March 2008 Archives

Today was a company holiday, but I went to work (for the first half of the day anyway). I didn't do so out of an extra sense of duty or dedication. I did so to stay ahead of the game and ensure a good night's sleep.

I woke up at three this morning with thoughts of work floating across my mind. I tossed and turned for an hour before falling back asleep. Not exactly what I consider a fun or productive use of time. I'm hoping a few hours at the office today will prevent a repeat of that tonight.

While I wouldn't make a habit of it, working on a holiday proved to have some perks and revealed a few good reasons to work on the days when everybody else is gone. Here are my Top 5.

1. Less Traffic/Better Parking: It seemed like fewer cars were on the road (a likely combination of the holiday and Monday light). It made the drive more pleasant. I would have taken the bus, but I wanted to be able to leave early if I finished early. Also, when everybody else is gone, there are plenty of places to park. I'm not usually one who tries to grab the spot closest to the building, but I felt obligated to do so today.
2. Peace and Quiet: It was amazing how quiet the office was with only two or three of us there. I had gotten so accustomed to the constant chatter and racket, the silence was noticeable (and wonderful). It was also extremely conducive to getting tasks done.
3. No Interruptions: I didn't receive a single phone call or email and not a single soul stopped by my cubicle to ask questions or give me a fire to put out, which meant I could actually focus on the tasks at hand. It's almost miraculous how productive one can be when one's concentration is unbroken.
4. No Dress Code: Instead of dressing for work, I was able to dress to work. There was no need to worry about wearing slacks or dress shirts or ties. Nobody was around to judge what was proper attire or not, which meant I could wear muddy boots, comfortable jeans, and a long-sleeved t-shirt without feeling like a slacker. Today wasn't about appearance or pretense, it was about functionality.
5. No Hall Monitors: In every office, there are those who keeps tabs on when others arrive, take lunch, take coffee/bathroom breaks, and leave. I call them hall monitors. Luckily, on holidays and weekends, hall monitors aren't around to watch the clock, so if one wants to work through lunch, run across the street for a much-needed cafe au lait, or leave "early" because everything on the to-do list is crossed off, one can do so without being marked down.

(Or, Sweet Enough for a Bear, But Made for a Human with Four Bucks to Spare)

When Starbucks first came out with its honey latte (perhaps a month ago), I hesitated to try it.

I asked a barista, "Does it have, you know, real honey in it?"

The barista gave me a you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look and said, "Yes, it does, along with some honey-flavored syrup."

I thanked her lamely and hurried out. Luckily, I was at a Starbucks I don't regularly visit, so there's a good chance we will never meet again. (I probably just jinxed myself by writing that.)

A week later, at a different location, I broke down and gave the honey latte a try.

It was disgusting. The first sips were way too sweet (thanks to the real honey on top) and the last few sips were way too mild. Still, I drank it all because it had cost $3.85. (Those are some high-priced bees, I tell you.)

It's my current working theory that one can't form a fair opinion about something until one has sampled it a minimum of three times, so a week later, I tried it again.

The second latte (and the third) was better than the first, most likely because I stirred the whole concoction before drinking it. Had I known to mix it before tasting it, my first experience might not have been so bad.

As is my habit, the drink I initially found disgusting is now the only drink I order. It's like I've suddenly become Winnie-the-Pooh. I can't get enough honey.

Can you imagine if they opened a Starbucks in the Hundred Acre Wood? Poor Pooh Bear would be broke in no time. Either that or he would be devising a scheme to steal their supply of honey.

Another Idol hopeful will have his or her hopes crushed in just a few hours, but before that wonderful moment happens, let's relive last night's show. Because I don't have a DVR like a respectable recapper (or weecapper) should, I'm relying entirely on sketchy memories and a page of indecipherable notes.

After introducing the judges (Randy with his goatee, Paula with her black arm-length gloves, and Simon with his I don't know because I'm still bewildered by Paula's gloves), Ryan introduces the Top 10 and tells everybody the contestants will be singing songs from the year they were born. He does this all while walking behind the contestants, which makes it look as though he's playing a game of Duck, Duck, Goose.

