lilstar of wonder, lilstar of light

wow.

2010-03-05T15:34:00.000-08:00

a year goes by, and nothing up on the webspace. funny how life works-- we're in puppy land again, with another puppy i love but will probably give up. in the intervening year, we've fostered over 20 dogs, including one we ultimately adopted (and love!). kona was four months old when we got her, and now she's about 11 months old, 65 pounds, and still growing. she's a gorgeous tan-and-silver pup, and she's learned lots of things socially with the influx of german shepherds who have paraded through the house. the pup we have now, pork chop, is one of ten pups in a litter from ptera, who has a story all her own that i must tell someday (not today). ptera is also currently at our house, so we have a puppy herd. yay!

it's also back to baseball season... taylor actually spent the off-season at our house, which was fun :) he's left for arizona now, and we'll actually get to see him there this month.

work is what it is. busy as always, and ever changing. when it's not a friday of a long week, i'll post more about that, too.

hope all is well in your world...

puppy heartbreak

2009-03-02T10:13:00.001-08:00

people told me that fostering would be hard, but i didn't believe them. i figured i was coming into the situation knowing that we'd only have the dog on a short-term basis, and then it would be off to its permanent home. it's like a puppy timeshare-- you enjoy it while you have it and then send it off for someone else to enjoy. i also thought it would be a good part-time ownership scheme-- we would get to enjoy having a dog, but we wouldn't have to incur the long-term costs. when we go on vacation, we wouldn't have to worry about kennelling or pet-sitting, we just let the rescue organization know we need a break from fostering for a few weeks. if we got a dog that was less than ideal, we would rest easy knowing it would be adopted soon and we wouldn't have to deal with it for that long. no problem, right?

that was until we got bonnie. i didn't imagine that rescues could be as sweet-tempered, well-mannered, and loving as she is. i guess i thought that the majority of animals in the system were coming from shelter environments (or unknown environments), so they'd not be in the best of shape. i was clearly wrong. bonnie fell into some hardship, of course, as she ended up in a shelter, but she was clearly well-taken care of and well-trained before she got there. there were some suggestions of potential abuse, but it never manifested itself in more than a few flinches... which she got over once she figured out we just wanted to play and love on her.

the good thing is that i'm pretty confident she's going to a good home. her new family is moving into a house with a yard this month, and they live near the beach, and there's a 13-year-old son in the family that already loves her. the sad part for me is that i think she would have been a good fit for our family, too. i fear that she'll be the best fit we find, and we'll regret not adopting her when we had the chance.

if that's the case, though, it might make fostering easier-- i won't have as much desire to keep the dogs we foster, and i'll have a better time emotionally accepting the fact that we do only have the dogs for a short period of time. but who knows-- maybe my heart just opens up and it'll be hard every time. i can't imagine how people who train guide dogs do it. we only had bonnie for two months, and guide dog trainers have their pups for 18 months. it's a heartbreak waiting to happen, even when you know it's going to have a happy ending.

new frogs!

2009-02-02T15:09:00.001-08:00

check it out! 10 new species of amphibians have been found in colombia. so cool!

failing fostering

2009-01-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

lots going on these days. yay new president, yay springtime weather in january, yay winter vacation, boo winter vacation over, boo bad economy, etc.

now that i've gotten that out of the way, on to the real new news. we have a dog! well, she's not ours... at least not yet. we decided that we wanted to try fostering rescue dogs through the german shepherd rescue of northern california. i've been hesitant to get a dog for a long time, but now we have the yard space to make it feasible. fostering seemed like a good dog-ownership trial run-- we get a dog for a short period of time, train it and warm it up for a good adoptive family, and then it's on its way to its new home. the only thing (other than daily care) that the rescue organization asks is that you volunteer one day a month at adoption fairs. seems okay, right? even better-- the rescue organization pays for food, vet bills, and sundry necessities, so it's not even a huge financial investment. the problem? when you get a dog like this:

this is bonnie. she's our first foster... and as heather likes to say, i may be failing fostering. she's 2-3 years old (we don't know exactly), she's house-trained and crate-trained, she listens well and learns easily, she's friendly, and she's a beautiful dog. how can you not love that face? she came to us from a shelter in fresno, where she'd contracted heartworm (she's on the mend now). she came in with another shepherd (clyde) and their two puppies, who are still being housed in a kennel until they are adopted.

bonnie needed some recuperation time and tlc, and she needs some socialization and to be spayed, which is why she's with us. she gets more settled in at our home the longer she's there, and i think she's even starting to think it's her home. we took her to a pet store bathing center for a bath yesterday (which was an adventure), and her color changed! a patch of white showed up on her chest, her fur is shiny, and she even seems happier to be clean. she'll be ready for adoption in the next couple of weeks... and the closer that gets, the sadder i am about it. i forgot how much fun it is to have a dog...

thirty

2008-12-19T09:58:00.000-08:00

i'm not sure what i expected when i turned thirty. it always seemed so far away-- so old-- and suddenly it's today, now, my current and present state. i've been joking for the last few months that i wasn't sure if i was going to celebrate it or ignore it. i think i feared it a little, because you never know how you feel about where you are in your life when you get to a milestone.

when it comes down to it, though, i have a lot going for me these days... i'm in a stable, healthy relationship. i own my own house (well, the bank owns it, but i'm paying it off). i have an interesting job that i'm good at (and in which i'm getting lots of opportunities for growth). i have some amazing people around me in my personal and professional lives, people i care a lot about and who care about me, celebrate my successes, and support me in my failures. i'm still playing soccer as often as i can, even if it's slower than i'd like. i have some long-time friends that become more and more precious to me as the days go by, and some new friends that i'm enjoying getting to know. i have a growing family that continues to be close as we all grow up. i have new things in my life that i'm excited to learn about (home improvement projects!). as is evidenced by my thanksgiving list, there's a lot to be thankful for.

i think i'm pretty lucky. thirty is going to be a good year.

best fortune cookie ever

2008-12-18T10:59:00.001-08:00

"if you think no one cares if you're alive, try missing a few car payments."

secretary of energy

2008-12-15T17:37:00.000-08:00

one of my former PIs, dr. steven chu, has been named to president-elect obama's cabinet as his secretary of the department of energy. super cool!

bcs madness

2008-12-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

anyone else think alabama got robbed? the bcs never really seems to get it right. alabama was undefeated through their last game, en route to which they had already beaten three ranked teams. florida's loss came at the hands of an unranked team, which alabama lost to florida when they were in the #4 position. granted, besides their one loss, florida beat almost the same teams alabama did. texas also had decisive wins over everyone in their conference, including oklahoma (who is going to the bcs championship), with the exception of texas tech-- who was ranked #7 at the time. oklahoma does have the slight edge because texas was ranked #5 at the time (and OU beat texas tech when TT was #2).

