March 31, 2002—Easter

 
A beautiful mid-60s sunshine-filled day here in Salem, and just looking down over all kids playing the park lifts one's spirits. Being now fully recovered from my head cold of earlier this month has buoyed my spirits considerably too. Like Erin, I've spent much of the weekend working and unable to enjoy all the great weather, but I'm hopeful that I can get outside a little bit this week and bask in the sun. Happy Easter!

I have three immediate goals for 2002: Put out an album, get the house remodel plans in order (and maybe embark on some of it), and achieve a wealth percentage of 5 percent. With the assistance of others, we continue to make progress on the first two items, and I remain hopeful on both. Then there's that wealth percentage thing....

I've run the numbers a few times and it's gonna be close, I think. We've never done better than 2.4 percent in any given year, and that was kinda flukey because we had a little rental income (which we don't normally). Most previous years we ranged between 1.2 and 1.8 percent which is dismal. (All the above excludes retirement savings since we're not retirees yet.) Last year our percentage was 1.2.

So for 2002 I set the goal of 5 percent. It's pretty early since we've only just closed the books on the first quarter, but right now we're at almost 5.4 percent. That number will fluctuate as we add passive income and expenses throughout the year, but if we keep our expenses in the same range they've been in the last several years we'll probably make it. If not, well, we'll still have done better than ever before, and the great thing is that investment income and interest tend to be cumulative: Unless you sell or the stock tanks, you'll have just as much or more passive income next year. So if we hit 5 percent this year, we'll start from roughly that vantage point next year.

I doubt we'll see as much of an improvement for 2003, though. We're looking at starting a family sooner or later, and let's face it, no matter how inexpensive rugrats turn out to be, they won't be free. (Although now that I think about it, they'll help on the taxes. Hehe.)

 March 29, 2002—Good Friday

 
On behalf of Erin let me thank everyone who called or wrote to wish her a happy birthday. She's been off all week on Spring Break, and though there's still plenty of grading going on (especially as part of her morning routine), but she's also managed a lot of gardening (which she loves) so it's balanced out. She's really loved hearing from everyone, and as I say, we appreciate it.

Her cousin Adam came down from Portland to hang with us, and we had a great time. Adam's got a Masters in Architecture from the University of Oregon so he had a lot of nifty house design ideas. He was one of the lucky(?) Recipients of our house remodel plans, and it was a good chance for him to see things first hand because a lot of what I drew up bares only a passing resemblance to reality.

Happily, Adam's also a Mac guy, so I was able to help him move his PowerCenter 132 up to a G3/500 whiz-bang machine. We also took it from Mac OS 7.5.3L to 8.6 and made backups of all his files. We ran into a few incompatibilities along the way, but nothing we could solve. Strange way to have fun, I know, but that's what it was.

 March 27, 2002

 
Let's talk for a bit about just how cool Dave is. Or we can talk about how cool both Dave and I are, and, as the old joke goes, it won't take any longer. Hehe. But you're here reading this, so a discussion of me must add some time to the coolness chronometer. Either that, or my readership is more confused than I am, and that hardly seems likely. But I digress....

Dave came up yesterday and dropped off his Korg i3 keyboard. He's letting me borrow it for awhile since, with his brother Kevin moving into his house in Eugene, Dave doesn't have the space for the instrument, and it would just end up stored under his bed or something. So on his birthday, he drives to Salem, loans me a keyboard (and cool keyboard stand), and expands my MIDI device universe. How cool is that? It's his birthday, and he's giving me things! (If that's his attitude, I think he should have more birthdays!)

It would be wrong to say that I've got everything set up and running. Heck, I don't even understand the technology to get my own Roland keyboard working right, let alone his Korg. But I'm confident that I'll get it figured in time, and when I do I'll have Dave to thank for giving me a larger musical palette to play with. So if, whenever it finally comes out, you dislike my album, well, that's my fault. But if you like it, I'm pretty sure Dave's gonna deserve some of the credit.

Told ya he was cool. Happy birthday, buddy!

