BashUp

From the Maker(s) of My Name is IRL: Jeff Iannucci blends his slightly sarcastic wit and his love of all things IndyCar in the audio realm with his new podcast, I am Mindy (a play on the league theme song “I am Indy”). On his first show, he chats with fellow blogger Bill Zahren (you know, Pressdog!) about Penske Racing’s Helio dilemma and the ethanol debacle, plus gives us a news roundup with a Danica report from the crack on-the-scene reporter, P1. Follow the I am Mindy link above to check it out. Jeff has a Kevin Lee air about him - that’s a good thing.

Sabrina: She’s been eating a lot better in the last 2-3 days and has been a little more active. In the short term, that’s good news.

Work: Chasing last minute updates before the site sees it’s highest traffic of the year on Friday and Monday. Have really done nothing else today but try to get one change approved and implemented. I have to get approvals from very busy VPs who are in meetings all day, so forward progress is slow.

Turkey Day: Gonna roast me a bird, make some dressing and some pumpkin custard (pie without the crust) and have a nice quiet day with the puds, and my friend Rani might come by for a bit. Need a nice, restful day. Lots of stress in all parts of life right now.

On Watch: Have spent the last three days keeping an eye on Sabrina and trying to get her to eat. She’s very still most of the time and occasionally a little wobbly when she walks. It’s breaking my heart to see her decline like this…

Decade: Ten years in NASCAR’s top tier series with the same team and the same crew chief is an accompishment in itself, but add in 33 victories and two championships and you have something special. Something special came to an end when the checkered flag fell on the final race of 2008 today and Tony Stewart turned his final lap for Joe Gibbs Racing. He didn’t manage to win one (more) for the Gibber, but they had a strong showing, leading for a few laps in the final stages of the race before having to come in for a splash of fuel. Stewart starts a new phase of his career next season as driver-owner of Stewart Haas Racing, knowing he’ll have to build his team considerably to regain the level of success he achieved at Gibbs. Hard not to admire him for taking the risk, and here’s hoping he’s a success in his new venture. I’m betting he will be.

New Favorite: Although I’ve lived here since 1997, I’ve never visited the San Francisco neighborhood of Telegraph Hill (other than a trip up to Coit Tower) until this weekend. The reason: bad knees. Most of the “streets” on Telegraph Hill are steep staircases, stone paths and boardwalks, cutting through lush gardens that grow down the steep slope, framing adorable cottages and apartment buildings. The trees and bushes host the city’s famous Wild Parrots, a flock of conures that has grown to near 200 over the years, and has been featured in a book and PBS program.

I took MUNI 39 up to Coit Tower, took the Filbert steps to Montgomery Street, and walked down the Greenwich steps to the last flight. There’s a home for sale there that I’d love to own (see it here), so I took a couple photos before heading back up the steps to Montgomery street. I cut over and did the rest of the Filbert steps, visiting Darrell Place and the authentic boardwalk of Napier Lane on the way down. I took loads of photos - steps, homes and a lot of the parrots, who were always perched in green and red foliage that camouflaged them perfectly…

Chillin’: Taking the day off to do whatever or nothing at all today. Lounging with a stack of magazines, a box of truffles, two kitties and a few warm blankets sounds like the right way to spend my afternoon…dinners and lunches with friends are planned for later in the week.

Trackside: Jeff Iannucci from My Name is IRL, Bill “pressdog” Zahren and other IndyCar/racing bloggers were featured on Thursday’s Trackside with Cavin and Kevin. Great to hear these guys get their moments to shine - blogs are a great vehicle for growing and engaging any fan base. Follow the link above to the show’s site to hear the Nov 6th episode.

Diwali 2008: The Indian community at work always holds a Diwali celebration with Indian song, dance and food. The ladies dress in colorful and gorgeous salwar kameez and the men in tunics, there is mendhi (henna tattoo designs), laughter and stories to share. The food is fabulous and the mood festive and Diwali is becoming one of my favorite holidays because of the great vibe of this gathering. Of course, I took photos…

Prop H8 Protest: San Franciscans took to the streets this evening to protest California’s vote on Prop 8 ( or Prop h8, as we call it). The passing of 8 bans same sex marriage - I can’t believe this state has actually voted to write discrimination into the constitution. Of late, the city was crawling with Elders bussed in from Utah, Mormons working to get 8 passed. I believe in complete separation of church and state, and abhor that another state and even the Catholic church on the national level spent so much money to meddle in our politics. We’ll turn this thing over somehow…here’s another place to chant “Yes We Can”…oh, and there are photos, of course.

