http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp Sublime...ridiculous...but mostly mundane. Sat, 29 Nov 2008 00:16:04 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/930 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/928 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... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/926 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/923 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/919 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. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/917 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/915 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/913 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/910 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, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/905 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/902 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/899 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/896 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/893 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/885 (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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/877 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/874 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/868 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/863 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/856 From Radical Russ, via Pam's House Blend: (A big thanks to PattyChaseVan for the heads up.) http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/847 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/844 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/828 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/824 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/820 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/812 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/809 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. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/793 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/784 Sabrina stalks a snack... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/772 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/767 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. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/763 photo by icka © All rights reserved http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/756 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, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/748 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/736 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/732 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/727 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. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/722 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/713 Funny: Someone put a chair with balloons and a message behind someone's car in the parking lot at work today. [caption id="attachment_704" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="A birthday message?"][/caption] 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/703 Hot Bodies: We're talking race cars, baby. Sleek, sexy, open wheel race cars, captured by my Nikon D80 at Infineon. Wanna see? http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/696 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/687 180-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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/662 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: [caption id="attachment_654" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Davey in his HP fire suit, Oswego Speedway, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/653 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, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/639 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/634 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/624 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/615 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 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/607 Trois Fleurs: Here are a few shots of my cottage in Sonoma: [caption id="attachment_600" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Love the orange - one of my favorite colors"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_601" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Living room, looking into the dining nook"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_602" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Cozy love seat - just the right size for shorty me to curl ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/599 Sonoma Photos: There are too many good shots to post on a blog page, so I'll have to build pages for them on my Bash*tography site. I code by hand, so it takes a little longer but will be clean and neat. I'll post a link here when I get ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/584 Back to Work: Buried in all my work email this morning was the sign-up times for this week's chair massage. I replied, only to learn that all times were booked. I emailed the masseuse, Sabina, with whom I have had some great chats, to let her know I'd miss her ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/570 What Was I Thinking?: My camera's frame count is off - when I left the track, I thought I'd shot about 1400 photos for the weekend. When I dumped them on the computer last night, the actual count was 2200 exactly! I have deleted over a thousand (mainly partial ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/565 Drained: Long day at the track, highlighted by a hot lap ride courtesy the Jim Russell school at Infineon - wild ride in a pack of Toyota Camrys! Got a sunburn despite SPF 85, so I'm hurting. And the strange trip with my visitor was thankfully cut short - he's ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/539 Strange Days: This has been some 4-day weekend for me, and