 March 26, 2002

 
This evening Erin and I bopped over to the Salem Cinema, the local art house theatre, to catch the French film Amelie. Amelie is the story of a shy, imaginative, kind-hearted coffee shop girl who tries to make a difference in people's lives and ultimately her own. It's quirky, fun, and funny. Recommended.

While we were at Salem Cinema we ran into Dave's folks (Hi Ken! Hi Dee!) who apparently have the same great taste in movies that we do. Hehe.

I've been listening to a relatively new, independent-label band out of Fresno called Bev. I'd liken their sound to Oasis—it's definitely a retro British rock thing—and their self-titled first album has been pretty much in constant play around here in recent days.

Of the 12 songs on the CD, my favorites are: Beautiful World, Arrows, Closed, Steam Train, Julia Butterfly, Lead Me On, and Raise Your Hands. When I say "favorites" I don't mean that these are just OK. I mean I'm outta-my-mind, over-the-top, kick-me-in-the-teeth-and-I'll-still-be-smilin' enamored with what they've created. These songs are really, really good. (The rest of the album ain't chopped liver, either.) They've got some free MP3 samples on their web site, so check'em out.

 March 24, 2002

 
Erin and I watched Trekkies, a movie about Star Trek fandom and what seemed to me to be a lot of people with a benign mental illness. Lack of social skill is only one quality shared by geeks, and I don't mean to imply that the Star Trek subculture is any more socially inept than, say, computer nerds. Given the breadth of the Star Trek vision, I suspect they're brighter folks than most and certainly well-meaning, but I doubt I'm alone in thinking that a good many of these folks have a screw loose. The movie did make me want to go to a Star Trek convention, though.

Prior to movie time, we dined at local Mexican restaurant called Los Arcos. The Statesman-Journal review was titled "Los Arcos delivers the essentials," and I thought that summed it up nicely. This seemed to me to be your average burrito diner delivering an average dinner in an average environment for an average price. It wasn't great, but it didn't aspire to greatness; it hit its target of mediocrity very squarely. I doubt that makes it worth trying again, but I'm glad we gave it a shot.

A quick note about the Oscars: Although I am a huge Lord of the Rings fan, I've not seen A Beautiful Mind yet so I've no problem with the notion that it could be a better picture. (It better be something else, though.) I could not, however, disagree more wholeheartedly with the idea that Shrek is a better animated film than Monsters, Inc. Shrek has only the barest of thematic threads while Monsters, Inc. was what I'd call "a real movie." The difference between the two is night and day. While that most of Hollywood couldn't see that doesn't surprise me, I sure do find it irksome. This is eased somewhat by the thought that a vote for Shrek might have been seen as a vote against Disney.

 March 23, 2002

 
Jim and Terri came up from Eugene, and Carol joined us from Battleground for a morning of work with Habitat for Humanity. In case you've not heard of them, Habitat is a self-described "nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry." They've built over 100,00 homes world-wide housing some 500,000 people. Working with them isn't just about helping those in need. It's also a nifty way to pick up home improvement skills.

So I spent the morning making a deck. It was a pretty good-looking thing, too, and though I'm no whiz with a drill, I'm happy to report that at the end of the day they had a pretty nice deck and that I didn't kill anybody in the process. Bonus.

After our shift with Habitat concluded, we all went out to lunch in downtown Salem at Marco Polo Global Restaurant on Commercial Street. Theirs is a very extensive selection, so ultimately we ordered a variety of plates and passed everything around.

We returned home where everyone was kind enough to take (or fake—hehe) interest in our house plans. We chatted about a multitude of topics while Terri baked Erin a birthday cake. While it was in the oven our neighbor, Dean, brought over another cake which was left over from a baby shower his wife Cindy—who also has something in the oven (hehe)—was having across the street. We ended up eating a lot of yummy cake!

Thanks to Jim, Terri, and Carol for the great day!

 March 21, 2002

 
Thanks to those of you have have inquired after my health. I'm still doing the head cold thing, but it's abating, and I should be over it in a few more days unless there's some bizarre relapse. Stranger things have happened, but I'm hopeful.