Amazed. Proud my country has made an historic choice that will restore hope around the world that America will change course and try something new, something that works. There’s an extraordinary mess to clean up, but it seems we’ve chosen an extraordinary man to lead us in doing it. I see good things coming, down the road…

Race: It was a bit of a snoozer, with a few highlights (”Panica!”) to amuse. Still, I hate that the season is over.

Cats: Sebastian has recovered well from his dental surgery and is back to his big ol’ snuggly food-beggin’ self. Sabrina is steady - eating normally, playing a little, sleeping a lot, no blood clots or strange behavior. I got information today on the procedure and costs for saying goodbye, cremation, etc. Broke my heart, but I need to be ready for it.

Life: Things are calming down a little - lots of stress over the last month and it’s been a tough year all around. Since my hospital stay, I’ve slowly decompressed and have been able to relax and sleep better. I’ve also lost 8 pounds while following the advice of the cardiologist I saw. Still having issues accepting Sabrina’s ultimate fate - tears well up very easily - but I’ll do my best with that. It’s a tough one.

Work: Short-term hiring freeze means no more writers for us this year or early 2009 - to take up the slack, my direct reports will now report to my boss as well, which frees me up for more project work. It didn’t make sense to have two managers and two non-managers if the team isn’t growing for a while. It’s disappointing, but I will find other ways to challenge myself and may resume managing once the team is large enough to need two managers.

Politics: I cannot wait for Tuesday. I’m hoping for a massive change of direction for the whole country - we’ve been doing it one way for too long and the pendulum needs to swing the other way to see if balance can be found.

NaNoWriMo: To write or not to write - that is the question. The annual exercise of cranking out a 50,000 word novel in one month’s time has begun, and I’m sitting on the fence. I guess I can start, and drop out if I want. Better than deciding half-way through that I want to do it. It’s 1667 words a day…still not sure what I want to write about.

Yum: A coworker brought us cocoa puffs from the Liliha Bakery on Oahu - puff pastry filled with chocolate pudding, topped with chantilly frosting. Incredible. Too bad it’s a 5 hour flight to get more…

Charming: While riding a cable car the other day, an adorably-attractive elderly couple were singing (beautifully) “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as I stood in front of them. After they finished, I thanked them for starting my day with such a lovely moment. I love this city…

One Last Race: (for 2008) Following the IndyCars in Surfer’s Paradise, Australia via indycar.com. Aussie Will Power (real name!) grabbed his third straight pole at this race, which airs live on ESPN Classic tomorrow night. Lots of stories - Franchitti’s back and in the Ganassi #10; Dan Wheldon’s in the Panther car now; and, Vitor Meira is now at Foyt racing. Looking forward to the race!

Baby boy kitty needed some dental work and had one tooth extracted today, so now he’s the last of this household’s members to be in the hospital this month - we’re complete! He’s awfully groggy and very hungry this evening. Poor baby…he’ll feel much better soon, though - the tooth was really bothering him.

Sunday evening, I started having chest pains that wouldn’t stop and decided to go to the ER to get it checked out. My friend Deb was out and about and grabbed a taxi, collected me and we went to St. Francis - closest hospital to my place. Due to my family history, they admitted me for observation and tests. Everything came out normal and I was discharged late Monday afternoon with a teensy tiny bottle of nitro tablets. Still having an occasional twinge of pain - I’ll have to chase down the cause with my doctor.

This last week or so has been an awfully big adventure - one I hope not to repeat any time soon.

My Sabrina-angel’s on Plavix (or will be, as soon as the prescription’s filled). She’s to take 1/4 tablet a day, as well as 1/4 of a baby aspirin tablet every three days (kitties don’t metabolize aspirin well, so it takes a while to flush from their systems). She’s also taking Lasix (a diuretic) to keep the fluid from building up in her lungs too quickly. All the drugs run the risk of renal failure, eventually, but that will be when I know it’s time to say goodbye to my angel. I’m glad to have a little more time with her - could be weeks, could be a year or so - but I can’t tell you how hard this is hurting my heart…

The news we really didn’t want. My little angel kitty, Sabrina (some of you may have seen her hiding under my quilt when you visited) threw a blood clot Sunday that lodged in her left front paw. While that has dissipated, we’ve run tests to find out what has caused the clotting and discovered fluid in her lungs. She’s in early-stage heart failure. The fluid is not concentrated enough to cause her discomfort now, and she’s taking a diuretic to help slow its advance. But its presence in the xray blocked a good view of her heart, so she’s going in for an ultrasound Friday. They will be able to tell the shape and function of the heart right away, and also see if there might be a tumor causing some of the trouble. They can draw some fluid and test it for cells, as well. If there is a tumor, there’s no good news, even in the short term. We will say goodbye forever on Friday. If no tumor, she can stay on diuretics for a little while, until the fluids make her uncomfortable - that’s weeks to some months.