First up is Ramiele (a.k.a. the Goose), who was born in 1987. She shares that she bit people as a toddler. Her mother clarifies that Ramiele outgrew biting people (something quite unique) and started singing (something less unique). She sings "Alone", the perfect song for showcasing her belting ability, but instead of belting it, she shout-screams it. Randy and Paula blame the rough performance on Ramiele's cold, but considering she hasn't been good when she's well, I doubt her health is the reason for her troubles.

Next up is Jason, the first of nine Ducks. During his clip, he tells us three things:

1. He was born in 1987.
2. It's his birthday.
3. People used to tell him he had "cute eyes".

I now wish he had only told us two things. He's singing Sting's "Fragile" and singing it pretty well. Or at least I'm hoping he is. It's hard to tell since his voice is barely audible. He appears to be trying to conserve energy. Maybe he's saving it for a big finish. Except the song's already finished and Randy's talking. And now Simon is telling him his guitar work was sloppy and Jason's mumbling something about how he should have maybe practiced more. Wait, what? This is American Idol! Your one chance to make it big! The only thing you should be doing (besides eating, sleeping, and promoting) is practicing! Happy Birthday, Jason. Now WAKE UP!

Syesha's clip reveals she, too, was born in 1987. It also reveals that she can cry like a baby - an actual baby, which is surprisingly creepy. She sings "If I Were Your Woman" and it sounds better than anything she has sung before, but I'm distracted by the crowd. During every performance, people have been waving their arms in the air like they just don't care. It's a bad habit and it needs to stop, except I know it won't. The judges love her performance and I'm sad because it means she'll be here for at least another week.

Chikezie finally breaks the 1987 streak by being born in 1985 (Go Chikezie!). His nice parents tell a nice story about their son. Then Chikezie sings a nice rendition of "If Only For One Night". The guy has a nice voice and it works well with ballads. Unfortunately, this one borders on boring. Simon says he misses Chikezie's personality, but based on last week's schizophrenic performance I wonder which of the six personalities he meant.

Brooke was born in 1983 and we learn she discovered her musical gifts at a young age. After hearing a song on the radio, she went to the family piano and started playing the song by ear. The story would almost be unbelievable if my sister, a gifted pianist, hadn't done the same thing when she was only four. Brooke sings "Every Breath You Take" by The Police. It seems like a strange song choice, but it works for the first minute, while it's only her on the piano. Then the band butts in and shatters the spell. Playing without Rickey Minor and the band might have been the downfall of Josiah Leming, but it's the key to Brooke's success.

Michael, the old man of the group, was born in 1978, which is perfect because it's the year Queen wrote "We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions". He sings the living daylights out of the medley and I'm happy to see he's back, but my happiness is short-lived when I realize the only way he'll stay in the competition is if he sings Queen songs for the rest of the season.

Carly, who was born in 1983, tells us how she was named after Carly Simon, which destroys my theory that she was named after Carly Fiorina. I thought the story might segue into her singing a song by her namesake, but now that she's singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart", I guess I was wrong. She's trying hard to keep her voice under control and she's looking tense, like she has the hiccups and is trying to hold her breath. She succeeds until the last line, which sounds awful because she's singing, exhaling, and gasping for air all at the same time.

David Archuleta was born in - I cringe when I say this - 1990. His banter with Ryan is awkward and the subsequent clip doesn't help. He sings "You're the Voice" and it's so awful, it makes me wish he and Ryan would banter some more. It also makes me wonder, "Of all the great songs written in 1990, why couldn't he ruin one I recognize?" Watching him sing Wilson Phillips' "Hold On" could have been so much more entertaining, in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle kind of way.

Kristy was born in 1984, which is the year Lee Greenwood wrote "God Bless the USA". So patriotic. So Fox. I have an instant flashback to the 80s, when I first saw Greenwood perform the song on a Bob Hope special, which I think was filmed on an aircraft carrier. While this is one of Kristy's best performances, it doesn't compare to the original.

In 1982, a kid with an abnormally huge head was born. Who knew that twenty-six years later his body would catch up (mostly) and he would be performing on American Idol? David Cook sings "Billie Jean", which would have been weird if it had been Michael Jackson's original version. Luckily, it's the version by Chris Cornell (of Soundgarden and Audioslave fame). It flows from slow and somber to sublime. The judges give him too much credit for being original and brave, but compared to his competition, he is original and brave. He's also smart for picking the right songs, or at least the right covers of songs.

