Oldbie.org

I really can't express how annoyed I am with the way the Livejournal feed treated my archives, unloading them all into everyone's Friends list like so much dump-trucked manure. The worst should be over, but, again, I'm really, really sorry about that. First I make you re-add me as an LJ syndication, and then I take over your Friends page. It wasn't on purpose, but is lame nonetheless.

Just a note to let everyone know that my intentions will be, ultimately, to write a script of some kind that will post both to my MT blog and Livejournal, but time is in short demand as of late, so it will have to wait.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 12:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Welcome to the new blog. If you're a LJ-er, just add the user czechharrison to your LJ friends list, or login, go to http://www.livejournal.com/syn, and search for my RSS feed (http://www.oldbie.org/michael/atom.xml), then add that syndication to your friends list. You can also go to http://syndicated.livejournal.com/czechharrison/ and then choose to add it.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

How could these two be so different? Or, rather, how could my Google Personalized Home be so off. This has been a rather annoying trend, as of late. How am I supposed to trust you with my private data, Google, if I can't even trust you to give me accurate weather information! I mean, come on. You can categorize and classify the world's information and make it available to anyone with a browser and an internet connection, but you're telling me I still have to go outside to determine whether it's the leather jacket or the fleece pullover for today?

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Natania got me one of the new moleskine cahier packages, and much like two years ago, when she first introduced me to the brand in the form of an extremely thoughtful Christmas present, it has spurred me on to write a bit more.

They're perfect for stashing around the house and office in various places. Each package comes with three cardboard-bound notebooks. They're bigger than my pocket-sized 9x14, and the same size as the 13x21, though the "cahier" style is flexible and fits in my pocket if I roll it up. With my pocket-sized, I find that it's unbearable to write at any length due to the small pages and the stiff covers. The cahier is perfect for working on a piece day-to-day, whereas I still look to the 9x14 for quick note-taking.

Enough stationary fanboyishness for today.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Found this on one of my regular RSS feeds, Parent Hacks (which I've been reading religiously, in addition to my new copy of The Baby Owner's Manual, to prepare for impending infantitude... they even posted a link I sent in about the Read to Me Program) and though I'm not sure it's quite appropriate for newborns (or even children, for that matter... the strange sound effects and music tracks that sound vaguely like the demos from Mario Paint would probably terrify most youngsters), it fascinated the entire office this morning.

So, with no further a-poo...

(God, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for.)

La Machine a Caca

Posted by Michael Harrison at 9:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five nights in a different time zone presents an interesting dilemma, especially when you have to wake up on the sixth day for a flight that departs at 6:25. Do you hang out 'til midnight, wake up at 8, and then pay for it in coach (where you cannot sleep, because you are Michael Harrison, who simply cannot slumber whilst airborne)? Or do you go to bed after Matlock, causing your peers to question your youthful vigor, and arise before dawn in the hopes that you'll somehow remain in your originating time zone physiologically if not spatially?

It's almost ten o'clock PST, so I'm obviously attempting the latter option.

I'm looking forward to being back in the Carolinas. While the courteous staff of the amazing Hotel Avante in Mountain View have made my stay here as wonderful as was within their powers, I am very much ready to relax in the guest room of my parents' home in Wilmington. Perhaps not as stylishly contemporary in design, and certainly without a chic and relaxing Hi-Fi Room, their ranch offers much in the way of creature comforts. Plus, there's a slim chance the weather might allow a few walks on the ocean. We shall see.

It seems a fairly sure bet that I'll be setting up a local blog at oldbie, since I'm getting a little fed up by LJ. I'm leaning toward Movable Type, though there are some pretty nifty plugins for WordPress available (the Google Analytics one, in particular). I'd love to be able to archive my LJ posts locally somehow, and I've read a few howtos on just that. If anyone has any more information, please do drop a line.

Anyway, up and at'em in about 6 hours, and I've got to call the wife. See you on the other side. Of the country, that is.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 9:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Best

• Tons of free Naked Juice whilst waiting in the lobbies at Google


• The climate


• Free wireless everywhere you go


• The toilets at Google. Seat warmers, bidet, and, yes, even ass-dryers


• Double-doubles at In-N-Out Burger

• Drinking too much Blue Machine and getting stomach cramps


• Uncomfortable plastic red, blue, green, and yellow chairs


• Being with a bunch of geeks on Valentine's Day, instead of my wife


• That guy sitting beside me whose cologne smells like cat urine


• Being told not to take any more photos of the Googleplex

The absolute best? Leaving the left coast for the right one in just a hair over a day. I miss Natania, and haven't seen my folks in Wilmington in more than seven months.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 12:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took the midwife a few minutes to find it. She put the goo on the tip of the Doppler and pushed it against Natania's stomach. At first, we could hear my wife's heart. It sped up as time passed. So did mine. At one point, I realized I was actually holding my breath.

At the first appointment, they told us that sometimes you can't hear the heartbeat. At 8 weeks, the Doppler device probably won't register the sounds. They're too faint, washed out by the noises from the mother's intestines, and her larger, slower heart. The way it works is, the device throws soundwaves out. They come back, but are altered by movement. The thing makes a horrible racket when the midwife powers it up and brings it to the belly, because the noises it generates are electronic, far from anything a human makes.

