Oh. Hi.

By Tracy | June 27, 2008

Since I never post here, I often forget that the site continues to exist, silently broadcasting stale content. It’s like the WALL-E of personal blogs. I’m sure Kristin could somehow fit me into a “web migratory pattern.” (Why, yes, it is nicer to fantasize that there might be some sociological bucket for my web-posting slackerdom, than just… err… slackerdom.)

But, then I get a ping from across the abyss, someone I haven’t heard from in ages, and then I am glad that I didn’t turn the site off, that I am still Googleable. Therefore, I guess I’m destined for truly infrequent writings of questionable quality. Hey, consider it truth in advertising.

So, here’s your quick update for Q2.

Work is still a rollercoaster, but one that I enjoy. Still traveling like mad (and for those of you flying off on holiday this summer, I will sheepishly admit that I cannot commiserate with you about the new checked-bag fees, for, when you log over 100K miles a year, the airlines let you check as many free bags as you like. But, nobody escapes the fuel surcharges, so you can rightfully ha-ha me on that one.); it’s been mostly the West Coast and the UK these last few months.

I think the travel bug is permanent now, which I suspect is both blessing and curse. I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for, those years I spent clinging to safe little Austin, and there’s so much world I haven’t seen yet.

The family is all good. The Child has gone over to the dark side and is now officially a pre-teen; my only comment on the matter is stolen straight from Dorothy Parker: “what fresh hell is this?” The Spouse is spouseriffic. The Cat is elderly (seventeen!) and despite a contrarily healthy presentation, can’t possibly be with us much longer, statistically — so thanks in advance for tolerating the maudlin post that is sure to come, consisting solely of “wah, pets, unconditional love, human contract, enrich our lives,” plus two or three overly precious “this one time” anecdotes.

(Although, if you are also a cat owner, you’ll be quick to go, “WTF kind of cat did you have, that it gave you ‘unconditional love’? Pssh, we’re lucky to get conditional indifference.” Feel free.)

Oh, I had a minor surgery. I received general anesthesia, which was exciting — I hadn’t done that since I was nine (Afterward, another doctor friend articulated what it is about anesthesia that he finds unsettling: when you are asleep in your bed at night, your mind is still aware — even if on a faraway level — of the passing of time. But when you’re knocked out for surgery, there’s no sense of that at all. When you wake up, it could have been two hours, or two weeks, for all you know. It’s that complete loss of your time that is so disorienting. I found that to be dead on.). The recovery was run-of-the-mill and uneventful… exactly how one wants it.

Still volunteering as time permits. I started off 2008 trying to reduce obligations, but then “accidentally” signed up to run a big project. Clearly, I need a tattoo on the back of my right hand that says “Step away from the clipboard.” If you or your company have resources you’re just dying to unload (for a very good cause, natch!), just give a shout.

Yep, that’s about it. Not very rock and roll, I’ll allow… but then again, when Wooderson said “just keep livin,” he didn’t put any restrictions on how, did he?

Topics: Miscellaneous | Comments Off

I’m 33 For a Moment

By Tracy | February 12, 2008

(title stolen from the song “100 Years” by Five For Fighting)

Exactly half my life ago, I was a freshman in college. I had no idea what I was going to do, or be… but whatever It was, It lay before me like a dazzling panorama. Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Deep Thoughts | Comments Off

FAIL

By Tracy | January 10, 2008

I am preparing this blog to shutter up for the season. Or, for some other structural change that will more accurately reflect how it’s really used: intermittently, and without much thought.

So, after taking a full backup just in case (because when I did this last year, I broke my whole site), I have changed the theme to something duller and less interactive, and also deleted a bunch of “I like soap! I ate some cheese! People are funny!”-style posts. (I’m sure it needed to be said at the time …but in the present, it’s just noise.) I also turned off comments on past posts, as the spammers have rediscovered me (why?).

Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Miscellaneous | 3 Comments »

2007 Resolutions Recap

By Tracy | January 1, 2008

Happy New Year, y’all! Or, as we also say in these parts, Prospero Año Nuevo.

