What if photoshop were real?

This is madness. Naturally, I love it. I especially like all the tools on the left. The color mixer, etc. Great work.

Life Support

This is the little organic oasis in my cubicle at work. What I do for the flora and the fauna appeals to my nurturing side. The IV irrigation setup is the latest innovation.

I got some used IV bags from a friend's vet. The idea of recycling these bags is appealing on a couple of levels. I like that I can set them up with premeasured fertilizer and control the drip rate to last for a week or two. In the mean time, these bags aren't resting in a land fill. I am still working on some refinements, but the idea is showing promise. The aesthetics are almost exactly what I was looking for.

This site has been in a coma for a long time now. What you are seeing is just a tiny spike in the EEG, but at least it is a sign of life.

trees and stuff for sale

Now that I think about it, I'm not exactly a rolling stone. My wife and I have been toying with the idea of moving recently, but it's been hard to get excited about the prospect of packing up all our stuff and moving from one suburban neighborhood to another. I can't say I really dislike where we live now either. Our yard is beautiful in the spring. We have a nice deck to relax on.

On the other hand, it could be closer to work. It could have a different layout; all the groceries have to go upstairs to the kitchen, the bathroom situation isn't exactly optimal, etc.

Usually, when moving crosses my mind, it is part of some bigger daydream. I think about changing jobs, moving across country, maybe even moving to another country all together. I've been at my job for 9 years now and the time has snuck up on me. We've been in this house even longer. So we decided to do a little harmless looking around. I mean what's wrong with just looking?

I forgot about the autumn.

It happens every year to one extent or another and it always surprises me when it does. I get restless. I don't know if it is just left over from my school years where the fall always represented a new beginning. It was always a fresh start, new classes, new teachers, an empty notebook full of clean sheets of paper. In the fall there are brand new pencils with unused erasers. It means starting out with a straight A average and the feeling that it could stay that way if I toe the line this year.

Walking around in a house that is for sale does make me think. It brings back some of that restlessness and reminds me of how the fall used to feel when I was younger.

Cooking

I've never been what you'd call a good cook. When I make things, they always come out OK, but I'm not *good* at cooking. I'm happy to chop veggies, but it takes a while, and I tend to chop too many and more finely than necessary, but here's the thing: I like doing it.

So this weekend while my wife was away, I took the opportunity to make enchiladas for me and the kids. My daughter helped me which definitely made things go faster. These aren't too difficult to make and they taste good. On top of that, it is an excuse to make Mexican fried rice which has sort of become my signature dish.

As you can see, I make a lot. It doesn't take any longer to double the recipe, plus it gets eaten, so it is nice to have a little extra on hand.

Part of the fun of making home-made enchiladas is making home-made corn tortillas. When you use a little masa and your own tortilla press, the tortillas come out soft and easy to work with. They are really a pleasure to roll up into little veggie-and-cheese-filled tubes.

Last night, I chopped onions and peppers and zucchini for some and I used spinach and mushrooms for the rest. I think the spinach ones turned out to be the best. I also like frying up spinach. It's just like letting the air out of it while it is cooking in the pan.

By the time they were ready to put in the oven, it was getting late. Plus, I had quite a mess on my hands, but I could tell that these were going to come out fine. The only part of the meal that wasn't from scratch was the enchilada sauce. But I had a good time with my daughter, and both kids thought the meal was excellent. That's pretty gratifying even if I only make dinner once in a long while.

Occasionally cooking helps me appreciate the mastery my wife has. When I do this, it is like a hobby. She does this daily and so much more efficiently. Every day, she comes up with something for us all to eat. I know it isn't easy.

Sailing

When I close my eyes, I can still feel the movement of the waves under me. It is maybe a faint, residual drunkenness, but mostly I think the six hours on the water today have left me with this feeling. I've been thinking about the day and how it was such a nice birthday. I realize how happy I really am. On my list of best times, I'd have to rank today fairly high.