...but what a mess! how is there any clear winner? i've heard rumors that obama supports a bcs playoff... think he'll have influence over that too? ;)

in other news, my boys in blue didn't even make it to a bowl bid. and sadly, the undefeated ucla women's soccer team made it to the college cup final four for the sixth straight time but got beaten in the semis by unc. *sigh* how frustrating!

thankful

2008-11-30T23:01:00.001-08:00

i've done this a few years now, and even though my little slice of webbiness is more silent these days, i still have lots to be thankful for:

a loving and supportive partner
a new home!
hubby and #1 (who will never read this but deserve the thanks all the same)
stability and success in my work life
good family and friends
cheesy potatoes (c'mon, these always make the list)
my very own washer and dryer (no more laundromat!!)
the sharks on a tear this season
couches and blinds and rugs, oh my!
lillian vernon hilarity
a wind of hope and change for our beleaguered country
christmas tree farms and brisk winter air
upcoming time off
seeing my baby niece soon
weekly trips to borrone (and the good company therein)

...and so much more. happy thanksgiving, everyone.

warmed

2008-11-17T13:38:00.001-08:00

thanks to everyone who joined us this past weekend, for what i hope will the first of many festivities to warm and cheer our new abode. it was so lovely to see and share the day with such good friends and family. we even had a fort built in our guest bedroom, a hopscotch court on our back patio, and a bevy of wine to enjoy. good times, good times. :)

elation and sorrow

2008-11-06T13:07:00.000-08:00

election day has been very bittersweet. i am so proud of my country, who finally came together and elected a president who gives us some hope for a better future -- for the first time in a very long time. president-elect barack obama's acceptance speech, which nearly made me cry, was so mlk- and kennedy-esque that it prompted a friend to say, "he may well get his own monument when he's done." there's a lot to do and a lot to fix, and he was upfront about that, but i think he is going to find a way to redefine the america that we have become so apathetic about supporting and changing. i am also hopeful that his opponent, quite gracious in defeat, will bring the rest of the country along and join forces with obama's camp to move in the right direction.

i wish i could have been there to celebrate with my brother, who has been working tirelessly in new mexico for the obama campaign, and who helped deliver a blue state where four long years ago he felt the sorrow of defeat. i wish i could have been there to celebrate with my mom, who has been volunteering at an obama headquarters office in her first days of retirement, and has found her own ways to contribute to change she believes in so much. i wish i could have been in chicago, to feel the goosebumps from obama's speech live and in person. as it was, i was in our nation's capital, among the monuments to the great leaders past, celebrating the 50th anniversary of an organization i believe in, and stood in a hopeful crowd of obama supporters as the returns came in. what an election this has been.

from president-elect obama's acceptance speech: "This is our time, to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth, that, out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope. And where we are met with cynicism and doubts and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes, we can."

yet, on the very same day when the United States of America found ways to step away from its history of divisiveness and corruption and elect a president to lead us into a more positive future, my very liberal state took a huge step in the wrong direction. with the passing of proposition 8, california voters have approved the addition of discrimination into our state's constitution. this is the first time in history that a constitutional amendment has been approved which TAKES AWAY rights that already exist. is this what freedom means? this was a proposition born out of fear, and yet, somehow californians could not find a way to learn from our past mistakes. not only is this a proposition that affects me directly, but it affects a number of friends and family i love dearly. i am certain that this will be caught up in the courts for some time (and hopefully repealed or resolved in some way), but it is extremely disheartening to find that we are unable to move forward in the spirit of equality in a state that boasts such liberality and acceptance.

i am hopeful, though, that this divisiveness and discrimination will pass. in our auspicious history, we have overcome our fear and opened the rights for those of any race, religion, and gender; i am hopeful that we will overcome this fear, too. the words of barack obama are fitting here, too: yes, we can.

yes, we can.

the joys of home ownership

2008-10-13T23:41:00.001-07:00

well, we did it. we're all moved in, half-unpacked boxes notwithstanding. we had a great group of hearty helpers to move all of our gear, which was so, so appreciated. many thanks again to all-- andrew, andy, kasey, anyu, apu, cecilia, ian, marla, jen, liz, and michelle-- you are all rock stars! cecilia kindly lined every single shelf in the house with non-slip liner, liz and marla brought a bottle of evil pink juice to toast the day, and everyone actually seemed to have a good time while they were working.

the house itself is coming together... we're making it our home, slowly but surely. it has not been without its drama-- we've already had to deal with plumbing issues, electrical issues, and theft. i've also reaffirmed the fact that comcast is not my friend. thankfully, though, we're making it through, and we are becoming better DIY repair-people for it. that's a good thing-- if nothing else, home ownership gives us a lifetime of home improvement projects. other good things-- we now have lovely new nightstands and couches (courtesy of my parents), a borrowed lawnmower to replace the one we lost, ripening avocados and lemons, and a house getting closer to being ready for a housewarming party.

who's in? :)

awww!

2008-10-13T23:40:00.001-07:00

i loved this guy growing up. happy 50th anniversary, paddington!

today i am one

2008-10-09T23:57:00.000-07:00

happy first birthday, baby sofia!

t-minus three days

2008-09-22T08:40:00.001-07:00

in three days, i will officially be a new homeowner. it's been a stressful and emotional process, but i'm very excited to be moving into our new place. it's a 42-year-old 4x2 house in fremont with a lovely yard and brand-new almost everything... the seller basically ripped the house down to the studs and replaced almost all of the inside features (and some outside, too-- the roof, landscaping, gutters, and garage door are all new). it's a big house for us but we're excited about growing into it.

we couldn't have done it without our lovely realtors/brokers, of course. my little endorsement of stewart & soss is probably one in a long line of accolades, but they truly made home-buying an enjoyable experience for us. andrew, kasey, and michelle were always attentive, responsive, willing to answer all of our questions, and fun to spend lots of time in the car with. as first-time homebuyers, we (translation: i) had lots of trepidations, stressful moments, and doubts, and they helped us work through all of it with grace and poise. even when we ended up dealing with a mean and shady seller on our home of choice, they went to the mat for us and made sure we didn't have to deal with him any more than we had to. they've been instrumental in getting us into a house we already love. many, many thanks to them.

can't wait for the first party!

thanks!

2008-09-04T13:08:00.001-07:00

many thanks to bryan for the html-for-dummies lesson. someday i'll learn!

san jose giants bullpen singers

2008-09-04T00:28:00.000-07:00

this is hilarity personified....

and it's even better live.

my favorite season

2008-09-02T10:31:00.001-07:00

ohhhhh yeah, it's college football time again-- and with an overtime win over the ranked tennessee volunteers, my bruins started the season off on the right foot. welcome back, coach neuheisel!

hockey season starts soon, too, as does my own outdoor soccer season. i love the fall. :)

house!

