We didn’t take photographs this weekend. This made Julie sad after she realized we wouldn’t have anything to post to document the weekend. To make up for that sadness I decided to write a short musing about our activities.
I don’t know when it happened but I’ve come to realize that photographs and musings make activities better. I used to be against photographing when we traveled; afraid that people would mistake me for a tourist if I carried a camera, even in situations where I clearly was a tourist. This always reminded me of the “Dune” prophecy (which I remember more from the movie than the book, as usual), “he shall know your ways as if born to them” (paraphrased). I enjoyed thinking of myself as that devout insider, someone who with little effort blended into a busy city or a rural countryside as if they belonged. This is quite strange when you consider how anti-social I am. I used to laugh at the Asian tourists who focused on obtaining the perfect photograph instead of enjoying what was around them. Now I find myself co-opting their approach by snapping a photograph or jotting down a well-turned phrase to remember the occasion. I turn what is enjoyable for a few moments into something that is enjoyable for a lifetime.
Enough throat clearing. We had dinner with two couples this weekend. On Friday night, we had Shabbos dinner with a couple that was introduced to us by the Rabbi at the local Shul. It was a blind couples date. They married about nine months ago and recently moved into a house in Kirkland. They cooked an excellent dinner of couscous and barbequed salmon and asparagus. I drank more than my share of the wine, and we had a good time getting to know each other. Jonathan is from South Africa, and Karen is from Boston. They convinced us that Friday night services at the Shul are worth attending. They’re much shorter than Saturday morning, and are a good way to end the week and meet new people. We’re going to try to go this week.
On Saturday night, we hosted Jeff and Mary. We visited them in their weekend home on Whidbey island (with the iggies!) a few months ago, and we finally got a chance to return the favor. I cooked a whole chicken, truffle oiled mashed potatoes, and baby bok choy. It was still a bit warm in the house from the day’s heat, but we had fun. I was feeling a bit less social after Friday’s activities. I’m not used to entertaining that many people in one weekend.
Speaking of the weather, it was hot this weekend. The days were unbearable, and we spent much of the time indoors and shopping. On Sunday we went to see a matinee movie, Wanted with Angelia Jolie. The action was good but the story was strained. They had a few good ideas in the mix, but lost them when they stirred too hard and fast. Watching as much anime as we do, I am learning how a good story comes together. When writing a science fiction or fantasy story, the world is the most interesting character. By giving away how the world works early in the movie, the story misses the opportunity to create mystery. The slow discovery followed by the ah hah! moment, such as found in the early twist of the “The Matrix,” makes for a more enjoyable experience. Probably the first time I saw this approach was in my reading of David Eddings's The Belgariad. Learning how the magic worked in the fantasy story (the thought and the word), was so exciting and long in coming that I read the series and its follow-up series many times over.
Yesterday afternoon we purchased a bicycle for Julie, and went for our first ride together to Noah’s Bagels on the island. After we returned home and showered, I remembered the camera. It was too late to change back into our biking outfits for the picture, which was why Julie was sad. I’ll let you picture the cute Julies, on her fancy new bicycle, with straight handlebars and a sparkling green frame, riding down our street and onto the bike path that would bring us to the center of the island.
We ended the day by taking the iggies to the dog park. With the weather so hot, that was the first time we took the iggies out during the weekend. They mostly stood around in the dog park, Ziggy not finding many dogs to play with in the heat. We settled down to an anime at night, cuddling with the dogs for fifteen minutes, before Button decided that she didn't like the couch. She's not used to being held, and always looks awkward. Hopefully she'll outgrow that.
I'm beginning to think that my mood is directly effected by the doodle I'm scheduled to post. If true, I need to start drawing happier doodles. I'm tired today after a nice bicycle ride home yesterday evening. I can't seem to focus and I'm wondering what I'm doing here.
Although the cloud guy above tells a different story, the weather has made a turn for the better in Seattle. It's almost time to figure out how the sprinkler system works in the Villa and start asprinkling.
I had to go deep into my queue to find this today. I drew the background in 2005, but never posted it. I rediscovered it a few months back and added the Horribles.
The reason today is special is because one year ago in Taiwan, Julie and I were married in the first of our two wedding ceremonies. In some ways, I can't believe it's been an entire year, and in other ways, I don't want to remember what it was like before I married the Julies. I can't understand how I survived so long without the Julies. I never realized how terrible I was on my own until Julie was there for me.
This has been the first in what will be many years together. Going into the marriage, I had little doubt that Julie was right for me. She is smart, kind, and beautiful, and even agreed to marry me even after I told her that I had lots of issues--I never articulated what the issues were, figuring it would be more fun to figure them out once we were married.
We are off to our favorite restaurant, La Medusa, near the Castle. We haven't been back since we moved, and we're looking forward to celebrating our anniversary there tonight. We're going to alternate our anniversary celebrations every year: next year we'll celebrate on July 1st, the date of our New York ceremony (Julie prefers to celebrate both dates, but it's way too much pressure for me).
A big pile of money! What could be better? Oh, yes, integrity. Don't worry, I didn't give up my integrity for the big pile of money. It just feels that way sometimes. It's my art dreams verses reality. Sometimes I get them confused as I don't truly know what's important in my life. The truth probably is that neither are important, and trying to find the meaning of importance is a fool's errand.
The dogs woke us up at 5:30am this morning. Not sure what they were barking at, but we had a rough morning. The week is drawing to a slow end with rainy nights and sunny evenings. We don't have much planned for the weekend. Hopefully that will change.
