Sequelae

Dutiful

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 00:14:04 -0700

Dutiful

"So be kind to your mother, though she may seem an awful bother, And the next time she tries to feed..."

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 23:17:06 -0700

“So be kind to your mother, though she may seem an awful bother,
And the next time she tries to feed you collard greens,
Remember what she does when you’re asleep”

- The Decemberists, A Cautionary Song

a new tack

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 23:13:21 -0700

I’m going to try a new tack, and go up to people and be like, Hey, you know what? You have take some time off. Like, go take a trip or something. Get some rest. I am saying you have to! Just do it before the end of the fiscal year. And they’ll be all, like, “What? Do I have to do this? Are you, like, saying that I have to go on vacation?” And I’ll go, Yes, yes, you do. And it’ll be great like that.

"I am not and never have been an intellectual. I am not articulate, and the subjects that I am trying..."

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 23:04:00 -0700

“I am not and never have been an intellectual. I am not articulate, and the subjects that I am trying to describe and discuss are beyond my abilities.”

- All That, David Foster Wallace

Range and hood/microwave all in!

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 20:46:39 -0700

Range and hood/microwave all in!

Look, I understand. I get it. I am not that pleasant. I am at best rather challenging. I can’t...

Sun, 06 Dec 2009 17:48:00 -0700

Look, I understand. I get it. I am not that pleasant. I am at best rather challenging. I can’t get off the track of despair I’m on despite significant effort.

But I got my Christmas cards out on time and I’ve done most of my Christmas shopping. Everyone will be taken care of.

Good morning

Sat, 05 Dec 2009 08:19:10 -0700

Good morning

New office

Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:13:08 -0700

New office

To look deep into the evil that dwells in the human soul, you...

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 22:06:24 -0700

To look deep into the evil that dwells in the human soul, you must do only one thing: go into management.

still

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 07:16:11 -0700

No end to the early morning waking. I know what it means, at least technically. I just lack the will to do anything about it.

"An ad that pretends to be art is-at absolute best-like somebody who smiles at you only because..."

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 23:13:19 -0700

“An ad that
pretends to be art is-at absolute best-like
somebody who smiles at you only because he
wants something from you. This is dishonest,
but what’s insidious is the cumulative effect
that such dishonesty has on us: since it offers a
perfect simulacrum of goodwill without goodwill’s
real substance, it messes with our heads
and eventually starts upping our defenses even
in cases of genuine smiles and real art and true
goodwill. It makes us feel confused and lonely
and impotent and angry and scared. it causes
despair.”

- David Foster Wallace, Shipping Out: on the (nearly) lethal comforts of a luxury cruise

The gupi did not make it a full year. She succumbed to an...

Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:31:00 -0700

The gupi did not make it a full year. She succumbed to an impressive sepsis. The vet said it was either a slow congenital development or idiopathic. Despite steroids, antibiotics, and timothy gruel, she never rallied once illness was visible.

I suppose it’s an improvement over being hunted, killed, and eaten by a predator.

intriguing notion

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:13:00 -0700

A lot of things happened over the past few weeks. Many of them were difficult, including:

my brother asking if he could “tag along” with my family and my father on a trip to Germany that’s taken me several years to plan, and freaking out when I respectfully declined
dealing with the H1N1 pandemic as a hospital administrator
writing a 27-page paper
the sudden decline and death of the Maus’ pet guinea pig
taking on unanticipated new workload as programs were handed over to me in great disarray
mentoring someone who has limited skills
dealing with a malpractice claim leveled against one of my areas of responsibility

Some good things happened, too:

my brother gaining insight and apologizing at the end of the whole ugly debacle
taking delivery of a new range, dishwasher, and microwave oven/vent hood
receiving public and private acknowledgment of a job well done by my director
maintaining a 4.0 GPA
moving into a large and attractive new office
my spouse receiving a substantial surprise bonus
news of successful education fund application

It was pointed out to me that I tended to focus mostly on the things that did not go well, and discount the things that did. It was also pointed out to me that some people enjoy the level of stressful activity that I subject myself to, in that they actually take satisfaction in being able to juggle it all successfully.

I wonder why I never really considered that before. It could be the actual point of the exercise, not just something to get out of the way so that I can finally have a nice long rest.

New range

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:05:19 -0700

New range

Photo

Thu, 26 Nov 2009 06:37:42 -0700

"No wonder they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka joke-that the horrific struggle to..."

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 06:59:21 -0700

“No wonder
they cannot appreciate the really central Kafka
joke-that the horrific struggle to establish
a human self results in a self whose humanity
is inseparable from that horrific struggle. That
our endless and impossible journey toward
home is in fact our home.”

- David Foster Wallace, Laughing with Kafka

35 years ago but almost identical today

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:41:24 -0700

35 years ago but almost identical today

Can you tell this is someone who is going to be dead to me in 11...

Sun, 22 Nov 2009 09:36:31 -0700

Can you tell this is someone who is going to be dead to me in 11 years’ time?

the end

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:37:38 -0700

the end

Go ahead

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:33:35 -0700

Go ahead