2008-08-25T17:04:00.001-07:00

we're very close to finding a house to call our home. stay tuned!

wade

2008-08-25T01:39:00.000-07:00

the one sad note for the day... it looks like my lovely pet frog of the last seven (!) years has croaked. ah, the life of a frog. he will be missed.

godzilla

2008-08-25T01:33:00.001-07:00

yes, that's the name of my new office building. my whole department has now officially moved into a trailer named godzilla. it's been a hectic and long-awaited move, with much planning and many details and yet more to come... but i for one am very glad it has finally come and gone. we went from four different locations on campus to one, and while it's a little cramped for space, it's definitely going to be good for business to have us all together. it gives us more resources internally, and it gives the campus a much higher probability of consistency and compliance across the board-- always a good thing. also, in a time where most of the administrative functions are moving off campus, our higher-ups have fought very hard to keep us in the heart of the place that breathes what we do. there's a lot to be said for that.

as it turned out, too, we got all kinds of new stuff in the deal. we got brand-new furniture, new printers, phone, and monitors, gifts from the grad school of business to thank us for letting us get kicked out of our old building, etc. i happen to be located in what i lovingly call the "black hole hallway"-- one without nearly as much traffic as the rest of the building. so far it's been working out nicely, because it forces people to only come find me if they need me. it's a little far from the bathroom and the one copier we have in the trailer, but it'll do. i also have a lovely window box (in which i have an orchid and two ivies), so i'm rather enjoying it.

plus, i get to share my business address as godzilla. heh. i wonder if that will be on my new business cards.

wedded bliss

2008-08-25T01:24:00.001-07:00

two of my closest friends have finally taken their steps down their redwood tree-lined aisle to married life, and i had a front row seat to see it. they have known each other for 12 years, and have been together for 8 of that... and this year, in my brown and not-quite-wedgwood blue bridesmaid dress, i witnessed and celebrated their first married moments. i don't know many people who love each other as much as these two do, and i can't begin to express how happy i am for both of them. so much love to both of them and all of their years together-- past and the many happy ones to come.

baseball catch-up... again

2008-08-25T01:18:00.001-07:00

lots of things to talk about! i'll break them up into separate posts. first up:

tay tracker for august 23, 2008
today's result: w (5-1)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 3
current era: 3.44

tay tracker for august 22, 2008
today's result: l (4-8)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 2

tay tracker for august 18, 2008: w (1)
today's result: w (10-7)
innings pitched: 3.0
strikeouts: 2

tay still has a perfect era for the innings he has pitched with drew in attendance. he has now required that drew go on the playoff roadtrips with the team, to ensure that the streak continues.

2008-08-18T00:28:00.000-07:00

tay tracker for august 14, 2008: save (11)
today's result: w (5-2)
innings pitched: 3.0
strikeouts: 5
current era: 3.54

tay tracker for august 10, 2008
today's result: w (2-0)
innings pitched: 2.1
strikeouts: 1

he's back!

2008-08-06T22:22:00.000-07:00

i haven't been a super-faithful alice radio listener in recent years, but i still switch on the morning show on my way to work (half an hour or less). i'd been listening to the alice morning show for years, since high school, it seems.... and i loved sarah's co-host vinnie back in the day. vinnie went away some years ago after he got canned for being an alcoholic and not able to do his job. then we got no name, who i didn't like nearly as well, and i found myself changing the station more quickly most days. however, who did i hear on the radio monday morning when i got in my car? vinnie! he's back, and clean, and funny as ever. it's like being in high school all over again.

(well, at least the radio part. especially since rick springfield was a call-in guest this morning.)

2008-08-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

tay tracker for august 6, 2008
today's result: w (4-2)
innings pitched: 1.1
strikeouts: 1
current era: 3.72

tay tracker for august 3, 2008
today's result: w (4-3)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 1

tay tracker for august 2, 2008
today's result: w (9-3)
innings pitched: 1.2
strikeouts: 1

z & g wedding

2008-07-31T10:14:00.001-07:00

some pictures, at long last.

tay tracker update

2008-07-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

tay tracker for july 30, 2008: save (10)
today's result: w (6-4)
innings pitched: 3.1
strikeouts: 7
current era: 4.09
umpire: idiot who couldn't call strikes! the same guy made some terrible calls at first base the night before, and last night he screwed up taylor's awesome outing. tay had a clean slate across the board until the end of the ninth... no hits, no runs, seven strikeouts... then in the ninth he had three (three!) batters down to their last strike and the umpire was calling balls. i wasn't there, but from the radio commentary (and taylor's post-game reaction), the guy was blowing it. ugh. i hate when referees and umpires change the outcome of games.

tay tracker for july 26, 2008
today's result: l (5-2)
innings pitched: 2.2
strikeouts: 1
current era: 3.80

my favorite baby

2008-07-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

so little sid is my second-favorite, but the one that's related to me has to be my first favorite. how can you not love this face (hers, not mine):

an offer!

2008-07-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

our first offer is in. scary! wish us luck.

ack!

2008-07-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

should have gone to the game last night.

tay tracker
yesterday's result: w (5-1)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 2
current era: 3.63

2008-07-23T01:09:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: l (2-3)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 4
current era: 3.80

a great outing for tay, despite the loss. he's changed a few things up, so we'll see what works for him. plus, drew was there today-- taylor has a 0.00 era in the 8.1 innings that drew has been in attendance for.

impressed

2008-07-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

i never thought i'd say this, but i'm pretty impressed and entertained by justin timberlake. i've never been a boy-band afficionado (not even back in the new kids heyday), but i've come to realize that he's a pretty talented dude. did you see the espys on sunday? holy hilarity! the guy was a pretty darn good host. i'm sure he didn't write all of the jokes and script and sketches, but the delivery was pretty key. talented, talented guy.

also nice to see the recognition for tommie smith and john carlos of summer olympics 1968 fame -- a memorable, and very controversial, civil rights demonstration -- as well as the recovery of kevin everett, the buffalo bills player expected never to walk again.

one odd discrepancy in the winners-- how is roger federer the best male tennis player, but rafael nadal is the best international male athlete? (nadal is better than other international superstars like, say, ronaldinho, but not the best in his own sport? hmm.)

the one not-so-impressive part? the number of awards won by this year's super bowl champs, the new york giants. ugh. not that i wanted the pats to win, but i don't think that the giants should have won that game... and the further celebration at the espys just added to my annoyance. ah, well.

celebrations

2008-07-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

happy second anniversary to hubby and wifey! they're thinking about celebrating by going to a san jose giants game ;)

also, happy first birthday to my second-favorite baby, little sid :) he turned one on july 17, and we had a lovely party for him in mo-town on sunday.

details about the other big celebration in my recent past, my brother and sister-in-law's wedding, is pending receipt of pictures to share. more to come! (also, more weddings to come-- sam & erin and liz & marla in the next few weeks. woo hoo!)

no jinx

2008-07-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

i was refraining from posting the tay tracker because i was told it was jinxing him, but i fear poor coaching may be largely at fault for tay's hot-and-cold season this year. hence:

tay tracker for july 20, 2008
today's result: w (5-4)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 2
current era: 3.98

tay tracker for july 17, 2008
today's result: l (7-8)
innings pitched: 0.0 (1 batter)
strikeouts: 0

tay tracker for july 11, 2008: save (9)
today's result: w (7-1)
innings pitched: 3.0
strikeouts: 3

tay tracker for july 8, 2008: loss (6)
today's result: l (3-6)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 2

happy fourth!