Prediction: Carly and Chikezie won't be enjoying the comfort and safety of the couches tonight. While I wouldn't mind if both went home, I wouldn't shed a tear if Carly's hopes were crushed first.

The online buzz about wildflowers (at least in hiking circles) has been growing over the last couple of weeks. On Friday, I decided to join the fun by visiting Pacheco State Park, an idea that spontaneously came to me while reading Dan's Outside.

The park entrance is south of Highway 152, roughly halfway between Gilroy and Los Banos. San Luis Reservoir and several windmills border Pacheco to the east. It took roughly 45 minutes to reach the park. If construction crews ever finish the nightmare 152/156 interchange, the trip should be shorter.

After paying my five-dollar day use fee, I grabbed a color map and a black-and-white wildflower guide (organized by color). As I started south on Spikes Peak Trail, I kicked myself for forgetting my crayons.

I feared I would be having to search high and low to spot even a single flower in bloom (as I had in Santa Teresa and Henry Coe a few weeks ago), but my fears were unfounded. In less than five minutes, I came across my first wildflower: a California Buttercup.

I was so focused on the bright yellow petals that it took me a few seconds to realize the entire field was covered by Buttercups. As I continued along, I began to notice other wildflowers. I pulled out my guide and tried my best to identify them. (It helped to picture them devoid of color.) There were Common Fiddlenecks...

Common Checkerblooms...

and Blue Dicks...

(Full Disclosure: I had help from Bay Area Wildflowers to identify these flowers.)

As I reached the first trail junction, I met an elderly woman walking her dog. She asked if I had seen the wonderful display of wildflowers on the way up. I said I had. Then she said that according to Carol Leigh's website, I could find another beautiful patch of wildflowers along Dinosaur Lake Trail. I said I would venture there to see it. She was the only person I saw on the trail all day.

I turned south at the junction and followed Pig Pond Trail. I soon reached a pond that bore no resemblance to any pig I had ever seen.

I continued along Pig Pond Trail, continued south along Canyon Loop West (a nice single-track trail), and turned west onto South Boundary Loop. At Spikes Peak (elev. 1,927), I finally caught a glimpse of San Luis Reservoir.

Anybody who reaches the peak will be richly rewarded with a bounty of wildflowers. The hillside looked as though it had been covered with brightly colored confetti. The hills and meadows were dotted with orange, white, yellow, purple, and blue flowers. It was breathtaking and also the perfect place to soak in the view and the silence.

After a short rest, I continued south along Spikes Peak Trail. The trail itself began to disappear as grass and wildflowers overran the man-made path. By the time I reached the southern half of South Boundary Loop, the trail was gone. Only a gate in a distant fence gave any indication of the way.

I followed the South Boundary Loop as best as I could, in a counterclockwise fashion. Soon, I reached Bear Hide Lake, which likely resembles a bear hide from every vantage point except the one I was standing at. From there, it was a one-mile uphill trek to Canyon Loop East, where I turned east and headed towards Salt Creek.

I crossed the barely-flowing creek and continued east along an unmarked trail that I assumed was Dinosaur Lake Trail. A series of switchbacks led past the windmills I had been seeing in the distance all day. One out of every ten was turning.

The relatively level trail wound its way north through a meadow until it made a sharp turn and steep descent towards Dinosaur Lake, which looks exactly like a giant Triceratops, but only if you spin around five times fast and cover your left eye.

Once I crossed Windmills Road, the trail offered a wonderful view (and the best view all day) of San Luis Reservoir.

This little stretch of trail was also the last place where I saw wildflowers in overflowing abundance. The final mile was an anti-climatic walk back to the parking lot.

Before getting in the car, I did a quick tick check to make sure I didn't bring any unwanted friends home. (Ticks may look cute, but they're evil.)

Because of heavy and constant traffic, it was impossible to get directly onto 152 West. I eventually gave up and drove a mile down 152 East until I found a safe place to make a U-turn.

If you're a wildflower hunter, be sure to visit Pacheco State Park in the coming weeks. The park will hold its Fifth Annual Wildflower Day on Saturday, April 5.

You can check out a few more photos from my hike on Flickr. To see better photos taken by folks who recently visited the park, be sure to view the images Randy52 and Jeppmet captured.