I was still holding my breath. Natania stared at her stomach; I stared at Natania. They say that sometimes you can't hear the heartbeat, but not to worry. At 12 weeks, it's almost always audible, but sometimes it isn't. You're not supposed to worry. Sometimes they don't even do it until later, because it can really upset parents-to-be.

It was upsetting me. I wanted to hear something that told me that everything was all right, that things were coming along, that everything that we--and, really, Natania--were going through wasn't for nothing. I wanted to know that my wife was on her way toward the end of morning sickness and soreness and all the M.O.P., as the midwife called them. Mainly, though, I wanted my first communication with this small creature, whom I desperately wish to meet in August, who is currently the size of a lime but will (with all our hopes and dreams) eventually grow much larger, who is currently siphoning somewhere between 150 and 350 calories from my wife's diet but will (again, hopefully) enjoy sushi and North Carolina barbeque and dad's homemade salsa, who is currently attached to Natania quite physically but will (with all of the usual exceptions, including car privileges and dating and the countless embarrassing stories, like this one) grow pretty fond of this other one who is somewhat responsible for its creation.

I just wanted to say, "Hi."

The midwife moved the small device down, and again I heard my wife's heart pushing blood through her body, soft and muffled. And then something else. Louder, clear as an infant's steel-blue eyes, and fast. A normal fetal heart rate is between 120 and 160 beats per minute. The midwife counted 150. Natania and I, we both laughed and cried a little. The chance for miscarriage, the midwife told us, drops to 1% once you hear the heartbeat.

Now we just have to get started on worrying about all the other stuff. That's fine with me. I think I can deal with it, really. I'm just looking forward to saying, "Hi," again.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I took my final final last night. Chemistry, and much easier than I expected, which was a blessing considering the amount of time I spent studying for it. I spent an hour driving to school, an hour taking the exam, and an hour driving home. There was little fanfare regarding my return to the working world, and my departure from academia, nor was I expected any. Right now, after just barely surviving the semester from hell, I'm looking forward to a bit of time that is not broken into semesters.

The past two weeks have been somewhat of a blur. After my cousin's wedding over Thanksgiving, I came down with what could only have been some sort of mutated Hantavirus. School and work soon became impossibilities. The best part was that, after the fever fell enough to make it back into the office for a couple of days, it returned in full force, kicking me back home to rest for almost another week. I took the bulk of my exams while in a haze, dribbling snot on papers and desks, and somehow managed to drive home from Greensboro without falling asleep or choking on my own phlegm.

I'm feeling better now, though, thanks.

It's good to be able to focus on work right now, though. Things are really gearing up and I must admit that I'm excited to be a part of what we're doing. There's also quite a lot going on over at SoulBound, where we've just implemented a DKP system for our World of Warcraft raids. It's very much fun.

Natania and I saw The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe last night. Very well done, and the changes made were tiny and, in all honesty, for the best. Case in point: Father Christmas doesn't tell Susan and Lucy that "It's ugly when girls fight," opting instead for the more universal, "Battles are ugly affairs." Named characters were added (Orieus, the centaur commander, for instance), lesser characters expanded (Fox), and names changed (Fenris Ulf becomes Maugrim). There's no mention of Aslan's father, the "Emperor-over-the-Sea," and there are a slew of mythical additions to both armies, including Cyclops, Gryphons, and a Phoenix. Besides these, the movie stays dead-on with the book. The kids were wonderful, if a bit one-dimensional at times (Peter and Susan play up the characteristics that become more pronounced in the later books), Georgie Henley, who played Lucy, standing out most. She was adorable, animated, and extremely dynamic for such an inexperienced actress.

Did anyone else notice that the White Witch had donned Aslan's mane in the final battle? Nice touch.

Anyway, back to work...

This Just In: Got an A in my British Authors course. Score.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 3:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I'm in Las Vegas for Webmaster World Pub Con X, which has been rather interesting. To say the least. With a huge week in Google News (Google Base, free Urchin in the form of Google Analytics, and new additions to Site Maps), we've had quite the abundance of topics to discuss. Googler and ex-Tar Heel Matt Cutts, was on hand with a rather illuminating Q&A session.

It's my last night. Not much more to do at the conference, so I've got an evening to kill. I was intrigued by all the cab ads for Avenue Q, the "muppets in the real world" Broadway show. Too bad it's about $100 a pop. I guess I'll just download the soundtrack.

Anyway, off to dinner. Another buffet. Whoo.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 8:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yay! This is awesome. I know what I'm doing this afternoon!

Posted by Michael Harrison at 1:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In the mornings, after Calliope has eaten, we go around to the back yard. I suppose that, by definition, it can be called a yard. It's a area of land "next to, surrounding, or surrounded by a building or buildings," which "building(s)" could, I suppose, mean my house.