2008-07-07T23:09:00.000-07:00

tay tracker for july 4, 2008
today's result: w (7-5)
innings pitched: 3.1
strikeouts: 3
current era: 3.38

we missed the outing and the fireworks on friday, but showed up for fireworks on saturday (a win for the giants, but sadly no pitching for taylor). jamie baker was also in the stands-- and i guess he can hang out in san jose in relative obscurity these days, since people know his voice but not so much his face anymore.

reason no. 7673219 i love san francisco

2008-06-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

in a fitting tribute to our outgoing leader, san francisco is trying to get a measure on the november ballot to rename a piece of city property in his honor. if the measure passes, san francisco will rename the oceanside water pollution control plant as george w bush sewage plant.

heh.

brush with the bigs

2008-06-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

good: watching eric byrnes, former oakland a's and ucla bruins baseball star, playing a little weekday baseball in san jose

better: watching taylor pitch a solid 3.1 innings (tay tracker below)-- a refreshing (and much-needed) outing after the last few not-so-great ones

best: watching taylor strike byrnesie out! he was also the start of a sweet double play in the top of the ninth. to top it off, tay took "player of the game" honors. woo hoo!

tay tracker
today's result: l (2-3)... the only bad news of the night.
innings pitched: 3.1
hits allowed: 1
runs allowed: 0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 3.29

baby news galore!

2008-06-16T08:11:00.000-07:00

clearly, it is also the season of babies. welcome, welcome to colby, the newest member of the zephyr family, born early in the morning on june 1, and to nathan ryker, the newest bruin fanatic, born june 12 (the same birthday as his mom!). everyone is healthy and recovering at home. much love to all four proud parents.

a tough run

2008-06-15T23:24:00.001-07:00

tay tracker for june 15, 2008: loss (5)
today's result: l (2-3)
innings pitched: 1.1
current era: 3.75

tay tracker for june 13, 2o08
today's result: w (11-7)
innings pitched: 1.2
strikeouts: 2
current era: 3.57

tay tracker for june 11, 2008: loss (4)
today's result: l (3-10)
innings pitched: 1.2
current era: 3.00

however, the sj giants did claim the first half title with yesterday's game, so they have a bye going into the playoffs. i think tay will need the four days off for the all-star break.

the art of banana bread

2008-06-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

i'm perfecting the art of making banana bread. as is my typical m.o., i eat lots of bananas (and other fruit). i like my bananas slightly on the green side, though, and in the summer they tend to ripen faster than i can get them down my gullet. instead of being smart and buying fewer bananas at a time, i let them get to banana-bread ripeness. i can't bear to throw them away-- i have to make good use of them instead. last night i made this summer's third batch of banana bread. i use tried-and-true better homes, but i make my own adjustments with minor ingredients, time, etc. this time, the personal touches were chocolate chips and extra cinnamon.

it was near-perfect execution, which is a rarity for me. i even got compliments from our resident pastry chef! i guess when it's my standard go-to so i don't feed the landfill, i have nowhere to go but up. yum!

shel belle

2008-06-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

'tis the year of 30 for a vast majority of my friends. the second one of the season is jujube, also known as michelle, my lovely college roommate. happy 30, shel!

a good outing!

2008-05-30T00:04:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: save (7)
today's result: w (4-2)
innings pitched: 1.1
strikeouts: 3
current era: 3.12

i'm sad that i missed it! he hasn't had much field time this week, but i was hoping to see him play tomorrow. maybe he'll have two good days in a row. :)

catch-up, as always

2008-05-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

tay tracker for may 22, 2008
today's result: w (17-7)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 3.52

tay tracker for may 25, 2008
today's result: w( 2-1)
innings pitched: 0.2
strikeouts: 1
current era: 3.38

from the mouths of babes

2008-05-28T09:14:00.001-07:00

the characters:
my cousin taylor, the minor-league pitcher
noah, the five-year-old friend of my friend's sports-loving kid (not so sports-loving himself, though)

the scene:
post-game (a win), fans waiting by the clubhouse door for the appearance of the freshly showered ball players. taylor appears, carrying a small san francisco giants bag full of his toiletries.

and... action!

taylor: thanks for coming to my game! it's nice to meet you.

noah (staring up at taylor intently): what's in the bag?

taylor: the bag? oh, it's just my toiletries.

noah: toiletries? what's that?

taylor: you know, things you use in the shower-- your comb, hair gel, soap, stuff like that.

noah: oh.

[both walk for a few seconds towards the gate.]

noah: so, really, what's in the bag?

taylor: here, i'll show you. [starts to pull out hair gel, deodorant, etc.]

noah: oh, it's your PURSE! [duh, why didn't you say so? ;)]

..end scene..

so much for cool baseball player gear! heh.

a day in history

2008-05-19T22:20:00.000-07:00

in the spirit of last thursday's ruling in which the california supreme court struck down the marriage ban for same-sex couples, two of my very best friends have announced that they are getting married in august! i'm very excited that they are doing this (and are now legally able to)-- they are amazing people, and lovely together. some momentous weddings this year. yay!

