Been writing... A LOT over the past month.

Mostly on my survey report due to be released here in the next week or so but I took some time out to pen the first of what is shaping up to be 3 parts. Originally it was going to be a single article but the more that spews out onto the keyboard the more I think it's going to be harder to edit it down to only even two parts.

Anyway, Part I hit this morning over at ISP-Planet. Enjoy. Please send me any comments, good bad or indifferent.

I'm sitting here watching the Apprentice and I gotta say that it's become a Kelly love in.

He's my pick too, don't get me wrong, but I'm really getting just dying to see someone say something nice about Jen.

Ah, OK... her boss. He claims to be sad to lose her but take her...

Pretty dumb ending to an otherwise good show.

Tis' the season for good wishes and stuff.  Every year I get a bunch of cards and emails from family, friends, associates and some from people I barely even know.

There are several that I anxiously await (as weird as that sounds) including one that arrived via email just a few minutes ago.

My Fishing Bud Dave Fremlin sends a unique email card.


For those who don't know Frem, he's easily one of the nicest guys on the planet. In the top 2 or 3 funniest people I've ever met, and has perhaps the coolest job of anyone I know.

He also plays the pipes... something that he did with great distinction at my wedding and added realism to his portrayal of the infamous "Drunkin Piper" in Men with Brooms. 

Kara and I got to spend last weekend in the Bay area. It was a great weekend.  We both do a lot of travelling, but we rarely get to do it together and this was a nice change.

Responding to an invitation from our long time friend Deb Howard to join her and new husband Terry, we happened upon a rare gravitational anomaly whereby a bank of frequent flyer miles, availability of vacation time and the ability of qualifying flights,  we were able to RSVP in the affirmative to their request to join them  in celebration of their recent nuptuals.

We had a nervous start to our adventure when our initial flight was delayed beyond our ability to make our connection.  Yet another rarity occured however when the Delta gate agent at the Harrisburg airport was not only helpful but was indeed assertive in getting us transfered onto another flight to route us a different way.

In addition to getting to spend some time with Deb and meeting Terry, we also managed to squeeze in a few other activities. The highlight, other than the reception, was doing some winery tours/tastings in the Livermore Valley wine region. I never even knew this area existed and I must say that we were pleasantly surprised by the diversity and in general, the quality of the wines we encountered there. We bought 10 bottles and then lugged them back accross the country, and would have bought more if we'd had a way to get them home. PA is one of those states that you can't ship wine to for some draconian reason escaping my understanding. 

Mike Cassidy made the time to pop down from Walnut Creek to join us for a little while on Saturday and to partake of a couple of wineries products with us.

Funtimes had by all. Now, other than a trip to the farm this weekend we're both actually going to be home for the next 10 days... odd. The next great adventure begins early on the 24th when we are returning to Hawaii to spend Christmas with Kara's mom.

After supper last night I fired up to do some online work and this is what Firefox got back from news.google.com



This happens less than a week after reading through a rather long and flattering story on the technology behind Google I found courtesy of FastCompany.

In an odd sort of way I was actually relieved to see that error. Just proves that no one's immune to the occaisional problem.