjoyed a view that's no longer there, except by helicopter. Now I automatically date any image of New York City's skyline as to whether it's before or after September 11, 2001.

What's your 9/11 story?

And for those of you who remember, I'd also love to hear your stories about the day Pearl Harbor was attacked and the day JFK was assassinated. What were you doing? How did you hear about it? How did you feel? What was the reaction of those around you? How has it affected you since that day?

For SKEA

Sail Boats on San Diego Bay

" I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain."

James Baldwin

I recently added Enya's most recent CD, "Amarantine", to my music collection. According to Wikipedia it won the Grammy for Best New Age Album for 2007. The music is gorgeous and filled with Enya's trademark Celtic New Age harmonies, orchestrations, and rhythms. I love her music and am happy to have some new songs of hers. However, I haven't noticed any groundbreaking departures from her previous albums.

Now if only someone could convince Sade to put out something new.

Just in Time

I recently went with my friend Steve to Palm Springs to help him and Michael put in landscaping. After hauling decomposed granite all over the yard all morning in the desert heat and humidity (thanks to Hurricane Dean), we showered, changed, and headed to a great deli Steve just discovered. While driving to lunch we were listening to Michael's favortie radio station, which plays, according to Steve, "old lady music". My ears pricked up when I heard a distinctive voice singing one of my favorite songs and I asked, "is that Judy Garland?" And they listened for a minute and agreed it was. And they asked me which movie the song was from. And I answered that it wasn't from a movie but from her television show. Michael observed, "Tim, were you alive during her television show?" I was, but just. So Michael said I had completely redeemed my gay card.

Needless to say, I was quite relieved. They're always threatening to take it away since I'm not obsessively neat, I'm not a great dresser, and I'm not much at interior decoration. But I am a friend of Dorothy.

When I was taking voice lessons many years ago, I picked up the sheet music to this song and was not impressed. By itself it's a fairly simple song without much to grab your attention. But Judy Garland wasn't just a little lady with a big voice who wore her heart on her sleeve. She also had an amazing ear that enabled her to stay with an orchestra through very complex arrangements. Many arrangers will change keys in the middle of a song to add some energy to it. For Judy, Mort Lindsay created this arrangement that changes key 4 times. And she's not following the orchestra into the new key, she's going there first. For 2 of the key changes she doesn't even take a breath. While holding a note she just kicks it up a notch. And after all that, to end as solidly as she does is not as easy or inevitable as she makes it look.

For the first time in my life I'm taking public transportation on a regular basis. For 2 months now I've been taking the bus and trolley to work. While working downtown is great, parking is expensive and "The Firm" only pays for about 2/3rds of the cost. And that doesn't get me a reserved, covered spot, but just permission to park in a lot. It's more of a fishing license for a well stocked pond. But The Firm does pay for a bus pass that gives me unlimited trips on the bus and trolley. The trolley is a light rail electric train that goes through Mission Valley, down Pacific Coast Highway, loops through Downtown, and continues south to the Mexican Border. It's smooth, quiet, fast, and mostly dependable. But it leaves most of the county to be covered by buses, which aren't any of those things. Luckily I live and work in the perfect spot to use the system. I'm just 1 block from a major bus line and it's a short, fast ride down the hill to the nearest trolley stop. And the trolley just takes a few minutes to get downtown and stops right outside the entrance to my building. I counted it the other day and it's literally 5 steps from the trolley to the door.

The only problem I've had is if the bus runs late, then I miss the trolley I need and waiting for the next trolley makes me late for work. So yesterday when it was getting close to the time I should be getting on the trolley and the bus was still nowhere in sight, I decided to go back for the car and be just a few minutes late instead of 15 minutes late.

But otherwise it was a beautiful San Diego day; bright and sunny and warm. It wasn't bright in a harsh way that washes out all the colors and makes you look for shade. It was clear in a way that lit up everything and warm in a way that wasn't uncomfortable, but just made long pants and enclosed shoes seem silly. At lunch, after walking to the bank, I stopped at the building across the street. It has a very nice deli inside and a large, mostly shaded courtyard in front with tables and chairs and benches. And on Fridays in the summer there's live music during the lunch hour. The rest of the afternoon at work went fast and uneventful and at 4:45 I was out the door, looking forward to the weekend. The two towers closest to the bay were looking very photogenic, but my trolley was right there so I hopped aboard and enjoyed all the tropical splendor sliding by. As often happens, the bus was going by just as I got off the trolley so I had to wait for the next one, but who cares; it's Friday!