2008-05-18T22:17:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (14-7)
innings pitched: 1.0
total strikeouts: 18
current era: 3.77

2008-05-13T23:44:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: save (6)
today's result: w (2-1)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 2
current era: 4.05

2008-05-11T23:41:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: loss (3)
today's result: l (2-4)
innings pitched: 1.1
strikeouts: 1
current era: 4.38

2008-05-08T15:10:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: save (5)
today's result: w(4-2)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 4.09

2008-05-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (8-0)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 4.50

belated

2008-05-01T22:50:00.000-07:00

a very happy big 3-0 to bryan, one of my favorite people. happy happy, bry, and i hope i am able to celebrate many more with you! :)

delayed update

2008-05-01T22:41:00.001-07:00

i've been in portland all week (more on that later), so my tay updates are late. here they are, in compilation:

tay tracker for may 1, 2008: loss (2)
today's result: l (5-6)
innings pitched: 0.2
strikeouts: 0
current era: 5.00

tay tracker for april 30, 2008: save (4)
today's result: w (11-8)
innings pitched: 0.1
strikeouts: 1

tay tracker for april 27, 2008
today's result: w (7-4)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1

bittersweet

2008-04-22T22:19:00.000-07:00

the good:
sharks capture the series in game seven with a dominating win over calgary. the final score was 5-3, but sharks clearly outplayed the flames in every respect today. it's nice to see, and i hope they carry it into the next round.

the not so good:
tay tracker: loss (1)
today's result: l (5-6)
innings pitched: 0.2
strikeouts: 1
current era: 3.86

2008-04-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: save (3)
today's result: w (5-4)
innings pitched: 0.2
current era: 1.42

sports update

2008-04-17T23:23:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: save (2)
today's result: w (7-4)
innings pitched: 1.2
strikeouts: 3
current era: 1.59

...and sharks win, to pull ahead in this physical first-round series against calgary. adam, my lovely ticket guy, came through with tickets... which was awesome. he's a rock star. and shel ate her ice cream sandwich at the beginning of the third period, so our tradition is holding strong. go teal!

about time

2008-04-14T22:29:00.000-07:00

after a week off...

tay tracker: save (1)
today's result: w (4-2)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 2
current era: 2.25

babies and baseball

2008-04-07T23:46:00.000-07:00

yes, this is all i know how to write about anymore. good thing nothing exciting is going on in my life, huh?

anyway, down to business. tay is back in san jose to start the season, which means i get to watch him pitch! (that is, at least until the decision-makers wise up and play him where he belongs.) that also means that the tay tracker is back. woo hoo!

tay tracker
today's result: l (4-5)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 4
current era: 3.00

the american dream

2008-04-04T09:14:00.000-07:00

today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of one of america's greatest civil rights leaders, dr. martin luther king, jr. though i've always recognized and honored his contributions to american society and the advancement of civil liberties, i don't think that i've thought about the mark he made as much as i have in the past few months. as i watch another passionate, forward-thinking african-american leader unite the country in a way that we so desperately need, i am struck by the connections this man made to so many of his countrymen and women. i am struck by the fire of his convictions and the fuel of his words as he made people care about how they were treated, and how they could be the change they hoped to see in their own worlds (to quote another inspirational leader, mahatma gandhi). and i am struck by how this connection is being made-- and lived-- by another leader.

the immortal words of dr. king (in excerpt):
"I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today."

and those of barack obama:
"That's the future within our reach. That's what hope is - that thing inside us that insists, despite all evidence to the contrary, that something better is waiting for us around the corner. But only if we're willing to work for it and fight for it. To shed our fears and our doubts and our cynicism. To glory in the task before us of remaking this country block by block, precinct by precinct, county by county, state by state.

There is a moment in the life of every generation when, if we are to make our mark on history, this spirit must break through.

This is the moment."

tragic anniversary

2008-03-19T11:05:00.001-07:00

five years in iraq... and what do we have to show for it?

obama baby

2008-03-18T15:07:00.000-07:00

more of sofia with her favorite presidential candidate, this time published by the associated press:

my new favorite

2008-03-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

i have a new favorite alex picture:

how freakin' cute is he??

uninspired voting

2008-02-20T09:24:00.000-08:00

i got an earful the other day from my very liberal brother about not voting for the best candidate in the democratic race. he then proceeded (in his well-trained debater/organizer way) to detail the reasons why his candidate was clearly the choice for america. despite feeling a little like the called-upon third-grader who hadn't studied the answers enough, i started to feel like he was right.

here's the thing. i wanted to vote for obama. i wanted to buy into the "be the change" mantra that he exudes. i like the way he speaks, and i like where he stands on issues. the problem is, up until recently, i liked those things about hillary, as well. and since i was so undecided, i took a whole slew of online surveys about the issues. without knowing who had responded how (a blind test, if you will), i selected the responses i agreed with the most. not terribly scientific, but i figured it was unbiased enough. the results of the online surveys were all the same-- hillary in first, edwards in second, and obama in third. having had trouble choosing in the first place, i found it hard to choose the one who came in third when i inspected responses to specific issues.

the other thing that swayed me away from obama was that so far, he's a lot of talk. what he says when he's talking sounds good, but there's not much of a track record to refer back to. if you ask my brother, that's a positive, because he's not marred by the corruption of washington dc politicking. i have a hard time with that, though, because i'd like to know that the leader of the country is actually doing the things s/he says s/he will do. (california got hit hard by the "big talk" when schwartzie was elected. i don't like that precedent.)

the difference now, as my brother points out (besides the petty ugliness that inevitably erupts when candidates can't get ahead on their own merit), is the manner in which each candidate has garnered support.

hillary: the big states with lots of delegates and most of the liberal bent.
obama: steady grassroots support in many of the states, including from constituents who typically would lean towards other parties.

hillary: delivering the states that would be delivered to the dems anyway (and not even solidly—most states split delegates in the primaries).
obama: unifying the country and getting all kinds of voters behind him. and frankly, if I’d thought about it, that’s really what this country needs.

It’s been way too divisive here for the past 7 years, and now is the time for us to step up and become a nation again. There used to be times in the history of this country where people were passionate about our leadership, our place in the world, and what we could do to stand up for our beliefs and our freedoms. We’ve gone too far away from that, and if Obama is the one to bring us back to that, then I’m all for it.

I guess when it comes down to it, I’ll probably have another chance in November to vote for him, unless of course hillary finds a way to pull it out. We’ll see how it goes… my brother says that if obama loses by one electoral vote, he’s blaming me.

obama's youngest supporter

2008-02-19T22:23:00.001-08:00

(yes, that's my niece, sofia, in barack obama's recent visit with SEIU in texas.) too bad she can't vote yet!

more baby news

2008-01-28T14:07:00.001-08:00

my pseudo-kid brother, ryan, and his lovely wife erin, are now the proud parents of little miss ayla. ayla was 8 lb. 5 oz. and 20 inches long when she was welcomed into the world on january 16. ryan is one of my brother's oldest friends, and continues to be one of his closest... it is so much fun to see him becoming a dad (and he'll be a great one). all my best to them and their littlest one. :)

service with a smile

2008-01-27T00:57:00.000-08:00

i get customer service. i really do. i've been working in customer-service related positions for nearly 15 years, and i understand the need to listen to your customers, act promptly, address issues, troubleshoot and problem-solve, and smooth over frustrations. because i've been in enough service situations myself, i'm usually pretty understanding when i'm relying on someone else to provide me with customer service. i'm okay with waiting a little longer, as long as i'm acknowledged or a delay is indicated. i'll take a delayed return phone call if you're finding out the right answer for me. when dining out, i'll typically leave a 20% tip, as long as you refill my iced tea and check to see if i need any more ranch dressing.

