Austin Christmas 2009

I finally made it to Austin yesterday. I loved spending time with my family and friends in Houston, I really did. But I shed no tears for leaving Houston itself. Though, I must say that Houston has really come a long way in the last ten years or so. Many of the ghettos have been redeveloped and are now quite nice. I'm just not a city guy. During the three hour drive from Houston to Austin, I felt my stress melting away as the urbanization dwindled and the rolling hills appeared.

Last night I had a fantastic dinner at East Side Cafe and walked around our beautiful capitol. This morning I immersed myself in Texas culture. Among other things, I bought a proper pair of boots, handmade in Texas of course, and ate barbecue at Rudy's. Then I spent an hour looking at and test driving the new Super Duties. I know, I know. I didn't buy one. I wasn't even tempted. But it doesn't feel right to come to Texas and not spend at least a little time behind the wheel of a truck. I actually found my dream truck - the one I'll be driving when/if the day comes that I get my ranch. But the $60k price tag, the 12 mpg fuel economy and the fact that I live in Boulder rather than on a Texas or Colorado ranch, ensured that, for now, the environmentalist in my head got his way and the cowboy had to keep his mouth shut. The cowboy has at least found some consolation in those new boots.

How Quickly We Forget

Yesterday I saw my Aunt Snoopy, mom's sister, for the first time in nearly a decade. (Nearly our entire family has odd nicknames, and some of us have multiple nicknames that are used interchangeably. I need to sit my mom down and find out where these names came from.) I walked inside of Aunt Snoopy's "new" (to me) house and it was like a blast from the past. My family never seems to evolve. People get older, even get new houses, but it's like they're stuck in a time warp in terms of what's going on in the mind.

I love my Aunt Snoopy. She's as sweet as can be. But she, along with everyone else down in this part of Texas, have reminded me how different my life is today. They've also reminded me why I am the way I am. My Boulder friends wonder why I bought a Ford F350 Super Crew long bed 4x4, love my cowboy hat and dream of a ranch? They need only visit my family in Texas for a day and all of their questions would be answered. It even slapped me in the face.

Snoopy's house is pretty typical of what you'll see if you visit any household belonging to a member of my family: American and Texas flags flying on the flagpole out front, huge framed emblems of the Seal of Texas on the walls, mounted deer heads and other assorted animals placed around the house, paintings of cowboys, sculptures of cowboys, references to cowboys, trinkets and fridge magnets and t-shirts and coasters and dishes with Texas symbols on them, signs out front that say things like "We don't dial 9-1-1" next to an image of a pistol, sprawling property with several big trucks in the driveway, etc. And then there's that thick Texas accent. I swear I don't know how I ever lost mine. Maybe it was the same force that took me to college and out of Texas. I'm one of only two of all the family with a four year college education, and both of us left Texas. In fact, after we left Snoopy's house, mom and I drove around the country a little bit just looking. I commented how beautiful it was and how I still can't believe you can buy a huge house on 20 acres of land for $150,000 out here. I could have a garden that goes forever and all the horses I could stand! And every house has a Super Duty, standard. But mom said she didn't want me to move back. "I would love nothing more than to have you close to me, but you'd be miserable here. You're better than this. You would never be happy living around all of these backward rednecks. You'd miss the mountains. You'd miss Boulder. You'd miss being around all of those smart, educated people and doing good things for the world." And she's right of course. I'd have no friends here, not now. I've evolved too much. Kinda made me sad, actually.

Then this morning I awoke to rain - hot, steamy rain. It's the day before Christmas eve and it feels like a tropical rainforest outside. I read in the news this morning that Boulder is going to have 10 inches of snow on the ground by Christmas Day. I have friends there who are going skiing. There's a live webcam of Pearl and 11th on the front page of www.dailycamera.com. I've been watching it for the past hour. You can just see the restaurant Salt on the left side, and to the right is the Boulder Bookstore. People are walking on white sidewalks and I miss Boulder deeply.

It's funny. I really do love Colorado and Texas in equal but different ways. They are both home to me. I'm reminded of my road trip to Austin last summer and that moment when I realized there are two loves in my life.

Feels like Christmas in July

It's not exactly tropical but it's close enough for me.

I'm at mom's house outside of Houston. This morning I awoke to a beautiful sunny day and sat out by the pool in the sunshine, barefoot and in shorts. It's the first day of winter. It's supposed to be near 70 today. Except for the higher humidity, it feels very much like early summer in Boulder.

The Christmas lights are up and everything in the house looks very festive, but I can't shake the feeling that it's summer. I grew up literally five miles from here and yet I find this surprising and disorienting. But I also find it comfortable and familiar. The big trees are just now dropping their brown leaves, a process we went through in Boulder months ago. I left Boulder with snow on the ground, and here I'm walking around like I'm at the beach.