Walking towards my building, thinking about going to the gym and planning out the weekend, I glanced in the garage and noticed my car wasn't there. It was still Downtown!

So after dropping off my bag, using the bathroom, and grabbing a bottle of water, I found myself back at the bus stop, waiting to make the trip on the train that I had missed that morning.

It's a good thing I didn't have any dignity to begin with.

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference."

- Elie Wiesel

Serenity

Change what you can. Accept what you can't. Be wise enough to know the difference.

Downtown San Diego

Since I started working downtown in late December I've taken lots of pictures of the buildings and the boats on the bay. This picture was taken from Harbor Island, which isn't really an island. The camera is looking east across the bay. I work in the tall building in the middle.

When you've hurt someone, don't think about the best apology you can come up with. Think about the best apology they can come up with.

An apology isn't about what you want to say. It's about what they need to hear.

Don't think about this the next time someone owe's you an apology. Remember this the next time it's your turn to apologize.

"The one important thing I have learned over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second is disastrous."

Dame Margo Fonteyn

"Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate." - Barnett Brickner

I don't know who said it first, but good advice going around the gay community is:

"Be the man you'd want to date."

Assimilation.

Well I did it. I finally gave in. They caught me. Say "hello" to the newest member of the Borg. Yes, I bought an MP3 player. Not an Ipod, I got a Zune, Microsoft's entry into the fray. And now I've joined the masses of people walking around with little speakers tucked into their ears dancing to their own beat. Now all I have to do is use my Bluetooth earpiece with my cell phone and my assimilation will be complete.

It's actually quite fun to have such easy access to my music. And it's very nice to shut out the noise of traffic and construction while taking a break from work. It's the spoon full of sugar that makes going to the gym more fun. I'm just another geek on the elliptical trainer lip syncing to '80 music. And I've skipped a generation of technology in my car, going from a cassette deck I almost never used right to an mp3, skipping the in-dash CD player.

I was hoping to be able to download just the songs I wanted over the internet and not have to store CDs at home. But the cheap internet sites don't have any of the music I want and the sites with the songs are expensive. It's generally less expensive to by the CD in the store. And with artists setting up exclusive agreements with specific sites, I'm still occasionally buying an entire CD to get just one song that I want.

Last Friday was a beautiful San Diego day, bright, sunny and warm(as was every day since), and I had lunch sitting right on the bay watching the sailboats go back and forth. Walking back to work I was really enjoying the music. When I got back in the office I realized I'd been just like those kids in the cell phone/mp3 player commercials; I walked along normally but my shadow burned up the dance floor.

One day last week I walked into the apartment singing along to the soundtrack of "Chicago". Hmm. 40 something. Not married. Likes showtunes. What's my sexual orientation?

Embrace your stereotypes. Then they can't be used against you.

Happy Mother's Day!

If Oscars were given out for life, my Mother would have several, starting with surviving polio at 2 years old in the middle of the Depression, and including coming to terms with having a gay son. Many parents, when they suspect they have a gay child, send that child to counseling, which only makes the situation much worse. My Mother did an amazing thing. She went to a counsellor herself and, fortunately, found a good one who told her I was the same good guy she thought I was. For someone who grew up in the Midwest in the '40s that's amazing.

My Mother isn't perfect; she has some prejudices that occasionally rise up. And like Martha in Luke 10 she's often "worried about many things". But she's human, and that's what makes her perfect.

Happy Mother's Day Mom. I love you!

While listening to a classical CD I hadn't heard for a while I was reminded of what I learned in Music History class in college about the progression of music. When our current system of symbols and staffs was being formed to represent the sacred music of the middle ages, rules were created to describe and promote the creation of more music. The music that was written after these rules were created followed the rules more closely than the music before that the rules were created to describe. After a long period of time when all avenues of creativity were explored within that kind of music, someone would write something new that was outside of the rules, someone else would ask what they were doing, new rules and guidelines were created, and the whole cycle would continue.

Then I connected that to something pointed out in "Conversations with God, Book 3" by Neale Donald Walsh. That book reminds us that truth has not been a constant thing. For example, in the Old Testament many rules were created, such as what to eat and when not to work, that no longer served us and were put aside in the New Testament which says; "love thy neigbhor". Truth evolves as we evolve.

What's right and who's wrong is not the point. The point is the journey towards our best selves.

Success isn't the point. The point is the journey towards success.

Palm Springs

"We can hardly fail if communication begins with a smile, continues with love and civility, is leavened with a little humor when appropriate, and enhanced with empathy and compassion."