it's the attentiveness that is the key. it's funny how much that little bit of attentiveness makes a huge difference in your service experience.

tonight's debaucle of customer service was easily avoidable, if our waitress had bothered to pay attention to us. yes, it was a little on the late side, but it was still over an hour until closing. the place was pretty empty, so it wasn't that she was harried (also something i understand well). she just couldn't be bothered. a group of her coworkers were also dining at the same time, and she preferred to socialize with them instead of doing her job. a small list of her transgressions:
1) she had to double-check the drink order (because she wasn't paying attention the first time)
2) she did not come by to check on us or refill drinks -- we had to flag her down to ask for refills
3) once the food was out, we didn't see her again.
4) i had to go get my own to-go box. once she saw that, she brought over the check-- but then it was another 15 minutes before we finally flagged down another waiter to run the bill.

it was perhaps the first time i've ever left a 47-cent tip (it would have been zero, but i like nice round numbers). and boy, she earned every cent.

on the road

2008-01-23T10:12:00.000-08:00

slightly amusing license plate on the back of a red volvo station wagon:
"RDIO FLY"

ah, sweet nostalgia.

accidents happen

2008-01-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

the more i hang out with the heather, the more accidents i seem to be witness to! last night on the way home from my indoor soccer game (which we won, by the way, so we go to the playoffs-- woo hoo!), a pretty bad crash happened right in front of us! we were in the fast lane going about the speed limit, since it was pouring down rain and it was hard to go any faster than that. an impatient driver came speeding up behind us, then swerved out around into the number two lane and back in front of us in the fast lane. heather was smart and let up on the gas when that happened. not ten seconds later, the speeder hit a puddle in the road and spun out, slammed his front end into the center divide, spun 180 degrees, slid all the way across four lanes of highway and over a merge-lane median, and slammed headfirst into the outside wall.

heather and two other cars pulled over to help. i sat on the phone with onstar and then with 911, as heather and the guy that stopped pulled the driver out of the (totalled) car. the guy who stopped was clearly an off-duty cop based on the way he was acting, the questions he was asking, etc. (and when CHP and fire showed up, he flashed his badge-- confirmed). he and heather totally kicked into gear, which is awesome. the driver had a broken arm and was probably in shock, but fortunately that seemed to be the only damage (other than to the car, of course).

after the accident, heather and i decided we should both carry flares in our cars (because the totalled car was sticking out around a blind corner-- pretty dangerous) and i decided that i should re-up my first aid and cpr training... just in case. these things seem to happen more often these days.

miscellany

2007-12-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

rick neuheisel back at ucla? i'm not sure how i feel about that. he left the college game amid a betting scandal, although it appears that he came out on top of that. it looks like ucla is going with a theme here-- bringing back former players to coach the ranks. karl dorrell did a good job of cleaning up the program, and now neuheisel will be in charge of bringing the program back to a national standard. first order of business: recruit a quarterback. oh, and learn how not to flop in the closing seconds of a bowl game. (*sigh*)

in non-sports commentary, h and i finally got over to see the body worlds exhibit at the tech museum. it's pretty interesting-- i wasn't sure what to expect, although i've read quite a bit about plastination, the preservation process, and the exhibit itself. i didn't think i'd be grossed out or anything, because my scientific curiosity would transcend any of that... and i was right. you sort of look past the fact that these are preserved human bodies, and become entranced by being able to look at real-life human parts in all of their splendor. we've all seen the 8th-grade science classroom skeletons-- this is a step beyond that, where you can view and explore musculature, nervous systems, ligaments, and so forth. many of the exhibits are free-standing and unenclosed, so you can stick your nose right in there and inspect the details up close. (no touching, though, of course.)

some of the exhibits were amazing-- i especially liked the x lady and the drawer man, and i also found the exploded body and the lateral slices fascinating. h really liked the ring man, too. the drawer man is an older gentleman in a walking position, with rectangular sections of his body pushed forward and backward (resembling drawers) to see inside. the x lady is a woman positioned in the shape of an x, with her hip and shoulder joints dislocated and the muscles of her arms and legs flared out into wing-like appendages. the middle of her body is flayed open to show her abdominal organs, and her face is rotated open to expose the nasal cavity, tongue, and throat. the exploded body is just that-- a body with all pieces separated and hung loosely together by wire. the body parts are all in the general correct place in the body, but each piece has been pulled apart so you can look at parts individually. the ring man is a male form suspended in a t-formation on gymnastics rings, and his body has cross-sections showing alternate rings of muscle, bone, ligaments, etc. (each ring had different depth, so you can see different layers within the same area of the body.)

i wish i could do justice to a description of these things, but it's really something that you need to check out for yourself. the exhibit is there until january 26, 2008.

moving up!

2007-12-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

my lovely soccer team has emerged from our playoff game to become the champions of the fourth division. we're moving up to the third division in the spring-- our third promotion in three years (six seasons)! it's a great testament to the dynamic and cohesiveness of the team, and i hope we continue to do well together. i'm definitely nervous, though... i'm not sure i'm third division material. back in my heyday, sure, but not as i'm nearing 30...

oh, and more baby news! congrats to anne and kyle, and baby bean percival anders-- born in shanghai on december 11.

the whole medicine cabinet

2007-12-10T22:58:00.000-08:00

it's been a long time since i've had the flu. i stay pretty healthy, even though i don't take my vitamin c nearly as often as my mother would like me to. the past few days, though, i officially tried everything in my medicine cabinet to make the fever, headache, swollen throat, and general miserableness go away. and officially, nothing worked. i think finally, in the third day, the advil started to kick in, but only enough to stave off the achiness for a little while. i don't think i've ever had so much tea in such a short period in my life. i like tea well enough, but i think tea and i will need have a little break from each other after spending too much time together this weekend.

so, thanks to the lovely virility of viral infections, i've reaffirmed that medicine does not work. i tried, though. believe me, i tried.

at least i had someone at home to take care of me. :)

the smell of christmas

2007-12-09T19:00:00.000-08:00

there are so many good reasons to love the holidays. my favorite reason is that it gives me an excuse to have a lovely fresh fir tree fill my home for a few festive weeks. the environmentalist in me knows i should choose a live tree, but i love the tradition of the christmas tree. since i can remember, i've always enjoyed the brisk afternoon at the christmas tree farm, picking out the perfect tree, sipping warm tea with rum after a successful tree hunt, and taking home the tree to be well-loved and well-lighted at home. then of course there's the decking of the halls-- usually somewhat delayed until my dad can string the lights-- when we revisit years past with the annual rediscovery of the family's treasured ornaments.