It could also be defined as a pit or perhaps a garden of nature's rage (D&D joke there... sorry, folks). Mainly, it's a huge cliff, complete with deadfall, stretching out for a good half of the property, toward one of the little trickles that feeds Bolin Creek. Trees tower over the house, poking out from the lush greenery below, pulling themselves up from the tendrils of ivy that hold them captive. It's quite a beautiful wood, in a "Mirkwood" fashion.

As Calli poops, taking a circuitous romp in and around the ivy before settling on a good spot, I stare out over that land. About 20 yards out, there's a clearing. The sun brightens it up, although you can still barely see it through the trees. It looks warm, even in these cool, damp autumn mornings.

This is a nice spot for us, here in Chapel Hill. We're thinking more and more about settling down. It's all dependent on the job and school situation, of course, but for now we're thinking of that big void that's up ahead of us, and I want to start putting down some lasting roots. From what I've seen of the world (and I haven't seen much, you know), here is as good a place as any. At some point, I guess you have to stop moving from one place to another if you really want to start with the stuff that happens after childhood and college, after marriage. If you want to follow these biological and social urges to spread your seed, to make a human for the future, to maybe give the world a tiny little spark that may change it some day. You have to find yourself out of doors, and just be happy with the room you're in.

I think if we buy the place, I'll put some steps going down into the valley. Cut away some of the ivy, landscape it a bit so we can add some variety, put in a shade garden, something like that. The path could lead down toward that clearing, and maybe if Natania lets me, I'll put a nifty little zip-line running down from the top of the hill, like we had when I was a kid. In the clearing, we'll put a playground or a clubhouse, maybe extend a dog run for Calli.

The dog finishes her business and hops away from it, darting back up the hill toward the house. I jog after her.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 6:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you're really working, trying, doing your best to spend about an hour every day, after work or school or whatever, to write... and you hold aspirations to be a "writer," to maybe support yourself one day by your craft alone, does that make writing a hobby? Or is it something more? A passion? What differentiates a passion from a hobby? Is it going to bed every night, thinking of a story in which you're knee-deep, doing your best to tell? Is it doing something until your fingers bleed, or it's 3am and you didn't even notice that your wife went to bed without you? I don't know where I stand with any of that jazz. I enjoy writing, I love telling stories, I love to read stories, and when I sit down to write, I find myself astounded (and oftentimes frightened) by the process of unearthing them.

My job and school, though... they sap a lot of my energy from me. And writing, for me, has never been easy. I don't care what I'm working on, it's always work. And, sometimes, the last thing I need after 9 hours of work is more work. And so I go to other hobbies. The D&D campaign we've started recently with some friends, painting or playing with my Warhammer 40K miniatures, teaching myself Adobe Illustrator... these things are hobbies.

I'm not so sure writing is a hobby. I think maybe when hobbies consume your being, when, even while you're not actively engaging in them, you're thinking of them, then it's a passion. My problem isn't desire, because I have plenty of that. My issue, at the moment, is drive and commitment. And time. Talent is cheap, it's been said by professionals. To paraphrase further, "The only difference between a talented writer and a successful one is a whole hell of a lot of hard damn work."

If only I had more time in the day.

Hmm... that'd be a neat idea for a story...

Off to bed.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Getting out of bed at 7:15 is horrible, for the most part. The sun has a bleary and squashed look about it. Outside, there's a fug to the neighborhood that doesn't seem to go away until nine o'clock or so. In North Carolina, even morning in September (which is still considered summer by my standards... if I'm sweating at 7:30am, it's still summer) is hot and humid.

But then there's the whole part about having a ton of time to yourself. Which makes waking up early worthwhile. Today, which is my "drive-to-Greensboro-for-school-alone" day, I did the following, all before leaving the house at 12:45:

• ate a bowl of cereal
• made an iced Americano
• sent my Congressional Representatives a letter regarding cuts to student loans, medical care for the elderly and misfortunate, and (once again) the Center for Public Broadcasting
• watched more "Desperate Housewives"... shut up...
• downloaded more "Desperate Housewives"
• read the latest additions/editions to Natania's story
• cleaned the kitchen
• walked a couple of miles with the dog
• scanned six Shakespeare sonnets
• made lunch

Lately, time has been occupied by a number of things. Getting my Tau army painted is taking up a big chunk of free time, but I don't mind. Painting miniatures is one of those things that just lets me get my hands to working, and then get my mind to wandering. It's great. I'm not the world's best painter, but I'm learning.

Also, I'm reading Neil Gaiman's latest, which has been great fun so far. I've moved along, too, from one writerly-inspirer, Bag of Bones, to Stephen King's little memoir on writing... On Writing. Duh.

And when I'm not reading or painting, I'm scribbling my own ideas in my Moleskine, reading sonnets, and trying to be patient with Calli.

Life is good when you wake up early, I suppose. In a few weeks, God willing, the humidity will be gone, fall will be here for sure, and when I take the dog out back to do her business, I want to see steam, damn it.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 9:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mondays are good. I wake up, late if I want, but usually at or around 9, and I have three and a half hours before it's time to go to Greensboro, for classes. I can read, catch up on homework, surf the web, and play with my doggy.