I've also been thinking that maybe 40 isn't that old. I've never been afraid of birthdays. Granted, the 12-year-old me might have been fearful of such advanced years, but I don't feel bad at all. What's more, is that today sort of showcased the fact that all the good times aren't behind me. I look back on the past twelve months and realize that they have been pretty significant. It was good year, really. So far, I think they all have been. I hope the next one is as much fun as the last.

Today, we had to be at the Cozumel Sailing office at the Marina by 8:30 AM. Usually, we never left the Villa before then to go for breakfast, so we got a relatively early start. It was cool outside and this morning we caught sight of our first Cozumeleno jogger.

We had breakfast at La Choza again, and then headed over to the Marina. We got there no later than 8:20 which was rewarded by there being nobody at the sailing office. This gave us time to apply sunscreen (SPF50).

Applying Sunscreen

The other passengers arrived at about a quarter to 9. It was a group that all seemed to know each other. They all took turns snapping pictures and it looked like they were having a nice time. There were 8 of them and so that would make a dozen of us plus the crew if nobody else showed up. I was hoping the boat wouldn't be too crowded.

At about 9:00 or so, our hostess introduced us to Juan, the captain, and Jaime, the 1st mate. We walked over to the boat and had to give up our shoes and put them in a big plastic bag. After that, we got a few rules as we pulled out of the marina. The air was still pretty cool, not what you would call chilly, but relatively nice as we motored past several hotels and resorts. You could see the floor of the Caribbean as we cruised along. In a few minutes, the cooler opened up and I found myself having a beer before 10:00 AM. (So was Ian.)

Soon, we were all at the front of the boat bouncing up and down over the waves. We were served snacks and more beer and I took a lot of pictures. I was really impressed by the beauty of the water, the boat and the sky. Before I knew it, they had unfurled the jib and raised the main and we were under sail. The wind was fairly light, but it was moving us along. Shelly told me that she was glad I didn't cancel. I was glad too. It was good to be out on the water.

Ian had a few beers by now and Jill was beginning to get seasick. Uh oh! I was most worried about Jillian having a good time because the heat has been getting to her. That didn't seem to be a problem today, but I hadn't even thought to worry about seasickness. It sort of caught me by surprise.

We stopped for snorkeling and had a beautiful time. The reef out there was really pretty and it was a ways from shore so there weren't any other people around. We saw some fish we hadn't seen before and some truly amazing coral. Shelly and I were two of the last people to get back on the boat. Jillian was still feeling awful, but she was being a good sport.

After snorkeling, we went further north and took a dingy to Passion Island. We went to a fairly remote location where the water and sky were beautiful, but there was no shade. Also, the sand was strewn with debris from Cozumel vacations long gone by. There were a large number of water bottles and sandals that had washed up on the shore. There were also some nasty biting flies. Our only refuge was in the water. However, since they had my sandals on the boat, it felt really strange walking on the sand-covered vegetation under the waves. Jill covered herself with towels and layed down on the beach.

After about 45 minutes, we were back on the boat for lunch. There really weren't any veggie options and we hadn't caught any fish either, so I ate what they served. It would have been a nightmare at any other time, but the grilled steak and buffalo wings didn't taste too bad. I was pretty hungry too.

When everyone had eaten, it was time for spinnaker rides. The wind wasn't too strong, so I was wishing I had gone on a diet. I was the first because it was my birthday, but the wind only got me about 5 feet or so off the water. It was fun, but a lot of work to keep that sail open. The next person to try would be celebrating his birthday tomorrow. His name was Cal. He probably weighed less than 160, so he really took off.

Jill was feeling better by now and when it was her turn, she dove into the water and climbed on. The sail lifted her high above the water. Jaime was controlling the sail from the boat and flung her back and forth. He had fallen in love with her already, but she didn't tell me that until the end of the day. "Te quiero." he said.

When I got another chance to ride later, the wind was a bit stronger. It launched me to an altitude that would have been uncomfortable to fall from. I am now reminded that during the afternoon, I had been drinking beer pretty steadily. These were punctuated by excuses provided for the birthday boy to drink shots of tequila. (excuses such as "Woo hoo, great ride huh? how about another shot of tequila?")

