Epiphany

Tara was a little miffed, thinking maybe a pile of presents, yet we ended up on separate tracks most of today, partially overlapping. I did promise a baby Python, then handed her the ritual mortgage check, to walk to the USPO box.

My CTO, CSO and CFO are essentially working for free, as volunteers, with the HR chief getting a pittance. You'd think I'd cancel my HBO, but why nickel and dime myself? "It's the economy stupid" -- we learned that with voodoo economics (referring to Bush Sr.).

Twas an epiphany though, a highly memorable day, and twas my great privilege to chauffeur Gordon Riggs and the visiting Dr. Bob Fuller around town.

Gordon wrote a Python utility to better shuffle a directory for his electronic picture frame, which is boringly chronological. Gordon is a very intelligent geek, also into paper airplanes these days (and origami).

Bob, of First Person Physics fame, and currently writing about the Karplus workshops, has been catching up on Margaret Fuller some more. He introduced me to his wonderful family, at a brewpub I didn't know about (30th and Powell).

Bob has been teaching since before I was born, in Rangoon and the Air Force Academy (West Point), among other places.

Dr. DiNucci joined us towards the end of our Common Ground meeting. The stunning barista didn't want me photographing her scarab tattoo. I asked politely and didn't take it personally when she said she's scared of cameras (photography is invasive sometimes).

She said she's a geek, and that really warmed my heart (I kept bringing it up later). She studies Egyptian esoterica a lot. Works for me.

My power walk with the CSO was encouraging. The curriculum writing goes on, with or without a posse of sponsors. Terry is still vacationing in Hawaii.

Wanderers is having a fine meeting tonight (I'm posting from Linus Pauling House, brought Bob here earlier), and the CBS Evening News had some good parts, even amidst the chaos of our time, ugly and pointless.

I suggested to DiNucci, recent president of Humanists of Greater Portland, that I be invited to present on Quaker animism, which I'm helping to pioneer.

So far, 2009 is proving a banner year. We're off to a good start.