I actually find it liberating. Sometimes in the cold of Colorado I start to feel trapped, though much less so now that I've had a few years to adjust. Often in the dead of a Colorado winter you can't leave the house without being bundled up in five layers from head to toe, yet here I am in Texas lounging poolside and contemplating a swim. But as I sat there wiggling my toes in the December sunshine I remembered the days when I fantasized about mountains and what it must be like to actually have snow at Christmas. It always bugged me that the Christmas cards and decorations depicted snowmen and wintry scenes, when outside the grass was green and short sleeves were in order.

I think I'm pretty lucky to have the opportunity to live in both worlds.

Bouldery Thoughts

Why can't I sleep anymore? I'm normally zonked by 9:30 or 10, and lately I'm doing good if I'm asleep by 2AM.

I'm not worried about anything. To the contrary, life is better than it ever has been. I think that's actually the cause of the insomnia. I lay down in bed and my mind is just racing. I keep thinking of how incredibly transformative the last 3-4 years have been and how bright the future appears. Sometimes I can hardly believe my good fortune.

Maybe I need to take up triathlon training. That should wear me out sufficiently.

I'm thinking about building a website. It'd help me build my web skills for work, but would also let me host my own blog and build an online resource for all the things I'm interested in. For example, I'd have a whole section on food (surprise, surprise.) It might be fun to show how to milk a cow and then how to use raw milk and fresh cream to churn butter and make yogurt. I'd like to include facts and comparisons of raw, grass fed, local milk to that filthy white sugar water most people buy at chain supermarkets, and dispel myths about peoples' fear of raw milk. I'd like to list resources for American made clothing and reasons to buy American. I'd like to post maps and photos and even have a discussion board where people could (if anyone were so inclined) have a dialogue with me or with each other about things they find interesting. I'd also love to showcase all the things I love about Boulder, including my favorite local businesses.

For example, if you're ever in Boulder you need to check out Clutter. It's an upscale second hand/consignment shop downtown. It can be hit or miss, which is expected considering the nature of the business, but they frequently have pretty unique, quality things. Check out this video and pictures. I'm not a big consumer of stuff, but when I do want a new serving bowl or picture frame it's cool to get one that was made with pride and quality in the days before everything rolled off an assembly line in China. I love supporting local businesses. The owner is really great and so are her employees. We walk by there all the time and sometimes we just drop in to say hi.

Then there's Spruce Confections, the bakery on Pearl St. They make one of the tastiest cookies ever: the Old B. And you have to have dinner and drinks at The Kitchen which serves a lot of local foods, converts their cooking oil to biodiesel and powers their restaurant with wind. Then there's the Hotel Boulderado, the oldest and most posh hotel in town which also has incredible food. If you're in the market to buy or just rent a bike for a day, hands down it's University Cycles. Need something to wear? Check out Weekends. The owner is a super awesome guy. For the best cup of coffee anywhere, go to The Cup. Wanna know where the locals go for an awesome local brew and a good burger? Try Mountain Sun. They even brew their own fantastic root beer. Need hardware or appliances or anything you might generally find at Wal-Mart? Sorry, but we're fortunate enough not to have a Wal-Mart in this town. But we do have a healthy alternative: McGuckin Hardware! And unlike Wal-Mart's false advertisements, McGuckin really does carry American made goods as often as possible, and you'll NEVER find better or more attentive service. NEVER.

Then of course there are the events and entertainment such as the farmer's market, the Boulder Creek Festival, the Hometown Fair, the coolness that is Chautauqua, the Boulder Theater, E-Town, Banjo Billy's Bus Tours, the annual naked pumpkin run, the Happy Thursday Cruiser Ride, First Bite Boulder and much more.

Don't forget about the outdoor recreation for which Boulder is famous. This includes the Flatirons, Mt. Sanitas, and the other 43,000 (yes, forty three thousand) acres of Boulder city parks and open space land on which you can hike, bike, swim, rock climb, snowshoe, sled, kayak, fly fish or pet prairie dogs. (By the way, this doesn't even include the additional 100,000 acres of open space that Boulder County maintains just outside of the city!) Boulder also has a whopping 350 miles of bicycle lanes and paths and is one of the most bike friendly communities in the US. We're a platinum level bike community and have 74 underpasses for bikes and pedestrians to cross roadways without dealing with cars.

Boulder was the second US city ever to issue same-sex marriage licenses, and the first US city where voters approved a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation. We were also the first Colorado city to enact a smoking ban which included bars.

Not surprisingly Boulder is also one of the greenest cities, with one of the first "eco communities," an extensive recycling program, a budding smart grid, and a whole lot of scientists, educators and other educated liberal types.

We're home to Celestial Seasonings, the University of Colorado, the Leanin' Tree Museum, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Institute of Standards in Technology, National Center for Atmospheric Research, and much more.

We've got trout living in our whitewater creek that runs through town, and black bear, red fox, mountain lion, moose, mule deer, coyote, bald eagles, prairie dogs and elk are common sights.

We have no ghettos or "bad" parts of town, unless you count the area where the frats are concentrated, and it's one of the cleanest, safest cities I've ever even heard of.

I ask you, what's not to love?

So what should I call my website?

Have a Nice Day

I rescinded my offer on the house. I hated to do it, but it was for the best. The search continues.