As we headed back, a fish was hooked and one of the crew handed the pole to someone from the other party. When it was reeled in, it was obviously a barracuda. They put it in a bucket. I can't say it was pretty, but I got a picture. A few minutes later, they hooked another one and I heard a bunch of voices saying "Hey, birthday boy! Your turn!"

I had two thoughts. The first was that I felt like I should participate as expected to be a good sport. The second thought I had was that if I was a bad enough fisherman, maybe I could free the fish. Unfortunately for the fish, there was no freeing it and a few minutes later, it too was aboard the boat in a bucket. ("Woo hoo! great fish, how about a shot of tequila?") I had already arranged for Shelly to drive us back to Casa Colonial, so I wasn't worried about that, but I was actually starting to feel a bit worse off than just "not good to drive." I was beginning to feel pretty schnockered.

For a while after I left the boat, I continued getting more tipsy as a sort of residual effect of drinking all that tequila. I drank a ton of water hoping that I would be able to stay hydrated enough and avoid the dreaded headache that sometimes follows these things.

Pretty soon after we got back to the villa, I had a short nap and woke up feeling a bit better. After a while, we went back into town and had a nice dinner at Senora Grill. Shell and Jill both got henna tattoos tonight. Shelly got one around her wrist and Jill's was a butterfly. As I waited for the tattoos, I noticed that I was almost back to normal. I reflected on the day and the things Shell and the kids got as birthday gifts from the shops we'd been to. I wandered over to a shop off the square and took a picture of some salt and pepper shakers I had noticed earlier.

After the sun went down, we were all sitting by the pool and Ian decided to open a pack of "Cuban" cigars he bought at some point I wasn't around. I don't really like the smell of cigars, but when Ian offered me a birthday cigar, I thought it was a nice gesture. So fishing and cigar smoking were two unusual activities I checked off today.

It really was a nearly perfect day. I had a wonderful time. And now when I close my eyes, I still feel the resonant rocking of the Caribbean. It will be the last sensation I have tonight - the feeling of drifting off to sea and to sleep at the same time.

A day of rest

We've been going pretty much non stop for six days and we are getting hot, sunburned and maybe a little tired too. All agreed that it would be a good idea to take it easy today. We let Ian sleep in at long last. Meanwhile, Shell, Jillian and I decided to go downtown and hang out at the museum and check out some shopping at a place called 5 Soles.

We started the morning with breakfast at Rockin' Java again, then we drove up the waterfront to the museum. It was pretty interesting. We learned a lot about the island and how it was formed (not volcanic), we learned how the native people lived before the Spaniards came and there was even an exhibit about the reef and another about the jungle. We saw some fantastic artifacts and there was even a little hut that you could go into and have a couple of elderly experts in Mayan culture tell you about the life of the native people. The guy who told the story, had one of the hardest accents I have had to listen to. Spanish would have been easier.

After the museum, we went to 5 soles which is really a big store full of arts and crafts and jewelry from from different parts of Mexico. All we got there was a "day of the dead ornament" for my brother who watched the house while we were gone. I think we have collected enough stuff now that we definitely need another bag in order to get it all home.

On our way back to the villa, we decided to check out a store where they have lots of Mexican pottery called talavera. Shelly was in heaven. They had sinks and ashtrays plates and bowls. We collected a small armload of the stuff and headed back to the car. As luck would have it, we found a place that sold duffel bags along the way and we picked up a pretty good sized one. The plan is to pack this full of clothes and so we can use our carry-on to get the breakables home. We were going to have to do something.

We were back to the villa around lunch time and we ordered comida corrida from la Parilla Mission. It was pretty convenient to have lunch delivered by scooter. It was pretty tasty too.

After lunch we went out to get our replacement "Maya Man." He cost us about $30, but it was worth it not to get into trouble. After that, we had dinner at a place called Especias. They had moved from where they were in 2005. The food was very good. The waiter served us a sauce called Chimichurri which is an Argentinean sauce. He declared that it was Marijuana sauce and we all laughed, perhaps a but nervously.

After dinner, it was back to the Casa Colonial for swimming and relaxing.

