The Life Chaotic

http://thelifechaotic.wordpress.com/
A friend's blog

Plain White Ts - Hey There Delilah - Official (HQ)

I've been diggin' this song lately.

iPod Go

Well I got my iPod up again. I am somewhat challenged since I can not quite afford the networking bits I need to set up my 2nd computer (the one with iTunes). Remember the days of "sneaker net"? You know, back in pre-history when you had to walk your disk (uphill) to another machine--a whopping 512k a *minute*. Okay maybe it was 10. Whatever, it was the dark ages.

Today's version uses cross-trainers and a 2 gig thumb drive. Amazing to think that I wear shoes made from NASA developed polymers and carry more data in my pocket than the whole world had ever known up to about the Library of Alexandria. Anyway through the miracle of modern technology I have Avril Lavigne to listen to.

I am sure that many of you are concerned about my lack musical appreciation. You are right. I just can not be musically cool. I blame my parents. Avril is just a kid, but it makes me think of my kids and remember what it was to be a kid.

Mobile pics

It was a pretty sunrise. This shot is from my harbour walk in to work.

I'll start uploading random pictures here from my mobile phone.

Moods of the Bay

I've been noticing the dramatic differences in the harbour on my walks through Wellington.  Every day is a composition of waves, boats, hills, houses, sun and sky.  I don't have any easy means to capture each morning.

Today was a new look.  I always look across the water back to the rising sun in the morning.  The clouds were thick on the horizon over the hills.  The water below gray and mildly choppy in the steady stout breeze.  The sky overhead was clear and the sun created a glowing, gold crest along the edges of the clouds it would soon rise above.  I was lucky enough to witness the moment it broke through.  It was like God turn on a light.  Dozens of folks, mostly unaware as to why, suddenly reached for sunglasses or shaded their eyes.  I was surprised how many did not even pause to look.  The sun rose over the clouds and lit the tops of the waves across the bay.  Dull windows sparkled in reflection.  Shadows created contrast from muted grays and half tones.  It was, of course, beautiful.

On other days I have seen the bay virtually smooth with only the tiniest ripples like dark hammered metal against a pale sky.  Always the high hills are jagged silhouettes between sea and sky.  Sometimes they are shrouded in mists. On one rainy day the far side of the bay disappeared in the fog.  The ocean faded to gray about 200 meters off the shore and even though I knew the hills were there, it felt like you would just drift out to the ocean in the mist.

Sometimes the sun sparkles across the whole bay.  Sometimes it strikes a beam across the water.  Once it shone like a bright light on a frosted mirror--fuzzy and diffuse.  It is amazing how many variations you can see in just a few weeks and all in the same season!  I look forward to seeing what else will be displayed on this canvas.

Ode to my Cappuccino

I've become a complete cappuccino junkie.  It is sooo good.  There is a bakery around the corner from my office.  Most bakeries also make various coffees.  This one makes the best damn cappuccino I've ever had... The perfect brew is a large, with 2 sugars and chocolate on top.  I don't know what kind of bean they use, but after 2 of them I actually get nerve tremors.  So I stick to one a day and I have to force myself to skip days.  I'm trying to hold the line at 2-3 times a week.  See how that 2-3 provides a little wiggle room?  Amazing how 2-3 can provide miles of slippery justification.

My bakery (yeah, it's mine now) also makes bacon & egg pie.  At first this was merely good.  It is now quickly becoming mandatory with cappuccino.  A little fat and protein.  It's a health regimen--I swear.

I've decided that bacon & egg pie with cappuccino is so good that to offset the cost, I'll eat ramon noodles for lunch.  I mean after the healthful benefits of pie, what more nutrition do you need?

My office is a completely open floor plan... not even cube walls.  Therefore I have determined that it may be socially unacceptable to attempt licking the foam out of the cup.  Soft groaning noises whilst licking foam is also straight off the list.  Of course this also begs the question of potentially straying in cappuccino adultery.  My wife has been a bit concerned.

On the off days, the days where I attempt to avoid cappuccino, there is a step down program.  The methadone equivalent for cappuccino is the $3000 Jura cappuccino machine on my floor--which I am woefully unable to adequately operate.  This may be a good thing.  I fear that if I could make myself this happy that I might stake out the coffee machine and defend it with lizard-brain ferocity.  Wholly inappropriate for the telephone company office.  Yet my coffee tweaked reflexes, video game conditioning, and American appreciation of violence would give me a huge edge on these peace-nik kiwi's.  Oh yes... the machine will be mine...

Whoopsie... too much "typing out loud" again... hehe... really, I am all good.  No addicts here.  None.  I'll just go put some normal coffee in my empty (still foamy) cappuccino cup.  Recycling I tell you! Recycling!

Bring back the Cape

I've decided that the world of fashion needs to bring back the cape.  I have have multiple self-serving reasons.

First of all, capes are just darn cool.  Nothing really compares to walking at full stride with a full length cape.  I mean wasn't Darth Vader cool?  The future just can't be complete without capes.

My second reason is actually practical.  I walk about 2 miles a day to work.  Right now, the weather is nice and often I could be comfortable on the walk with shorts and a tshirt, but that won't last forever.  I'll be walking rain or shine, hot or cold.  I favor a backpack and it's just not practical to wear a coat over a backpack.  Alternatively, I need a very weatherproof backpack (to protect my laptop).  But a good cape could quite easily cover a pack, provide warmth and all around weather protection.  I see several folks wearing panchos... and what is a pancho anyway other than a less-cool cape.  Can't you see yourself swinging a cape around your neck?  Flip up the hood and you're perfectly covered... and amazingly cool... but warm.

I really don't understand why capes aren't everywhere.

Capes fell out men's fashion about 1915.  I don't know why... perhaps in the restricted production environments of the post-war era the fabric requirements were just too high.  Today you'll see the odd rockstar or dare devil with a token cape.  These are not cool.  They are too flashy and short--entirely useless.  I think there is definitely room for main stream conservative and utilitarian capes... Someone should really fill this fashion niche.  Preferably before winter... please.