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Memorial Day with our Godson
Yesterday W. and I got to spend a few hours with our godson. His father is W.’s cousin but they asked us to be godparents when O. was baptized in a catholic ceremony. That was an interesting experience for me and reinforced a sense of respect for religious tradition.
They are expecting a little girl this year and we have been asked to be godparents to her. O. has suggested they name her “Bob”1.
We went to the park, O. had some ice cream2. I grilled some burgers and hot dogs and we sat outside for lunch. After this they changed a second messy diaper and hit the road. We’ll get to see them this weekend but it was nice spending time with them anyway. O.’s father and I are both techno-nerds and enjoy chatting it up about cubes, databases, development strategies, and what the next big thing on the Innernets might be. We can only guess.
So it was back to work today. I spent some time trying to convince myself that there was something I was missing. Sometimes the disparity of perception is staggering and I have to take deep breaths, listen to WB3 and focus on what matters.
What matters is building cool shix quickly, efficiently, in a way that others will be able to quickly understand. That last part is important because any one of us may at some point in the future be called upon to fix a bug with something we didn’t write. Anything that can quicken understanding is valuable. But sometimes I wonder if I’m being setup to fail and if maybe I’m just misunderstood. I don’t really know. Could just be my paranoia speaking. Time will tell. I’ll just pay attention and keep trying to do the right thing.
Image: This is one of my better shots of O. taken while we were at the park. He knew I was taking his picture and shot me that glance before gliding down the slide. What a handsome lad he is.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ He likes “Bob the Builder”. [↩]
- And made a mess of himself…but it was chocolate and he couldn’t help himself. He’s 2ish. [↩]
- The Waltzing Bear of course…he is a wise and often stabilizing force. [↩]
Golf, books, and Sunday leisure
After taking care of house chores and yard work on Saturday, we had Sunday open to do whatever. Much to my surprise, W. suggested we go golfing. Or more accurately, I go golfing and she ride along in the cart. It worked out great. The course wasn’t that busy and the weather was about perfect. So what if I shot a 51. Without Waltzing Bear as my caddie, I was left to my own devices. But it’s good for me to practice on my own. Can’t rely on WB’s wisdom and guidance all the time.
After golf we had a nice lunch and went to the book store where we picked up some summer reading material. I’m currently reading “Empire” by Orson Scott Card but have two new books by Alastair Reynolds and two by Robert J. Sawyer to follow it. Fun science fiction.
Since today is Memorial Day, W. and I both have it off. This week is going to be a short one at work but I’m sure it will be crazy busy. Friday we head north for a wedding and to hang out with friends and family. I get to wear a tuxedo, which is fun for me. Hopefully it fits and I don’t look too much like a plump penguin.
Some cousins are visiting today on their way north after visiting family near Detroit. We’ll get to hang out with our Godson and visit. W. made her famous-never-the-same pasta salad and I’m going to be grilling hamburgers. It’ll be good to see them all.
This afternoon will have me spending some time on my site redesign side project, adding images, text, and tweaking layout. I have as a milestone to get client review later this week so I’ll be giving that some attention the next few nights.
Pictures from our golfing yesterday:
Image: W. was having a good time taking pictures with the Canon. Here I am carefully lining up a putt. I did pretty well two-putting most greens. The sand trap was my nemesis.
Nothing special, which is special
The past week went by wicked fast. Keeping plates spinning at work is fun and unquestionably engaging, but the downside is that everything becomes a blur and the days go by in a blink. There is a balance there somewhere. I just need to find it.
Today was nothing special. Which isn’t true if I open my mind to it. Spending time with W., working in the yard, relaxing at night watching the Tigers on television. Nothing to complain about. And it is special in its own way. Can’t take such things for granted.
Next weekend I’ll be up north standing up for W.’s brother in his wedding. It promises to be a fun and interesting event. I hope to get some good pictures.