it's only half over. I'm trying to make the most of the positive bits - I'm staying in a cottage in Sonoma that is pretty much my dream home. I've never wanted a large space, and this place is ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/526 Draggin': My visitor got in last night, and true to form, headed straight for California's favorite fast food joint - after slowing to about 10 mph so I could jump in the car for the ride. 9:30's a bit late for me to eat, but we were in and out ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/516 T.G.I.F: It's my Friday - taking a four-day weekend to enjoy the IndyCar action at Infineon Raceway and to spend time in Sonoma with good food and conversation. First up, though - dinner in The City with a visiting friend. I've noticed a pattern after living here for over ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/509 Pretty Much Done: Just a few odds and ends to do, and a general weekly housecleaning, and I'll be ready to receive visitors. I may actually get to bed at a normal hour tonight. *grin* Need to get some rest, since I'll be spending three days crawling Infineon Raceway in ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/505 Well, Sorta: One of my direct reports is a first-time dad! His baby girl was born early yesterday morning - all are well. Baby Girl Baron didn't have a name as of this morning, but her sleep-deprived dad was thinking it should be "Michael Phelps Baron"... *grin* (UPDATE: it's ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/500 Partially Painted: Got some things done in the bedroom, but the muscle pull from Friday night's adventure will keep me from continuing - sustained overhead work is just too painful. I got some ceiling repairs done and sealed and the windows are painted. Also scrubbed the window blinds. But that's ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/497 Fuming: Most of my longer-term readers will remember I had a medical condition that required surgery two summers ago. I could tell the condition was returning earlier this year because my weight shot up about 25 pounds over a couple months and NOTHING I do knocks it back down. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/486 Ready, Set, Paint!: Last two nights, I've spent an hour or so in the bedroom, sorting through the items I collected there and recycling most of it, and then taking the duster to all the woodwork. Tonight, I have some wall and ceiling repairs to make, then will paint the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/482 A (Sorta) Breather: So tonight, I cleaned the kitchen appliances and scrubbed the floor and will move stuff back in tomorrow morning before work. Tomorrow night will be busy - I relocated all the stuff I didn't know what to do with to the bedroom, and it's time to deal ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/479 Gleaming White: So, I finished painting the kitchen this evening, then took a break to watch all the highlights of the Olympics I've missed the last two days. Next three evenings, more cleaning and purging, then Friday through Sunday I'll be painting the bedroom. That'll be the stopping point for ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/476 You Left Me Sore: "You" would be the scrubbing, painting and lugging around of the last couple of days. I've resigned myself to the fact that my place won't be completely painted before my friend hits town next week. Most of the worst of it is already done, so I'll ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/472 Saturday: Got loads done - moved a bookcase, recycled a ton of stuff, cleared out dozens of books to donate or take to the office for our library. Got a ZipCar twice - first time, went to Bed Bath and Beyond to get bathroom hardware and some new dinner and ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/462 As the TK Turns: So, we're learning that Tony Kanaan might indeed have been ready to jump ship to Ganassi but had a last minute change of heart last night (which made it into the Indy Star about a half-second later). Fandom's all abuzz - how pissed is Chip? What ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/442 Spin Doctor TG: What do I expect? The IRL announced its new multi-year TV deal today - 5 races, including the Indy 500, on ABC, and the remainder on Versus. Tony George lauded the deal as a way to grow the series' audience through expanded programming. Hey, more time on ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/436 Archives, Not Chives: Listening to the archived radio broadcast of the Giants-Braves game from this afternoon. Tim Lincecum on the mound makes me want to listen, even though the game's over. And while I listen, I'll be archiving, purging and rearranging the house so I can get the painting done ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/429 Takin' a Break: Working hard today, after being up until 1 a.m. working on my place. (Bathroom painted - Bashie wiped out. Sore muscles on sore muscles!) Taking a brief respite now and daydreaming about a long weekend later this month when it's up to Sonoma for the race weekend. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/423 Whew: It's 12:15 a.m., and my bathroom is PAINTED! Can't wait 'til it dries so I can move things back in... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/419 Paintin' Place: Dinner's over, dishes are washed, I've got the Giants and Braves on the radio and I'm about to jump into the old shirt and sweats and take up the paint can and edger. The bathroom will be done before I go to bed, or, or....or else! (Or else ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/415 Some Progress: Medicine cabinet and bathroom door painted. Spackling, wall repair and sanding complete. Now I'll spend the rest of the evening scrubbing the bathroom so it'll be ready for a fresh coat of white. I may not get the painting done tonight. More repairs were needed than I had ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/405 Brief Break: I've spent every evening this week tossing out, re-arranging, re-orging, scrubbing and prepping things for painting - gotta get all this done and ready for the arrival of my house guest on the 21st. Tomorrow, I'll finish the last scraping of paint and do all the spackling I ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/403 What a Joke: With a competition yellow every 10-11 laps, the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was the worst excuse for a race I think I've ever seen. Time to trot out this old gem: http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/402 Gimme Back My Radio Network!: Bob Jenkins is sitting in for Marty Reid on the TV side of IndyCar coverage this weekend. And we're back to the TV crew doing quals coverage on Indycar.com. Bob (bless his heart) + Scott Goodyear = zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. I need my Radio Network guys as ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/401 Quick Update: Last week's thrash to get a presentation done for the CEO landed the hoped-for 6-figure funding we wanted. Woo hoo! Progress Report: Bathroom and kitchen purged of unneeded items. Living room half done, with an estimated completion date of 7/24. That leaves the bedroom (and books...loads of books) ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/399 Reporting In: Yeah, yeah...I'm here, okay?! LOL! Goodness, it's been a whirlwind, mainly due to work. Last Wednesday, we learned that our entire dev team is moving out of the creative group and into the program management department. That department is being realigned to match industry best practices, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/397 Tarrrrrd: Man, what a sleepy day. I didn't do anything too vigorous this weekend, due to a banged up left knee. Missed the Todd Rundgren show here last night, but the consolation was spending several hours on the phone with my buddy who was traveling back home after a weekend ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/396 Name That Tune: My pal who traveled to western New York for the weekend engaged me in a bit of Name That Tune via chat today, while listening to his iPod (which contains a whopping 29 songs!!! LOL!). He'd type the lyrics as the song played along and leave me ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/395 Low Key: It started last night, when I spent over two hours trying to talk to a friend who was driving through northeastern Ohio. Talk about dropped calls! Was a nice chat, though. (And if you're reading this, my friend, these words from me to you: hands-free device. :p ) ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/394 Fun Fun Fun: The day started with an online chat with a friend I usually only hear from on weekends due to our work schedules. Was great to get the morning going with a few laughs. Everyone was in a light-hearted mood at work and they hoovered down the cookies ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/393 Weakling: Back in the office today - feeling somewhat better, but still dragging a bit. Looking forward to the long weekend. The office is shutting down at 2 p.m. tomorrow, so I'll be home in time to kick the holiday off by listening to Trackside with Cavie and Kevie live, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/392 Icky: Worked from home due to flu bug. Fortunately, it's a somewhat slow time for projects, so we're just cleaning up odds and ends and nothing requires a great deal of thought. If there's ever such a thing as good timing for the flu, I guess this is it... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/391 Ugh: There's a virus going round the office, and I think it's got me. Started the day feeling really fatigued, and as the day wore on, aches and chills set in. Now have a slight fever. Whee. Coming up the stairs tonight was a delight - I could not step ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/390 I've Been Thinkin'...: This whole blow up around Scott Dixon's comments on Danica Patrick's driving style after the Iowa race has been interesting to watch. There've been so many different responses to the comments, from all different corners, that seem to fall into three main categories: You're Just Jealous - Lots ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/389 SmashUp: "What a wreck! Wait, there's another one! Oh, no, someone just came ass-around and backed it into the wall!" The IndyCars at Richmond were better at demolition derby than they were racing tonight - by the halfway point, about half the field had wrecked out, with Tony Kanaan surviving ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/388 TGI the Weekend!: Man, today was a brain shredder at work! Glad to have a nice weekend with a race or two and nothing else planned but a manicure. We'll see if anything king-sized comes up...  *wink* Pride (in the name of love): It's Pride Week here in San Francisco, with ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/387 Time for a Teensy Breather: It's been a hectic but fun time since my last post. I've been following races, keeping in touch with old friends and fostering a nice new friendship. Also, planning my Sonoma vacation in August - my new friend will have the cottage next door  to ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/386 Traffic Jam: Not quite as bad as the post-race road out of Indy last month, but there's been a traffic jam here at BashUp - thanks to Curt Cavin posting a link to my Carb Night Burger Bash photos. Glad you all stopped by! There are three more pages of ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/385 RIP, Mr. Russert: Last week, Jim McKay. This week, Tim Russert - broadcasting has taken a huge hit in the last few days. Russert was the best in the business with a political interview, and his influence has spread through NBC's coverage. I saw several debates between Obama and Clinton, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/384 Prelude to a Rockin' Great Time!: Man, I'd love to see Tony Stewart's charity race in person. Watching it on pay-per-view was a blast. That and the Chili Bowl are now on the Bucket List. (Wait, I'm way too