Please keep my angel in your thoughts. Whichever way it goes, I want her to feel no pain, so will make a firm decision when the first sign appears.

My angel with the funny face

(2 a.m.) Sabrina has eaten nothing since Monday morning, and is listless most of the time. I’ve made a bed on the floor so I can be near her and her water supply. Since midnight, though, she’s been a lot more active, walking across my bed into the living room a couple of times (I’ve followed to see what she’s up to), rubbing against my legs, against her Sebastian while he ate, etc. Her little paw is still cool, but much warmer than it was on Monday, and she’s more stable when she walks. She has a vet appointment later today to get some more tests done.

UPDATE (9 a.m.): The little one was active most of the wee hours of this morning, walking into the living room/kitchen several times, drinking lots of water, using her litter box twice, and this morning, she batted a string around for a few minutes (not a full-out romp, but definitely a good sign), then ate a few bites of kibble and a few bites of tuna. I’m happy to see her more active and eating (!!!), but I have been awake for all but an hour or so as a result, and I’m pretty groggy. Mommy will be worthless today.  *grin*

Had to run to the vet hospital after 11 p.m. last night to get pain meds. (The MUNI bus system turns into something of a side show in the wee hours of the morning…I’ll be happy if I don’t have to make any more late night trips.) Sabrina’s blood clot still hasn’t dissolved and she was starting to hurt. The vet recommended massaging the leg and using warm compresses - I’ve been massaging on and off all night and the temperature in her little paw is slowly warming up. Will try the compresses during the day today and see how she takes it. She’s on a narcotic called buprenex, so she’s a little spaced out, but it keeps her from feeling the pain of the clot.

That’s Me: It was quite a weekend - first, Sebastian’s vet visit revealed him to be a healthy kitty, except for the $1500 worth of dental work he needs to avoid becoming a very sick kitty. So, I came home and re-figured the budget and found a way to make it happen. Then, yesterday, Sabrina started walking strangely, crying out and hiding and I ended up taking her to the emergency vet last night. After hours of tests and observation, they narrowed it down a bit. They think it’s a blood clot in the left front paw. Painful, and sometimes indicating heart disease but since it’s so low in the paw, it has to be a very small one and they said that’s a good thing. They kept her overnight to give her meds to thin it out. I came home in the wee hours, unable to sleep and having my heart broken by Sebastian, who kept searching and crying for his Sabrina. Her overnight stay, plus the xrays and ultrasound she still needs, ate up most of the budget for Sebastian’s dental deal, so now I have to figure THAT out again. Meantime, my little angel is back home with me, limping and resting but seeming a good bit stronger. I’m wiped out from worry and lack of sleep, but I have to monitor her the next couple of days, so I’m probably going to stay wiped out. *sigh*

Follow musicians, survivors and activists as they climb and perform in Peru to raise money for the country’s main cancer center. Photos, videos and comments from supporters (San Fran Fan, here) are posted each day. Click the numbers on the calendar to view each day’s activities, and please donate if you can. Thanks.

Scaredy Cats: I had a medical appointment at 1 today, and while waiting to be seen I heard the familiar roar of Blue Angels overhead, practicing for Fleet Week. Totally forgot it was this week. Got home to find two felines hiding behind the chair, slipped between the chair back and the slipcover, with big, round scaredy-cat eyes. Yep, they fly really close to my place, rattling windows and sending critters skittering for cover. Poor babies.

From Radical Russ, via Pam’s House Blend:

(A big thanks to PattyChaseVan for the heads up.)

Mike Peters of The Alarm, Cy Curnin of The Fixx and members of Fastball are joined by cancer survivors, friends and activists on a trek up to Machu Picchu in Peru to raise money and awareness in the fight against cancer.

Last fall, Peters, Curnin and another cast of adventurers climbed to base camp, Mt. Everest, to perform the world’s highest-altitude concert to benefit a Nepalese treatment center. To support Love Hope Strength Foundation’s promise of “One Cancer Center in Every Country, One Concert at a Time,” they’re now in Peru to perform, inspire and raise money for INEN, the main cancer center in Peru.

