May 1999 Archives

I am sick.

I spent the first half of today in bed, in hopes that some rest would allow my body to heal. I have a nasty cough and a dripping nose.

It is gorgeous outside: the sky is brilliantly blue, the trees are thick with green, the light is perfect, and the breeze is perfectly slight.

Our internet connection at work is broken. I'm in a library computer lab right now, thanking my lucky stars that I built this automatic web-based update system. Perl rules.

Sonoko took Doug and me to lunch today to celebrate our birthday. We spoke for a second about the two deaths this weekend on Mt. Hood. Tom died a year ago this next Sunday.

In May, people die on Mt. Hood. This has been happening for decades. I just never paid close attention.

This lab is filled with students preparing for the end of the school year. I can't even begin to imagine what summer plans they have. Lord, I want to teach English. Someday I probably will.

I'm off to find my way to Northwest Portland.

Don built a friends page. I am on it, and I count myself lucky.

Yesterday was my birthday.

If I owned a car, my insurance would have dropped drastically.

Lars and Anne came down for the weekend. We spent Friday night at Newport Bay (a floating restaurant on the Willamette River) hanging out with old friends from all over the world.

Saturday morning, Amy, Doug, Lars, Anne, and I went to Rocky Butte. I set up a bomber anchor with three bolts and a huge tree, and we climbed all morning.

I was expecting to fight for a spot to climb, but I think everyone was at Smith Rock State Park. I don't blame them. Smith is gorgeous.

At one point, Amy looked over and said, "it's too bad we aren't in the sun." At the time, I agreed.

But when we climbed back up to our cars, we popped out into the sun. It was hot. We decided that Rocky Butte is a perfect place to climb on hot days.

Doug invited a whole bunch of people over to our house Saturday night to celebrate our birthday. (Doug and I are twins, by the way.)

People stuck around until two in the morning, when we finally kicked everyone out and went to bed.

Sunday morning, Doug, Amy, and I went to church. After church, we gathered a bunch of friends together for soccer. Mike and Ashley arranged for us to play on a field near their house.

We are all a bit out of shape, so we were grateful that the field was half the normal size.

After soccer, Doug, Amy, Lars, Anne, and I went to my mother's house for a family birthday.

In all, it was one of the fullest weekends I've had in a long time. I'm exhausted.

And I'm content.

A child is born!

I would be crazy if I didn't mention at least once more that the portfolio has gone public. Take a look!

So today I officially release my portfolio for the world to see. Take a look!

I have a nasty cold. My nose is running like crazy. I feel like someone wrapped my head in pink insulation. I can't hear very well.

We have plans to climb on Saturday, and all I can hope for is to be temporarily well. Just for one day.

For the third time this week, the skies have opened and served up monsoon-style rains.

We are used to slow and constant drizzles, overcast mists, even constant raindrops.

But the prodigious sound of the monsoon is rare.

I am beginning to believe that the rains are here to announce the arrival of Lars and Anne, who have been studying in Calgary since January.

They will be here for my birthday.

They will also be a week before the anniversary of one of the more difficult events of my life.

The sun is out now. The rain just stopped.

I'm feeling tired and discouraged as I write this. My heart is broken in several pieces: one part of me is celebrating, another is weeping, and another is trying very hard just to get some sleep.

For whatever reason, I decided to take part of my lunch in the university library's computer lab. So I'm typing this into my web form on a huge and beautiful Power Mac G3. Hm.

On the way over here, I ran through a clear and cool mist. The air itself has been replaced with water, and I wonder whether Portlanders will eventually grow gills. Now that would be cool.

I've been busy busy busy creating a portfolio.

Here's a sooperseekrit just for haub.net 2.0 readers peek:

My head hurts a bit, actually, because I've been staring at my computer screen all day.

But everything is coming together beautifully, and I'll let you all know when it's finished.

I've tried to avoid talking about it, but I can't resist.

I just downloaded the four new Star Wars commercials. I already have both trailers sitting on a ZIP disk. When I'm in the mood, I just pop them in, and viola! I'm walking down nostalgia lane, remembering what it was like to be at the opening of Return of the Jedi, remembering what it was like to play with my action figures, to dream of being Luke Skywalker (though now I think he's a brat).

After watching the four commercials (a bit trite, if you ask me, but the images are fabulous), I'm left with one simple thought.

The Phantom Menace is at least four hours long. It must be.