Kiwk-E-Mart came to Real Life and I visited the Mountain View location with my brother. This has got to be the first time that I’ve ever waited in line to get into a 7-Eleven Kwik-E-Mart. Unfortunately, they were out of KrustyO’s and Buzz Cola, although we got to have deliciously pink donuts with some Squishee’s.
Anyway, my brother’s visiting me here for couple of weeks - it should be a lot of fun to hang out with him again. 
Back in September, I bought a ticket from American Airlines to go from San Jose, CA to Corpus Christi TX. This was the original schedule
SJC-DFW / 9:45AM to 3:15PM
DFW-CRP / 4:15PM to 5:35PM
CRP-DFW / 12:10PM to 1:30PM
DFW-SJC / 2:10PM to 3:56PM
Now, I got an email saying there’s a schedule change. This is the new schedule
SJC-DFW / 9:00AM to 2:25PM
DFW-CRP / 5:10PM to 6:30PM
CRP-DFW / 12:10PM to 1:30PM
DFW-SJC / 3:00PM to 4:50PM
So, the total of 1 hour and 40 minutes of layover at DFW became 4 hours and 15 minutes instead. Lovely.
On the flip side, though, I got an AWESOME Christmas card! It makes me feel a little guilty because I haven’t sent out any, but it still made me smile to read it. I haven’t talked to her in a while, so maybe I’ll send her a long thoughtful letter instead, hopefully that will suffice. Yeah, and the Nios II team kicked butt at the company Bocce ball event! Wee!
Here’s another poem by E. E. Cummings, appropriate for this time of the year.
little tree
little silent Christmas tree
you are so little
you are more like a flowerwho found you in the green forest
and were you very sorry to come away?
see i will comfort you
because you smell so sweetlyi will kiss your cool bark
and hug you safe and tight
just as your mother would,
only don’t be afraidlook the spangles
that sleep all the year in a dark box
dreaming of being taken out and allowed to shine,
the balls the chains red and gold the fluffy threads,put up your little arms
and i’ll give them all to you to hold
every finger shall have its ring
and there won’t be a single place dark or unhappythen when you’re quite dressed
you’ll stand in the window for everyone to see
and how they’ll stare!
oh but you’ll be very proudand my little sister and i will take hands
and looking up at our beautiful tree
we’ll dance and sing
“Noel Noel”
Pretty appropriate especially since I see all these cars with a tree trapped on top of it every time I go over Highway 17. Anyway, happy thing of the day - I got a nerf gun! Yiippeee!
Reading has always been a disposable pleasure for me, something to fill in the times when I had nothing else to do (or when I didn’t feel like doing anything, I suppose). I read mainly for the sake of reading, and although I’m fairly opinionated on the things that I read, I’m more of the type who’ll read the random books anyway and complain afterwards.
I’ve always been fairly well read - when I was a kid, my parents went to used book stores and bought books by the pound for me - but it was just something to do, something to pass the time with, just yet another place to gain knowledge. There were only select few books that left me inspired, which is perhaps the reason why I tend to borrow books instead of buying them. This in turn forces me to read them at a certain pace, which then makes them even more disposable in my mind.
Yesterday, though, it occurred to me that I’m looking for that vivid, inspired imagery that I can touch and taste in the wrong place. After wandering the bookstore for a while, I think I’ve found what I’m looking for.
Well, here’s my happy item of the day. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do - I actually laughed out loud at the end.
may i feel said he
(i’ll squeal said she
just once said he)
it’s fun said she
(may i touch said he
how much said she
a lot said he)
why not said she
(let’s go said he
not too far said she
what’s too far said he
where you are said she)
may i stay said he
(which way said she
like this said he
if you kiss said she
may i move said he
is it love said she)
if you’re willing said he
(but you’re killing said she
but it’s life said he
but your wife said she
now said he)
ow said she
(tiptop said he
don’t stop said she
oh no said he)
go slow said she
(cccome?said he
ummm said she)
you’re divine!said he
(you are Mine said she)
Another gorgeous day (high of almost 25!) spent completely outdoors. Here are some pictures from the West Cliff Drive. I hung out on this tree and read for a long while. A message left on the beach, pretty sunset, a falcon I saw on the bike ride to the beach, and a picture of people taking pictures of surfers. I guess I’m happy about all those things, though now that I think about it, instead of thinking of happy things, maybe I should talking about things that I’m thankful for. Subtle difference, but I think it’s significant enough of a difference for me…
Here’s an open invitation from Waterloo to Sergey and Larry / Google. Kinda interesting in a geeky way, but particularly interesting to me because the solar car (and solar car team members) play a fairly big role in the video.
Today was a gorgeous day - sunny and warm with highs of about 18~20 degrees - so I couldn’t stay indoors. I went for a nice bike ride to the beach, then went for a run along the coast. Air was warm and everything felt nice and inviting… One of the things that I don’t do often enough is take advantage of the Ocean that’s all around Santa Cruz. I visited bunch of sandy (and some rocky) beaches along the way and found some interesting places as well. Well, there’s my happy thing of the day.
I was writing some stuff down with freshly sharpened pencil when I remembered just how much I enjoy writing or doodling on paper with a freshly sharpened pencil… You don’t get to do that too often in this world these days. My hair’s long enough that if I shake my head, I can feel my hair lagging a bit! After I realized that, I was walking around randomly shaking my head, I’m sure I freaked some people out doing that. :) Hmm… and I affirmed that I indeed am a INTJ and spend the most of the day today in a fairly interesting training session about how to effectively work with other people. All in all, a very good, productive day even though I got minimum amount of sleep.
Bah, it was a joke! I was flexing my arms at appropriate times to get as high a number as possible. My actual blood pressure was 125/75, which is right within the normal range.
Hmm, more happy things… Came up with a cute pun for a comment for a check-in, which made me laugh (and made my coworkers laugh at me). Remembered that I had groceries left in my car which included some Korean Pears! Got Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (thanks Donna!) and and half a Chocolate Macademia Nut cookie (thanks stranger! Maybe Matthew?). Had fairly productive day at work, which is always nice. Oh yeah, and I got home at a fairly reasonable time today!
Apparently, thinking about good things that happen around us makes us happier. Now, I’m a pretty happy guy, but I figure it probably won’t hurt to be happier, so I’ll try to list what makes me happy on my journal. This may have worked better when this was called “Happy Boy”, but I digress.
It was sunny in the morning and the air was nice and crisp, so it made for a very nice bike ride in to work. I learned all about Vicodin, and learning new things always excites me! Watched Prison Break, and I correctly guessed what the final twist was going to be. I’m #1 on both my fantasy hockey leagues (though I suppose I was kinda cheating by roster stuffing). Got the DVD working on the home theatre PC that I’ve been tinkering with. Got to play with a blood pressure measuring machine (and got a new high score to boot! 150!) and a friend complimented me on my pulse rate (61 bpm after a brisk walk). Hmm… oh yeah, and learned a new word, equivocate. Just need it use it 2 more times and it’s all mine!