Nick Harper, Brien McVernon and Fastballers Joey Shuffield, Tony Scalzo and Miles Zuniga join Peters and Curnin as performing musicians. Everest trekkers Slim Jim Phantom of The Stray Cats and Jamie West-Oram of The Fixx are shown as additional fundraisers not making the trek this time. Meet all the trekkers, read their stories, follow their journey, send messages, and most importantly, donate MONEY, here:

http://www.perurocks.org/journal/

Hot Steppin’: Helio Castroneves is going to be dancing the Taxes Two Step trying to keep himself out of the clink after being indicted on several counts of tax evasion and fraud. I can just hear it now: “Ohhh, TAXES. I thought you said “TEXAS.” That’s why I said “No, thanks.” …I like Miami!” Maximum sentence is 35 years in the PEN-ske, if convicted. I hope he doesn’t go from “Dancing with the Stars” to “Dancing Behind Bars” …

Photo from Stan at The Score by way of Meesh.  (You can  -  and should - read Meesh at “So…here’s what I’m thinking…“  )

Now What?: The Giants’ season ended today (on a high note - great outing by Tim “gimme that Cy Young nod” Lincecum and a 3-1 win over the Dodgers). There’s one IndyCar race left - takes place in Australia in a month and counts for not much more than bragging rights and a trophy. This used to be the time of year that I’d switch to following figure skating, but Ottavio Cinquanta has destroyed the sport beyond my ability to care anymore, and there’s no Michelle Kwan to make me cry for joy. So now what? Yeah, there’s football, but I only hear the results and hope for Colts wins. Hoops? I used to follow college ball, but just get oversaturated with so much of that and the NBA. I miss the days of Bird, Magic, Dr. J and MJ. No one sparks my imagination anymore. I may just go into hibernation until spring training!  LOL!

Cold, Again: I have my third cold in four weeks and it’s freezing in my place. I’m happy I can stream SpeedFreaks on my phone with the iPhone upgrade - may just do a bubble bath, dose up on Nyquil and hit the hay early, and I can listen to the Freaks’ two-hour Paul Newman tribute wherever I go in the house.

RIP: We’ve lost Paul Newman. Millions will remember and continue to enjoy his classic, excellent acting. Millions more have been and will continue to be touched by his Newman’s Own and Hole in the Wall Camps charities. As a life-long IndyCar fan, my own memories of Paul Newman are associated with his role as co-owner of Newman Haas Lanigan Racing, a front-running team for nearly three decades in the CART/Champ Car/IndyCar series. His team endured a lot this season - tragic death, transition to a new series, and knowing they’d be losing their patriarch. Here’s hoping N/H/L is done with the sad news and finds smoother sailing ahead.

Project Yumway: My team, Project Yumway, raised $240 for the charity at work yesterday. Unfortunately, we didn’t raise the most - the team selling chicken skewers and salad at $6/plate beat the rest of us (who took “bake sale” at face value). Nonetheless, it was a fun, tasty day, and we whooped everyone in the delicious department! Brownies, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, fig/nectarine galette, apple tart, pumpkin bread and more!

Settled In: Finally got time to complete unpacking and here’s what my new space looks like:

Yum, Part II: Hauled home a Panda Feast from Panda Express today - steamed and fried rice, Kung Pao and Orange Chickens and Beijing Beef. Froze half and will eat the other half over the weekend…bliss!

Live Traffic Reports, 24/7: Thanks to Feedjit, you can see what towns visit this blog, over in the left column. If you click “Watch in Real-Time,” you’ll go to a live feed page that gives you browser, operating system and referrer information. Of course, since this is just a little stop way off the main road, there won’t be much activity, but it is kinda fun to see where folks are coming from and going to…

Cold: Been battling a cold bug, it’s cold here in SF this week, and the diet Barq’s I just opened has frozen bits floating in it (I keep the fridge cold).  Will be off to a bubble bath in a bit…about the only way to feel warm!

Training: I’m attending another day-long seminar here in SF tomorrow - “Coaching and Team Building for Managers” will keep me preoccupied 9-4, then I’ll be rushing home to bake up a storm, because…

Bake Sale: …I formed a team of folks at work, named us “Project Yumway” and we’re going raise the most money for the Children’s Miracle Network at our company’s competition/bake sale on Friday. Peanut butter chocolate kiss cookies, lemon shortbread and garlic cheese biscuits are my contributions. My team mates are bringing bundt cakes, cup cakes, Pavlovas, fruit tarts, croissants, brownies and more. We will crush the other teams with our yumminess.  *grin*

Move: Didn’t get my desk completely sorted out Friday - work got in the way. So I’ll share a photo when things are settled.

Zoo: Strained a muscle in my back moving and unpacking things, so I didn’t participate in re-landscaping part of the San Francisco Zoo along with my coworkers. (Walmart.com participated in “Be the Change” Day, organized by Hands On Bay Area.)