young to have a Bucket List.) So Tempted by Texas: Last 3 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/382 Roll Call: Hands up - who's gonna watch the HBO pay-per-view of Tony Stewart's Prelude to a Dream at Eldora Speedway? I'm planning on sitting down with a soda and bowl of kettle corn and watching the dirt fly the minute I get home tomorrow night. Here's hoping it's not ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/381 160 Gigs Enough?: I hope so! I have once again demonstrated an uncanny ability to destroy electronic devices, and my 30-gig video iPod hasn't been spared. I have the bad habit of carrying my iPod everywhere - in my back pocket. Many times, the headphone plug will be caught ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/380 Fightin' Traffic: It was a crowded Milwaukee Mile, with 26 cars starting the IndyCar race - largest field in quite some time. Ryan Briscoe got his first IndyCar win, which should divert some focus from his crash-filled career thus far. The trick for him will be to avoid reminding people ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/379 Renewed and Booked: Renewed my race ticket and booked a hotel near my sister's in Fishers. I'm ready for the 93rd Running of the Indianapolis 500! Now, off to read piles of pages from the Indy Star that my sister saved for me all month... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/378 May 21, 2008 8:30 p.m.: SuperShuttle arrived, transported me to SFO. 10:30 p.m.: Boarded AirTran flight. (Darn, not the Air Tranica plane...) Plane was loaded with race fans for the direct flight to Indy - great vibe. Overheard someone saying he was the great-grandson of Ray Harroun. 11:30 p.m.: Despite the fun and ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/377 Uh-Oh: Got home from my fun but tiring trip to Indy on Tuesday evening and have been very low-key ever since, just relaxing and sorting through all the photos I took. So today I'm feeling lethargic, woozy and a little queasy, like I'm getting the flu. I'm due back at ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/376 Finally Done! Check out all my Indy 500 photos by starting on the Carb Day page, and following the link at the bottom of each page to work through all four pages. You'll see Carb Day Practice (all 15 minutes!), Curt Cavin's Carb Night Burger Bash with eventual race winner ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/373 Sonoma-bound: Went to the IndyCar race at Infineon last year, but drove back to San Francisco each night. This year, I'm making a little vacation out of it and just booked an adorable cottage for the weekend, adjacent to the Fig Pantry (relative of The Girl and the Fig and ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/371 Back Home Again (in California): Made it home around 5:30 pm. Nothing amiss when I arrived - lots of mail waiting, and Sabrina hissed at me as she usually does when I'm gone a while. (Within 5 minutes, she was snuggled up to my neck, purring her brains out.) Uneventful ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/368 A Few Laps: The IndyCars got on track for something like 15 minutes today, and the rest of the Indy 500 festivities were rained out. The Freedom 100 Indy Lights race will be held at noon Saturday and the pit stop competition was canceled. *sigh* Did spend some time chatting ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/367 Alamo upgraded me to a sports car this morning: It's a bit more orange than this in full daylight...and it really GOES!  :p http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/366 Photos and reports from vacation will appear here if I can manage the time to make it happen! http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/365 Four More Days: Heading out Wednesday for a few days of family, fun and fast times in Indianapolis. Seriously need a break, so I'm really looking forward to it. Right now I'm listening to qualifications and practice for the 500 and keeping an eye on the long-range forecast for the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/364 Here's a site with up-to-the-minute news and a live blog:  http://www.indy500coverage.com/ ESPN and ABC will carry TV coverage, but they are generally not so great. Turn down the audio and listen to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network.  The Radio Network provides coverage for the first two hours and the last ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/363 Wiped Out: It's been a busy week and I'm exhausted. Gonna have a low key weekend and follow qualifying for the Indy 500. Nothing sounds better... *grin* At least the weather's due to hold for tomorrow...it's been raining most of the week. Sunday looks awful, though. For the Fixx Fans: A ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/362 All Soft: Still on the meal replacement shakes today, but also had some miso soup, applesauce, yogurt and mashed potatoes! I'm so excited to have eaten something that you almost have to chew! Same deal tomorrow, then I can start sprinkling in baked potatoes, soft bread and non-acidic fruits. Vacation!: Truly, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/361 Shaken: Meal replacement shakes for the last 2 1/2 days. I'm gonna have some soup in a moment - it's time for real food. Meantime, my Facebook buddy and fellow race fan John Edward was tormenting me with photos of Brickyard Burgers and Track Fries from opening day at the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/360 Car 22, Where Are You?: Davey Hamilton was officially announced as the driver of Vision Racing' 22 car for the 500, with Hewlett Packard and Kingdom Racing sponsorship. That's the news I've been waiting to hear! Lightning McQueen, Where Are You?: Just saw Cars for the first time. Adorable. :p Speaking of ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/359 Liquid Diet: The last couple of days, I've felt like I'm being stabbed in the gut. I had a stomach bug last weekend and those symptoms are gone, but replaced by pain. I'm now on two days of a liquid diet, then two