More gosling pictures:
Image: This was taken with my Canon Rebel XTi using a 75-300mm lens. My interest in photography has led to acquiring some new equipment which I’m very much enjoying. Thanks Cathiet.com for the inspiration and suggestions.
A Sunday in May
Hard to believe it is only May. Summer hasn’t even peeked out from under its covers yet. Our calendar is filling up and free weekends are being consumed by plans and projects. But it’s fine. Concerts beckon, weddings await, and the lawn gets on the list needing to be mowed1.
Yesterday I spent a good part of the day working on a web site I’ve contracted myself to redesign before June is over. Sooner is my hope, but I’m allowing myself some time in case time gets away from me. I also worked around the house a little…not as much as W. She bought annuals for patio pots and worked in the yard a bit. I came out every now so she wouldn’t forget I was alive.
Today (Sunday) we headed to Lowell’s and picked up supplies needed to fix a sprinkler head, mulch the side of our house (just weeds and shix prior to mulching), and plant some more annuals to finish out the pots for our porch and patio. After working in the yard we cleaned up, did our grocery shopping, then I worked for a couple hours on aforementioned site redesign2.
My philosophical ramblings from before are probably nothing more than me trying to understand something that probably can’t be understood. I want to think there is order to the universe, but maybe there is only cause and effect. Perhaps my actions are just part of that cause and effect. Where is there room for original thinking? Or is it all original thought? Who is to know?
Image: The picture is cropped from a shot taken of a hanging plant on our patio. I was playing with the focus options on my camera then noticed a goose family in the background.
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- A tricky balance is my lawn. Fertilize it and it needs mowing weekly. Don’t fertilize it and it looks all weak and dying. [↩]
- Lately when I’m working on this site, I think about my brother’s web site and wonder if I didn’t burn some bridges with my “input” on it. I haven’t heard a peep from Arizona and can’t help but wonder how things are going. [↩]
Thinking about “relative” free will
I made some comment on Twitter the other night about free will and choice. A classmate replied by posting a link detailing some research aimed at demonstrating that there was no such thing as free will. This got me thinking about the nature of will and what it means.
The will I’m talking about here is “will-power”, or the conscious decision and power to choose one’s own actions. The notion of free will is rife with debate and has been analyzed for centuries. It seems the idea of free will is tied up with notions of morality and that can be a real slippery slope. So I’m going to take a more Buddhist approach to this and include the word “relative” in front of “free will.”
Why relative free will? The way I see it, we all have the power to make decisions and to act according to our own interests. However, any action or decision we make is always bound to a particular situation. Every situation we find ourselves in is the result of prior causes and effects. You don’t just find yourself in a particular job, living with a particular person, all of a sudden. The causes that bring us to “now” are the result of decisions made, or not made, and the situations in which those choices presented themselves.
Maybe your wondering (like me) where I’m going with this. I suppose I’m relating this to the idea of taking small steps. Each step implies a decision to take that step. It is so easy to go through life in a mindless way, not paying attention to where you’re stepping and which direction your heading. But the notion of relative free will1 reminds us that we have some control. The process of cause and effect will continue whether you do something or do nothing. Some control is better than none. If you’re hungry, look for something to eat. Don’t wait for someone to bring you food.
I’m reminding myself to pay attention. Sometimes it is important to not make any decisions. Likewise, sometimes you have to make a decision because your intellectual facilities afford you the ability to foresee cause and effect. Like deciding not to react to something that will only come back to haunt you. It is difficult to be neutral, to find that balance. And maybe some things don’t require a neutral stance. Sometimes you have to grab that nine iron and give it all you got to reach the green2.
Image: Waltzing Bear snapped this last week during golf. The creek on the 18th hole that has swallowed many a golf ball.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Meaning that the decisions we make are always relative to the situation in which a decision is made, or not made. [↩]
- I shot a 48 this week. Not a great night from a weather perspective, but I had a good time. Waltzing Bear may not have had his rhythm, but he is fun to be around. [↩]