This past Monday, I went out with Calli, let her do her business, and saw the fig tree sitting by our bedroom window.

Upon closer inspection, I realized where all the butterflies have been coming from. They've been all over the place.

There the butterflies were, crowded around the fig tree, eating its rotting fruit from the stem. A very intriguing sight, as they were accompanied by what appeared to be representatives from every member of the insect world. Green flies, wasps, yellow jackets, bumble bees... there were thousands of bugs converged on our fig tree. From afar, it seemed like the tree was moving.

I can't wait for autumn to finally come. The heat is starting to get very annoying, and it's September already. Almost October. Smells of woodsmoke and the need for pullovers are requisite! I want to see my own breath when I go outside in the morning, and a frost (which, yes, I understand would probably take out a good portion of the Fig Tree Crew) would be splendid.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, more life occurred. It seemed to crawl by at a snail's pace, but then I was driving home, listening to my iPod in the car, and looking forward to a relaxing evening alone. Natania and I spoke on my way home, and we're going to the Apple Store tomorrow. I need a laptop PC for school, because I am there so often, and also for any traveling I do at work. And since she has Cuthbert, a 14" iBook, I figured I'd steal it from her and she'd never notice.

But she did! She said, "Michael, I see that you have taken my computer. Hand it back, please." And I pouted and continued in vain to hide it from her behind me, but that wife of mine is no fool. So we came up with a compromise. I get the iBook and she gets an iMac. And the free iPod mini that comes with it. We're heading to the Apple Store tomorrow to scope out the scene and see how much this will impact our pocketbooks. We're doing well enough right now, our debt is under control, and all checks to lenders are in the mail.

So, tomorrow, Apple Store and probably the Farmer's Market, and then we're both working tomorrow, 3-ish to whenever-ish. If I get a chance, I'll do a spot of lawncare on Sunday, and there will be homework and exam preparation. Tonight, I'm going to work a bit on scanning my photos, our new webpage (IbidIbid.org, which is a sort of online writer's workshop with magazine, but it isn't that right now; just our homepage), and possibly burn some DVDs for the watchin' pleasure. I'm almost done downloading the first KTMA Mystery Science Theater 3000 season... should be intriguing.

We got rid of World of Warcraft. So I'm gonna log on and send my gold to our friends and say goodbye. The end of an era, I suppose. C'est la vie. This too shall end.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

We slept in this morning, which was all right. I did my homework last night, and despite the fact that I knew I had a chem test today, I realized that I really didn't need to do any studying. True, last night I was posting on how I'm trying to do more work and skipping out on studying is certainly the opposite of that little promise I made. But, seriously. Intro Chemistry. This stuff is ridiculous. I think it's the same cirriculum I had back in high school. Remember how to do exponential numbers? You're set.

I handed the exam back to the professor thirty minutes after sitting down to take it. She had four different exams (all color coded...) and had made a seating chart so to dissuade us from cheating. That thing about high school chemistry... cirriculum and discipline. Awesome.

Anyway, I'm really confident in the test. No worries there. I got out of class forty-five minutes early, strolled down to the student union, where I sit now, connected to the school's nascent wireless network. It's been about two and a half hours. I finished up an essay due on Monday for my American Lit class, and now all I need to do for next week is get an outline together for the British Authors exam. It's good to have things done.

I haven't had much of a chance to write for pleasure. I am, however, reading Stephen King's Bag of Bones, which is reading for pleasure. It also has the strange ability to inspire the hell out of me. And, yes, inspiration is like 1% of the equation, but it helps considerably.

I've got a few projects up my sleeve, and after work tomorrow, I think I'll sit down somewhere... maybe the back porch, if it's cool enough (and dry enough... Ophelia needs to get to her drowning, if you ask me), and write 3 pages minimum on the story about the dead girl who meets the living boy on the playground, and they play detectives to figure out why the girl is dead. Sound like something you'd want to read? Perhaps I'll push it off on you.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 9:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

(And I think I know who you are.)

Here are 11 Tips to Surviving a Day Job With Your Creativity In Tact.

I haven't even read it yet, but I know it's gotta be beneficial.

Discuss?

Posted by Michael Harrison at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I got back from Google about two weeks ago, and I think I'll save that particular story for another day. It's been awhile since then, and I've been extremely busy. Things haven't really slowed down... but tonight was nice, quiet, and I spent it doing more or less whatever I wanted.

Our friend Shawn was in town for a couple of weeks, which was a blast. We got to show off our house, our neighborhood, and our town, and it made me realize how happy I am with where we're at. We went down to Lake Hartwell, on the SC-Ga border, and had a great weekend full of dogs and tubing and swimming. It was hot as hell, but we had a good time.

Classes started, too. It's been a blur, learning to balance work and school. I'm working on Saturdays now, which leaves Sunday as my only real day off. Mondays and Tuesdays are spent in Greensboro, in class. Natania's working now, too, so she's out of the house more often. This is what we call a "transition period."