Brenda Davies, M.D.

Photo by Heriberto.

"If you fall out of the boat put your feet up, lie back and relax. Your life jacket knows which way is up. Let the river hold you. You won't drown."

Brenda Davies, M.D.
"The 7 Healing Chakras"
Quoting a Zambezi River guide.

Trip to Julian, April 1, 2007

Sunday afternoon Heriberto asked me where I wanted to go for my birthday. He gave me the options of either some North County beach, Julian, or the Anza Borrego Desert. Although beautiful, I've been to both the Carlsbad beaches and the Anza Borrego Desert, and neither is known for the food there. I've heard a lot about Julian, but had never been there before, AND it's known as a food destination, especially for the apple pie.

About an hour drive from San Diego along 2 lane roads that wind through beautiful country of hills, low mountains, horse farms, orchards, and this fishing lake, Julian is a popular destination for folks looking for an easy destination to escape the city. At 4000 feet up it experiences all the seasons. Chuck and Patrick stayed overnight there a few weeks ago and woke up to snow. When we got there both sides of the one main street through town were filled with motorcycles. We ate barbecue for lunch, walked around town, going into a few shops, taking pictures, then stopped for apple pie for dessert. And what an apple pie. It was amazing. It's not better than Becky's terrific pie she made for Thanksgiving, but it is real close. Before we ate our pie Heri asked for a candle that he lit and put in the middle for me to make a wish and blow out.

I love these birthdays that get stretched out over several days. Keith took me out to dinner to a newly opened restaurant Tuesday. Thursday Skip took me to a Brazilian restaurant that I'd been by but hadn't been to yet. And Sunday I got to go to Julian for the first time, do a little sight seeing, took some pictures, went for a short hike, and had a wonderful drive.

Two years ago, while working at Wawanesa, my supervisor and team forgot my birthday. Though initially disappointing, it turned out great. Two of the girls that sat on either side of me took pity and brought in a cake the next day. My team became aware of their oversight and took me out to lunch the day after that. And the next Sunday Skip took me to lunch after church with a bunch of friends and we had a great time.

Happy Birthday to... ...Me!

I have come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element. It is my personal approach that creates the climate. It is my daily mood that makes the weather. I possess tremendous power to make life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration; I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis is escalated or de-escalated, and a person is humanized or de-humanized. If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.

- Goethe

Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles

I have found YouTube and other video sites to be wonderful sources of entertainment and pop culture that you wouldn't otherwise come across due to network TV's myoptic vision. But, there's a lot of junk to wade through. Fortunately, some are able to sort through it all or otherwise find out which ones are woth viewing and alert the rest of us. One of the blogs I like to read had a link to video of a piece sung by the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles during a recent concert. The original creator of the video doesn't allow the video itself to be posted, but if you click here you'll be able to view it. It's Gilbert and Sullivan's "Three Little Maids", which was written for 3 women with really high voices. Enjoy!

No Parking...yet.

This is a bunch of card board panels one of the homeless guys has taped together to make a sort of tent. He was still in there as I took this picture early one Friday morning. This tent is frequently "parked" in the lot where I park downtown for work. I first noticed it shortly after I started working there. The first time I saw it he had it perpendicular across two parking spaces. The parking lot attendant nicely asked him to take it down soon and he was politely complying. It's a popular parking lot, fills up quickly, and they need the spaces. Some time later I saw it set up in a no parking area, which I thought was the best place. But lately he's been setting it up like this so it only takes up once space. What prompted the photo this morning, and made me laugh, was the two orange cones. Is the parking lot attendant so nice and concientious to make sure those spending the night won't get hit? Or is the homeless guy so detail oriented he not only puts together a pretty nice shelter and parks it appopriately, but he also takes the extra step to create a safe sleeping zone?

I didn't know...