2009 Races: Been exploring which races I might attend next year and nailing down hotel reservations while the choosin’s good. My Facebook buddy Tom Beeler is encouraging Kentucky, Chicago or both (I had to take a moment to catch Tom up on my Sonoma adventure…hoo boy) and I’ve been looking at several other races as well. Won’t be able to make all the races I’ve booked rooms for, so I’m selecting options that have flexible cancellation polices…

Corned Beef Hash: Yeah, it’s a heart attack on a plate, but I get a hankerin’ for it 3-4 times a year. (Since it’s so seldom, I always indulge myself when the hankerin’ hits.) Usually, I make it from scratch, but didn’t have all the ingredients I needed this time. So I broke the glass with the little hammer and accessed my emergency rations (aka Hormel Homestyle in a can). I’d been reading well past lunch time and was starving - and why does it take so incredibly long for the stuff to reach that “crispy but not burned” state that makes it so yummy? Anyway, there’s a little left for breakfast tomorrow - an egg and some toast and that’s a hearty start. Mmmmmm!

SHEESH, PEOPLE!: Got a couple of emails about my Sonoma photos - “been looking for them here, so where are they?”

Out of curiosity, I checked my stats to see who’s been looking at this year’s photos. I noticed a few folks were stopping by here a few times, then going off and looking at my Sonoma photos from last year, but never seeing the ones from THIS year. Funny, I posted links to this year’s photos right here, two weeks ago. (You people just don’t READ, do you? LOL!)

But…

I’ve found a better place for all my photos and they all (33 albums as of this date) live on my Picasa Web site now. Just:

1. Click the words “my Picasa Web site” in the last sentence.
2. Click an album to open it.
3. Click a photo to see full size, or click “Slideshow” to automate the display.

It’s all there - the last two Indy 500s, last two Sonomas, loads of Fixx concerts, Martin Gore from Depeche Mode playing the piano in our penthouse suite on the Exciter tour, my kitties, other critters, niece and nephews, etc.

Enjoy!

Sabrina stalks a snack…

Light of Day: I’m moving from a cube that is very small and very dark to a bit larger space with plenty of light and a window. Here it is, pre-move:

And the view from my seat includes the bay and Candlestick Park to the right of the hill:

My boxes are all unpacked and my electronics all set up and running - just need to decide where to store a few things and the desk will be ready for visitors tomorrow. Look for a photo or two tomorrow evening.

A Winning Day: Every year, the company holds an outing to AT&T Park for a Giants’ game, and today was a perfect day for it. Sunny, nice breeze, low 70s and a bottom-of-the-ninth come-from-behind win by the home team. Head to Flickr for best of my photos from the afternoon.

photo by icka
© All rights reserved

Movin’, Shakin’, Cookin’, Plantin’: Really busy week. My direct report, Jon, is back from paternity leave - yesterday there were cupcakes, a cake and plenty of other tasty tidbits, lots of meetings and people swinging by to welcome him back. As part of company reorg, we’re moving to another building, and the packing has begun. (I’ll have a window seat with a view of The Stick - schweeeet!) This move is a cooperative - we pack everything by 2 on Thursday, and it gets moved Thursday evening. Friday morning, we report to the new building and unpack. That’s a day lost to any real productivity. It’ll rock though - we’ve long thought our current building is a sick building, and folks who moved to our new building a few months back confirm they’ve been much healthier since.

Another day is lost tomorrow when we all convene at AT&T Park for Walmart.com’s Day at the Ballpark. Brad Hennessey will start for the Giants after we all enjoy a tailgate with the usual dogs and burgers fare. I’m really torn about that - will probably attend but not eat anything until I get inside the park. AT&T is known for its food - especially Gilroy Garlic Fries and a huge range of additional San Francisco treats.

So today, we’re all packing in a hurry since tomorrow is a total loss. And we’re eating more sweets in honor of two birthdays: George’s is today, Alvin’s is tomorrow. They both sit next to me (for two more days) and are two cool designer doods. George knows Dario Franchitti’s cousin, Jarrett, who’s director of apparel at Nike, so we sometimes chat about that and racing. Alvin is another shutterbug who loves the Nikon D80 as much as I do. And the coolest thing happened today: George and Alvin’s boss Vanessa had her second baby - a special present for George. Needless to say, we’re getting nothing done but some packing (NINE boxes for me - I’ve been here 4 1/2 years, so I gots lots of STUFF).

Saturday, the company’s involved in four Hands On Bay Area events - I’m participating in the replanting of landscaped areas at the SF Zoo. We had an informational potluck today (I brought baked macaroni and cheese), got our tshirts and stuffed our faces for a bit. Our company’s partnering with Home Depot, Accenture, Symantec, CBS5-TV, The Gap, See’s Candies, Glaceau’s VitaminEnergy (I love their SmartWater) and Panera Bread on these activities. The ballgame, the move and the zoo cleanup all look like photo ops to me, so check back as the days progress to see wildlife in various forms…

Chicagoland: This last points race of the season was completely wild. This track, for the IndyCars, just brings out the closest, most exciting races we see every year. Unbelievable performances today, loads of excitement, and some sad moments. Today we saw:

