Author Archives: momdude

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About momdude

Space cadet | Family dude | Photographer | Music lover | Traveler | Science fiction fan | Hugo Award nominee | Writer | 5x NASA Social participant | KC Chiefs fan | LA Kings fan | Senior Director of Finance & Administration for ALS Network | Member & former staff Finance Officer at the Commemorative Air Force SoCal Wing | Hard core left-wing liberal | Looking for whatever other shenanigans I can get into
December 17, 2021 · 23:58

Is It The Weekend?

And does it matter?

Between my work schedule (there have been a LOT of really critical deadlines and all of the work involved, but so far we’re hitting them, even if some of them are by the skin of our teeth) and “life” and the holidays and family and that football game last night, the last two weeks I’m having serious issues keeping track of what day it is.

Life isn’t counted in days of the week and weekends – there’s no difference, they’re all pedal to the metal. I don’t count days to the weekend, I count hours to the next critical deadline.

That’s not quite over yet, but I think all of the REALLY REALLY critical deadlines are over for the moment. This weekend we’re doing Christmas a week early since all of the kids are here, our first full family Christmas in a decade or more.

I hope tomorrow’s Saturday.

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Filed under Castle Willett, Family

December 16, 2021 · 23:57

Overtime Joy

What did you do with your Thursday night?

Our first trip to the new stadium, to see my beloved Chiefs play the Chargers. This is the opportunity that opened up when we decided not to go to DC for Worldcon.

Yes, it’s sparkly and huge and bright. It’s also a whole lot in need of some directional signs and some food choices that aren’t from Rodeo Drive. I went to a football game, I wanted a hot dog or some BBQ, not curry chicken with some kind of carrot & bell pepper cold noodle thing. (Mind you, it was all very tasty and not even outrageously priced by stadium standards, especially brand new, multi-billion dollar stadium standards, but that’s not the point.)

There was also some football played, some very good football. But the best part was the Chiefs winning in OT.

That wasn’t half bad…

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Filed under KC Chiefs, Panorama, Photography

December 15, 2021 · 23:50

I Want To Be The Boss

Headlines tonight say that Bruce Springsteen has sold his music catalogue to Sony for something on the order of $500,000,000. That’s right – half a freakin’ billion semolians!!

Just curious what my creative output might be worth, and to whom?

C’mon, MAD Magazine, you can own “We Love The Stars Too Fondly” for a mere $5,000,000. That’s 1% of what Sony laid out! A bargain!

And “The Philk Fee-Nom-Ee-Non?” Hell, that’s classic! A collector’s item! What it lacks in volume compared to WLTSTF, PFNEN makes up for in… something. Let’s see you step up to the table, Elon!

Y’all have my number. I’ll be waiting.

 

 

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Filed under Farce

December 14, 2021 · 23:33

Soaked Squirrel

That much needed rain arrived last night and it was a pretty good soaker. This morning when I got up, I saw this guy out feeding in the yard.

The image quality is poor because I was zoomed in to the max on my iPhone, but you can clearly see that he’s a bit bedraggled.

I didn’t feel too bad for him, he was feeding out in the area where I throw the “small critter” food (as opposed to the bird food) so he was getting a decent breakfast.

Then, in thanks for feeding him, thirty seconds later he was trying to climb the vine-covered porch post to get at the hummingbird feeder, AGAIN. The little rat bastard didn’t even have the courtesy to run away when I opened the back door, made me come out and take two or three steps in the cold before he decided I was really serious.

No gratitude. None!

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Filed under Critters, Photography

December 13, 2021 · 23:47

My Calendar Today

“[TENATIVE] Fly to Washington DC”

On the one hand, good thing that trip got cancelled! I am so up to my ass in alligators between work and the hangar and year-end and budgets and tax returns and tying up loose ends and DEATH WILL NOT RELEASE ME!

On the other hand, it’s yet another thing that I would truly, truly love to do (we were going for Worldcon in DC, but because of COVID the con has turned into a bit of a “challenge” with hotels closing and facilities in short supply and moving from August to December) that I can’t because of COVID in part, but also because there’s that whole “adult” thing to deal with.

I’ll carry on. I’ll live. But there might be moments in the next week when I’m seeing reports from the convention and friends who DID make it there when I’ll be cranky.

On the gripping hand, when one door closes, another opens. One event that got written off when we were planning on being in DC this week suddenly became a possibility. And with the kids coming down…

Okay, I’ll be a tiny little bit less cranky.

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Filed under Fandom, Paul, Travel

December 12, 2021 · 23:17

So Few Leaves Left

We’re just days away from the winter solstice. With a few wind storms and a little bit of rain, there are so few leaves left, even here in Southern California.

That blue sky and most of the remaining leaves will be gone as our first large rain storm moves in tomorrow. We need the rain, desperately.

I’m looking forward to the solstice and the lengthening days again.

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Filed under Photography, Weather

December 11, 2021 · 23:26

My “Unimpressed” Face

“Siri, show me my ‘unimpressed’ face.”

Wait, the phone can create GIFs? How did I do that?

More importantly, how do I turn it off?

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Filed under Paul, Silly Shit

December 10, 2021 · 23:02

Handheld

No tripod, an impulse picture since it was suddenly clear-ish. A little haze and the ever-present LA light pollution so there’s some washout, but not too bad.

Click on it to blow it up! Taurus (shaped like a “>”) at the top, Orion between it and the treetops. Can’t miss it.

43ºF out there – brisk!

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Filed under Astronomy, Photography

December 9, 2021 · 23:11

Lights, Sunset, Moon

And it got cold! I know we’re not talking about Vermont cold or Minnesota cold, but low 40’s, upper 30’s for SoCal is COLD.

We got a bit of rain this morning, a bunch more expected Monday and Tuesday, but this evening most of the clouds were breaking, the sunset was pink, the moon was bright, and the Christmas lights were on.

Not bad. But cold.

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Filed under Christmas Lights, Photography, Weather

December 8, 2021 · 23:14

Fine Feathered Friends – December 08th

We’ve seen this guy before, back in April.

But while I’ve heard him once in a while, I haven’t seen him before early November.

It’s our friend the downy woodpecker, small, black and white with some spots.

I read something the other day that they’re the smallest North American woodpecker. This one’s not a whole lot bigger than a house finch.

While the bigger woodpeckers can make quite a racket, this little guy is pretty quiet. I could barely hear him from twenty feet away.

If you hear a loud, hammer-like sound around here, it’s probably one of the ravens, wanting to know when I’m going to feed the squirrels so that they can swoop in and steal dinner!

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Filed under Birds, Critters, Photography