Category Archives: Paul

December 27, 2024 · 23:48

Liminal Time

We all know what it is, that time and space between Christmas and New Year’s, when especially in terms of work and our daily lives and schedules, we’re all just sort of drifting freely and aimlessly.

What day is it? What day of the week? Do you know without checking your phone or smart watch? Even when it tells you, do you believe it?

Did you have one day off this week, two, or more? Did you have off last weekend, work Monday, off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, yesterday was a toss up, back at work for one day today, off for two more days this weekend, back for one day on Monday, then do it all over until next Thursday when the new work year smacks us like a wet mackeral across the face? Or did you take three or four strategically placed vacation days and end up with two full weeks off?

The pressure of Christmas decorations and cards and presents is all gone, but it’s days before we can celebrate the New Year. Even the old ways are gone, when we could lean on the NFL schedule with games on Thursday Night, Saturday, Sunday, Sunday Night, and Monday Night while the NBA filled up Chrstmas Day – all gone with games (including my beloved Chiefs) on Wednesday, Christmas Day, and damn near every other day all week.

Chaos, pure and simple.

Tonight I realized that the chaotic space-time continum disturbances were working in reverse, leaking upstream into the physical systems that I was using to keep track of my position in the timeline. I have my meds set up in advance for convenience, and I can also use them as a reminder of where I am in the week. Unless of course I’m so wacked out that I forget to take my meds, and then this simple system starts giving me inaccurate feedback.

I might be doomed.

I blame 2024. Stupid fucking 2024.

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Filed under Critters, Deep Thoughts, Paul, Photography

December 18, 2024 · 23:36

Random Old Photos – December 18th

A week before Christmas. Where does the rabbit hole of old pictures take us?

2,500 miles and fifty-one years, apparently. And into a black & white world. On film.

My camera at the time was a very old Argus film camera with a fixed lens. I was playing with using a pair of binoculars as a telephoto lens, with a rig I had put together myself to attach to a tripod and hold the camera and binoculars in place. This is from the hill behind our house, looking at the roof of the rectory from the Catholic Church across the street, to the First Congregational Church at the lower left edge of the picture, to Stellafane Hill off in the distance to the southwest.

If only I could talk to that 17-year-old kid for five minutes…

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December 17, 2024 · 23:55

Same, Watch, Same

I know the feeling. Getting older is not for the weak.

I’m fighting the good fight, I hope. The doctor has me on a CPAP machine night due to severe sleep apnea and while it’s telling me that I’m sleeping so much better, I’m not feeling it and sort of hate the CPAP with the white hot fire of a thousand brillian suns. I also got myself an Oura ring to be monitoring my vitals 24/7/365 – so far all it does is scold me for not going to bed earlier and congratulate me on using the CPAP.

Between the Apple Watch, the Oura ring, and the CPAP I’m turning Borg right before our eyes. It’s not nearly as much fun as Picard made it seem.

I would like to meet Seven of Nine or the Borg Queen. You know, just for kicks.

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Filed under Health, Paul

December 13, 2024 · 23:55

Late

Friday night, a couple of hours after everyone is gone.

Corner office, top floor, the fancy suite. With the perks come the responsibilities.

(It’s not my office or our suite.)

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Filed under ALS Network, Critters, Paul, Photography

November 26, 2024 · 23:27

Tuesday

Between my schedule since, like, forever and the short holiday week here in the US, I’m spinning. All day my head thought that it was Thursday, probably because there’s one more work day before I’m off, but for one truly horrible second there I thought that today was Monday and I had two days to go before the holiday and it nearly broke me. Fortunately I was able to look at my calendar and see that there were Tuesday meetings that I remember being in (let’s not do anything simple like look at the miniature supercomputer strapped to my wrist with the day and date and time prominently displayed)

Nope, it’s Tuesday. All day. One more day of work and then it’s four days off, three of which will probably be spent putting up Christmas lights.

Let the madness begin.

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November 25, 2024 · 23:44

Some Days – November 25th

Some days, no matter how many awards it won, “American Beauty” isn’t the film to watch.

And then when you turn it off and try to listen to music, the playlist gods just want to mess with your head.

Maybe I’ll just watch Iceland erupt – again. What’s the worst that can happen? (Looks at news and prays for the planet to crack in half and disintegrate into a slowly spreading cloud of debris.)

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Filed under Paul, Video

November 24, 2024 · 23:04

Yes, I DID Draw Stares

People stared. Children pointed. I got attention.

Most Sunday mornings early I’m at the grocery store, and in the fall and winter I’ll usually be wearing a Chiefs hat and T-shirt or sweatshirt of some sort. But then when I’m at home and the game’s actually on, I change into the “sacred vestments.”

The official jersey (#10, Isiah Pacheco), the “lucky” hat that I’ve worn for every game for probably ten years or more now, the beads (most of which came from Red Lobster when I order a Lobsterita and need to have a designated driver, but hey, they’re red and gold!).

Today I was running late and it was an early (10:00 on the West Coast) game, so I just went to grocery store in full regalia, with the radio coverage of the game blasting out from my pocket via the SiriusXM app on my phone.

People stared. Children pointed. I got attention.

I prefer to think it was just jealousy. Folks wished they were as cool as I was.

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Filed under Critters, KC Chiefs, Paul, Photography

November 21, 2024 · 23:27

Something For Thursday

I feel like I’m having some writer’s block or a dry spell or sorts. I’m so busy and tapped out and tired that I really don’t spend as much time taking pictures and getting out as I used to, and now that Daylight Saving Time ended I don’t seem to have any time when it’s light out where I’m not at the office. And I’m AT THE OFFICE, which is a totally different time dynamic than working from home. And of course, there’s the world to deal with. IYKYK.

I’m off my game.

On the one hand I’m feeling accomplished at the moment with a number of critical projects off my plate and I feel like I’m making a lot of progress on getting ahead of the game, which also feels good, I’m going to the gym and working out, which also is good.

But creatively, it’s just data mining through twenty years of digitial photographs.

I guess it could be worse. I might not have tens of thousands of photos to flip through.

And flipping through the photos looking for something to share is often a pleasant trip down memory lane. For example, I only get to the Ventura Pier and the beach about once every two or three years, but I usually really enjoy it. I should go back more often!

This whole random train-of-thought thing is odd. Sorry.

 

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Filed under Critters, Paul, Photography, Travel

November 17, 2024 · 23:34

Cheap Thrills, Red Tags Again

It’s that time of year again. This goes back many years, as some folks celebrate birthdays, wedding anniversaries, Christmas, and so on, I, a child of way, way too many cross-country road trips crammed into the back of  a station wagon with seven siblings (and not a seat belt in sight!) play license plate games and celebrate the arrival of the new tags every year. I’ve been looking but haven’t yet seen a single 2026 tag, so I have the first one that I’ve seen.

Yes, as stated in previous years, I understand exactly how sad and pathetic this is. You’re welcome and thenk you for sharing this special occasion with me for 2024.

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Filed under Paul, Photography

November 13, 2024 · 23:55

Winning Ugly

Another deadline hit today. (Payroll – and there was much rejoicing!) Like my favorite NFL team, I’m “winning ugly.” But I’m winning.

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Filed under KC Chiefs, Paul, Photography