Usually, when I'm hiking, I try to keep things low-tech. The only electronic device I have in hand is my digital camera. My iPhone stays safely in a pouch in my backpack. But yesterday, I began to think about ways my iPhone could possibly enhance my hiking experience.

For fun, I made a list of iPhone features or applications that could make hiking or visiting parks even more enjoyable. Here are my favorite five. It should be noted that some of these might already exist and a couple are tongue-in-cheek.

1. iCompass
It would be great if I could press a button on the screen and an arrow appeared, indicating magnetic north, if for no other reason than to confirm if my actual compass was telling me the truth. I know somebody has already created a simple compass application, but it has two limitations that are hard to overlook. First, it only works when the sun is out. Second, it doesn't work during Daylight Savings Time (or as the creator states "summer time is not supported"). In other words, it only works 25% of the year. That also means that if I got lost this weekend, the soonest the compass could help me would be the first sunny day in November.

2. onThisSpot
How about an application that determines your coordinates and then finds all of the geotagged photos and videos taken within a given distance of your current location? You could specify the provider (Flickr, Picasa, YouTube, Revver) and time frame (last 6 months, 1972, etc.). Of course, this could be dangerous around places like Glacier Point in Yosemite... "onThisSpot found 15,162,342 photos taken within five feet of your location. Display all?" A potential add-on to this program: onThisSpot: Seasons. As the name implies, it would show you what your location looks like during the peak winter, spring, summer, and fall.

3. The iDentifier
Instead of buying a thick booklet or several waterproof pamphlets, why not have an application that allows one to identify various animals, plants, and trees just by touching the screen? One would have to select the region and make the initial determination about the nature of the item in question, namely, is it an animal, plant, or tree, but once that hurdle was cleared, the program would help the user hone in on the ultimate identity. Of course, with my luck, the iDentifier would tell me something like, "You are looking at a common Poppy Oak Bear." Possible add-ons: track, scat, and bird call identifiers (just have the bird tweet clearly into the phone and the program does the rest).

4. Parkcasts
Not to be confused with Parkcast, a podcast that focuses on the issue of podcasting in national parks, but doesn't actually provide park podcasts. What I want to see are podcasts I can put on my iPhone or iPod that will enhance my experience as I visit popular points of interest in a given park. The best example of what I'm talking about can be found on Civil War Traveler, which offers battlefield podcasts for PDF map to carry with you, and enjoy a thirty-minute walking tour led by a park historian. Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks already offer podcasts, but it would be nice to see other parks podcasting, too.

5. ePassport To Your National Parks
How about an electronic version of the National Parks Passport? Instead of a 100-page booklet with a limited amount of space for stamps and stickers, have an application that allows the carrier to collect electronic stamps, images, or audio files as small keepsakes. The other benefit would up-to-date maps, park information, and photographs. This one came to mind because I'm always misplacing my passport or forgetting to have it handy when we're at a visitor center. I end up stamping a receipt and inserting it into the booklet after the fact.

I'm always the last one to discover these sorts of things, but that's okay. At least I discover them... eventually.

It seems Steve Nash isn't just an outstanding basketball player, he's also a pretty good filmmaker, too. He produced this commercial for Nike. It's called "Training Day".

It features a mix of clips showing his typical daily workout, which involves soccer, skateboarding, shooting hoops, and playing tennis. There are also a few seconds of home videos showing him playing soccer when he was a toddler.

If this had been shown during the Super Bowl, it would have ranked as one of my favorites.

He may have made it for a company that only wants to sell shoes, but to me, it's a commercial selling him. It isn't about the swoosh, it's about Nash.

It's only a short piece of film, but it's inspirational and makes me a bigger Nash fan than before.

And just because I want to have it written somewhere, here is the script...

You spend so many hours by yourself, shooting. A lot of stuff goes through your mind.

You try to incorporate everyone on the field in some way, whether you're trying to deceive half of them or accentuate half of them. It makes the game a lot more fun. It's such a creative outlet to try and encompass all of those different moving parts.

The passion and the appreciation for the finer points of soccer easily translated to basketball.

If you want to be good, you've got to practice.

I was randomly checking Caltrain's website and discovered a new page with links to train schedules designed specifically for mobile devices, including web-enabled phones and iPhones.