We are supposed to go sailing tomorrow. Shelly asked me to call and see about canceling today. We are so fried and hot that it seems like six hours on a boat might just melt us. Unfortunately, when I called, there was no answer. While I was trying to get through, I re-read the on-line review. It really did sound like fun. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. There seemed to be a large canopy on the boat and there should be snorkeling and cold drinks.

On the other hand, if the circumstances are wrong, it could really be horrible. I hope everyone has a good time.

What's something like that going to run?

If someone breaks something valuable when I'm around, or spills their coffee on the rug or puts a dent in my car, I usually don't feel upset at all about the loss. The first thing that usually crosses my mind at that instant is one of relief. It is a wordless feeling that translates to: "Whew, that could easily have been me."

I forgot to mention something that happened yesterday. The coffee table in the living room of our villa, had a wooden frame and a leather surface. On top of the coffee table was a Mayan-style sculpture about 10 inches tall. He was made of terracotta and had a headdress that was painted blue on alternating sections.

When we came back from our morning errands, Shelly got some water and a snack and then went over to the sofa and sat down. She put her feet up on the coffee table in front of the sofa as she might do at home, but there was a surprise in store. The top of the coffee table wasn't actually attached to the base, so the "Maya man" as we had taken to calling him, flipped off and broke into pieces on the tile floor.

We had seen similar Maya men at our favorite vendor along the east-west highway, so we decided to see if we could replace the item without bothering to report it. We weren't charged a deposit, so we didn't want any bad feelings with Sarah and Bob, the owners.

Today was Sunday and we didn't know if we could expect our bakery to be open today, or what shops might be open or when, but we left Casa Colonial early and headed out for breakfast at La Choza, some quick shopping to find Shelly a "visor" and then straight to snorkeling.

I don't know if it was because we were early, but the fish today were outstanding. There was a much bigger variety of them than we had seen before. They were also swimming up closer and in much larger numbers than before as well. Things on shore weren't quite as optimal. By the time we were ready to eat, our choices were down to either "chips and salsa" or "salsa and chips." They were out of guacamole, cheese and several other key ingredients. Fortunately, I wasn't suffering from malnutrition.

On my last trip out into the water, I was getting ready to go in, standing on a rock that was covered in some sort of mossy plant life. A wave came up and washed me right off the rock. I went down and hit my elbow on the aforementioned rock and sort of crushed my foot beneath me when I hit the ground. "Great," I thought "this time it is going to be me who need the ambulance."

After I fell, I sat there in the surf and began to take inventory. The elbow obviously hurt, but it still moved OK. I got up off of my foot and I didn't see any problems with it, but I could tell it was going to bother me later. I went ahead and put my snorkel on and floated out away from the rocks.

I was swimming in circles a little because my left foot was doing a kind of aquatic limping, but I figured that as long as my ankle could move, it was probably going to be all right. My elbow was bleeding, but I didn't think I would be attracting any sharks out there. The important thing was that I was swimming OK so the Mexican Red Cross would not be needed today.

I had pocketed some tortilla chips on my way into the water thinking I could feed them to the fish. This worked quite well. The fish were swarming me as I tossed little snacks to them. In all it was really a great day in the water.

That night, we had dinner at an Italian restaurant called Prima. The food was OK, but the service really was excellent. After dinner we went to the town square. We picked up some bracelets from a woman and her two kids. Then we bought a book with lots of picures of tropical fish to help us remember what we saw earlier today. A while later, Jillian got henna tattoo and we bought a couple of paintings by the same artist who was featured in our villa at Casa Colonial. The artist was standing outside with a lot of her work. I really like her water colors so we got two of them - not really knowing how we were going to get them home.

By then there was music playing and a lot of people were gathered in the square to watch the gringo tourists dance. Shelly and I have never been "dancing", but it looked like people were having fun. I really did like the music and asked her if she wanted to join the dancers. She asked me if *I* wanted to, and I must have sputtered something that didn't sound like an unqualified endorsement of the idea because we decided not to.

After a little while of listening to the music we took our treasures and headed back for the night. By that time, my foot felt pretty good.