Last night Erin and I watched Pay It Forward starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment. Though almost universally panned by critics, Pay It Forward really isn't that that bad. OK, the ending is about as stupid and emotionally manipulative as one can find in a major motion picture, sharply veering into a maudlin zone of depression, and cliche for what is otherwise a fairly upbeat and touching film. The central idea might be a little too Amway for some people, but that's another point entirely.

Still, the performances by Spacey, Hunt, and Osment are all excellent, and that Osment holds his own with actors of this calibre speaks volumes about how good he is, and how great he may become if he can eventually transcend the child star to adult actor hurdle that has tripped up so many others. This film might be worth seeing for the performances alone.

Now it's true that Mimi Leder couldn't direct her way out of a paper sack. There's plenty of evidence to support that contention here. The film would have been much better with a good 10-15 minutes lopped off, and in the hands of a better director this could have been a classic. (I hesitate even to think of how great this would have been with Frank Capra at the helm.)

So at the end of it all, I'm torn. There's a lot of promise, some exceptional acting, and some very good dialogue. I guess I do think it's worth seeing, and despite how tepid a recommendation that might be, if you go in with your expectations set accordingly, there's enough in Pay It Forward to like.

 March 17, 2002

 
I watched Planes, Trains, & Automobiles starring Steve Martin and John Candy. What a dreadful script for two major talents. What a waste of time for the rest of us. Couple marginally funny bits, and that's it. (I've heard that the DVD version deletes several supposedly humorous scenes. Why, I have no idea. If this film had more funny scenes to offer, the version I saw certainly needed them.) Give it a pass.

 March 16, 2002

 
What with all the snow we're getting on and off, Dave took off mid-day to beat the weather back to Eugene. Prior to that we caught a little of the March Madness which, as it always is, was an enjoyable experience. Unless you've got a favorite team or want to cheer the local boys (go Ducks!), most of the people I know cheer the underdogs. A lot of folks out west here will also root for Pac-10 teams that they otherwise despise, figuring that a good showing by the conference equals increased respect for its members by association (and might translate into better rankings nationally in the years to come). The east coast sportswriters bias is pretty well known, so maybe they have a point.

After Dave left, Bret dropped by for a little TurboTax action. No sweat at all, and again, I highly recommend using TurboTax unless your financial situation is such that you get confused just thinking about it. In those cases, you're probably better off with an accountant.

 March 15, 2002

 
Ah, ya gotta love that Van D kid. I'm still congested with a head cold, but he comes up for the visit anyway. We took a run to the library, road tripped it up to Fry's in Wilsonville, and went out to Chinese with Erin (who had just finished up working at a track meet at school). Got back and watched a little March Madness, which to my mind is one of the finest events in all of sports. Love that tourney. I'll love it more if the Ducks win, but I love it anyway.

After the final game of the night we watched The Amazing Race, a Jerry Bruckheimer(!) production. It reminded me a lot of a show I say a couple years ago in France, though of course this being the Americanized version you get none of the cultural information that made the France one so interesting. Still, it's fun television and above average as far as "reality"-based entertainment goes. I dunno if I'll tune in weekly, but it's an enjoyable ride.

After the TV stuff concluded, Dave helped me rearrange furniture down in my office. I've got to say that I'm very pleased with the new set up, and no one needs to step on or over electrical wires or Cat-5 cable any more. Life is good, even if I do have a head cold.

 March 12, 2002

 
We've started to hear back from people on the house remodel plans we sent out last week, and already good ideas are percolating to the surface. For example, Mark (of Peterson Remodeling) suggested that we might want to include a landing up to the Master Suite over the garage since "it's a long way to fall." Given that I've already tumbled down our basement staircase once, you'd think I'd have thought of this myself. But no, and that's exactly why it's great to have experienced folks look these things over. A staircase landing seems obvious in hindsight, but leave to me not to think of it.