I didn't know people would think everything was about them.
I didn't know they would be so judgmental about everyone else.
I didn't know I would be blamed for their ignorance.
I didn't know people will think only their own feelings are valid.
I didn't know we should do more for strangers than for our family.
I didn't know they could look at you but see someone else.
I didn't know people would refuse to see any point of view but their own.
I didn't know they could see an act of kindness as an act of selfishness.
I didn't know they will berate your poor competitive instinct, then sulk when you start winning.
I didn't know every corner of the country was interesting to visit, except the one I live in.
I didn't know that everyone will be interested in your news only if it's good. Or if it's really, really bad.
I didn't know people will fail to see how anyone could have an opinion that was at all different from their own.
I didn't know they will feel justified in giving out their own advice, but feel no obligation to consider yours.
I didn't know that when you open up to someone, they'll shoot you down, then complain that you never open up to them.
I didn't know everyone wants an audience, but will refuse to applaud you; even if, especially if, you're better.
I didn't know that if someone recognizes that they owe an apology, they'll do anything to squirm out of giving it.
I didn't know they would always insist on their own way, then wonder why I had no answer when they finally asked me what I wanted.
I didn't know they could praise your many good qualities, then reject you completely when you prove to be human.
I didn't know they would point out all of your faults, but refuse to acknowledge any of their own.
I didn't know a man could become the very person he complained about.
I didn't know life would demand your best, would force you to grow in so many ways, then fail to be impressed by any of it.
I didn't know that people could take and take, and you had to give more and more, and the more you gave, the more they felt they were owed, until you're exhausted. But it never occurs to them that they should give anything back. They wonder what's wrong with you; why did you stop?
I didn't know I would do these things, too.

The Chief's Last Dance

The video above is of Chief Illiniwek, the symbol of the University of Illinois, performing the traditional dance at half time of a football game earlier this fall. After each half time show by the Marching Illini, the band would form into 4 long lines and then start the "3 in 1". It's a series of 3 songs in a row without a break in between. You'll hear the band start to sing the first song. It's a cheer based on the Illinois Song. Then while playing the same song with their instruments, the band marches towards the north end zone, collapses the formation, then at the start of the Chief's dance marches back down the field forming giant letters that spell out "ILLINI". You'll see in the video that while this is happening the Chief comes out, sneaks through the band, then at the start of the dance bursts out and starts his dance down the entire field, then goes back to the 50 yard line. There he raises his arms and the band and all the fans in the stadium join in singing "Hail to the Chief". Then the Chief repeats his dance in the middle of the field. At the end of the dance the Chief folds his arms and walks off the field.

I'm posting this now because February 21st, at the home basketball game half time show in Champaign, the Chief danced for the last time. Since 1926 the Chief has represented the University's heart and sole and has always been treated with the utmost respect. Not a mascot, the Chief only came out at half time for his dance. Native Americans made the Chief's costume and presented it to the University during a football half time. I was a member of the Marching Illini from 1981-1984 and was on the field as part of the band during the presentation ceremony. Native Americans have been among those who've portrayed the Chief over the years.

Since the late '80s some have complained that the Chief is a racist mascot and offensive to Native Americans. This certainly applies to many mascots, even most; my High School's "Purple Raiders" represented by an Indian head needed to go and has been exchanged for a different mascot. But Chief Illiniwek; whose dance is based on Native American dance and whose costume is authentic, never led cheers, never cavorted in the stands, didn't pose for pictures with fans; only acted with dignity, was only treated with respect. It's true the University could've handled the whole issue better. It should have aggressively developed a Native American Studies program from the beginning. And some of the university representatives who defended the Chief acted more like they were defending their right to beer instead of representing the Chief. But I think taking a respected Native American Symbol out of the public's eye is more detrimental than helpful.

After staunchly defending the Chief for many years, the University of Illinois, under sanctions from the NCAA that don't allow any post season games to be held in Champaign while the Chief exists, finally decided their best interests would be served by retiring the Chief. Under these conditions I agree with the University's decision. I just disagree with the NCAA's misguided interference.

The video below is of the Chief's final performance. It starts out with some clips of past portrayals of the Chief. One of them you'll see is of a Native American woman who was the Chief during World War II.

McAfee out, Kapersky in !

I'm once again able to log into my blog and add new posts. Whew!!! I was very frustrated at not being able to do anything. It started almost 2 weeks ago, about the time my computer security software, McAfee, did a major update. I went through everything with a fine tooth comb and still couldn't log in to Blogger. I could log in on other computers, just not my own. So annoying! Finally, tonight I decided to uninstall my McAfee security software. And sure enough, after doing that I was able to log in to Blogger just like before. I heard about Kapersky from another student in my computer literacy class who had good things to say about it. I've signed up for a 30 day trial and am still able to log in. I've heard McAfee doesn't uninstall cleanly so I'm hoping I don't run into any stray files causing problems. And yes, I could have tried to contact McAfee customer service, but I didn't feel like going around in circles with someone from India who wouldn't understand my problem and certainly couldn't fix it right away. I'm very relieved and plan to get back to posting something nearly everyday.

