Not to complain about the heat in San Francisco, but I just don't have the right tools to deal with warm nights anymore. When you don't have any AC or even a fan, it's a pain. First, everybody is out wilding all night because they're able to go out in their short sleeves without carrying jackets and scarves, so it's loud and there are a 1,000 sirens. We left the window in our bedroom open – uneffective with no breeze – but the lack of screens meant that mosquitoes got in. Also, the cat that comes and yowls outside our window on warm nights (this is a strange thing that I don't understand) showed up too. So we moved out to our pull-out sofa, but the dogs were up and pacing, also too warm to sleep. Agh. Now I feel like crap. Going to go get some shade-grown locally roasted artisan iced coffee to make myself feel better. ]]> http://requiredreading.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/i-was-up-all-night/feed/ 1 Ellen http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/http://requiredreading.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/i-was-up-all-night/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/requiredreading/~3/x4i_K5w-Fa8/ http://requiredreading.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/06-03-09_2115-jpeg/#comments Thu, 04 Jun 2009 04:17:23 +0000 Ellen http://requiredreading.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/06-03-09_2115-jpeg/ ]]>

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Originally uploaded by evh711.

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A hairless cat.A hairless cat.

Damn. I just had the realization that I haven’t posted to this blog since January, and it’s June. Sigh.

This could be because I’ve become a much more active microblogger, these days. Facebook and Twitter are very distracting.

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Originally uploaded by evh711.

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Happy 2009! Today I’ve changed the title of the blog. We’re starting our third year in San Francisco. Wow, how time flies.

And, it’s 2009, the year I turn (gulp) 40. I honor of this momentous year, I’ve decided to actually articulate a few resolutions in order to help ensure that I stick to them.

1) Drop 12 Pounds. I’ve been hovering about ten pounds above where I want to be, and I gained a couple over the holidays, in spite of a bout of food poisoning just after Christmas. No matter, though; this year I will lose 12 pounds, and I hope to drop the bulk of it by the beginning of March. The plan is simple: As of tomorrow, back to Weight Watchers, back to counting points, even on the weekends, and regular exercise.

2) Upgrade my immune system. After catching every cold and sniffle that went through my office this year, I’m keen on taking steps to improve my immune system. I’m just really starting the research now, so I don’t have quite a good a plan as I do for the weight loss thing.

3) Don’t panic about the economy. Yes, it’s probably going to be a crap year, but simply being stressed out about it will do me no good. Smart, calm people make good money in bad economic times; I will do whatever I can to make lemonade out of lemons. I will plan to spend more carefully, try to save more, and, what’s more, I hope I can increase my charitable giving over the course of the year.

Here’s to the new year! Cheers, everyone!

“Hey, what sizes do you have this in?”

“We’ve got all sizes; large, extra-large, extra-extra-large …”

“Great! Do you have medium?”

“Oh, yeah, we’ve got all the sizes.”

(Pause)

“Okay, so, uh, could I have a medium one, then?”

“Oh, okay, sure.”

Sunset in Wailea – looking much better than in my phone picture from the last entry.

I’ve finally uploaded a few of our many pictures from Maui, from which we returned last week. A vacation was wonderful and much needed after having to handle the emotional fallout from the passage of Proposition 8.

Yes. Proposition 8 sucks. We went to a protest in the city that gave me a bit more energy about the whole issue (I’ve put some video up here) and I’m relieved to see that the courts have decided to take up the issue as well. I’m beginning to find my hope again.

Now it’s almost Thanksgiving, and I’m counting my blessings, which includes the blessing of another short work week. I’ll use some of that time to post more Maui pics.

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Originally uploaded by evh711.

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Sunset in Maui. Arrived this afternoon.Sunset in Maui. Arrived this afternoon.

Me voting, in particular. One of our neighbors was on the New York Times website and found a picture of us standing in line to vote at The Wash Place. I didn’t think to take pictures, but somebody else did! I’m looking down at a little dog named Benito Juarez.

I just got back from voting at The Wash Place, our local laundromat/polling place. I actually voted for a Presidential candidate who wasn’t a white guy! Wow!

Everybody has been talking about the lines. The polls opened at 7 a.m. and we arrived about 6:50 a.m.; there was a line but it was still relatively short. Within 10 minutes, though, it was out the door, and was still out the door when I left at about 8:30.

San Francisco has the longest ballot in the country, with 12 state propositions and 22 city/county props. We also voted for a bunch of offices, including district supervisor and school board. I didn’t vote early because I wasn’t totally prepared yet — we were still making calls this morning to get input on local candidates. But I think I made good decisions all around.

The lines were longer than normal — I don’t think I’ve ever had even one person standing in front of me to vote at The Wash Place — but there was a nice feeling of community in the line. People were chatting, sharing cheat sheets, talking about the neighborhood. Somebody went out and bought a big box of donuts for voters. We met four of our neighbors we hadn’t ever talked to before. They knew the bassets, but not us.

So, if you haven’t done it yet, go out and vote! In California, it’s critical to vote no on Proposition 8 (that’s the equal marriage ban) and Proposition 4 (that’s the one that would allow parents to sue doctors who perform abortions and thus limit access to women’s health care). Don’t hesitate; buy a box of donuts, go talk to your neighbors, and vote.