i missed out on the tree farm trip this weekend, due to inopportune illness, but i still hope i'll have time to bring home a tree. if not, i'll have to go uproot one of the volunteer seedlings in my apartment complex and make it my own :) and then i'll have a live tree, after all.

thankful

2007-11-20T17:52:00.001-08:00

in the spirit of the season, some things to be thankful for:

new baby nieces
friends who are always willing to lend an ear
being with family for the holidays (both major holidays this year!)
long weekends!
cheesy potatoes (i'm sure this was on my list last year, but it's darn good!)
dinner parties
soccer coming back to the bay area
some respite from the office workload (we have a new hire starting monday)
gorgeous fall colors
the brisk, smoky smell of autumn air
friendly neighborhood kitties
fruit baskets
clean laundry

...and for all of the love and friendships that i am lucky to have in my life.

happy thanksgiving, everyone.

babies, babies everywhere

2007-11-14T23:36:00.000-08:00

they're coming out the ears! there must be something in the water. congrats to katherine and her new addition, emily, and to april and her new addition, maya.

it's such a funny thing, that kid business. i've got to get me one of those one day so i have something to contribute when my coworkers all talk about dora the explorer and the wiggles.

oil slick

2007-11-09T22:14:00.000-08:00

the san francisco bay (and much of its wildlife) is currently covered in the stuff. save the bay has posted a few ways that we can help.

alex and his feline harem

2007-11-09T22:11:00.000-08:00

this is my favorite picture of alex so far:

i'm guessing there will be many more baby pictures in my foreseeable future.

the rebuilding of an empire

2007-11-08T11:14:00.000-08:00

the rumors are true: frank yallop has indeed signed on to be the new head coach of the san jose earthquakes expansion team. the team has also announced their plans to spend most of their home games for next season at a renovated buck shaw stadium (at least until their soccer-specific pitch is built). i guess i should get off my keister and get me some tickets, huh?

the next step would be to bring back tim hanley and recruit troy dayak or jeff agoos to be frank's assistant...

sofia isabella

2007-11-05T09:19:00.000-08:00

i'd like to introduce the newest member of my family, sofia isabella:

she was born october 9 to my brother and his lovely wife. i have been remiss in posting anything about my life lately, but this is one thing that should have been up sooner. sofia, mom, and dad are all doing very well (besides the requisite first-time-parent tiredness).

i got to meet her last weekend, and my parents (first-time grandparents) are out there right now. i can tell they are in love with her already.

much love to all of them :)

finally!

2007-11-05T09:04:00.000-08:00

a reason to get excited about the quakes again-- esteemed former coach frank yallop has resigned from the dastardly galaxy, and rumor is that he's done so in order to be available to coach the newly reborn earthquakes expansion team in 2008. woo hoo!

pointy ball incompetence

2007-10-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

are you flipping kidding me??? at least this makes me feel minimally better about my team's incompetence on the gridiron. it would be helpful if we had a quarterback.

sometimes i think i care too much about my teams...

making people care

2007-09-29T16:47:00.001-07:00

i love soccer. anyone who knows me knows that about me. i play on two teams, i have coached in the past, i had season tickets to our local team, and try to watch on tv when i get some free time. tomorrow morning, the women's world championship of joga bonito will be played on the other side of the world... and the american side will not be in it. the americans will play norway in the consolation game, but american starting goalkeeper hope solo will not be playing with them. in fact, hope solo will not even be dressed or in attendance, even though she has been at the helm of this winning team through much of their recent success.

hope solo was benched 48 hours prior to the americans' 0-4 semifinals drubbing at the hands of marta and the brazilian women's national team. before she was benched, she had shut out her opponents for just under 300 minutes-- over three full games in a row.

now, i was not in the locker room, so i can't speak to why she was benched just before the semis. she's younger, quicker, and fresher than veteran keeper briana scurry, who was the replacement netminder for the brutal loss to brazil. briana has been a solid member of the u.s. women's national team for some years, and i have enjoyed watching her-- but her veteran-ness is perhaps the problem. she's 36. most of the other players of her class (mia hamm, julie foudy, brandi chastain, etc.) have retired-- because they're not at the top of their games anymore. in fact, the only other one left on the team is captain kristine lilly, who is also 36 but will likely be on her way out after sunday's consolation game.

back to hope, though. coach greg ryan (who has not really capitalized on all of the talent he acquired when he took over) benches hope, and then kicks her off the team when she shows some frustration with what turns out to be a very poor line-up choice. the pundits will say it's because hope lambasted briana's play on a public stage (she said she would have made the saves that briana did not), which, granted, was not the smartest thing to do. it was likely more about the frustration of the coaching choice, not frustration at briana. (i have to say, though, i saw the game... and three of the four goals should have been stopped. plus, oy vey, an own goal. we're talking about the goalkeeper on a world-class team here, and three of the four were well in reach of a player of that caliber. that being said, that still leaves one goal, and a 0-1 loss is still a loss.)

it's amazing how many people are chiming in about this whole business. (look, it's even gotten me a little riled.) past players are both calling for coach ryan's job and skewering hope solo for having a voice. it's not all peaches and sunshine in USWNT-land, clearly. articles about the situation even made the front page of yahoo. (not espn, though.)

is this what it takes to make americans care about soccer?

we are the champions

2007-09-19T23:18:00.000-07:00

i know i've been lax of late with the tay tracker updates, but i am now bringing you the ultimate update:

on monday night, the 2007 san jose giants came back from a 0-2 game deficit to sweep the lake elsinore storm in the last three games of the series and take the cal league championship in front of the home crowd. here's what it looked like:

(Photo source/credit: Ben Platt, MLB.com)

check out the highlights and the post-game commentary, too. i was fortunate enough to be able to spend some time in the team's celebration as well, which was beer-drenched and giddy. it was so great to see tay, joey, mark, brian, and all of the boys win after such a solid season. i hope not to see any of them back in san jose (maybe fresno or sf), but i will definitely be watching for their future successes.

2007-08-17T23:53:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (14-4)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 4
current era: 1.88

2007-08-13T23:27:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: l (2-3)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 1.85

back to cali, cali

2007-08-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

tay is back in san jose for the end of the season and the playoffs! that meant he was able to go to his brother's wedding after all, which was awesome. more about the wedding and hawaii when i get a chance.

happy 61, apu!

tay tracker: s (12)
today's result: w (4-3)
innings pitched: 1.1
strikeouts: 2
current era: 1.70

2007-07-29T15:15:00.001-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (20-13)
innings pitched: 2.2
strikeouts: 3
current era: 4.58

2007-07-27T20:15:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: l (2-9)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 5.40

2007-07-22T23:11:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (3-2)
innings pitched: 2.0
strikeouts today: 3
current era: 4.85

a new beginning

2007-07-17T21:51:00.000-07:00

happy birthday, little sid! some of my favorite people are now the proud parents of a healthy baby boy. mom and baby are both doing well. congratulations and much love to you both!