• Scott Dixon clench his second championship
• The second-closest finish in IndyCar history (.0033 - a few inches). Race all afternoon at 214 mph and it comes down to that. (The closest IndyCar finish was .0024 - 2002 at Chicagoland Speedway. And the closest finish in motor sports history happened in an Indy Lights race last year - .0005 was the difference. Where? Chicagoland Speedway, of course.)
• The results reversed - at first we were told that Scott Dixon won the race, but a review of the video tape showed it was Helio
• The record set for the winner starting from the farthest back in the field. (Helio started 28th - dead last - due to a penalty during qualifying. The previous record was 26th.)
• The record set for most laps led in a season (Scott Dixon)
• The record tied for most wins in a season (six)
• E.J. Viso come from 26th to race as high as 4th before a punctured tire put him into the wall and out of the race
• Mario Moraes starting 27th and running well into the top 10 for a good while before crashing out
• Milka Duno leading a few yellow flag laps and a single green flag lap and holding a good speed and line as she got passed by the contenders on that restart
• A “true” rookie (Hideki Mutoh) winning Rookie of the Year
• Will Power having his best oval finish and sounding exhilarated at the close racing, saying he’d had the most fun all season
• Three wide racing for the lead for 3-4 laps just shy of the midpoint of the race, with lots of other three wide and pack racing all day. I found myself holding my breath on numerous occasions.
• Vitor’s last race for Panther end with an mechanical failure that put him in the wall (real bummer)
• Tomas Scheckter out early with yet another mechanical issue (not drive shaft this time)
• Both Vision cars showing some speed (though not showing great final results)
• Another chance to use “Graham Rawall” (or “Graham in the Wall Camps”) as the 06 found the wall on an oval yet again
• Sarah Fisher crashing out and suffering a foot injury

There was so much going on today that I’m sure I missed some - it was a terrific finish to the championship and I can’t wait for next season. There’s a non-points race in Surfer’s Paradise, Australia (Oct 25 at 10:30 PM eastern on ESPN Classic; re-air Oct 26, 11 PM ET on ESPN2) and then the long, cold winter sets in.

Comfy: It’s been very warm here this week, but today was a bit cooler - it was just perfect. Upper 70s, slight breeze, not a cloud. Got out for an errand and a tourmaline manicure/pedicure at Cinta Salon. (Highly recommended…)

Happy Kim-Day!: Kim Diep is my technician at Cinta, and today is her birthday. She didn’t seem to mind working on her day and was excited that her husband was coming in to the city to take her to dinner after work. She keeps me laughing all through the buffing and polishing with tales of the adventures of her two young sons, Kevin and Jordan. Happy birthday, sweetie!

Need “Clear Eyes”…: This week has been a struggle - battling a cold exacerbated by allergies. Missed two days of work and woke most mornings with my eyes swollen shut. Also suffering some congestion, so it’s been hard to breathe - and it’s warm here this week. It’s been hard to get to sleep and stay there due to these factors, so I’m pretty tired.  Gonna take it easy this weekend - a few chores, a mani/pedi, baseball and races. And since it’s too hot to spend much time in the kitchen…I hired in food:

I’m set for the weekend - happy as a clam. Just need to score a nice bottle of sangiovese and all will be perfect!

Feels Right: It’s been a couple of days since the announcement that Dario Franchitti is returning to the IndyCar series, and I’m listening to him on a radio show tonight and it just sounds good. I love the brogue, the class, the humor and the genuine nature of the guy. He’s gonna be a real threat with Target Chip Ganassi Racing in 2009.

Or, Is That Bud-day?: September 5th is time to celebrate with Bud Moeller, who is now 54 years young and no doubt is off having a great time somewhere! *grin*

I connected with Bud on MySpace and finally met him at Infineon Raceway at Sonoma last month. Bud races a temperamental Ferrari and a trusty backup Ensign in the Historic Grand Prix and he and his wife Carol are two of the sweetest people you could meet.

So here’s to Bud on his day - I know there are good friends, good food, and good wine surrounding him today!

Happy Birthday!

(Hope you like marzipan frosting!)

Funny: Someone put a chair with balloons and a message behind someone’s car in the parking lot at work today.

A birthday message?

My first thought is that it must be someone’s birthday and that this is a very clever way to mark it. But then I got closer and read the message:

Everyone loves a winner!

Now, I don’t imagine Michael Phelps’ girlfriend really works at Walmart.com, and I don’t know who has the massive crush on Phelps, but this technique has multiple applications - birthday, weddings, new baby, promotion, good luck…very smart.

Hot Bodies: We’re talking race cars, baby. Sleek, sexy, open wheel race cars, captured by my Nikon D80 at Infineon. Wanna see?