Calli started coughing a few days ago, too. This happened to correspond exactly with the disappearance of her blue microchip tag, so I assumed that she had swallowed it and it was stuck in her throat, or something. Took her to the vet today, and it turns out she's just bruising herself by pulling too hard on the leash. We just need to get her a new collar... thank God.

So, last week I installed a wireless router and I'm sitting in the living room, typing this on the iBook. I've been painting miniatures and checking the PA Games and Technology Forum. It's really nice. Life is nice when it's slow. And it's more appreciated when that slowness is plopped down right in the midst of a bunch of craziness.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 12:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Thursday, as I merged onto Interstate 40, I noticed that there was a little green fellow hitchhiking on the passenger-side mirror of the car. I'm fairly sure it was a Spissistilus festinus, or what the oldsters call a "Three-cornered Alfalfa Hopper."As I was already accelerating toward the usual 80 mph that Triangle drivers find comfortable for their morning commutes, I couldn't do much but give the little guy a few cautionary glances every few minutes or so. I cruised along, finishing up with Sarah Vowell's spectacular Assassination Vacation, and when I arrived in Raleigh, somewhere around the Oberlin off-ramp from Wade Avenue, my stow-away jumped ship. I hope he finds Raleigh a happy place, though I must admit, I myself am a Chapel Hill-ian through-and-through.

This is, of course, after only living here for two months. What can I say? The place feels like home. We have the house in such wonderful order, and the yard looks like heaven, the back porch is splendid, our neighbors are great... and I love the towns. Carrboro and Chapel Hill, which we are nearly smack-dab inbetween, are bastions of thoughtful-mindedness in an otherwise selfish state. "Hippie" and "hippier," my friend Geoff calls these two towns, and he's right. But in a good way.

Saturday was "Movie Night," which is the newly-instituted tradition of getting everyone together in one place to watch one of our rented Netflix. Natania and I took a trip to the Carrboro Farmers' Market, which rocks the socks off of Greensboro's. We got out of there, spending $9, and we had a treasure trove of goodies, too. I even got a cup of homemade root beer.

We made dinner and sat down to watch Wizards. And... I didn't really get it. I suppose it has its merits, but for the most part I was simply appalled at Bakshi's ridiculous attempts to tell a simple story. It seemed that everyone else agreed, and we'll be attempting to pick something a little less lame for the next movie night. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Today, I spent a good deal of time totally and completely geeking out. I drew this map for the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons campaign that we're starting... I think it looks fairly good, although I'd like it to be a bit more stylized. I was looking at these Dutch city maps from the 1649 Blaeu atlas, Toonneel der Steden, and really wish I could reproduce the same old-world look and feel. Practice, practice...

Posted by Michael Harrison at 12:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I apologize. I have "Dancing Queen" in my head. I cannot get it out. Soon I will resort to the "screwdriver-and-hammer" method, because, when it is all said and done, one can only take so much Abba.

The beach vacation came and went. There was libation a-plenty and fun was had by all, even on the last day, which is usually reserved for cleaning and bitching about how annoying it is to go back into the real world, with a sunburn to boot. We managed to get ourselves blacklisted from the one decent pub on Topsail Island (though, truth be told, their service was so abysmal that I cannot say for certain upon whose shoulders the blame falls) and I bought the sweetest book evar from the really quaint independent beach bookstore, Quarter Moon Books.

Then we came home, and began to prepare for the inlaws' arrival, which was tonight. They are here now, and we are full on Chinese food from our new favorite Chinese restaurant, The Jade Palace. If there is one positive thing about moving (and there are many of them, though the traumatic event in question is far too close for me to see them), it's finding new haunts. For all of the takeout places in Greensboro, we never found a good sit-down Chinese restaurant. Jade Palace had some tasty food and you can call us regulars now, because that's the plan.

Another interesting tidbit of news is: I get to go to San Francisco in two weeks. Google (I can't believe I linked it... heh) is having a conference on Urchin and its usage in Pay-Per-Click advertising. I've never actually been to California, and I've heard the Googleplex is quite a sight to behold. So, yeah, I'm sure I'll be extremely geeky and take lots of pictures. You'll be the first to see them.

It is time for bed, I believe. Good night.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 12:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Selecting a Reader By Ted Kooser First, I would have her be beautiful, and walking carefully up on my poetry at the loneliest moment of an afternoon, her hair still damp at the neck from washing it. She should be wearing a raincoat, an old one, dirty from not having money enough for the cleaners. She will take out her glasses, and there in the bookstore, she will thumb over my poems, then put the book back up on its shelf. She will say to herself, "For that kind of money, I can get my raincoat cleaned." And she will.

I love The Writer's Almanac.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a really nifty entry today over at the Mind Hacks blog, to be used in times where terrorist attacks aren't giving public transit a worse rap than it already has.

...if you're really enjoying yourself and you don't want time to go too fast, try keeping your eyes as still as possible.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

London rocked by terror attacks

I'm sure you've seen, but if not...

And Bush couldn't wait: "The war on terror goes on."

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

DSCF0041
Originally uploaded by Czech37.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Home is where the rump lands, as they say. We're home, after a huge Moving Day that saw large amounts of assistance from family. If it weren't for Mom and Dad and my cousin, Tandy, her husband, Brian, and, to some extent, their toddler Will, I have no idea what would have happened.

