Blended Living

• The weather lately seems almost too nice
• especially for this time of year
• when the humidity and temperature in F usually add up to well over 170
• but this summer its rarely hit that horrible dis-comfort index as
• long as you are not on a crowded subway platform that is
• seems along with other technical hurdles the MTA can’t seem to figure out a way to
• cool off the platforms and with the construction at 96th street its only gotten worse
• I think it was well over 100F the other day down there
• and with the moisture dripping all over the place it only seems to be some
• medieval torture center in the making rather than
• the nice new more convenient subway station it will become before the
• next Olympics hopefully
• resurrected many hobbies of late
• and the anticipation phase of any endeavor causes more excitement and
• misleading thoughts than any other
• such as buying way too many things on Ebay
• but as the weather turns in the coming weeks and more activities go indoors
• I hope my recent failing nearsighted eyesight holds up to the miniature
• electronics hobby I seem to enjoy so much
• that’s a picture of a PCB, or prototype circuit board
• it allows one to solder on small parts and wire them underneath
• its like a multi-dimensional puzzle with some dimensions being
• the physical layout on top, the wiring underneath, and a consideration for power requirement  so that
• the parts do what you want them to do
• whether that’s a bright LED array, or a DC power supply, or a plant grow light
• or a myriad of other tiny gadgets
• not sure how I wondered over into acrylics from woodworking
• but found some Ebay sellers for scrap pieces thick enough and cheap enough
• to experiment with a couple blended projects
• like maybe a stool with a clear top and lit from below with LEDs
• or a corner or side table lit up, having wooden legs, and a clear acrylic top
• next thought about a light box, actually of both types
• one for art projects like drawing and etching onto acrylic
• and the other type which is a bright light to simulate the sun during the winter months
• haven’t spec’d that out yet, so don’t know if my current parts inventory has bulbs that simulate daylight enough to work
• while thinking about it, there is another light box the kind used in photography and the LEDs do lend themselves well to enhancing lighting for digital photo projects
• and red light for darkrooms, if that ever strays into my hobby stronghold
• amassing some new tools like better soldering station, and better pliers and cutters
• unfortunately my dremel like tool hit a snag as the seller let me know they may be out of stock
• so may have to go back to the buying matrix decision board and start over
• which is fun in of itself sometimes
• but I can see how this buying thing can be such an addiction and should stop
• and have been slowing as I crunch the data and the buying matrix function
• returns some ‘no sale’ responses
• however purchases made already have a steady stream of deliveries
• and my delivery chain (UPS, USPS, FEDEX and doormen) must start to wonder what I’m up to
• the lastest wandering off into new hobbyland has me reading about
• wiring my own speaker crossovers and
• winding magnet wire for inductors and what kind of
• capacitors create the best high pass filters
• which would be a great hobby to combine electronics, woodworking and possibly some acrylics stuff
• but I wonder what I’m gonna do with the rest of the 200 tweeters I bought for 10 bucks?
• (no not kidding – it was too good a deal to pass up)
• and with free shipping!  but it might have strained my guy’s back
• they are tiny tweeters but 200 add up
• so now I’m searching for tone generators and speaker building sites
• wondering if there is freeware for tuning speakers
• and if pimping speakers with LED lights goes too far.

Blended Living, Gadget addictions, ebay, hobbies

What’s been going on?  Its been a while since I’ve added words here.  Guess I just took some time off for the summer.  However a new season and is almost upon us.  Much ado about students returning to school, or entering a new phase in their lives which means work will be ramping up very soon.   Those vacationing in the Hamptons- the traders I mean- are drinking their last whatevers and getting back to business, so markets will likely be more volatile- meaning my other vocation picks up steam too.

I can’t believe that my older one is starting High School.  Orientation is this Wednesday. “Number One” my affectionate name for my first born, is excited and scared, as is expected.  There will be much to discuss later Wednesday, as she discovers more details about her next 4 years.  My little one, starts Middle School, so there is no shortage of newness in my household this year.