Bombs Away!: What would IndyCar fans do without Trackside Online? Pat, Joe, Kim et all bring us coverage of all races, some of the tests and pass along news, notes and press releases from all IndyCar entities. Today they got the scoop on THE question that was hanging over the sport - what of Dan Wheldon’s future at Target Chip Ganassi? Wheldon is out “exciting plans for 2009,” he says, and Dario Franchitti will drive the 10 car next season. A quick check of the usual IndyCar news sites had no coverage of this story as of the time of TSO’s announcements - although it did appear on Indystar.com and SPEEDTV.com a little while later.

Indycar.com says Wheldon will drive for Panther, replacing Vitor Meira. (Indystar.com has it, too.) If the money comes together, they may run a 2nd car for Vitor. If not…where will Vitor go? Some of the “transition” teams are talking about expanding or, in the case of Derek Walker, joining for the first time. Many of them have struggled with drivers who just haven’t been catching on. Vitor is very talented and a solid driver who could help any of those struggling teams. And where does Paul Tracy fit in to the picture? And Alex Tagliani? This will be interesting to watch.

180-Degree Turnaround: Last weekend, I was looking for and focusing on a few (outstanding) positives in an otherwise weird situation. This weekend, I’ve been bombarded with positives. Just a perfect blend of relaxed/detached and plugged in. A little racing, a little baseball, a little web stuff, a little walking and a perfect evening tonight to cap it all off. (And we have one more day to play!)

Gus is in town - it’s been over a year since I’ve seen him. Our friend Lucy is moving to Kauai next week, so we sent her off with our favorite pizza at Giorgio’s, joined by the delightful Marilyn and the perfectly demented Demery. The salad, pizza and chianti were delicious and we added to the enjoyment with a text message “orgy.” Gus texted a folk singer friend of his, Beth Patterson, who lives in New Orleans and was battening down the hatches for Hurricane Gustav. When Beth replied, Lucy texted her back. A different member of our party would follow and we passed Beth around “like a groupie,” as she put it, and the conversation was warped and hilarious. (At one point, I asked her if it was textual harassment…) I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time. After dinner, we crossed the street to the Plough and the Stars Irish pub for a nightcap. (And we all agree that Clement Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues is the best block on earth.) There’s a stage for live music at the Plough, but this evening the musicians were casually seated around a table to play their reels and jigs. At one point, the bartender (a real authentic Irishman) sang a hilarious tune about a dubious Scottish barber and the unfortunate haircut he received from him. It was a terrific moment, so this Scotswoman forgave the insult to her fellow countryfolk.

And while I was reveling with my friends here, Diamond was hanging with the racers in Oswego and sent me a photo of himself and Davey:

Diamond and Davey Hamilton party it down in Oswego, 8/31/08

(Is that what beer goggles look like to the beholder? LOL!)

Just a perfect way to top the perfect evening.

Classic: Davey Hamilton qualified 4th for the Budweiser Classic supermodified race at Oswego Speedway in New York state. My buddy Diamond has taken good care of me this weekend, sending updates and photos, including this one from earlier today:

Davey in his HP fire suit, Oswego Speedway, 8/31/08

UPDATE: Davey brought the new car home where he started, in 4th. Awesome to see him racing again! His next event is September 12 at the Terre Haute Action Track, where he and other IndyCar notables, including Sarah Fisher, will race modified stock cars in the Race to Recover - benefiting the recovery from the June floods in the Wabash Valley in southwest Indiana.

Classic, Too: Once the painting is done and I re-floor the kitchen and bathroom, I want to fulfill a long time goal and buy a collection of wicker furniture for the bedroom. With its white woodwork and yellow walls, it’s perfect for creating a country cottage vibe and I’ve spent some time today looking for just the right white wicker. Of course, being a radio junkie who grew up in central Indiana, I can’t think of wicker without hearing a certain radio jingle playing in my head. A small shop near Tipton, IN, called “The Schoolhouse of Educated Wicker” advertised heavily on several local stations when I was growing up. It’s made wicker shopping pretty fun to hear that tune in my head again. *grin*

Classic, Again: House salad with Italian vinaigrette, Giorgio’s perfect New York style cheese pizza and a glass of chianti…I’m heading out at 6 for a walk to 3rd Ave and Clement (via a couple shopping districts) for dinner with Gus and Lucy.

Oswego’s Hopping!: My buddy Diamond Dave (Fixx fan and racing enthusiast) lives in Oswego and helps out a driver there (Andy Noto, whose dad is friends with Davey Hamilton). Andy’s on standby as a relief driver for a supermodified in the Classic due to an injury to the regular driver, so Diamond’s helping with prep and set-up and crawling the pit area. He sent me a couple photos a few minutes ago that just made my day:

Davey Hamilton (red) at Oswego, 8/30/08

Ready to Roll!