After stumbling upon the developer's blog for iCaltrain, I discovered (via a posted comment) an unofficial (and experimental) Caltrain rider alert service, which uses Twitter to notify riders about delays.

While I'm stoked to see ordinary folks have taken the initiative to create these apps and services, I'm disappointed Caltrain hasn't made a visible attempt to take the initiative themselves. I wonder if they have any intention of doing so in the future.

By the way, I found this sentence on the links page quite amusing...

Caltrain appreciates the efforts of these developers, who have created these applications of their own initiative, on their own time and expense, and who offer them to the public at no cost.

Sometimes a second helping of something is one helping too many. When that something is The Beatles, that wouldn't seem possible, but that was the case last night on American Idol, as the remaining eleven contestants tackled songs by the Fab Four for the second week in a row.

Almost everybody had weaker performances. The few who improved only did better because their last performances were so bad, there was no practical way to be worse.

In honor of the continuing stock market unrest, let's run the American Idol ticker tape and see whose prices rose, fell, or remain unchanged after last night's episode.

Advances

Kristy Lee Cook - She performed a safe rendition of "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", a marked improvement over last week's hoedown (which was nothing like the classic hoedowns on Whose Line Is It Anyway?). Shares of KLC nearly doubled in value from 4.00 to 8.00, despite Simon calling her "musical wallpaper" and "unmemorable, except when she's terrible".

David Archuleta - The Wunderkind rebounded this week with "The Long and Winding Road", which was no surprise. He excels at ballads. They allow him to show his sensitivity. He should stick with slow songs because anything with a fast beat or remotely resembling a rock song seems to overwhelm him. DA rose 10 points to close at 77.50.

Syesha Mercado - I almost didn't recognize her with her hair in such a subdued and stylish state. She sang "Yesterday", which showed her vulnerability. With the exception of one randomly belted line, I liked it. Simon praised her song choice, but then took it back by saying it was the song Brooke should have sung. Shares of YES finished unusually strong, considering the backhanded compliment, at 18.85.

Ramiele Malubay - After a string of rather disappointing performances, Ramiele bounced back with "I Should Have Known Better". The happy-go-lucky song finally allowed us to see what was missing the last few weeks: her great voice and personality. Shares of RAMA rose to 45.50, including a tiny bump because of her fashionable chapeau.

Unchanged

Amanda Overmyer - Every week, Amanda claims to sing a different song, but I swear it's the same one every time. Last night, she sang "Back in the U.S.S.R.". The Overmyerized version sounded exactly like last week's "You Can't Do That". How can somebody with so much energy be so boring? OVER ended the day unchanged at 22.52. Any potential dip in price was offset by her classic remark, "Ballads are boring."

David Cook - Simon called his performance of "Day Tripper" predictable. If by predictable, he meant Cook delivered another solid performance showcasing his vocal and musical abilities (including a nice riff using a talk box), then I completely agree. Except, I don't think he meant that at all. Any "predictability" or "smugness" was offset by Cook's use of the words "euphoric", "epitome", and "appreciative" during his interview. Shares of DC remained even at 85.00.

Declines

Michael Johns - I think Johns should let somebody else pick his songs. The songs he chooses would be great if they could be sung in their entirety, but contestants only get ninety seconds to perform, which means songs must undergo major reductive surgery to fit the allotted time. In the case of "A Day in the Life", Johns botched the job. Based on befuddled reactions by the judges, shares of MJ fell from 75.00 to 72.50.

Brooke White - Coming in, Brooke seemed doomed to disappoint, especially after last week's "Let It Be". Her rendition of "Here Comes the Sun" wasn't bad, but it wasn't blow-me-away good either. If she spent her remaining weeks performing with a guitar or piano, I'd be happy. She's in her element when she has an instrument. The price of BW dipped to 80.25 due to awkwardness during and after the performance (talking over the judges = not good).

Carly Smithson - I don't know what she was wearing, but it looked like a red blouse with a wreath of roses around her collar. The whole thing distracted me from her phone-it-in performance of "Blackbird". Simon called it self-indulgent, but Randy and Paula loved it. I don't know why, but I feel like they're trying to sell me a 10, when Carly is clearly a 7 (as evidenced by the new "7" tattoo on her right ring finger). Shares of CRPY fell to five points to 65.00.