This is just for fun. I found this on the web and had to share. It's one of the animated short films nominated for an Oscar. It's the prehistoric squirrel from the "Ice Age" movies meets a time machine. Hilarious!

Lincoln's Greatest Speech

I'm pretty sure I'd read Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address previously but I'm not sure exactly when that was. I've read his Gettysburg Address and had to memorize part of it in Junior High School like most kids, but at different times I've heard people comment on how amazing is this speech he gave when he was sworn into office for his second term as president. So when we went to The Lincoln Memorial Musuem at Thanksgiving I got this book in the gift shop to see for myself.

Ronald C. White, Jr. gives a very thorough, easy to read description of the speech and everything related to it. He takes Lincoln's words paragraph by paragraph and gives all of the background that brought those words to be in this speech at this time. White describes Lincoln's creative process with examples of previous speeches, letters, and personal notes. He also brings in correspondence from other writers and speakers that influenced The President.

White sets the stage of Inauguration Day, March 4, 1865. He brings in events from Lincoln's life, the civil war, the current political climate, and even the weather so the reader can understand the experience of people going to hear The President speak. And the only photograph of Lincoln speaking was of him giving The Second Inaugural. Ironically, John Wilkes Booth is clearly visible in the center, above Lincoln, facing the camera.

We commonly think of the 20th century as a time of amazing technological change, but the middle of the 19th century was also such a time. After Lincoln's First Inaugural Address in 1861, copies of it were carried by Pony Express until it reached California many days later. In 1865, the first transcontinental telegraph was just completed and The Second Inaugural was "downloaded" from the telegraph and published in the next days newspapers. This speed up in communication compares to the explosion of the Internet 130 years later.

This book leaves you with an appreciation for Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address as a masterpiece of oration by a supremely talented artist who had honed his craft over a life time of practice. In 702 words he describes the outbreak of the war, the effects of four grueling years of battle, and the path the nation should take as the war's end came into sight. People expected that day some words of triumph, of gloating, and hints of punishment for "the rebels". But Lincoln does none of that. "With malice towards none, with charity for all" Lincoln puts the blame for the war on the entire country, the North and the South, and charts a course to "bind up the nation's wounds" and "achieve...a just and lasting peace." In Lincoln's slow delivery and with a couple interruptions for applause, it took him just 7 to 8 minutes to deliver. It only takes a few minutes to read. I found it at: http://www.bartleby.com/124/pres32.html. If politicians today put half the wisdom into twice the words, we'd be amazed.

IMAX "Night at the Museum" December 26, 2006

The day after Christmas Patrick and Chuck, in the middle, drove up from Imperial Beach to go with me and Keith for a mini road trip. We loaded into my car and drove up to Irvine to the Spectrum Mall where there's a large Edward's Cinema that has an IMAX movie theater. Chuck has been there many times before. It was the second time for me and the first for Keith and Patrick. San Diego has an IMAX theater, but it only shows documentary type films.

The Spectrum is a very nice, large, outdoor (no roof - not needed in southern CA) mall with lots of nice details such as this fountain. "Night at the Museum" is the Ben Stiller comedy where he works as a night guard at a museum and everything comes to life at night. It's a fun movie with a fairly original premise. But this occasion was about friends getting together for a mini road trip more than going to see this particular movie. The IMAX format is fun, but this movie isn't a must see on the big screen. The best part is seeing Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke perform again. Dick Van Dyke is a scene stealer. Be sure to stay for the end credits for clips of them goofing off for the camera.

Christmas Day, 2006

Left to right that's Peter, Dan, myself, Lisa, and Mickey. Lisa and Dan made a delicious English style dinner with chocolate French crepes for dessert. Thanks guys for another wonderful holiday.

Last Day at Wawanesa December 22, 2006

This is the building I worked in when I worked for Wawanesa Insurance. They own 2 nearly identical buildings that are side by side. We were in the one on the right. The building on the left is rented out to other businesses. There's a deli in the corner of the other buiding and the courtyard in between the two is were I usually ate lunch. Working there I felt very much like the Queen of Hearts; running very fast in a very fast land and never making any headway.

Mt. San Jacinto State Park, December 24, 2006

This is a slide show of photos taken on my 2nd trip up the Palm Springs Tramway to Mt. San Jacinto State Park. My friend Stan, who lives in Illinois and is visiting Palm Springs, joined me. Since we hadn't seen each other since before I moved west we had a great time catching up with each other.

