I thought you might like to see a couple pictures of the fabulous guys I work with. This is the most talented group of UNIX GEEKS I have ever met, and our most excellent manager Karl. We spent this Friday afternoon in Pacifica at a cool bowling alley called Sea Bowl. The occasion was to…
Author: thedude
On A Moment’s Notice…
…without warning, a couple of our friends called to say that they were on their way to a party just four blocks from our loft. So, we gathered up a few of our closest friends and neighbors and crashed the party. The reason for the party was to celebrate the completion of a live/work loft…
Loft Living Rocks!
One of the very best things about loft life is that we get to live among so many interesting neighbors. Kelly and I are surrounded by artists, scientists, writers, musicians, lawyers, architects and at least one very lovely and talented singer. Fellow Wisconsinite Tara Forth will be treating us to an evening of wine and…
He’s Here!
I had begun to think it might never happen, but my “little” brother Todd finally made it to California! He’s staying with friends in Petaluma while he searches for a job. Please join me in wishing Todd the best of luck in his search. Welcome to the Golden State, Todd!
Gualala 2004
We finally made it to our favorite bed & breakfast just north of Gualala, California. Our visit was too short as usual, but the food, the fireplace and the soaking tub helped to soothe our frayed nerves despite the rainy, gray weather. Ahhh… We stayed in the Sequoia cabin – one of our favorites. We…
Lazy Hazy Easter Sunday
If you can possibly avoid the usual gathering with extended family, it turns out that Easter Sunday is a great day to get things done. We easily made our way up to Mount Diablo to take in a somewhat hazy, but otherwise perfect view, got the car washed and even ate a little salt-and-pepper calamari…
(Incr)Edible Art
Thanks to some very kind people at work, Kelly and I were given a gift certificate at one of the very best restaurants in the Bay Area. I was expecting the food to be good – maybe even great – but it exceeded even my most optimistic expectations. I know it sounds hard to believe,…
The Inuit Mind
I have never understood how it is that a culture who live in a largely desolate environment often completely devoid of color would create such colorful, complex geometric patterns in their art. I bought these beaded items from an Inuit woman in Greenland in 1986. My recollection is that I paid five dollars a piece…
Happy Anniversary, Baby!
What a splendid day! We were blessed with absolutely perfect weather. We took it easy – enjoyed a nap on the sofa, an Oakland A’s game, (they won) a couple horse races, dinner, a terrific movie – Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – even a little shopping. (Three new CD’s!) What a way to…
Tachibana and Toni
If you know me, you know that I could live the rest of my life on a diet consisting of nothing but sushi. Hamachi sashimi is the simply best food in the world – period. And the very BEST hamachi can be found at Tachibana n Oakland. Ah, but it doesn’t end there! The sushi…
Dinner – on a Bus – with Bagpipes?
Don’t ask. I’m sworn to secrecy.
Happy Birthday, Tom!
We were blessed with perfect weather for our first visit to Tom’s new pad. We were there to celebrate his 41st birthday. It was beautiful! Many thanks to Julie and Emile for the totally awesome chow. And, of course, let’s not forget Tom’s mother’s amazing lumpia! We love your place, Tom. I’m looking forward to…
Dining Out – And Not at Soizic!
Kelly and I did something we rarely do. We ventured beyond our beloved Jack London Square to try a new restaurant. We figured it was about time we used that four-year-old gift certificate. Venezia was nice. The place is decorated to give the feeling of an outdoor Italian cafe.
Tai Chi Under a Big-Ass Tree
Jim is here! His visit coincided with an eleven day record-breaking heat wave. We made the most of it by spending as much time outdoors as possible. Despite thedude’s well-known disdain for nature, we trekked up to Muir Woods where Jim was able to fulfill his wish to practice Tai Chi among the majestic trees….
We Really Should Stop Meeting Like This…
Another weekend – another grueling trip to the valley. Each and every one of these gals can all outlast thedude. When will he learn??? The brief visit was BIG fun, though. Congratulations to Wendy! (Love that sweater!) Glad I could help increase the odds, Frank. (I’m sure I’ll) see you again soon!
Happy Birthday, Joanna
Jim and Kelly will be very sad to see our dear fiends Paul and Joanna move to Temecula next month. None of us were thinking about that tonight though, while toasting Fatso’s 39th with a couple pilsners and a smoked pork shank with spaetzle at Speisekammer. Happy Birthday with lots of love from Jim and…
Sleepless in Santa Rosa
We drove to Santa Rosa yesterday because I had to work on another computer. (The story of my life.) As it turned out, the trip was very worthwhile. My “client” gave me four(!) fabulous cases of wine in return for tuning up his Linux server. Thanks Neil!! Kelly’s high school classmate Steve and his girlfriend…
Today It’s All ABout Jill
Happy 40th, Jill!
Very Special Friends
One of the world’s foremost authorities on Indonesia, the always lovely and vivacious Ben, the world’s authority on extreme weather and the world’s number one wife – all in the same shot! The occasion was a dinner to celebrate Bill Dalton’s sale of his home in Chico and his permanent move to Bali. Best of…
Film vs. Digital – Results Are In!
OK, there is simply no comparison between the 4 megapixel digital images from my Canon G3 and the images I shot with my dusty old Nikon 35 mm camera. The scanned 35 mm slides display more accurate color, wider dynamic range, no digital artifacts, and offer a full 60 million pixels to play with. They…
Tahoe Trippin’
My Lake Tahoe film vs. digital experiment is over. It looks like digital photography is the hands-down winner – at least in terms of speed and convenience. I have been home almost two days now, and I still have no film photos to show for my considerable efforts. Dragging the bulky film camera around was…
She’s My Daughter, And I’ll Call Her What Ever I Want!
And so, we have Dick, Fatso, Paul, Kelly and Jim at Haps’ in Pleasanton for another totally overindulgent, carnivorous, wine-drenched, Atkins Approved event. Happy Birthday, Pauly!
A Reminder…
Mark Downey’s images will be on display on Central Avenue at Webster in Alameda this evening at 6:00. See you there!
TechTV Discovers the Virtual Playa
Andrew’s masterpiece will be featured on an upcoming TechTV spot. The TechTV folks interviewed Andrew for almost two hours this afternoon in his loft. They pulled Barbara and Ursula into the action, too. Here Barbara shares her thoughts about Virtual Barbara seen on the screen to her right. Yes, that’s Virtual Barbara sitting on a…
Happy Birthday, Kelly – Again!
I know, this post comes a few days late, but the Parental Units arrived with these fabulous gifts.
Extreme Weather Cover, rev. 1
Chris and I revisited his book cover again this afternoon. The publisher thought our first cover looked a bit “too old fashioned”. We spent just 30 minutes or so, but I think our minor changes made a major difference. It’s amazing what a splash of color and a different font/case can do for a design….
Amazing New York VR
Thanks, Carl for pointing me to this incredible shot of New Year’s Eve in Times Square.
Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Wife
You know, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You are my very best friend. You are beautiful and kind, and the most thoughtful person I’ve ever known. You enrich my life in so many ways… In a nutshell, You Rule! Thanks for being you. I look forward to spending many many…