Getting all your stuff from one place to another is fine and good, but putting it where it belongs is another arduous story in and of itself. It will be three weeks come Friday, and that is still what we are doing. Picture will be on their way, as soon as we have something that's worth recording. It's looking nice... but not nice enough.

After a week's interlude in Massachusetts, we came back down to the new home to put things together. It was nice, being back in the area. My friend, Geoff, and his girlfriend Lee, came over this past Saturday and we introduced Lee to the wonders of Settlers. The next day, being only about 20 minutes from their house, we went over there and played a rousing Game of Life, which has been updated to include a "Computer Technician" career. To facilitate money-making for this new career, Milton Bradley turned Life's trademark spinning wheel into a bigger piece of junk than it already was. If a player knocks it off its tracks, the Technician gets $50,000 from the bank. As an up-and-coming Computer Technician, I made somewhere in the neighborhood of $800,000 this way before my fellow players figured out how to stop screwing up the dial.

Monday was my first day at the new job. It's eerily familiar, to be honest. My new position is a bit different from my last one, in that I'll be focused on one primary task, and not spread thin like the last bit of mayonnaise in the jar. In three weeks, I'll probably know more about search engines and search engine marketing than any person has a right to. It's nice, having a solid foundation, and learning more about something that I've always found fascinating is a great thing to be paid to do.

We're off to Wilmington this weekend for some much-needed time in a home that's already put-together.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Natania's mom came up this weekend to help with the preparation of the new house, and we took some more photographs. The garden was tidied up (though "gutted" may be a more appropriate word) and we painted the rooms inside. The guest bedroom needs another coat, and there's lot of trim work to be done, but for the most part, we're just ready to move in. Which we shall be doing this coming weekend. Because Friday is my last day of work. Then I'm free for two weeks, one of which will be spent in Massachusetts (sadly, no home games while we're there) and the other in getting our house together.

You're all invited to the housewarming! We'll pick a date in June, and if you're in the mind for some burgers and 'dogs, and a few bottles of (perhaps) (home)brew, then come on 'round, y'all.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I gave my two weeks notice on Monday. My boss was surprised and disappointed, which I suppose is better than delighted and pleased. I can tell she's not happy about my decision, but she's doing her best to keep a good face. Everyone else is sorry to see me go, but the cow-orkers with whom I'm closest wish me only the best. My immediate supervisor and "cubie," to use the official parlance, seems to be somewhat jealous of my ability to just drop a job and go back to school willy-nilly. He's asking me all sorts of questions about it. In a way, it's making me more and more excited about the future ahead.

This future that I speak of involves boxes, and the filling of said boxes with my life. Then the transporting of the boxes 50 miles eastward into our new home. In addition, the future includes painting five rooms in various shades of color, and a visit from the mother-in-law. We're back in Chapel Hill this weekend, for to fix the house and to tame the yard. Next Friday, I'll no longer be employeed in Greensboro, and by the end of that weekend, we'll no longer reside here either.

Here's to the future. The future that lies beyond boxes and manual labor.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Slowly, we're getting our stuff to Chapel Hill. The end of the month--and of our lease--is fast approaching. It seemed so far away, and now it's not. This is the way that life works. It is, after all, what happens when you're busy making plans.

I called in sick on Friday because I wasn't feeling well. My friend, Geoff, came into Greensboro, riding Yoshi, our old Civic, and we had too much to drink on Friday night, awoke earlier than I wanted, but later than I should've, on Saturday, and went to Chapel Hill to show off our future duds. We also purchased some gardening supplies and a charcoal grill for the beautiful back porch (which was, incidentally, constructed by my very own father). Not for lack of trying, we didn't get the chance to introduce the grill to fresh meat. This momentous occasion will take place next weekend, when Natania's mother comes down to help us warm the house for our imminent occupation.

My aunt and uncle, who are so kindly offering the place to us, also went along to help us with paint. They bought us enough to cover the square-footage we need, and probably a bit extra. It's going to be a big job, but we're looking forward to it.

So, after some much-needed yardwork, we grabbed some supper in town, then drove back to the Gate City.

Tomorrow, I give my two weeks. It's liable to be ugly. Wish me luck.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Had the third interview in Raleigh this past weekend. Natania came along, as per the owner's wishes, and met everyone. She got a tour of the office space, which is more than she's ever seen of my current workplace. In more than a year of my employment there, my own wife has not met a single co-worker, nor has she seen where I toil away. I haven't even started at the new place, and she's already got a great idea of what I'll be doing, with whom I'll be doing it, and where.

The office is a complete turn-around from where I'm at now. There are several part-timers (myself included), and everyone is on extreme flex-time. Most were under 30, and all were extremely nice. The place is well-lit, whereas my current work environment is like a stifling cave. New office furniture, nice flatscreen monitors, and a clean atmosphere. I'm looking forward to Day 1, which will begin at 10:00am on Monday, June 6th.