One year ago, I decided my broad resolution was to live better in 2007. And there were smaller detailed resolutions created in order to meet the broad one, activity on which I tried to update periodically here (didn’t do so well with the updating, but whatever, second verse same as the first). And so, on the first day of the new year, I’ll take one last look at how I did for last year. Maybe it will help me come up with some resolutions for 2008.
Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Live Better, Resolution Updates | No Comments »

Food for Thought, Even If it Tastes Like Uncertainty

By Tracy | November 7, 2007

Sundry’s post today on child care worries, and the ensuing discussion, are a must-read for anyone either on the Baby Fence, or in the “What If I’m Not Cut Out to Be a SAHM?” Club. Or, in the case of some of us, (or, okay, one of us) (okay, me), both.

Topics: Deep Thoughts, Married... With Children | 2 Comments »

Seasonal, Schmeasonal

By Tracy | October 5, 2007

Items so fabulous that it’s not fair they should only be available at certain times of year:

Topics: Miscellaneous | 3 Comments »

Just Like That

By Tracy | August 2, 2007

We’re watching Criminal Minds, and the FBI profiler team is jetting off to the site of the latest crime spree.

Husband: If I had a billion dollars, I would totally have a plane just like that.

Me: Cool. Complete with FBI agents on it?

Husband: No. But with big fat leather seats and stuff…

Me: Cool.

Husband: …and a pole.

Topics: Miscellaneous, Married... With Children | 2 Comments »

The Solution Mystique

By Tracy | July 10, 2007

As a former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, John Silber recently made a compelling interview subject in UT’s alumni magazine, the Alcalde. After leaving Texas, Silber had a 32-year tenure as the president and chancellor of Boston University.

Silber’s proximity to university life and leadership surely informs all his perspectives, including his recent numerous editorials, but this is the one I found worth “clipping”: his summary in the Alcalde interview of a piece he wrote in response to the Virginia Tech shootings (the full op-ed appeared originally in the Boston Globe, Apr 24, 07).

“We Americans believe that there’s a solution mystique, that for every problem there’s a solution, and it just ain’t so. You can turn our universities into armed camps. You can arm our professors so that they can shoot the invaders. You can put metal detectors at the entrance to every building and have a policeman there with a gun drawn to be sure that there’s nobody coming in that’s not inspected. And you’re still going to have a Timothy McVeigh driving on campus with a truck bomb. Or you’re going to have a drunk driver on campus who runs over a half-dozen kids. Risk is there. Contingency is a part of human life, and there’s nothing we can do to get rid of all contingency and all risk. What we have to have is the courage to live with a certain degree of uncertainty.”

Topics: Deep Thoughts | Comments Off

Mid-Year Resolution Update & Recap

By Tracy | July 1, 2007

Sadly, I look at the calendar and think, “How is it already Q3?” instead of “It’s July already?” like normal people. That is thanks to the work deluge right now (seasonal, and expected). But, I’m finally home for more than 24 hours and I decided to grab a few minutes to update my resolutions. (previous update here)

1. “Bring my family on board with smarter consuming as lifestyle choice.”     I’m sad to report that we haven’t done very well here. But, we’re trying to ramp up again… I had planned to use the Texas drought season as a good way to talk about reducing and reusing water, but you might have heard — the drought’s over. Overall, we’ve done not-great on this.

Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Resolution Updates | Comments Off

Talk about a marathon

By Tracy | June 8, 2007

I really love tasting menus — I did one of Rick Tramonto’s while in Chicago recently and it was one of my most memorable meals — but I do not think I could manage 26 courses.

When the restaurant recommends that the diner not have wine or alcohol alongside the meal so as to prevent fatigue, because it takes five hours to eat, I suspect my ability to appreciate gastronomic brilliance would get overwhelmed by an urge to “get on with it, already.” Read the rest of this entry »

Topics: Food and Entertaining | 3 Comments »