A Long, Long Wait

I'd more or less forgotten I even had this thing. What with the relative privacy my job requires, the fact that Susan regularly blogs (hahah, yes, you can get much better coverage from her facebook feed), and the general bustle of two little weasels, I've just been unable to shake the moss out of my fur and get a move on.

So, what's new? Well it has been several years since my last post, so... a lot. Time has passed, many things have transpired. I am, however, I'm sure, basically unchanged. Dumber, yes. Duller. Certainly a little thicker than before. Visible grey hairs are pretty disconcerting. Still can't grow a credible beard.

Haven't been playing soccer or even--for months on end--doing much running or swimming. Nothing more than the occasional backyard scrimmage with the kiddos, more or less. I'm planning on signing us up to do a color run 5K, maybe, in the spring.

We've started looking at tickets to come back to the PNW in the early summer.

Another Useful Site

Here is a collection of neat datasets on the international order.

Weird Dream

I dreamed that the family and I went to NYC for a visit and befriended Paul Krugman, his wife Robin Wells, and John Cleese in a bookstore. They invited us to a birthday party, but we could not go.

Man

It's been quite quiet here. I haven't had much to write, and have been sort of busy. Things slowed down there for a couple of weeks in September. October was fairly calm except for our longish excursion West. November is dawning crisp and calm. I expect the calmness could pass soon (Super Committee-related scurrying may be in order around the end of the month).

Occasionally I'll think about life before we moved here and it seems so long ago. Strange how just a couple or a few years can make for so much distance.

Useful Website

Council of State Governments database

Still Here

Alive, hanging in there. Just a busy bee.

Song

The song "Carolina" by Ben Gibbard and Andrew Kenny is pretty but dark.
You never learn.
The rules have changed
since we were nine.
This isn't school,
boys don't assault
the girls they like.
The taste of blood,
the claim of love;
these two will hereon
cease to be
sprouting from
your fists and tongue:
this Carolina waits for me.

Fantastic Quotation

“Homo sapiens is the species that invents symbols in which to invest passion and authority, then forgets that symbols are inventions.” — Joyce Carol Oates
See Futility Closet

Some Charts

Handbaskets.

Top Shot

Pretty amusing program. In one challenge they use a Barrett M82A1. I shot that some time ago, at 400 yards. They did it at 1000 yards. Wow! Cool!