Jason Castro - Castro is a likable guy. Admittedly, I like him more when he's performing with his guitar, because when he's without it, I tend to notice his goofiness. Of course, likable and goofy worked for a few past contestants (Taylor Hicks comes to mind), so maybe he's onto something. He sang "Michelle". His French was fine, but his pronunciation of Michelle (an exaggerated "mee-shell") made me laugh every time. DRLK dropped four points to finish at 69.00.

Chikezie - He tried to recapture last week's magic with "I've Seen a Face", but failed miserably. Actually, he was doing a decent job until he started playing the harmonica. Everything went downhill from there. It was a schizophrenic mess. As one of the judges said, it was like watching six different performances -- none of them good. CHKZ plummeted from 65.00 to 52.31.

Prediction

Amanda, Kristy Lee, and Chizekie will be in the bottom three. Horrified that she is still in the competition, America will send Kristy Lee home... finally... hopefully.

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Santa Teresa County Park, in south San Jose, to tackle my third strenuous Healthy Trails hike.

The plan was to complete the 3.5-mile loop described in the booklet, starting from the Pueblo Day Use Area and following the Hidden Springs, Coyote Peak, Rocky Ridge, and Mine Trails. Unfortunately, while I was there, the Rocky Ridge Trail was closed due to "hazardous conditions" at the bottom of the trail, so I had to improvise.

I started out from the Hidden Springs trailhead around 10:40 AM and began the ascent to Coyote Peak (elev. 1,155 feet). It was pleasant 600-foot climb over a 1-mile stretch. The sound of flowing water accompanied me during the first quarter-mile. Just before reaching the Ridge Trail junction, I came across the source of the spring.

South San Jose came into view past the next junction.

Once I reached the peak, I was struck by a number of things. First was the layer of smog that hovered over the city...

It pretty much obscured the view of Mt. Hamilton and Lick Observatory. Second was the unsightly transmission tower and tank that adorned the peak...

Third was the beautiful, green rolling hills of Coyote Valley...

Last was the prominence of power lines. They were everywhere...

From Coyote Peak, I made a steep descent down Boundary Trail. This turned into Coyote Peak Trail, which quickly became Ohlone Trail, skirting the Santa Teresa Golf Course.

Once I crossed Bernal Road, I made a right onto Mine Trail and then a quick left onto the new Norred Trail, which passed Norred Ranch...

If I had turned back at this point, the journey to Bernal Road would have been an easy one, instead, I chose to return by way of the steep Joice and Bernal Hill Trails. This brought me past a small lot that offered free parking (as opposed to the $6 I paid to park at the day use area) and the Mine Trail.

This trail looped in a counterclockwise fashion around Trench Hill and returned me to the car.

In all, it was a 7-mile loop. While it was a decent hike overall, with some nice views, I was rather put off by the number of power lines and transmission towers I encountered...

I understand the park puts on quite a wildflower show in the spring, so I might have to make a return trip in the coming months. But beyond that, Santa Teresa doesn't offer the seclusion or escape from civilization I seek and can easily find at other nearby parks.

You can see a few more photos from the hike on Flickr.

You can read about other experiences at Santa Teresa County Park on Yelp and Bay Area Hiker.

Yesterday, I left work early to get some rest and recover from the cold that had caught me on Wednesday. I managed to hang my jacket on the right hook, dump my backpack in its assigned spot (behind the couch), and deposit my wallet and keys in their proper places on the counter, before teetering to the couch and conking out for three hours straight.

When I awoke, I checked the mail and found two Netflix DVDs waiting for me. I joyously opened the red envelopes to see what movies I had received. Both were from past Cinequest film festivals (I had tried to time my queue correctly, but I was off by a week).

One was a Norwegian comedy-drama called Chlorox, Ammonia and Coffee (2005). This one I set aside because I wanted to be awake when I watched it.

The other was Amargosa (2001), a documentary by Todd Robinson, who wrote White Squall. This disc I slid into the DVD player. The plan was to watch it until I fell asleep and rewind it to the point where I dozed off when I woke up. (I am a notorious documentary-dozer. Usually, the more interesting the subject, the faster I fall asleep.)

Within two minutes, I was down. I blame Mary McDonnell's soothing narrating voice and the sweeping camera shots of the desert for my instant slumber. An hour or so later, I scanned to the beginning of the film and watched it all the way through.