Immediately following this interview, we continued eastward to Oak Island for my sister's wedding. It was as wedding-like as you can get, which includes, I've learned, a dash of the good, a smidgeon of the bad, all mixed up (a la The Facts of Life) with free alcohol from numerous open bars. This resulted in a very flavorful weekend. Much comradery, vast quantities of potential for drama, but surprisingly little of the stuff itself. I was glad to see my sister happy, and extremely happy myself to see members of my family and some very, very good friends--primarily, Miles and Laura and Jessie. Not to mention the fantastic seafood that we feasted upon last evening at a well-recommended restaurant on Oak Island, which, after a justified hour-and-a-half wait, was more delicious than words can render truthfully.

We're working at the schematics for the move later this month. There's yet another wedding at the tail-end of May, and I have to admit, when it's three of the things in six months, and that average starts reaching one wedding every other month, you just don't want to think about the damn things: toasts and drunken relatives and the two forming a shaky partnership in the construction of long and boisterous speeches whose primary characteristics are less "uplifting" and "poignant," but more "slurred" and "halted."

My early retirement will commence on May 20th, which means I have but one week to steel myself for tendering my resignation. There is a week in New England planned, and then we will be moving.

Just bought Ben Folds' new album, Songs For Silverman, from the iTunes Music Store. So far, it's nice. Usually, I need some period of attachment, and my iPod shall be the medium for that interchange. I'll let you know how it goes.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I gotta stop doing this. When I skimp, I just end up having to write more.

Well... hopefully, in a month and a half that will cease. I will have more time for writing, which is something I have been looking forward to for quite a while. I'll have more time for most everything. Because The Plan is in effect, my friends, and we're well on our way along its golden path. We've even got a sweet new ride in which to traverse it.

Step 1: Buy a new car to replace poor dying Yoshi, our 1994 Honda Civic.
We did it. We went to Carmax, after doing some research, and test drove a 2001 Volkswagen Jetta. It drove so well that we used the loan that we had pre-approved at the credit union and bought the thing. Or, rather, we had our bank buy it. All in all, the loan is good and we'll only end up paying around $500 more than we would had we paid cash. Not too bad for a couple of newlyweds with student loans out their ears and a "developing" credit score. I'll take pictures of Wensleydale II, as he hath been dubbed, and post them over at www.oldbie.org/photos as soon as possible.

Step 2: Find a New Place to Live That Is Both Better and Less Expensive
Did that, too. Not on our own, though, but through the wonderful help of family. My uncle owns a great ranch in the Colonial Heights neighborhood of Chapel Hill. It's a fantastic place to live, city-wise and neighborhood-wise. Free public transit, about a mile's walk from Franklin Street at the college, and in the best part of the Research Triangle. Plus, the place has a nice big yard in which Natania and I may cavort, plant vegetables, and release our cats into, thus bypassing this feline "shitbox" custom that has been inflicted upon the cats in question... or, I suppose, upon their human masters... I'm still trying to decide which.

Unfortunately, because said house is about an hour east of current abode, a new job seemed necessary. After a raise at the current place of work, I felt that I may attempt the commute. But my desire to head back to school and current stresses in my job were making the decision much more difficult. Thankfully, fate came in and dealt its cruel blow. Or, in this case, its light and kiss-like nudge, and...

Step 3: Get a Part-time Job That Doesn't Involve a Freaking Hour-long Commute on I-40
...was checked off the list. I interviewed last month for a design position, and the owner thought my enthusiasm and experience were ideal. He just didn't have a position at the time. This weekend, I went back, and it appears that the position for me now exists. Not quite design, and not quite server administration, but it's 3 days a week, in a great part of Raleigh (about 20-25 minutes from our new home), I can go in as late as 10am, and it will allow me to go back to school.

I'll be doing search engine optimization for websites. It's something I'm somewhat experienced in, and it'll pay the bills and allow me to learn some pretty interesting new skills. I'm excited.

Step 4: Go Back to School

I was also re-admitted to UNC-G for the fall, and I'll be taking classes both online and at campus (on Mondays and Wednesdays, most likely).

So, yes. Things are going well. I just thought you might want to know.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

There's a site we do at work for a cookie company in the Carolinas (ahem) and they've got a promotion in effect now for a certain line. So, the marketing "boss" tells me, over the intraoffice IM network, to just pick something random for the coupon code. Someone gets the code, they choose what they want to buy, then they enter in said code and get a discount. You've probably seen these before. The codes are usually something like JD42349 or PQ95845 or whatever.

So I picked SF94784 or something, right? Random series of numbers, and the letters signify the promotional line of baked oblong dessert treats.

He comes over, sighs, with the other marketing dude. "I dunno. Can't it just be a word?"

"Yes," I say. It can. It can be a word. It can be anything he wants it to be. But he told me to make it random.

"Can it be just 'SUGAR FREE'?"

"Yes, but no spaces. 'SUGARFREE,' yes. 'SUGAR FREE,' no."

"So make it that. SF94blahblahblah or whatever, that's too long. Why didn't you make it something people can remember?"

I turn back and stare at him.