In fact, much of the last year has been spent preparing for this moment.  Essays, school visits, recommendations, late night discussions about school choice priorities, test prep, test taking – all wind into this next stage that starts imminently.  An emotional high pressure center is building over my dining table as we speak.  Clear skies or thunderstorms are hard to predict.

I’m reminded that sometimes ‘doing nothing’ is the right thing to be doing, sometimes.  Its just so frustrating to wait out these times, or at least it is profoundly for me.  So what’s a guy to do?  I restarted a couple hobbies – electronics and woodworking.   With so much that I do that is on a keyboard and virtual, its nice to actually plan, buy, cut, saw, hammer, screw and finish a little step stool, or solder a LED array.   A couple hours of concentration and something physical to show for it.

The upside is that its so much fun.  The downside is my skyrocketing Ebay ratings- all as a buyer. Still all in all, the stuff doesn’t take up too much room, and the cost will pay dividends over the next few months.  I do enjoy when seemingly disparate fields blend over into another.  My mind imagines combining the electronics with the woodworking with some photography- or an idea in one domain bleeds over into another.  I just won another auction…  This borders on addiction, but its managed.  Now I’ve got a small Dremel-like rotary tool.  It was a bargain!

I took some shots of the LED array lighting up my breadboard.  It should appear above at some point, assuming I remember…  Alas, too many things, not enough time.  Momentum is hard to keep up.  But like a hike up a hill, we can barely make out that next valley- we’re almost there.  Fall is my favorite photo season.   This and my other sites are sorely lacking new photos.  Click click. Snap snap.

Uncategorized end of summer, newness

• Been working out a lot and hard which
• produced the best night of sleep I’ve had in a short while
• as pleasant as it was, it wasn’t anything compared to that morning when
• my older child stopped her colic-y period
• and I slept thru the night- a full night of sleep after months
• which reminds me the next time she asked what I’ve done for her lately, I might
• pull that one out of the chest
• but midnight runs in Central Park are so peaceful, alone
• in my discipline, without anyone (almost) to observe my breathlessness at
• the tail ends of sprints and the click click click
• of my yellow stopwatch
• even the raccoons were no where to be seen, they
• took the rainy night off, I guess, but today
• as I walked some plants back to their owners, the expression
• “Too many brooms, and too few dustpans”
• sprung forth in my mind, unaware if I parrot or coined
• a new expression that describes a frustrating episode of my life
• but somehow pleased to bring something new and creative out
• of the darkness of limbo-land
• a recent grad sues her college for her not finding a job after a 3 month search
• seems too comical yet reveals the present unemployment frustrations,
• yet digging just slightly past the surface the article
• mentions her 2.7 GPA and solid attendance record and if that doesn’t cement
• an attitude of entitlement- I’m not sure what does
• maybe the publicity will land her a job, but watch out
• at her next review…
• yet something comes to mind from a late night infomercial
• about unreasonable people…
• but somehow that isn’t exemplified well in this case
• still the thought lingers from that Buddha saying:
• “you become what you do now”
• numbers and codes come to mind to outline a running regimen
• but some more spit and polish and testing is forthcomoing
• just to say that it seems to fit me well.

SoC, run raccoons, rest, running

Its been an interesting month so far.  Been sick and rested plenty.  Summer flu isn’t fun at all.  Allowed enough time to pass to let some subconscious thoughts bubble up to the surface.  Last three months have been good with many milestones hit, and then its like walking onto that higher diving board and wham – you freeze up a bit.

So maybe its what they call a rebuilding period.  So I took a few days off and actually worked with my hands and some power tools and spare lumber and other things and dusted off some old projects that lingered on the ‘not urgent’ end of the to-do list.  Put up that coat hook, ordered some hardware, fixed a loose chair, made a calf block, set up the monitors at home to expand my screen real estate.  …and excavated into a pile of stuff that I’ve been putting off organizing.