OK, it's gotten worse. I'm feeling, in the words of Dave, "doggish." That's another way of saying my head-cold is at warp 10 and it's full-speed ahead into oblivion. Sadly, it's not like I don't have plenty to do, but too bad, world. You'll have to take a rain check. I couldn't think straight right now if I wanted to, and given the way I'm feeling I don't particularly want to. Back to bed for me.

 March 11, 2002

 
From the "Hurray for Broadband" Dept: Apple and LucasFilms have posted the latest Star Wars Episode II trailer, and I'm happy to report that it's bitchin'. It punches all the right buttons, gives a general sense of the plot without giving things away, and looks awesome. There's also no Jar-Jar Binks to be seen. After the relative disaster that was The Phantom Menace, I was worried about Attack of the Clones—especially when I heard the stupid name—but this trailer has laid some of those fears to rest. I think it just might turn out all right, assuming they don't screw up like last time and release additional trailers which end up giving everything away.

I was planning on going up to Portland today for a blood donation, but I woke up with a sore throat, and I'll definitely be out of action for a few days. I already feel lousy, but it's gonna get worse before it gets any better.

 March 10, 2002

 
Erin and I watched George Lucas' American Graffiti last night. Innovative in its time for the cross-cutting stories and musical soundtrack, it's not aged as well as, say, Star Wars, but it's interesting in its own right. I wouldn't put it on a "must-see" list, but it's solidly entertaining in a harmless late '50s/early '60s sort of way.

I finished reading the Guide to Getting It On!, a decidedly liberal tome on human sexual behavior and attitudes. I wouldn't have expected to find it in the stacks at the Salem Public Library, but it seemed almost like a fitting reward given the amount of time I've spent perusing all those boring, dusty books in hopes of hidden treasure. The Guide covers just about everything one can imagine (and even some things I never thought to) in detail. For me at least some of this was an eye-opening read.

Its overall approach to sex is refreshingly open but not in the "there's no consequences" vein. Although the tone of the book is lighthearted, its central message is clear: "If you are not fully prepared to become pregnant, to support ($$$) and parent a child for the next eighteen years, to give your baby up for adoption, or to have an abortion, then you shouldn't be having vaginal intercourse." Hard to debate that wisdom.

So what does the book cover? There are chapters on romance, kissing, nakedness, orgasms, sex fluids, horizontal jogging (intercourse), menstruation, birth control, pregnancy, explaining sex to kids, gay sex, kinky sex, sex and religion, and so on. It clocks in at around 700 pages, and as one might expect with topics such as these, it's a page-turner.

I should forewarn some readers: This book may tweak straightline Catholics who adhere to the Church's position that masturbation is bad (the author obviously thinks it's natural, normal, and one of God's great gifts), and it may upset some conservative Jews by calling circumcision as it sees it, which is to say: "Medically speaking, circumcision makes about as much sense as removing a kid's eyelids or cutting out the labia of baby girls." (He quotes a number of studies to back up this position, by the way.)

Whether or not you agree with these viewpoints should be of little consequence in judging the overall value of the book, which is excellent. Indeed, it is my understanding that this work is used as a text in some 40 different colleges around the US, and if you've ever had a sexual question go unanswered or were looking for interesting bedtime reading, well, look no further.

 March 8, 2002

 
I took a physical today over at Kaiser, and my Charles Atlas-like physique thrilled all those who were privileged to see it. At least that's how I'm interpreting the screams. Seriously though—well, more seriously, anyway—I seem to be in pretty OK shape health-wise according to Kathy, the PA (physician assistant) who kicked the tires and checked the oil. Sure, there's some deferred maintenance here and there but nothing you wouldn't see on your average 33 year-old. I'll go in next week for some lab work which should really tell the tale if there's one to be told.

I'd seen the site before, but Dennis deserves credit for reintroducing me to Fark.com, an amusing online bulletin board of jokes, comments, and Photoshop manipulated pictures. The humor can be hit-or-miss and occasionally in poor taste, but at least they usually try to warn people before hand. Check it out. Who knows? It might be your cup of tea.