I had my annual review today at work. It went really well. We do this thing we call the 360 review, where current and former clients are asked to confidentially report on the employee's work quality. Their reports are submitted to the boss who reviews them and uses it in his assessment of the employees work performance. Apparently my reviews were stellar, and he read a few quotes to me. They almost made me teary eyed they were so nice. Then the boss lavished me with praise. It really makes you feel good when you realize that people really appreciate your hard work, admire your professionalism, and compliment you on your patience and dedication. It's a fantastic way to end a day, especially when it ends with your second raise in as many months.

This week was particularly good at work for other reasons as well. My first publication finally came out, and I snagged a really interesting project analyzing potential sites for hydrogen production and carbon dioxide sequestration. It's always cool to take raw data and produce something entirely new that no one has seen before. It's also fun to see how excited engineers and scientists get when you do a little GIS magic for them.

Reason to Love Boulder #69

One of the cool things about Boulder is that nobody closes their blinds. Houses don't have burglar bars, people sit on their front porches, and it's normal to go for a walk after sunset and see every other house with the lights on and a perfect view of what's going on in nearly every front room of the house. Normally the husband is on his laptop in the study or at the dining room table, and the wife is in the kitchen preparing dinner. Sometimes people are watching tv or just sitting in a comfy chair reading a book. There's one house that's almost all glass. The bedroom is on the top floor, and you can walk by almost any evening and see the owner laying in bed reading. You can see the entire bed, the walls, the closet, everything. He's literally in a glass box. It's the freakiest thing.

Last night I looked out the window at the apartments across the street, many units of which are frequently lit up with no curtains or blinds. I hit the jackpot. A very fortunate looking pair of young college students were humping like rabbits for all the world to see. I'll spare you the details, but trust me, there were a lot of details. It was the first time I'd ever seen live porn that I wasn't involved in. I couldn't stop smiling, and I sat there and watched the whole thing, beginning to end, from the comfort of my third floor loft.

I love Boulder.

House

I made an offer on a house yesterday. In Boulder. I love it.

The seller countered. I accepted.

I still have to get the loan approved, have inspections done, etc. There are many hurdles, not least of which is a deadline to close by December 31 due to constraints on the seller.

I don't know if it will all happen. I should know more by Monday. I'm so blown away by the suddenness and the implications of finally being that mythical creature, the Boulder homeowner, that I feel like a disconnected consciousness.

I'm going to be useless at work on Monday. I may call in sick.

The Thought Train Just Keeps Rolling

I can't tell you how much I hate office meetings, work retreats and strategic planning. Corporate tripe. Maybe it has its place but I have no place among it.

I just got a really big raise and a promotion, which is nice. And for the most part I like my work, and of course the benefits are really good and the people I work with are pleasant. It isn't really a high pressure job. But I have a problem fitting in sometimes.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm just becoming and old stick in the mud. I don't really have a desire to chase technology or get swept up in some kind of corporate-esque "team player" mentality. I want a simple life. I want a genuine, deliberate life built in things that are real, with real friends (as opposed to virtual ones). This Facebook thing is just the latest way, in my opinion, for people to become further disconnected from reality and from each other. It isn't meaningful to know that a person I knew fifteen years ago just got finished cleaning the litter box. It is meaningful to sit down with my neighbor and have a beer and talk about the week. It isn't meaningful to spend a day "strategizing" about being "thought leaders on the global stage." It is meaningful to chop a chord of fire wood to keep me warm through the winter.

Facebook: The Final Chapter

Have you ever deactivated a Facebook account? It doesn't go down without a fight. It shows a smattering of your "friends" and tells you that you'll never ever be able to contact any of your good friends ever again, and that they're all going to miss you terribly.

Good riddance.

The Facebook Fallacy

So I joined Facebook. What a joke.

Yeah a few people from high school found me. So did a lot of other people, many of whom I haven't seen in a long time. Some for good reasons.

I don't get "the wall." Is it a chat forum? Is it an inconvenient spin-off of the email concept? Who reads it? Why am I supposed to care that someone I haven't seen in 15 years is grocery shopping at this very moment?

How is this thing supposed to be helpful?

I'm fighting the urge to cancel it, but I'm going to try and last at least a week. I do want to give it a fair shake, if for no other reason than to have even more firepower when someone tries to argue how awesome it is.

And since I'm on a techno roll, I decided to check out Twitter and Kindle, two other techno fads that I commonly rail against. So far Twitter looks to be even more absurd than Facebook, and Kindle, while intriguing and possibly more environmentally friendly than books, is something I remain suspicious of.

Isn't technology supposed to make life simpler? My life isn't simpler when I have several computers, an iPhone, two social networking services, chat, email, fifty different passwords for all my various devices and online accounts, and I'm trying to do my work and keep up with the mundane details of dozens of people I may or may not know and may or may not care about. What's the point? I'd rather have one good friend to have a beer with once a week and have a real conversation with than a hundred "friends" on Facebook who want to send virtual pokes and newsflashes about what their cat left in the litter box.

[sigh]

I wanna be a cowboy.

Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.