The documentary is about Marta Becket, a dancer from New York City, who performed at Radio City Music Hall and on Broadway before creating her own show and taking it on the road. That fateful tour would lead her to discovering an abandoned theater in Death Valley Junction, once a mining camp, but only a ghost town in 1967. After a year of repairs and renovations, she opened the newly renamed Amargosa Opera House and gave her first performance. She's been dancing there ever since.

While Becket comes across as an eccentric woman, Robinson shows her in a sympathetic light, allowing the audience to see the hard-working, creative, and likable spirit underneath. It's difficult not to be inspired by her story. Here's a woman who has found her place in the world, in the middle of the desert, and cultivated it to fulfill her dreams. Hers is a story about defying convention, taking risks, and giving oneself completely to one's art, regardless of the consequences.

After the movie was done, I hopped online and happily discovered that Becket is not only alive (she was in her mid-seventies when it was filmed), but she is still dancing. I think it would be fun (and quite enriching) to see her perform live. It would also be one more reason to visit Death Valley.

This entry is brought to you by a 30 mL dose of DayQuil. The cold that had been stalking me since Sunday, finally sprang on me yesterday, while I was at work. I went home and tried to knock it out with a nap and a bowl of pho, but it wasn't enough.

I should be resting at home, but the orange, syrupy medication tricked me into coming to work. It made the sneezing and coughing disappear and put an extra syrupy spring in my step. I felt so good, I said to myself, "A few hours at the office wouldn't do any harm."

Of course, now that I'm here, sitting in my cube, staring at this monitor, I regret saying that. I feel off. My ability to focus is fleeting, my head is swimming, and the urge to nap is overwhelming.

If I were smart, I would finish the must-do's on my list this morning and use some sick leave to recuperate this afternoon. I guess we'll see how smart I truly am in a few hours.

In the meantime, I wanted to share a bit of banter from last Monday's Scary Go Round. It made me laugh more than usual. The premise: Amy's antique shop has gone up in flames and her hero, Lovelace, has gone in to rescue one of the employees. Amy implores Ryan, her friend, who doesn't care for Lovelace, to help out...

Amy: Ryan, Lovelace has been in there too long, go in after him!
Ryan: Is this some sort of plan to incinerate everyone you know and start fresh? It ain't the case that the more people are in there, the less room there is for fire.

Amy: Please, Ryan! He's papery and dry, like tinder.

Ryan: I'll do it, but only out of respect for the elderly.

By the way, I'm still sorting through photos from a recent hike in Santa Teresa County Park and I hope to have them (and a snazzy trip report) posted soon.

Thanks to Cinequest and the lack of a decent DVR, I missed all three days of American Idol last week, leaving my favorites high and dry, as the show narrowed the field of contestants to twelve. Luckily, America saved them and gave the boot to the singers who needed it most (by my estimation).

While appreciative of the nation's efforts, I felt I needed to do my part this week, so I made a point of being home to see the show live. An added incentive to watch came in the form of this week's musical theme: Lennon and McCartney.

The Beatles have always seemed to cause contestants trouble. One or two have managed to make their melodies shine, but most have only managed to mangle them. That pattern (or tradition) persisted tonight. Most performances were awful, but there were a few saving graces.

To help recap tonight's episode, I've divided the performances into three groups: awful, average, and awesome...

The Awful (or I Think My Ears Retreated into My Head):

Syesha Mercado - At her best, her singing is average, and tonight, she wasn't at her best. Her rendition of "Got to Get You Into My Life" was lackluster.

Ramiele Malubay - When The Beatles sang "In My Life", they made it sound tender and nostalgic. When Ramiele sang it, she made it sound monotonous. I like her, but every week, she keeps disappointing me. She can't seem to fulfill her potential.

David Hernandez - His rendition of "I Saw Her Standing There" was weak. His voice and presence didn't seem big enough for the song. Barring a voting snafu, he'll be the first guy voted off.

Kristy Lee Cook - She meant to sing a country version of "Eight Days A Week", but accidentally sang a Country Bear Jamboree version of it instead. She's going home tomorrow night.

David Archuleta - He rocked Lennon's "Imagine", but wrecked "We Can Work It Out". He didn't seem comfortable with the song and he forgot the lyrics. With any luck, he'll rebound next week.