I guess I have run out of some long term goals, too.  A series of rising expectations, whereby paradoxically I should be happiest, having completed some major goals – yet I’m not.  Perhaps its time to brush off the tush and not rest on those laurels any longer.  It reminds me of the story I heard from an Olympic gold medalist.  The day after the trophy ceremony was his saddest day.  He was goal-less.  And so much effort and focus led to that gold medal.

Its not necessarily that being so goal-driven is a good thing.  After all we should not be solely identified by our goals and accomplishments.  Its more that he was directionless.  Something along the lines of the travel, not the destination.

Another way to look at it is that this is sort of a personal Minsky Moment.  Along that plane of existence, there aren’t more higher highs to be found.  It is time to re-invent myself in some fashion.  What was that saying?  If you’re not growing you’re dying.   Its time to visit a chameleon spirit- if such a beast exists. A vision quest.   If the current financial collapse was a Minsky Moment of overextended credit – what exactly have I run out of in my life?  I can’t seem to draw the parallel.

As usual, thinking along these lines creates more questions, not less.  A quote that came my way recently resonates strongly.  “What you are is what you have been. What you’ll be is what you do now.” -Buddha

But what to do now?  Pieces of the answer are obvious, but as I grasp for the answer  it is  like the tip of an iceberg.  Too heavy and cold to lift out of the murky waters.   Do I proceed as I have been, or do I learn a new way to walk and talk and see and relate?   The answer will come eventually and soon I suspect.  I can feel it coming together.  A new blend.

Uncategorized

Horrid Mosquito!

My net has thousands of holes

Not one for you- Splat!

Uncategorized

• haven’t blogged in a while
• or maybe it just seems that way…
• hope you all had a good 4th
• I ended up making it a relaxing weekend, but
• got lured into the crowds of fireworks onlookers
• on the westside highway around 70th street
• might have gotten a couple nice shots with the camera
• (haven’t looked at the stuff on the computer yet)
• as it dawned on me that fireworks isn’t that easy to take nice shots of
• if you don’t know what is coming up and the exposure takes quite
• a few milliseconds and the fireworks come and go in that interim
• also without a tripod and a mulling crowd its hard to hold still for 200+ milliseconds
• even with an optical stabilizer
• and it took a full 20 minutes to exit with all the people
• just enough time for a mosquito to get me a few times on the leg
• so that answers the question
• do insects take the holidays off?  (NO!)
• can’t complain much with this moderate weather, but still its more rain than I remember for a July
• and its almost mid month and haven’t turned the AC on yet, although I scratched
• the AC cleaning off the to-do list early this year
• finished that Elmore Leonard novel, it was fun to just read for pleasure
• at various parks, cafes, and other places
• and I’m starting another tonite
• that kindle dropped in price to 299, and it seems like a bargain
• but I think I’ll do some research and figure out how much
• I spent on my last 20-30 books and see where I’d breakeven with a kindle
• More recently I made it to the track for a couple 400’s but
• then got sick the next day
• and I think I actually slept about 40 of the last 50 hrs!
• which only makes ups for the loss of sleep from those pesky Mosquitoes
• but I do have nets now
• came across more references to Neil Howe’s work
• and his books are on my NYPL list now
• although I find my passions pleasurable, sometimes it does add
• to the stress levels, which could lead to me being sick
• and its awkward to have the sniffles during July
• so have to mix in some remoteness stuff, like
• Now to “Pagen Babies”.

