... but not this time of year.

        

I first saw him about a week ago. He's exactly like the other hummingbirds, but in desert cammo. Like if you saw and F-16 painted for jungle warfare and another painted for desert warfare. He was just like the normal birds, but painted khaki rather than olive drab.

So today got some photos of Stan.



See him near the left globe light?



So cool.



Most look like this guy. I love the retractable landing gear.

        

It's time already. Two years ago last May, I was ready to take over the world because someone of no consequence now pissed me off. I applied for a job that I didn't get until August, but I was so sure it was going to happen that, before I even had the interview, I bought the howdaddyisdoing.com domain name and set plans to live in the California desert. In some ways, I feel that I made it happen by pure force of will. Maybe I did.

No regrets.

QTY

ITEM

PRICE

1

.COM Domain Name Renewal - 2 Years

$20.04

HOWDADDYISDOING.COM

1

Private Registration Services - Renewal Length: 2.0000 Year(s)

$17.98

HOWDADDYISDOING.COM

Subtotal:   $38.02

Shipping & Handling:   $0.00

Tax:   $0.00

Total:   $38.02

See you here for two more years (PS, it was $200 to commit two years ago, so it was a much bigger commitment for someone who hadn't even interviewed yet).

        

        

The radio show This American Life has been a good part of my life since the Liverpool 1.0 days (2003-2005, when I lived in the studio apartment in Liverpool, NY). It was my internet radio companion and I not only listened to every episode, I listened to most more than three times. After a while, I got Kelly into it too, so we became broadcast friends of it on WRVO in Syracuse.

Once you get past the hipster cliché vibe of the early episodes, the program becomes really fascinating. Ira Glass hones his craft into something meaningful after a while. And recent programs have not only been actually on theme, but relevant.

But different from all of them was this one. Please go to the link and listen.

Comment when you have listened.

        

        

"Seriously, I've gotta clean out my car; I've been living like a S*****r [my last name].

"Your truck isn't a tractor, you know. You need to clean it out."

        

At a quarter to five'o clock this morning, Tyson starts crowing and wakes me up. Just then, as if on cue, Amanda comes up to rub under my hand for some lovin'. Then Kelly rolls over and makes sleeping noises in my face.

And it's ten minutes before I need to get up so I can be to work at 6:00, to beat all of the people who are working for me on the current project into work, so they all understand the urgency and level of commitment it takes. And I'm thinking about all the misguided trust those people have in me and the misguided trust Kelly and the critters we've purposely or situationally taken under out care haven in me.
 
If they all only knew how irresponsible and lazy I am at heart and how a part of me just wants to get in the car and drive west.

Except that I am west. And there's no place further to run to. I've already fled, and took some of my charges with me. So here we are and we've dug in.

So at 4:45, I look about and assess the critters in my charge. I like that people and animals chose to depend on me and I like that I chose to be dependable for them. I work a lot and I'm tired, but my life is pretty good, and some people and critters are better off because they live with or near me and because I do what I do for them.

I'm an adult.

        

        

I've known Jeffery since we were four, I think. The year before school started. The adults we know may remember better, but as for what I recall, I've pretty much always been friends with Jeffrey. Sometimes that friendship was strained some by proximity or adolescence, but since at least our Junior year of high school, we've had a solid adult-style friendship.

One of the most pleasant surprises of moving to California has been that in one year and some change, we've had or are anticipating visits from all of Kelly's and my siblings (except one of Kelly's brothers), both of our parents (twice), and several of our closest friends. Unfortunately, Jeffrey's visit was short, however, had it been longer, I wouldn't have had any more time to give up from work, since it was the weekend before a deadline.

Anyway, he did visit. We had a Saturday together, and it was rather lovely. Please to enjoy it with us:

I got up I think about 8:30 and Jeffrey got up soon afterward. I pan fried some GREAT bacon from Trader Joe's and made some cheese omelets. We kicked around the house until Kelly got up, then caught her up on breakfast. About 11:00 we went up to the vista I found off of Tierra Subida, which is perfect to see the whole Antelope Valley, except that the day was dark and stormy.



Normally from that spot, you can see 40 miles. Here, you see like less than one. 

Anyway, it was fortunate that the day was an interesting one weather-wise because I've always wanted to see the Vasquez Rocks park in the rain. So, we went there and it was pretty cool. 

 







After the Vasquez, we went North to the wind mills in Tehachapi and the beauty beyond.



The windmills were rather creepy.



But this was cool.

Yeah, but this was cooler.



It was probably some sign from Jeffrey's father, but whatever. Shit like this happens every day, right?

It was a good day full of adventure and randomness, like all the other good adventures I've had with Jeffrey. This one was way less dangerous than the others, but he's a babydaddy now, so it's not right to be as risky.

Good day.