harvest lunar prominence

does anyone else see the almost arrow shaped thingy pointing out of the harvest moon, at right about the 9 o'clock position? it is not there when i view the moon with binocs. but when using my own eyeballs, it has been there the last two nights.

a forgotten thing, a new thing

the forgotten thing was to add 'seeing a playoff game for the first time' to the baseball category. that is a huge statement considering how often the tribe went in the mid 90's. i could never get tickets :( the ironic thing is i attended a all time high of 10 games attended before moving out here. shortly after i settled this land, am at a playoff game, twice. also, chuck finley was the straiting pitcher in 3 of those games. he got bombed in all 3. then he got traded to the cardinals, just before i moved. the d'backs opponent for the 2 games i was at, the same cardinals. so he starts once again in my presence, this time in a different uni. he dominated the d'backs. i also should have added seeing my first spring training game ever.

the new thing gets lumped in a 'common' category, concerts to numerous to count. i saw AIC & VR @ ava. that is alice in chains and velvet revolver at ava amphitheater. very unexpectedly i did so. it was awesome! in so many ways. just another example of the yin grower even larger against the yang.

let it grow

i have never heard this clapton song until tonight, i am surprised i have not. after one listening, the song now has a reservation with me.

it was a good week, for the most part. tomorrow ill be my five year anniversary here in AZ. what a wild and crazy five years it has been.

the highlights (in no particular order):

-my first vegas trip.
-my first LA trip. my first toe dip in the pacific. assisting in making the props and the setting of a movie.
-camping out in joshua tree national park for 2 nights during the leonid meteor shower. meteors galore throughout. seeing the milky way for the first time.
-finally making it to the grand canyon.
-concerts and ballgames too numerous to count. this includes the inaugural world baseball classic.
-managing a baseball team, and winning a championship.
-substitute teaching, which i believe is very soon going to lead to another career change.
-a chicago trip.
-a HW cruise.
-assisting with an archaeological dig at the presidio.
-assisting with numerous movies here in tucson.
-an awesome mega family vacation in sunset beach, SC.
-trading in my beloved grand am GT for my beloved jeep.
-tsuki.
-hiking everywhere, especially the trips to the window.
-all the people i have met.

i bet i am forgetting stuff. i intentionally left out the few bad things. but that is life. the yin and the yang. the good definitely, by far, outweighs the bad.


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it is done!

i did it. i just finished reading the biggest book i have attempted. i got through all 580 pages of pushing ice. i spent almost all day today in finishing 'on time', aka before the work week starts. i did not get to the grocery store today, i ignored numerous phone calls, and one promise of a call. but it is done. a good read, for sure. i was captivated. the pace became much more fast paced and action packed as the book came to a conclusion. of course, at least two major books could spawn off the would be predessor. but all the loose ends were tied up. the epilogue actually told us why the spin off books are not necessary. in a round about way in revealing the leson of it all.

it is late. work starts early. i do not want a repeat of friday happenning again. i believe i had a mild case of heat exhaustion.

pushing ice

that is the name of the book that has sucked me in. the 580 page book that will not let me go. it is about a comet mining spaceship (the rockhopper) in the year 2057 that is trailing the saturian moon janus on its journey to the star spica. i received the book from an editor who i met through work. i installed a fountain for him and his wife at their tubac home. as a thank you, i was allowed to go through boxes of books in the couples garage and take as many as i wanted. they said they usually donate them to many various institutions. i like some sci fi stuff. i love star wars and the matrix, and everyone knew better than to call me when the x-files were on. but when it comes to books, i usually only read non-fiction. i have all my magazines, so book time is rare to begin with. the main reasons i picked up this book: it was free, it involved janus, and i had thought of an idea to write a book regarding asteroid miners. comet miners, asteroid miners. po-ta-toes, po-tat-toes. the concept is pretty much the same. i almost completed a chapter before petering out and forgetting about it. actually, i probably only got in a few long handwritten paragraphs. anyway,this book is great. and the greatest thing: it has not killed my idea. it actually has resuscitated and given me some fresh thoughts to possibly carry on with my 'book'.

i had other stuff to say. but i still have to pot up my water lilies i brought home, and put away my new state quarters that i obtained today from both the roll of quarters i got at the bank and from going through the change drawer (with permission and assistance, of course) at the liquor store near my apartment.

71 hours

in 71 hours (from the time i stepped off the plane till my homebound plane took off), i did the following:

`went to a cubs game

`went to a white sox game.

`played a softball game.

`eat a tremendous meal at mortons steakhouse. the meal was free, as my buddy is an assistant manager there.

`went to the adler planetarium.

`went to the hancock tower.

`went to shedd aquarium. as much as i love astronomy, this was my mostest favorite place i visited.

`went to the field museum.

`went to numerous bars.

`rode cabs, els, subways, and buses.

`walked all over the downtown area.

i think that covers everything.

what an amazing city! the architecture of all the buildings was so varied, and all awesome. i only took 72 pictures. filled up my memory card.

now, i am off to bed.

chi-town

that is where i will be tomorrow. and fri. and sat. and part of sunday.

the thing that sucks: i have to be at the airport at 05:00, at the latest. i plan on getting up at 03:30.

although it sucks, that was the only way to catch a cubbies game before they take off for the weekend. fri we will check out the enemies crib to watch the pale hose take on the twinkies. two ballparks to cross off the 'never been too' list. also, the cubs are playing the dodgers. i do not recall ever seeing the dodgers play. only a small handfull of teams remain that i have not seen play.

then there will be the field museum. oo la la :)

it is nap time.

forever changed?

that is what the ex-employee / 'buddy' who gave me the video the secret claims will be me after watching said video. the one that i am about to play. it has been a great holiday weekend so far. i imagine this video providing nothing but laughs. but one never knows. besides, the worst case scenario results in laughs. what is there to loose? here i go....