The Average (or I Can Hear My Ears Snoring):

Jason Castro - Mr. Dreadlocks and Guitar sang "If I Fell". His performance wasn't awful, but it didn't blow me away either. It was frustrating to see because I like his voice and I like him. Plus, it felt like he was cheating on the high notes, at least until he went into his falsetto.

Carly Smithson - Every week, she performs well (or so say the judges), but something about her rubs me the wrong way. And maybe it was just me, but it seemed like she was shouting most of "Come Together".

Amanda Overmyer - Speaking of shouting, Amanda shout-sang "You Can't Do That". Surprisingly, I liked it, but compared to the other performances, it was only so-so.

Michael Johns - He didn't destroy "Across the Universe", but then again, he didn't send it soaring either. He, like Ramiele, showed amazing promise early on, and like her, he's been skating by on it.

The Awesome (or My Ears are in Love):

Chikezie - He delivered an amazing version of "She's a Woman". It was highly stylized and energizing. He owned that stage. It was possibly his best performance to date. Afterwards, Ryan spent seventeen minutes dancing around like a hyperactive child. He's the reason why the show took two hours.

David Cook - When he performs with his electric guitar, it's magical. Tonight, he went without the guitar, but still rocked "Eleanor Rigby". It wasn't his best performance, but it was the best performances of the night.

Brooke White - She played the piano while singing "Let It Be" and it was the perfect combination. Her whole vibe is one of sincerity and simplicity and allowing the piano to be her only accompaniment for most of the song worked. It was a brilliant move. I like her more every week. She and Cook (of the David variety) are my Final Two.

"Every moment is a chance to start over."

I saw that quote on Penelope Illustration. It's something I needed to hear.

Happiness is sunlight at seven in the evening.

(Or, I Think My Brain is Out to Get Me)

The following account is true, but the names have been changed for two reasons: my own amusement and common sense.

During my senior year in high school, I took auto shop as an elective course. After sixteen years, I don't recall much about it except that there were only three girls in the class. (They all sat in the back row.)

Now that you know that, let's play two scenarios.

First, let's have a random guy, say, Dennis Miller, approach me on the street...

Dennis Miller: Quick, name one of the three girls in your high school auto shop class.
Me: Jessica Alba.
Dennis Miller: That's correct.

Remember, fake names. Good, now let's have a random woman approach me while I'm volunteering at the Cinequest box office (like one did last night)...

Woman: Hi, two tickets to Oceania.
Me: That will be $20.
Woman: Okay. By the way, is your name David?
Me: (caught off guard) Uh, yes.
Woman: Do you remember me? We went to the same high school and had a couple of classes together.
Me: (stunned and scrambling) Jennifer?
Woman: Jessica.
Me: (attempting to recover) Lopez?
Woman: Alba.

Memories of her in auto shop came instantly and in high definition images and videos, but my brain decided to withhold that one critical piece of information: her name. Why it always does that, I'll never understand. It apparently spends its free time thinking of new and creative ways to embarrass me.

Since last Wednesday, I've felt creatively paralyzed, like somebody fitted me in a full body cast cleverly constructed using my own unrealistic expectations and self-doubt.

Instead of trying to find a way of freeing myself by writing or pursuing some other creative outlet, I've been wallowing in negativity and pouring my spare energy into volunteering at Cinequest, hiking, and playing The Sims. (Actually, I started playing The Sims yesterday in the name of research for The Daily Brick.)

I hate this feeling. I hate feeling stuck. What I hate most is that this feeling is self-created and self-imposed. I'm the one who put this cast on me and if I take a second to think about it, this cast isn't real. These expectations aren't real. Whatever rules or conditions I've set in place aren't real.

Over the course of this month-long challenge known as Thing a Day, I lost sight of the goal. The purpose of the challenge was to get people to create something every day. There was no requirement that it be something smart, funny, clever, or good. The only requirement was that it be something. One thing. Every day.

By that standard, I failed the challenge. Of course, because I was participating unofficially, that means I only failed unofficially. That also means I have the power to bend the rules and redefine success and failure.

This is a 29-day challenge. This morning's strip is counts as Thing #24. That means I still have to do five more strips to successfully complete the challenge. And I will complete it. (That last sentence was more for me than for you.)