 March 4, 2002

 
I have a pretty consistent problem with working on my album. I'll start fiddling with things and then there I go writing a whole new song. It'll be something completely unrelated to the album, and in the end I won't have gotten anything done on it. But there are worse crosses to bear, certainly, than a person falling in love with his own meager songwriting talents.

I suppose this is my roundabout way of saying I've finished a song called All Along. I didn't start out to writing anything, but you kinda gotta follow where the muse leads, I think, so there it is. Depending on the workload of the week I might try to record it and upload it to the Music section. Really, though, I ought to be doing other things musically speaking.

I've put in requests to several of the major independent mastering and CD duplication companies to get a sense for the overall production cost of the album. Currently it's looking like perhaps a touch under $3000. That's a little higher than most because I'm considering a couple of add-ons, like 12-page stapled booklet (vs. the 4 page insert that's standard). I don't know about you, but I hate it when I get a CD without lyrics printed in the booklet, and given the considerable verbosity of most of my songs, I'm thinking a 12-page booklet is minimum.

While I don't have any illusions that I'm going to go gold or platinum with this thing, it would be very nice to hit break even. That'd at least give me enough cash to turn around to put out album number 2. Where break even sits is depends to some degree on the price of each CD, and though current industry pricing is still in the $13-$16 range on new releases, I'm hoping to go lower than that. (Break even in this calculation excludes all studio equipment costs and the value of my time, otherwise there's no way I'd ever sell enough copies.) It goes without saying that I'm hoping a lot of you out there see this as the perfect Christmas, birthday, and Kwanzaa gift.

I've just about finished up the CAD work on my latest design for our house, and I'll be shipping off the paperwork to various parties later this week. Yeah, you might be wholly uninterested, but if I think you've got even a smidgen more CAD, remodeling, or construction experience or knowledge than yours truly, you can start checking the mailbox. And golly gee, if you are interested, well, just drop me a line and I'll rush out a copy and await your insights. To say I don't know what I'm doing with all this drafting stuff is the understatement of the year. I just want to get going on making mine a better place to live.

 March 2, 2002

 
Dennis came down yesterday to drop off a mountain bike for me so that I could begin training for this year's Reach the Beach bike race. He walked me through the ins and outs of the thing which was helpful. I've not ridden actively since I was a kid, and I don't know squat about these things other than if I push the pedals they tend to go.

We also ventured down to the park with his radio-controlled (RC) car and met up with a local kid, Brandon, who was a running a larger, gas-powered RC truck. Dennis' zippy little car did well on the multi-use court; it was fun to give it a burst of quick acceleration and pop wheelies.

Thanks to Dennis for the fun couple of hours and for making the trek to Salem.

After Dennis' departure, Erin and I drove with one of our Australian neighbors to the YMCA book sale downtown. With hardbacks at $1 and soft covers for 50 cents, we picked up some real bargins. For me that included former Apple CEO John Sculley's autobiography, an introductory text to criminology, and a textbook on the fundamentals of selling (about which I know very little). I also grabbed Anthony Robbins' Awaken the Giant Within, which I've heard good things about but never read. I'll let you know what I think, but at least initally I can say that the price was right.

 March 1, 2002

 
The Coen brothers put the "q" in quirky filmmaking and O Brother Where Art Thou? is no exception. Like every Coen movie it is thematically weak, in this case deriving whatever subtext that exists from Homer's Odyssey, the story upon which it was based. Nonetheless, this is easily their best work to date in my opinion and not just because this is also the least violent film they've done in years.

O Brother plays as an epic Three Stooges movie with a really groovy soundtrack. George Clooney is superb—perhaps Oscar-worthy, believe it or not—and the trademark Coen dialogue offers up some terrifically funny moments. Add to this the Coens' masterful capturing of the 1930s South, and a Grammy-winning soundtrack (including the fantastic "Man of Constant Sorrow"), and you've got a really good movie even if it doesn't operate on a deeper level. Highly recommended.