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-The Management

I just walked into the men’s restroom at MSP airport and heard a man, who was using the urinal while on his cell phone (I have to admire that level of coordination), say “Well, what about hand grenades?” I guess MSP is known for strange bathroom situations…

Edit: As I walk through the airport saying “No, it’s fine that you’re running late [to pick me up] since it gives me time to see the trained chimps” into my cellphone, I realize context is key. Although I waited until after leaving the restroom to make this call.

Cathy says this shirt reminded her of me. Let’s run down the checklist.

• Related to monkeys? Check. (And really, we can stop here.)
• Random? Check.
• Confusing? Double check.

Yeah, that just about defines me.

Rachel is doing the MS Walk in a few weeks. Donate some money, why doncha?

Every hour of every day, someone is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That’s why I registered for Walk MS: Christopher & Banks Walk 2008 presented by Anchor Bank and that’s why I’m asking you to support my fund raising efforts with a tax-deductible donation.

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society is a collective of passionate individuals, moving together to create a world free of multiple sclerosis. But they can’t do it alone. It’s faster and easier than ever to support this cause that’s so important to me. Simply click on the link at the bottom of this message. If you prefer, you can send your contribution to the address listed below.

Any amount, great or small, helps to make a difference in the lives of people with MS. I appreciate your support and look forward to letting you know how I do.

P.S. If you would like more information about the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, how proceeds from Walk MS are used, or the other ways you can get involved in the fight against MS, please visit nationalmssociety.org.

Click here to visit my personal page.

I’m hoping there is an affiliate program for the baked goods and Ev-hugs. Tell her I sent you.

Question time for you, dear reader(s)! (Oh, the things I do while sick and waiting for a friend to bring me juice and medicine…)

1. Do you have a tattoo?
2. How old are you?
3. Are you single or taken?
4. Fish?
5. Do you dream in color?
6. Ever seen a corpse?
7. Hipsters or Hillbillies?
8. How did we meet?
9. What’s your philosophy on life and death?
10. If you could do anything with me, and have no one know, what would it be?
11. Do you trust the police?
12. Do you like musicals?
13. What is your fondest memory of me?
14. If you could change anything about yourself what would it be?
15. Would you cheat ?
16. What are you wearing?
17. Have you ever peed in a pool?
18. Would you hide evidence for me if I asked you to?
19. If I only had one day to live, what would we do together?
20. Which do you prefer - short or long hair?
21. What’s your favorite day of the week?
22. What’s your favorite color?
23. If you could bring back anyone that has passed, who would it be?
24. Tell me one interesting/odd fact about you?
25. What was your first impression of me?
26. Have you ever done drugs?
27. Will you post this so I can fill it out for you?

I’m back from Peru! The biggest flaw in the English language is that it lacks the words for describing the joy and excitement and life-changingness of my trip. I’ll be uploading photos and typing up my travel journal, so tons of stories and pictures soon. I missed you all!

I’m off to Peru in the morning. I’ll be back on 9/18. Hold down the fort in my absence.

Tonight I rode my bike to the store to get the lemon I forgot to buy when I was there on Monday. Four hours later, I looked down and realized I still had the right leg of my jeans rolled up.

Yep, it’s one of those “I haven’t been blogging” posts. I like to think of them as the blog equivalent of the sitcom “clip show”. Remember when….

• Over on the Dilbert Blog, Scott Adams blogged about a comic called Basic Instructions. I’ve really been enjoying go back through the archives. Some of my favorites include How to write a self-evaluation, How to explain a plan, How to use the universal comeback, How to create and wear a memorable Halloween costume, and How to pitch a movie idea.
• The new Matt Nathanson album Some Mad Hope came out yesterday (well, today, but yesterday is when my preorder arrived), and it is just fantastic. It has been in constant rotation ever since I opened it.
• I also bought Bubba Ho-Tep (Hail to the King Edition) from Best Buy. I love that movie ("They dyed me this color!"), and the packaging is excellent. The DVD box has a sleeve that looks like the Elvis shirt in the movie. Also, there’s a commentary of “The King” himself (Bruce Campbell does it in character). Fantastic.
• The new job is going great. I checked in my first files, which is always an exciting milestone. Also, my Mac is so very sexy. We have a fully-functioning development environment set up, so I can work even without internet access. Very nice.
• While working on this blog entry, I won $40-something playing online poker. I would have been more, but I let my focus slip while making some of the above links and made a dumb play. Still, it’s nice to be reminded that I’m okay at poker when I’m running bad and not playing as much.
• Of course, none of these things even hold a candle to Peru. Rachel and I leave in about 16 1/2 days for our 18 day trip. We’re both a little crazed with final plans and shopping and such things, but it’s shaping up to be the experience of a lifetime. If you want a postcard, make sure I have your address before I leave!

Jason has tagged me with this, and I can never resist a good tagging, so I thought I’d play. Some of you probably know some of these, but I don’t know if most of you know all of them. Not that they are especially secretive, as this ended up more of “8 facts that define me” than “8 things you didn’t know”. The result of rambling while so tired, I guess. And away we go:

1. I have a tattoo on my right upper arm that says “Winter Pays For Summer” in a Celtic font (picture here In addition to being the title of the Glen Phillips album containing the song, the phrase comes from the song “Duck and Cover”. The line is “One way or another / Winter pays for the summer / Won’t get what you wanted / What you got’ll be good” (full lyrics here). It very much reflected what I had learned in 2005 about the unexpected nature of change, but that good can come of just about anything.
2. Related to my tattoo, I do my best to not regret in life. I will make mistakes and/or be the victim of unfortunate circumstances, but I can’t find a single decision in my life where the weight of the negative repercussions can even begin to approach the positives. This sounds very strange when I type it, but it has served me well.
3. When I was in high school, I formed a rogue organization to revolt against the dictatorship of the computer club. We were called P.R.O.Z.A.C., which was the People’s Resistance to Over-Zealous Andy Chow. We were quite an eclectic cast of characters and had our ultimate victory when I was elected president of the computer club when Andy graduated. I ran on a platform of “I don’t like Andy Chow.” I was removed as president by the adviser a few days later (who though my platform was a cause for concern).
4. I have had two knee surgeries, and have the ACL from a cadaver in my left knee. I like to think this makes me “undead”, even if only in a small percentage.
5. I want to spend at least one year of my life living somewhere that has 4 distinct seasons. I have yet to work out the logistics given that the bay area is where all the jobs are, as well as most of my people, but some day I’ll figure out a way to make it work.
6. I am what Butch Walker called "slow-convert pescatarian" (vegetarian + fish). Originally, the decision was for health reasons after reading The China Study and Eat to Live. I’m starting to come around on the moral aspects of it as time has gone on. I just wasn’t ready to process that at the time, but now it’s starting to sink in. I remember when I couldn’t imagine a day without meat, and now I don’t miss it. Even fish is something I eat less and less.
7. I plan to name my first son Raisin so that his nickname can be “The Roof” (Raisin “The Roof” Kujala) and my first daughter will be named after Meadowlark Lemon, my favorite Harlem Globetrotter. (Okay, so this one isn’t true, but who actually thought I could go this long without making one up?).
8. I’m leaving Yahoo! on Friday. (Look how sneaky I am, combining two blog entries into one!) I’ve accepted a job with Shipwire and start next Monday. It’s a very small company, which is something I’m excited about after being at a big company for the past two years. I’ll be working on the frontend of the site and will be reporting into Evan, my manager for my first year at Yahoo! I am sad to leave the Autos team behind, but I am excited about my next adventure.

Those who I wish to tag next: Rachel, Steph, and Katie