2007-07-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: l (1-3)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 5.91

2007-07-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: l (2-4)
innings pitched: 1.0
strikeouts: 1
current era: 6.52

tagged!

2007-07-11T14:25:00.000-07:00

i haven't done one of these in a while, but bry has tagged me so here goes...

1. All right, here are the rules.
2. We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
3. Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
4. People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
5. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

(um, eight people? i lost all of my readership when i went on major blog hiatus, so i'm not sure i have eight people to tag...)

random fact no. 1: i am a frog person. most people are dog people or cat people, right? well, i'm a frog person. i have a lovely pet frog named wade (and formerly had pet frogs named picasso and van gogh, both of whom are, sadly, no longer with me). i also have a collection of frog paraphernalia, since my friends all know i like frogs. (i am, for the record, also a dog person, and i don't mind cats too much either.)

random fact no. 2: i'm about to become an aunt for the first time! my kid brother and his wife are expecting in october. i'm also going to be a pseudo-auntie soon, since bry's wife is due tuesday, july 17! exciting times.

random fact no. 3: if you know anything about me, you know that i'm a sportsaholic. i spend a lot of time watching games, at games, and playing games. i play on two soccer teams myself, i'm an active booster of my alma mater, and i'm a big fan of my pro teams-- the a's, 49ers, and sharks (and formerly the earthquakes, who will hopefully be reborn soon). this year i also added the sj giants and the connecticut defenders.

random fact no. 4: my job is cool! through my job, i have helped a former undersecretary of the UN, the father of conservation biology, a well-known earthquake geophysicist, and brilliant pediatric oncologist secure research funding. (they do all of the science, of course.)

random fact no. 5: my family has such a history of knee problems, we think they're genetic. in my immediate family, we have four acl reconstructions and various other arthroscopy (yes, one of the acls is mine).

random fact no. 6: despite the knee thing, i come from a family of athletes. we have an olympic swimmer, two world-class runners (including my grandfather, who held the world record in the 10,000- and 20,000-meter runs in 1941) and currently a minor league baseball player. my dad was also on track to be a high-level soccer player, if not for that knee thing...

random fact no. 7: i have a planet named after me. okay, okay-- it's not a real planet, it's a planet in the star wars universe-- but i even have my own wikipedia entry! the capital city of the planet is also named after me (my last name), and one of the four ruling families on the planet is named after me as well (my last name, minus the last letter). someone at lucasfilm likes me-- or used to, at least. i haven't heard from him in a while. (someone also told me that my planet got blown up in one of the more recent books, but i can't find any confirmation of that online.)

random fact no. 8: i have to admit it: i'm a spandy-in-training. i still wear running shorts over them, but i'm getting out on my bike more and more. someday soon i hope to look into training for a century ride. we'll see.

tagging:

liz
anne
judy j.
judy n.
big daddy d, who i know won't touch this with a ten-foot pole unless i tell him it's a writing assignment :)

2007-07-08T23:09:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: l (1)
today's result: l (10-12)
innings pitched: 2.0
runs allowed: 4
current era: 7.27

ouch :(

2007-07-04T23:06:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (9-6)
innings pitched: 1.2
strikeouts: 1
current era: 4.05

sharks and bytes

2007-07-02T23:33:00.001-07:00

the off-season changes are starting to happen, not the least of which are the losses of superstar defenseman scotty hannan and netminder vesa toskala. hannan, a shark since his drafting in 1997 (a great year-- also the year that joe thornton and patrick marleau were drafted picks 1 and 2), is hitting his stride and is branching out for other opportunities in his free agency. he'll get the chance to work with former shark tony granato (and current assistant coach at colorado), but he will definitely be missed in the san jose zone. h is devastated, of course-- he has long been her favorite player, and it's pretty brutal for him to go to a division rival. ah, for the love of sports...

big daddy d picked up another publishing credit today, with the release of chinese elvis. check it out-- it's a clever read, though it will take a little polishing before it goes into his anthology.

more home renovations this weekend-- mudding, taping, floor-laminating, and painting, with a little furniture configuration and rewiring thrown in for good measure. if homeownership was bestowed by practice, practice, practice, i'd be at the front of the line!

2007-07-01T22:35:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: l (4-5)
strikeouts today: 2
innings pitched: 1.0
current era: 3.60

2007-06-28T22:36:00.000-07:00

tay tracker
today's result: w (5-3)
innings pitched: 1.0
current era: 4.50

london town is burning down

2007-06-26T00:36:00.000-07:00

goodbye angora lake... wow. huge swaths of land in my beloved south lake tahoe are under a siege of flames. the inferno has been surging through the area since yesterday, and they're saying it's 40% contained. if the winds come through, though, the fire could do some more serious damage to the habitat and to property.

that's the idiosyncrasy of wildfire-- if allowed to burn through areas on a regular basis, it comes through as a low-grade burn and does what it's naturally intended to do. that is, it clears out the detritus, the fallen leaf litter and accumulated plant matter, and promotes recycling of nutrients back into the soil. some species of plants (like the mighty sequoia) even rely on the heat of regular burns to reproduce-- only in the heat of low-grade burns do their cones open and release seeds. the monkey wrench is human inhabitants... because scenic areas are also becoming popular vacation and tourist destinations, there is an increasing abundance of structures that need protection from such fires. the forest service in the area does conduct prescribed burns, but clearly it was not enough in this case.

i'm glad to hear that so far there are no human casualties, but i do hope that some of the pristine habitat in the area can be preserved...

tay tracker
today's result: l (2-5)
innings pitched: 1.0
current era: 6.00

a less-than-auspicious start on the east coast (although he had a few strikeouts in his last outing), but give him a few games to get his feet beneath him. even though he's not in cali to cheer on in person, please send well-wishes his way so he can get back to cali sooner!

2007-06-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

tay tracker: win (1)
today's result: w (8-7)
strikeouts: 3
runs allowed: 1
innings pitched: 2.0

movin' on up!

2007-06-19T23:29:00.000-07:00

good news: taylor is now a connecticut defender (giants' double-a affiliate)! he's flying out tomorrow morning, after pitching in the all-star game in stockton (stats: 2 hits, no earned runs, 2 strikeouts in one inning pitched).

bad news: i'll have to follow his play on the internet, since connecticut is too far away from here for me to get to games in person.

silver lining: he's moving up pretty quickly, so perhaps he'll be back in california before long (fresno or san francisco...)

so proud of you, cuz!