Last check, Davey was running second quick in practice, so it looks like that brand new #6 car is a good one! Go Davey!

The Weekend, That Is: Woke up early to hear the last practice before qualifying for the IndyCar race at Belle Isle. A technical glitch meant Kevin (”KO”) Olson’s audio wasn’t making the broadcast, and the booth didn’t seem aware of that. I dropped Mike King an email telling him we could hear the other pit reporters but not KO. Mike read the email on the air, saying “We’ll look into that, Bash, not sure why you’re not hearing it. Maybe San Francisco is a KO-free zone.” Dave Wilson chimed in, “Maybe Bash is a car owner - they’ve been ignoring KO for decades.” KO’s next reports were audible, so they figured it out, and I dropped another email saying we were being properly KO’d out here now (that got some chuckles from the booth) and that I was merely a cat owner.

UPDATE 9:45 p.m: I just got a message from a Danica fan on MySpace saying, “You must be the one who let IMS Radio know we couldn’t hear KO in the pits - how many Bashes can there be in San Francisco? Thanks for doing that.” LOL!

Not long after practice ended, I got an email from my friend Gus, whom I haven’t seen in ages. He’s here in the bay area and we’re going to get some pizza at Giorgio’s (best pie in SF!) with our friend Lucy tomorrow night. Woo hoo!

She’s a Belle Isle: Following practice for this week’s IndyCar race in Detroit on Indycar.com and via emails from Trackside Online. The Radio Network is now accepting email questions and comments during practice and I sent one to Mike King with a compliment for Arie Luyendyk, Jr., who’s subbing for Davey Hamilton this weekend as the driver analyst. (Davey’s racing in the Bud Classic at Oswego Speedway.) Mike prefaced reading my comment on the “air” by asking Arie if he had a relative named “Bash” in San Francisco, since my comments were so positive. Funny.

Good Fortune: I can never resist lunch at Panda Express, and I love the fortune I got yesterday and just now opened: “Participation in sports may lead you to a lucrative career.” Guess I better invest in some pro lenses. *grin*

3 1/2 Day Weekend: We’re about two hours from being sprung from the office for a long weekend. Other than following the IndyCars and baseball, I have made no plans. I like the idea of winging this one. Do whatever comes up, which may be nothing. *grin*

Meantime, it’s time for lunch, and there isn’t a Mary’s Pizza Shack to be found around here. I’m stuck with the usual salad/sammich/burger/soup and taco truck fare. Not much else available out here on Sierra Point.

Time Warp: Back in mid-June, I ordered a nice silk camisole and tap pant set from Wintersilks. No special occasion, just something nice for me. Our mailroom head, Mr. Z., said he left a package for me one day in late June, and that was the only package I was expecting, but it was nowhere to be found when I got to my desk. It appeared that someone had swiped it, and the item was sold out on the Wintersilk’s site, so I thought I was out of luck. I just now got back to my desk with takeout from Baysider Cafe to find the package waiting for me…two months later. Nice way to start the weekend. *grin*

My Best Marco: Here’s a link to my best shot of Marco Andretti’s Clone Wars car. To view full sized, you may need to click the photo in your browser and expand it.

http://www.bashful7.com/marcohuge.jpg

George Lucas was at Infineon for the race. I did not see him, but did hear an interview with him on the radio network, after which nearby Lucas Valley Road and Skywalker Ranch were mentioned. I had the good fortune to spend a weekend at the ranch once - here are a few pages of photos from my old website.

The Best Abs: Nice photo of Tomas Scheckter and Scott Dixon on Tomas’ MySpace page. Now, I’m not usually into the too muscled or “cut” look, but check out the bod on The Scheck!

Flickr to the Rescue!: It’s time for me to re-think my site layout and install some software that will enable thumbnails and full-sized photos to display easily. I’ll start working on that in the next day or so, but for now, check out some of my Infineon “people” photos (still have more!) courtesy Flickr. New to Flickr?  Here’s how to navigate it:

1. Click the larger photo of Roger Penske for the full-sized view.
2. Look for a box on the right side of the page. The box will contain text (You are at the first photo) and another picture. Click that picture to view it.
3. Continue clicking the photo on the right side of that box to go forward, or click the photo on the left to go back.

Trois Fleurs: Here are a few shots of my cottage in Sonoma:

Love the orange - one of my favorite colors

Living room, looking into the dining nook

Cozy love seat - just the right size for shorty me to curl up on

Loads of pillows...

The bedroom window box

I’m considering a return visit for my birthday or a weekend getaway soon. Can’t imagine staying anywhere else in Sonoma.