"Because. You. Said. Random."

I must deal with these things daily...

Anyway, in other news, we're definitely outta Greensboro in June, and into the house in Chapel Hill. I am officially seeking employment in the Triangle, and it shall be part-time. Because school will take up full-time. I am excited about this.

Also, there was a honeymoon in January, believe it or not, and here's proof.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Up and at them before 9 on a weekend. My hat goes off to Natania, who got up at 8:30 to head to the gym, leaving me behind in a very cold bed, which gave me no choice but to get up and clad myself in oodles of clothing to keep from freezing.

I have to work on my portfolio. I need to have it ready for my interview, which is at 3:45 this afternoon. I've been asked to provide a digital portfolio, and a print portfolio for anything I've done that can't be represented in digital format. This latter category really includes nothing.

Any suggestions or tips? I've never really done a real portfolio review, except during my brief stint at art school. Merynetjeru, I'm looking at you! :D

Wish me luck!

Posted by Michael Harrison at 8:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I came home from work yesterday and because of our plans for the upcoming months, decided it was time to find some jobs and send out some resumes. You know: the lamest, most annoying, suckiest activity known to man.

So I went to a few websites, found some classifieds, and then I was at a website for a design firm in Raleigh, filling out their online application. After an hour updating my cover letter and resume, I cut-and-pasted, then clicked 'Submit.'

Before I went to bed, I checked my mail. 'Lo and behold, there was a response from the owner of the company. He was asking me to clarify some items in my application. I shot off an email, doing so, and this morning, he'd replied.

I have an interview on Saturday. Time to get my portfolio updated. Hot damn.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 6:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This weekend was pretty darn cool, if I may say so. I'm sure that Natania will, at some point, update with news of her talk at the NC Colloquium in Medieval and Renaissance Studies. It was a very informative conference, and I must admit that showing Natania around Duke was exciting. The keynote speech, about the Lime Street naturalists of Elizabethan London, was about as interesting as scientific history gets. And even my mother and aunt found the four graduate students' pieces (Natania's included) to be interesting enough; shipbuilding as seen through the gauze of gender studies, however, is fairly disturbing. I daresay that I will never look at a mast the same way again, and if I do see one, I'll make damn sure to keep it as far away from my fundament as is humanly possible.

I stayed home sick today, because my throat felt bad and because I felt like a day off. Things at the ol' job-eroni aren't going all that hot, thanks to an untimely promotion of another staff member, and some more of the news we received whilst in the Triangle region of our grand state has made my entire existence at Greensboro Web Design firm #5 somewhat shaky in my own head.

You see, if we have our way, we'll be living in Chapel Hill come June 1st. Our way will be hard and wrought with much instability and job-seeking, but we've got a really wonderful opportunity to take up residence in a relative's three bedroom home (house, even! With yard and neighborhood and basement!) for cheaper than our current rent. For those counting, we're in a small two bedroom apartment in Greensboro, with hardly any storage space and no yard whatsoever.

We wouldn't make this decision based upon storage area and lawn size, of course. First, there's school. Natania has one more semester at UNC-G, and then she's going elsewhere for her PhD. Hopefully, she gets into Duke. This is highly possible, I believe, with some of the things that went on at the Colloquium. Even so, she has a great chance of acceptance at Chapel Hill, as well. So, there's one reason to get the move on.

Second, I know I can find a job in Chapel Hill. I've been told that ibiblio is hiring web developers, and there are, apparently, many freelance opportunities for someone with my background. And I can always get a job at Visart again, god forbid.

There's a bus stop about twenty yards from our (future) front door, and bus transit in Chapel Hill is free. No money. It costs nothing. There's even a route that goes all the way to Durham, in case Natania does get into Duke.

So... things are changing. I'm keeping an eye out. And we're already starting to get rid off stuff, to pack stuff up, and to look around.

Wish us luck.

Posted by Michael Harrison at 11:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As mentioned in the last post, we needed a nursery to store all of our new baby books. Instead of shelling out $100 or so at Target or wherever for a cheap particle board bookcase, Natania and I bought some shelving boards and some really nifty brackets at the Home "Deppo", and after a half hour's work, the books are off the ground and onto the wall. Amazing what you can do with a stud-finder and some screws.

We got a lot done today. So we're going to go out and eat Vietnamese. Viva la weekend!

Posted by Michael Harrison at 6:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I haven't written anything here in over a month. One of the best things I can do for myself, to keep myself sane and to keep my writing ability at least in some amount of shape, is to unload my feelings onto a blank slate. Usually, this is that blank slate, but as of late, I've been writing a lot of personal and story notes into my Moleskine while on off-times at work. That is it, however, and usually these notes consist of things like "What is in Agent Binghaus' trunk?" and "Scott Hewler - Beaufort Scale" and "List o' NPR stations," which is to say, nothing of substance. So, over the past year-and-some-change, I've grown accustomed to airing my (sometimes petty) thoughts on this little weblog-a-doo-dad. Lots of things have kept me from it throughout January, and I will detail them in hopes of figuring out how I can better get my ass connecting with my seat, and my f