Uncategorized

• I’ve slept more the last two nights than in the previous week
• that mosquito net can’t arrive too soon
• score update: killed another 5, but they bit us another 19 times (at least)
• this blissfulness with lots of sleep is throwing me off a bit
• is that the sun?
• its a strange round bright thing in the sky
• don’t crave caffeine today
• but haven’t run enough lately either
• maybe next week things will go smoother
• that was definitely runners legs on that babe I saw today
• she was dressed up for work, but with tennis shoes on and moving pretty fast
• took my first Yoga class a few days ago, was sore in a few new places
• but overall it was pretty cool, stretched out a few tight spots that running has made worse
• the instructor has such a nice soothing voice, I think I could have fallen asleep
• as we did the corpse pose at the end
• then she handed out some postcards
• with a photo of her doing a really impressive pose
• that inspired me greatly
• and gave me the impression that Yoga is harder than I really give it notice
• plus I was sweating more than I thought I would
• the librarian commented on my sunglasses
• and I said that it was nice to have the sun out so that I  could wear them
• I hope they get enough support to keep them open and hired
• basketball in the rain isn’t so much fun
• but it is cooler
• changes the game to outside shooting and driving only to the truly daring
• as the court is more skating rink than hardtop

Uncategorized

Some guys at work I head to the gym with three lunch times a week, talked me into some basketball.  I really liked the fact that we strive for a 10 minute weights workout – and I often scoff at the ‘long-timers’ and squatters that we have to maneuver around when we are on our little rush to fit in 10-12 sets and get out of there.

I especially like the fact that its almost fast enough that we don’t really sweat and we are out of there and on the way to grab a bite or head back to work in record time.  Not with basketball.  Despite the air conditioning, we are all drenched.  Despite the “we’ll just shoot around” line, I know the competitive nature that envelopes us all will win out.

Trying to not sweat so much, I fall back on my usual strategy of remembering past solutions and getting to the crux of the game. Min Max tables chart out in my head.  Minimize effort (sweat) and maximize results (baskets and reputations) .   I think of the main data points to recall, the way to size up an opponent, how to exploit my strengths and their weaknesses- I strategize that their must be about 7 things to know about someones game.  The stuff that would fill my cheatsheet about player X, or player Y.

Is he Righty or Lefty?  Can he dribble?  Perimeter shooter or layup artist?  Where does he set up to shoot?  When does he spot the rim?  What’s their pattern and rhythm?  Upset any of that and they will usually start to miss.  Miss much more often.   There are others, but it was only 2 on 2, and we only played 3 games, before getting exhausted.

I guess I was applying a sort of facial reading, but in a more physical whole body way.  It would be interesting to see where the tells are.  Like a poker game.  Patterns set up, and then I like to exploit them.  That’s the real fun part of the game for me.  Basketball, poker, chess, trading, people reading – there’s more in common than we think sometimes.  Or at least in the way I see things.

The other difference is I can control how much weight to lift, the number of reps, and choose to skip a particular weight machine, or exercise.  In the heat of the game, past glories light up our memories, and we think that we can hit that shot again. There are more opposing forces here, than just steel and gravity and singular will power. Arms and elbows and knees collide in the dance to score 15 baskets, first.  I’m sore and bruised.

Uncategorized min max, sweat

• I turn to some DVD videos in contrast to all the reading I’ve done lately
• amazingly I got Pelham 123 from the NYPL despite my 3 digit placement on the waiting list
• not sure how that happened but I wanted to see the old movie before going to see the latest edition
• perhaps mosquito season has ended so I can get a few good nights sleep  in a row
• as I have also given up daily coffee
• again
• such attempts in the past were very effective
• in allowing me to get enough sleep, rest and provide clarity
• to face this life’s challenges but
• I guess there are times where we don’t want such clarity
• and want to just muddle through the days
• however give me a clean lens and
• I’ll find the beauty if I have to cast new players, change the props and scenery and aim the camera in different directions
• I’m persistent to the point of stubborn sometimes
• but when the vision of beauty is so clear and rich often
• I can get carried away
• but enough Quixotian windmills, distant memories, and fantastical illusions
• It’s time to paint this life’s reality with a new brush and vigor.

SoC

Falling rose petals

As  winds blow a butterfly

Last embers cool dark.

Uncategorized Add new tag, haiku