On our honeymoon, I taught Julie to play chess. They set up chessboards along the sushi restaurant/lobby that led toward our room. One night, we sat down at the table, and Julie informed me she had never played. I went through the rules and we played a few games.
I played chess a bit when I was younger, and I consider myself an average player. Average players usually do well against stark beginners. It doesn't feel right when, during our first game, we end in a draw as I fail to properly checkmate her king. It gets worse from there. While she never managed to beat me (I stopped playing when it was clear we were one or two games away from that occurrence), that she got so close so quickly was quite scary.
The sunshine left us today. I'm rather thankful for that today: I had hopes of bicycling to work, but when I saw the light drizzle this morning, I gave up those pipedreams and merrily drove in.
Some random flowers and iggies around the Villa.
I felt the need to change the scary doodle below as early as possible. Here is the one I drew shortly after returning from our Honeymoon in Hawaii. That's us, relaxing on the beach.
There's a terrible reluctance about me this morning. I'm not sure what's causing it. The week is drawing to a close, and I'm looking forward to my mother's visit tomorrow. I planned to bicycle in today, but failed. So it goes and goes.
Today is the last terrible Horrible for some time. I promise. While I considered not posting it because of its awfulness, the rain in the doodle convinced me otherwise.
It's been raining here too much lately, and while I'm still not sure what that beast behind the Little Guy represents, it does sort of convey how we feel about this strange weather. We're willing to take NYC's heat wave over this mix of cold and rain. Thankfully, it's forecasted to clear up on Wednesday and return to the sunny and 60-70s we expect for this time of year. (That's not completely true: we expect rain, just not so much of it or with such cold temperatures. The joke is summer doesn't start until July 5.)
I felt a slight cold coming on this morning. I'm either empathizing with Julie, who is still recovering, or catching her cold. It seems to have passed for now.
Work has been busy, which is a very good thing. My mother is visiting this weekend, and we're hoping to explore new places. (Unlike last time, where we forced her to sit around and stare into space.) This will be her first visit to the Villa.
I don't know what it is about commencement speeches but they tend to provide the best life advice. I think it has to do with the presenters: they’re asked to look back some twenty-odd years over their (successful) lives and, with perfect hindsight, provide that tidbit of wisdom that allowed them to succeed.
JK Rowling’s Harvard commencement (via kottke) is one of those. While her second part (for the good of humanity) fell on uninterested ears, her first part didn’t. She spoke of perseverance. How she lost everything, was in the pit of depression and poverty, and discovered something that they never teach you: failure is not terrible. This understanding was what propelled her to write Harry Potter. It's always the fear of failure that is the horrible beast (the adages aren't always wrong).
Now, if only I wasn't that coward she described:
It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default.
If in ten years, I look back and, having followed her advice in the first part, see the second part of her speech as meaningful as the first, then I can say that I've not only found success, but I've learned to be successful as a person.
It's Julie's birthday today. Happy birthday, Julie! I gave her my gift--and, yes, a fancy hat and scarf IS a good birthday present. Julie shares her birthday with my niece, Rachel. We gave up trying to find gifts for our nieces, and decided to send amazon.com gift certificates for all birthdays (that and contribute to their college funds--they're not as excited by that as their parents).
Getting back to the Julies (which is exactly what she was thinking at the end of that last paragraph), we have reservations at the Waterfront Seafood Grill in Seattle tonight to celebrate.
This has been a very busy year for the both of us. Last year on Julie's birthday: we were not married, still lived in the Castle, Julie had not opened her medical practice, and we didn't have Ziggy or Button (oh, quiet bliss!). A lot can happen in a year. I'm hoping this year is just as exciting!
Wow, it has been a long time since I drew this. It's dated January 29, which seems an impossibly long time ago. We've had Button for almost six months. She's much different from Ziggy: where he is gregarious and always looking to play, Button is more laid back. She's a terrific eater, elegant and sweet--when she's not trying to push Ziggy out of her way to get our attention.
This was my first attempt at drawing her when we returned from our Honeymoon (notice our fancy bathing suits). There are a few more coming up in the queue. I've not drawn the iggies in sometime. I'll have to rectify that soon.
Julie is complaining that I'm not posting often enough. I have to agree with her. I've fallen back into my rut of only posting on Horrible days. Another rectification is in order soon.
We are rapidly approaching Julie's birthday weekend. I made reservations at a Seattle restaurant for Saturday night (her birthday is on Sunday). I'll likely cook a fancy meal on Sunday--assuming we're not still stuffed from the Saturday night extravaganza.
It feels like a long time since I last posted a Horrible. I have been busily doodling away. I now have a nice stockpile in my back pocket, which decreases my anxiety and leaves me a much happier person.
I'm not sure what inspired this particular Horrible, but I'm sure it was some sort of presentations where somebody was talking at me for an inexplicably long time. I've said this before, but I'll say it again: when I'm bored, I really do cry. Julie has witnessed this behavior. It is not a good sad cry, but an uncontrollable leakage of water from my eyes. It leaves none of the redness or soreness that remains after a real cry.
The week has taken a turn for the worse, as I woke up to a torrential rainstorm, which made my morning dog routine more difficult. I planned to post a bit of writing over the past few days, but haven’t gotten around to it. Don’t worry, thinking of the stuff I’ve written, you’re not missing much. It’s the usual inane musings about weather, dearth of writing, and aspirations to be a bigger, better David ala NEQID.
Chuck e-mailed me to claim that he was busily thinking of planning to work on my Pong serve. I don’t remember the story topic, but knowing my interests, I’m sure it’s excruciatingly painful.
