January 2004 Archives
I'd Done a Good Thing
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
Last night I journeyed up to the Pleasant Hill Red Cross center to donate platelets via a process called apheresis. I received a call from the Red Cross on Monday saying that I was a match for a little girl in the Oakand Children's Hospital. Of course I had to do it. Apheresis is harder than giving whole blood (something else I try to do as often as I can). It takes about 2 hours or so. While it's not as draining as a regular donation (you get most of your blood back), I still find it very tiring. ISunny Sunol
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
I had the most wonderful time at the Sunol Regional Park on Sunday with Erik. We totally lucked out weather-wise. Saturday was cold and foggy, as was Monday. But Sunday we had blue skies and it was nice and warm in the sun. The hills were such a lovely shade of green. We didn't see any wildflowers, so we'll have to go back in a few weeks. I remember the lupin last year and it was just gorgous. Whole hillsides were purple. Besides the wonderful company and good feelings of moving and using my muscles (which, truthfully, are more thanGoodbye Captain Kangaroo
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
I just found out that Bob Keeshan died today. How very sad. First Fred Rogers last year. Now Keeshan. Boy, if Big Bird kicks the bucket I don't know what I'll do. I remember that I watched Captain Kangaroo, and I remember that I liked it. But I can't actually remember any of the skits or sayings they used to have. I certainly watched Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Sesame Street, and The Electric Company more. "Hey You Guuuuuuuuys!" But I feel a certain connection to Captain Kangaroo since Keeshan gave the commencement address at my college graduation in 1996. I thinkShoot me and put me out of my misery
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
This not sleeping thing is really, REALLY getting old. Since Monday I've gotten roughly 19 hours of sleep. I should have gotten 36. I'm still falling asleep shortly after I get into bed, but come 1 or 2 am I wake up. And then I'm up. Sometimes until 5. Sometimes for the whole rest of the day. I thought that eating better would help (I've been back on program for almost 3 weeks now). I feel physically better, but it hasn't seemed to make a difference in staying asleep. I'm slowly adding back an exercise routine. Carrie and I areOh Boy
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
Don't Microsoft lawyers have enough to do without sueing 17 year-old boys? Do they really think people are so stupid as to confuse that site with theirs? *sigh* It's depressing how litigious our society has become.Reason 67 I love California
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
It's January 17th and I bought fresh, purple hyacinths today. They smell heavenly. The kitchen is full of their heady scent already. I LOVE winter in California.A helping hand
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
Yay! My good friend Mags asked me today to help out with the Birds of a Feather (BOF) sessions that will be going on at the IA Summit in Austin next month. This is really exciting. I'll be helping Peter Boersma facilitate the session on IA Tools, Deliverables, and Applications. Peter is the whiz-bang IA of EzGov over in the Netherlands. I'm so excited for the Summit this year. I'm glad I'm going a day early so I have time to catch up with folks. Everyone is going to be there. It should be a blast! Oh, and I'll probablyPotato power!
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
I've heard of potato powered clocks, but a potato powered computer? How do people come up with this stuff?Still a mac lover at heart
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
It's been about four years now since I used a Macintosh regularly for my job, and I tell ya, I do miss it. Something about the design of those machines. Yum! I was pleasantly surprised today to discover that Apple has put their "1984" commercial up on their site (I'm sure they did it awhile ago, I'm usually behind the curve). I love this commercial. I don't ever remember seeing it on TV (I believe it only aired during the SuperBowl in 1984), but I did see various bootleg copies that were floating around the web. I'm debating watching theWhen it rains it pours
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
Last summer and fall I was feeling frustrated at work. I felt like all I was doing was maintaining things that had already been built. Such as vocabularies, product lists, updating site blueprints, etc. It's only the second work day of the new year and I now find myself an important cog in bunch of big, meaty, hairy projects (meaty and hairy? eeew!). I guess you have to be careful what you wish for.October Sky
Posted by Chiara | Category netflix
Christmas Clean Up
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
It's always a bit bittersweet to pack of all the Christmas decorations for the year. There is such joy and excitement in opening up the boxes and remembering all the stories behind the different ornaments. They are like old friends returning for a visit. It reminds me of my early childhood and the excitment and anticipation of the Fat Jolly Old Elf's visit. We put up our tree and decorations very early this year - right after Thanksgiving. Usually we wait until at least the first weekend of December. But I was eager to start the festivities sooner rather thanBabette's Feast
Posted by Chiara | Category netflix
Happy New Year!
Posted by Chiara | Category main_page
I can't believe that 2004 is here already. The year has gone by so quickly. New Years isn't a holiday that I usually celebrate with a lot of fanfare. Except for the one year that I went to NYC with Erik, Tom, Cliff, and I forget whom else. We crashed a HASH party on the lower west side. Oh, and Erik wore my prom dress and I a tux. It was fun. I've never seen that city more friendly than that night. This year C and are going to be low key (per usual). He insists that it's just aMonthly Archives