It was a bright, sunny day in the 40s with almost no breeze. The air was so clear we could see the far side of the Salton Sea over 40 miles away. And the sun was so bright we had a hard time taking photos even in the shade. There was just enough snow on the ground to make it fun. Stan, it was great to see you. Thanks for joining me and letting me show you this amazing place.

Rudy & Mazen's Holiday Party December 2, 2006

Here it is almost the end of January and there are still photos and events from December that I haven't posted yet. I beg the excuse of the crazy holiday rush.

This photo is from Rudy and Mazen's Holiday Party on a fine Saturday evening in December here in San Diego. That's Rudy holding the oversized present with Mazen in the red shirt to his left.

They take a lot of time with the decorations and go to some expense for a caterer that provides great food and a popular coffee cart. It's their present to their friends. They're such great, nice, warm, friendly, down to earth guys the people that attend their party are all terrific. I re-scheduled dinner out with Dan and Peter so as not to miss their party. Thanks again for another great evening guys!

P.S. The fireplace photo I included as part of my Christmas Letter posted on Christmas Day is theirs and was taken during their party.

This seagull happily posed for me even though I was just fifteen feet away.

This was another example of a picture that took me all day to get and was a surprise when I realized that's the photo I was trying to get all along.

When I walked out of the building I work in and looked towards the bay I was startled by an even bigger cruise ship than the one shown below and docked slightly closer. It seemed to be bearing down on me from a quarter mile away. I tried all day to get a picture illustrating the effect. I took pictures just out side the building, I got shots along the dock close to the boat, I even took some shots outside our second floor conference room with the top of the ship lurking over the tops of the palm trees. When I left work at 5pm, the sun had started to set. As I walked towards the bay, taking photos as I went, the ship's horn gave off a great loud, low, long blast that is still echoing among the buildings. And then the ship started to back away from the dock.

At glacial, stately speeds the ship backs up and turns, then heads forward towards the mouth of the bay. I'm taking pictures the whole way, even some video, and I'm not happy with what I'm getting. Meanwhile the sun is going down fast. Finally, I see that a small sailboat is going to cross the bay behind the cruise ship and when they line up will be my picture.

I know that most will say that the camera needed to be on a tripod to avoid the shaky lines caused by my inability to hold the camera perfectly still while the shutter is open for a long time in the low light. Perhaps, but I still like the shot.

Ice Storm in Austin

Rey in Austin sends this photo of the ice storm that has blanketed their area, turned their streets to ice rinks, and kept him home for several days.

Even though this photo was taken within a minute of the one below, the colors are all cool while the other one is more warm colors.

Art Project Source

The assignment was to create by hand, drawing or painting, an art project inspired by the beach. Now I haven't done an art project since my age was in single digits and the thought filled me with considerable trepidation. But I just told myself to break it down into small parts. "You like to go to the beach, and you like to take pictures, so just go take some photos and see what happens." I had conceived the idea of getting some shots of the cliffs and the beach and the ocean and drawing that. Somehow.

Though sunny it was cold so I pulled out the winter gear. Sneakers, no sandals, crew socks, long pants, and a long sleave thermal t-shirt. This is "bundling up" in San Diego.

I expected sunny and clear, but I wasn't prepared for how incredibly clear it was. The ocean looked higher, closer. I could see mountains way to the north beyond Camp Pendleton. The horizon was a clear, distinct line between water and sky. I had a great time for 2 1/2 hours taking photos of the cliffs and the beach and the surf and the rocks and the birds and walking and breathing. I thought I had some good shots and kept putting the camera away as the sun was going down and it started to get really cold. I didn't want to climb back up that cliff in the dark. But the sunset just kept getting better and better. It actually dropped beneath the sea as I was pulling out my camera for the last time. This photo was taken just after the sunset. The sky was completely saturated with color. It was the second to last picture I took. Somehow I don't think I could have just shown up at sunset and taken that photo. I needed that 2 1/2 hours to search for what I didn't realize I would find.

Downtown San Diego, January 2, 2007

I'm enjoying working in Downtown San Diego very much. There's always something to see. I've started taking my camera with me to work every day so I don't miss any photo opportunities.

The building I work in is just 2 blocks from San Diego Bay where all the cruise ships dock. I didn't realize how big these things really are until I moved to San Diego and saw one in person. These things don't just pull up and park in downtown Champaign, Illinois. If they did they'd be the tallest thing there. This picture is taken from over 2 blocks away. Not in the picture is a 15 story Holiday Inn directly across the street stretching its neck trying to be taller.