days of soft bland food in an ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/358 My sister's strongly encouraging me to come out for a music festival near her so she and her friends might have a better chance to hang out with a band I know that's on the bill. She got to spend some time with them about three years ago when they ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/357 Bombs Away!: Ed Carpenter has dropped another F-Bomb on the IMS Radio Network. They're going to have to stop talking to him before his bank account is completely drained from IRL league fines. Danica had a mechanical failure today, and Mr. Austin Powers himself, Dan Wheldon, won his first race ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/355 So, I'm Tweeting!: Thank goodness for Twitter (I'm deBASHmode there) - I can post a "Tweet" (mini blog) from the train, cable car, company shuttle, at the cafe, etc, using my iPhone. It's easy to post Tweets via a text message, too, so everyone with text can use it. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/353 Can I Get an AMEN?: Davey Hamilton clarified the Kingdom Racing thing further on Indy Racing Weekly today. They are some "great guys out of Houston" who are working in motor sports as a sponsor this year. Davey says he's "thisclose" to announcing the team he'll be racing with at ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/352 Ken's Last Dance: A fellow regular at the Sundance Saloon dance hall recounts the story of my friend Ken's Last Dance.  Just Friday, Ken stopped at the full color printer across from my desk to get comps and on his way by snatched a miniature Reese's peanut butter cup from ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/351 A Friend, Lost: Today we learned our friend and coworker Ken Brandow died of a suspected heart attack this weekend. He was only 38. He'd been out line dancing, which was something Ken loved to do and is completely indicative of who he was: active, vibrant and fun. Our office ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/350 It's race day, take 2!: Hanging in the house - last weekend was stunning in San Francisco, this weekend is way below normal and very windy. What better thing to stay indoors with than my IndyCars racing in Japan! The weepers in turn 4 prevented the scheduled start yesterday, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/349 Not a Team: Davey Hamilton's relationship with Kingdom Racing is that of sponsorship. Kingdom wishes to become a full-fledged team but doesn't have the financial backing to put a car on the track themselves. In hopes of building visibility and gaining sponsors to field a team next season, they are ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/348 A Conundrum: Rumors had Davey Hamilton in a third Roth Racing car for the Indy 500, but official word came today that he'll be the driver for Kingdom Racing - a group out of Texas whose mission is to "Deliver the Word of God through Motor Sports." Imagine me, a ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/347 A Ruse of Olympian Proportions: The Olympic torch was due to appear along San Francisco's waterfront today, but after an opening ceremony at AT&T Park, it was whisked away to an alternate route for security reasons. Over 10,000 spectators had gathered along the Embarcadero and were denied the opportunity to ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/346 Frosty Fields: Well, not literally, but the Giants' game in SF is a nippy affair this evening. I'm home listening on KNBR, closing up the house and turning up the heat. Baseball=spring, so of course once the season starts, it turns cold here. Is It May Yet?: Can't wait to see ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/345 Squish Update: Got word today that my "girls" appear to be cancer-free. Glad I don't have to go through that for another year... Time Suck: For ages, I've resisted completely giving in to my motor sports fascination, but the last few months I lost that battle - now following F1, Indy ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/344 Nasty: The cold I had was a bear. I slept most of the weekend and have been going to bed really early every night this week. Still a bit tired, but it feels like I'm on the upside at last. Squish: Went for my baseline mammogram Tuesday (a few years late). ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/343 Spent Friday through Sunday sleeping off a horrid head cold, awaking occasionally to watch IndyCars, Daytona Prototypes, Craftsman Trucks and Sprint Cup cars race. Most of it I watched through half closed eyes while dozing on the futon. Trucks and Cup were fun races, Grand Am was a bit of ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/342 I was pretty sure my annual performance review would be an interesting time, having been written by my former boss on her way out the door. Review time was today, and my new boss has done his homework. It's pretty clear he's gotten some perspective on what we were dealing ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/341 So I've been thinking about the new teams and drivers merging into the IndyCar Series from ChampCar and wondering how they will find things on IRL turf. A few of the newbies who've tested have commented that their new ride, the Dallara/Honda combo, is down on both horsepower and grip. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/340 Please help this wonderful organization rehabilitate bald eagles! The Florida Wild Mammal Association rescues, heals and releases wild animals of all kinds in the area around Tallahassee, FL. Whether an animal is hurt in an accident or has been shot by hunters, Chris Beatty and her staff care for, heal and release ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/338 Well, Good Morning to You, Too: I left my apartment at 8:15 this morning, on my way to BART to catch the last shuttle to the office. As I got to the front steps, I noticed my neighbor curled up on them, crying. She's a nice lady, but ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/337 Update: Just FYI - I'm here. Just swamped at work. I hope to post an update here sometime this week...thanks for stopping by! http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/336 http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/335 Snow?: N'wide qualifying got SNOWED out in Atlanta today. They managed to get the race in. Rowdy was running away with it when his right front blew - heck, there's been so many blown tires in the first four weeks that I'm scratching my head. Yeah, this is my first ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/334 Sweeeeeeet: Got my ticket - Dario with Jim Clark and and the Borg Warner trophy in the background. Cannot WAIT for May! Got a second ticket in Tower Terrace so I can try out the location... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/333 Work: My team was merged with the Information Architects and we'll start meeting with them starting tomorrow. More change, but I see a good bit of potential in this move. Life: I'm feeling the return of symptoms that led to my surgery two years ago. Went to my doctor on Friday ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/331 Tough: Wow - the CNN debate last week was marshmallow fluff compared to MSNBC's debate tonight. Tim Russert is going after both these candidates and calling them on their inconsistencies and lack of clarity. No warm and fuzzy here... Racing!: IndyCar is testing in Homestead FL this week, and tomorrow we ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/330 It Has Happened!: One open wheel series...Finally! http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/329 She's Out!: My boss told us today that she's leaving the company and her last day is Friday. Just when it looked like there was going to be some sanity to our schedules with enough writers to cover everything...well, I hope they backfill her position quickly, because all the sudden, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/327 Just Do It: Word's out that IndyCar and Champ Car will merge for this season, and we should get the official announcement today or tomorrow. If so, 2008 will be a bumpy ride, moving races around on the schedule and getting used to all the new teams and drivers, some ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/326 Dizzying: Man, some of my open wheelers defecting to NASCAR has presented me with a real learning curve. There are so many drivers in each series, so many team owners and crew chiefs to learn about. And the whole thing has been a roller coaster ride. Loved to see Junior ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/325 Sweets for My Sweets: Last night I baked about 100 cookies for my coworkers, and today we decorated them with frostings and sprinkles and ate way too many throughout the day. Felt like I spent the whole day in insulin shock. *grin* http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/324 On A Roll: Barack Obama has swept eight primaries since Saturday. He looks pretty comfortable with a broom. *grin* BART Blues: One of my direct reports takes BART to work, and lately she's being followed by an older Latino man. She's been taking different trains, hopping off at transfer points, and ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/323 Adorable:  This photo is featured on "mlive: Everything Michigan" blog. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/322 Money!: So, yesterday I set up my donation page on Barack Obama's site, and established a goal to raise $1000 for him. Today, I awoke to an email notifying me of my first donation - a generous one from my favorite singing goatherd. I hope we all see the "returning ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/321 Toss Up: Okay, so it's more clear on the GOP side - McCain's looking pretty good there - but Super Tuesday decided nothing as far as establishing a front runner in the Democratic race. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton spent a whole lotta money to decide a whole lotta nothing ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/320 Eli's Arrived, Actually: I wasn't into this Superbowl as much as the last one, but it's awfully cool to see Eli Manning follow in his brother Peyton's footsteps and get the Superbowl MVP along with a ring and a nice new ride. Turned on the TV in the 4th quarter ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/319 Update: Since my last entry, I've been busy with the usual - working, working, working, baking and following racing. The flan I made turned out well, almost as well as a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake I made the weekend before. I baked two gorgeous loaves of egg bread while following the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/318 Yummy!: Well, I hope so. I made a white chocolate raspberry cheesecake today with my brand new springform pan and three of those 30 eggs I've been typing about. Baked it in a water bath and left it in the oven an hour after it was "done," then let it ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/317 Whew!: Goodness, it's been a busy time. Getting lots done, hearing from lots of folks via email, and my phone's ringing off the hook - mostly recruiters looking for my skills. Still haven't come up with a plan to use all those eggs...better spend the weekend cooking! Zeppidy-Doo-Dah: It's everywhere - ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/316 Chillin: It's cold here tonight - rushed home, had dinner, took a huge grocery delivery and got that all put away. Me and Joe the Sourdough Starter will be hanging some more this weekend - I'm all supplied with flour and everything else I need for baking! Joe made a ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/315 Still Wringing Out: Managed to get to work today, and it was quite a ride. I rode shotgun in the shuttle and had a bird's-eye view of the obstacle course the driver had to negotiate. There were small trees completely snapped in half, large sections of larger trees and all ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/314 Raucous Caucus: Pretty wild in Iowa tonight - the vibe in the Obama campaign is really rocking. The speech he gave after his win was memorable - recommend catching it if you haven't already. Swimming: We're getting wet, windy, wild weather here, and the worst is yet to come. About 4 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/313 *sigh*: It's almost over. Last year I did a rundown on what I was grateful for and wouldn't miss as the year ended. This year, I'm just too tired to pinpoint anything. Overall, I'm just glad it's almost gone. Here's hoping the new calendar year and the Chinese Year of ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/312 We're hurtling towards the end of 2007 (thank any deity you'd like for that!), and I've been laid low with a flu bug and have had some time to look back on the year as I make plans for the new one. Lots of changes in my work and personal ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/311 Must Rest: It has been a very busy week with way too many holiday treats and nagging sniffles mixed in. I need a really slow weekend and loads of detox tea! If I wake up before Sunday evening, I may muster a longer entry here. *grin* http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/310 Crazy Busy: A few of you have pinged me wondering where the heck I am and if everything's okay. Yes, thanks, it's all good. Just really slammed at work, and getting the holidays all squared away in the small spare time I have left. We are changing the way we ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/309 Still a Busy Body: Did NINE loads of laundry today. Lots of linens needed washed in addition to all the clothes (been layering up lately due to the cold...). Spent the whole morning lugging, folding and hanging, then washed a lot of dishes from yesterday's cooking marathon. Right now, a ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/308 Busy Body: Loads of things changing at work (mostly projects) have kept me busy this last week or so. Now that Dancing with the Stars is over, I have two nights of my week back, and it's just in the nick of time. I've needed the time to get things ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/307 BuhBye: I've removed the Dancing with the Stars videos I had posted here. They keep disappearing from YouTube and I have to find new code to keep them up. Just don't have the time. We can go to YouTube and watch them there - just search for "Helio Julianne." http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/306 Champion!: Helio and Julianne were crowned champions of Dancing with the Stars season 5. I'm so happy for him, and it's great that America has now gotten to know why Helio is the jewel in the Indy Car series crown. There are lots of dances I need to post here ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/305 Fun Friday: Had to go into the office, but it was a really slow day. I decorated my desk for the holidays (a totally garish silver and hot pink motif - completely 80s!) and enjoyed chatting with my direct reports and podmates. The company did a huge breakfast buffet for ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/303 Contented: Ate my turkey and dressing, plus a little pumpkin custard. Managed not to overdo it, so I'm pleasantly contented here with my similarly-contented felines. A nice afternoon with a pile of books awaits. Having a quiet holiday at home is a lovely balance to the insanity of working for ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/302 They're In!: Helio and Julianne have made the finals on Dancing with the Stars. Woo Hoo! http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/301 10! x 6: Helio and Julianne performed a foxtrot and cha cha cha last night and wowed the audience and judges for a perfect score on the night. And so did Mel B. and Maks - so the race is on! I'll post the videos in the next day or ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/300 Eye. C. U.: Went for an eye exam today - ugh. (Hey, I hate that almost as much as the dentist!) The glaucoma "puff," the lights that go shining here and there, the pupil dilation drops that sting, and the completely wigged-out vision that follows for most of the day ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/299 Safe!: Again, Helio and Julianne advance to the next round of Dancing with the Stars. *exhale* Sick: Again.  Really sore throat and dizzy headache. Been napping on and off all day. Hope I can sleep tonight. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/298 Nailed it: The Paso Doble was better than I expected from Helio and Julianne tonight and it got great scores - three 9s. And my Brazilian Banana Boy got all his steps down for the quickstep and knocked it out of the park for a perfect score of 30. They ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/297 Pampered: Facial, haircut (it's awesome!) mani/pedi, great food and a great gig by Arcade Fire on Austin City Limits. Just the thing for my birthday. *grin* Swampered: MySpace is esplodin'! I got a few greetings last year, but I can't keep up this year. Slammed with comments! Nice thread on ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/296 Almost Bash Day: Woke up this morning with a ton of comments and private messages on MySpace from my favorite Miss Pippi, Cy Curnin, Bud Moehler, Pressdog (I'm ALMOST sidepod-worthy!) and tons of bands on my friends list. Nice early start to the celebration. *grin* Tomorrow, I'm spending four ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/295 On to Next Week: Helio and Julianne are through to next week's round of Dancing with the Stars. Jane Seymour was eliminated tonight after turning in quite a few elegant dances. Next week for Helio and Julianne are the Paso Doble (a challenge for our smiling Brazilian) and the Quickstep ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/294 Good, and Great!: Helio and Julianne had two dances on Dancing with the stars tonight. First, the tango. The "serious" dances just aren't Helio's thing, but it really wasn't too bad. Heck, who'd ever supply them with Jean Genie for music? Seriously, that's hardly tango music. But, oh, the sassy ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/293 Write: In addition to the writing I do at work, I'm now involved in a personal writing project (no, not the next great Americans novel) and I'm about to get into the next phase of helping the Florida Wild Mammal Association update their web site. I can't seem to get ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/292 Back on Track: Helio was on it when he danced the Cha Cha Cha with Julianne last night. Watching the results show was a heart attack, though. Completely shocked that Sabrina Bryan was voted off the show. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/291 Vote for Helio: So, I posted this picture I made a while ago: And look what Helio is wearing now: Insider Flippin' Sweet! Freakin' Sweet!: So, I was listening to SpeedFreaks last night and about 15 minutes in, my good MySpace pal Crash Gladys read a comment on the air that ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/290 Trekkin': I have had ZERO time to follow the musicians' trek up Mt. Everest, but it's happening and you can get reports at Everest Rocks. Donations are encouraged to help support the cancer-related organizations affiliated with the Love Hope Strength Foundation. I hope to catch up with this in the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/289 Back on Track: Next dance for Helio and Julianne is the cha-cha-cha...fun, fast, flirty - perfect! Can't wait. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/288 NoPaul: I can't make Organic's social event tomorrow night, and Paul's going to the opera anyway because he missed the first announcement about the event and thus made his Magic Flute plans. Ah well - maybe next time. I occasionally meet former colleague Larry for lunch and keep in touch ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/287 This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below: Password: http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/286 Jack: Met my former colleague from Ecrio, Jack Miller, for dinner and loads of catching up. He showed me photos of Burning Man from this summer. This is what's so fun about Jack - he celebrated his 60th birthday as the man burned. He's just into everything. *grin* Helio and Julianne ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/285 WTF?: Okay, it wasn't his best dance, but the rumba from Helio and Julianne surely wasn't as bad as the judges' scores and comments. He was more fluid than I though he'd be, and managed to keep that adorable smile turned down to suit the dance. Ah well.....everyone VOTE! Where I ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/283 Ready for a Break: I have a full docket for the weekend and what I really want to do is crawl into bed, stack the pillows behind my back and dig into a huge pile of books with the cats curled by my legs. This plan will have to wait ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/282 Wistful Waltzing: Helio and Julianne were back near the top again tonight with a gorgeous waltz to Iris by the GooGoo Dolls. Really lovely choreography and costuming, and an easier dance for him, as far as wear and tear on the ankle goes. I'll post a video when I see ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/280 Major Squintage: Friday I worked from home due to a throat/ear situation, and now it's moved to my eyes. I'm taking a day off to ice them and dowse them with Similisan and try to get my vision back. My peepers are nearly swollen shut. If you email me today, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/279 Week 4: Helio and Julianne will present the Viennese Waltz tomorrow night on Dancing with the Stars. Looking forward to seeing them get higher scores and finish closer to the top. Another Lovely Day: Went out for a few errands today, and it was even better than yesterday. It's supposed to ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/278 Out for a Bit: I managed to perk up enough to keep my appointment with Kim at Cinta, and it was a gorgeous day to be out in San Francisco. Clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. I hadn't been to Cinta for a few weeks, and when I got there, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/277 Gore-ific!: So happy to see Al Gore get the Nobel Peace Prize for his crusading against global warming. Among the 1000 people trained to give his "An Inconvenient Truth" talk are a couple of co-workers of mine, and the program has been a tool in teaching us why our sustainable ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/276 Or Should Be...: Last I heard from Pippi this evening, she was 30 minutes from home. She was planning to meet family and friends at her old workplace, Mill Creek Restaurant and Bar. I haven't sent a text all evening - I can imagine the reunions were tons of fun, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/274 OUCH: Poor Helio! He injured his ankle practicing a jump in the jive Julianne created for them, and then ripped up his pant leg and his knee when performing on the show tonight. The jive was a toughie to start with, but with the injury hampering him, it wasn't their ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/273 Hurtin': My back was hurting too much to do a lot of walking, so I missed the Blue Angels' demonstration this weekend. More accurately, I didn't see or photograph it. I certainly heard it, though - the jets whizzed by within 1/2 mile of my place. Poor kitties - Sebastian ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/272 Past Halfway: Yesterday morning, Pippi and Bunny left South Carolina, made a stop in southern Indiana for an errand, and ended up in Springfield, MO for the night. Right now, they're in Texas heading for an overnight in Albuquerque. They'll make it home (Mentone, CA) tomorrow night. Took her four ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/271 Back Where She Belongs: Pippi and Bunny are packing up the truck and moving to Beverley....er, Mentone, that is. Swimming pools...redneck bars. LOL! They pull out tomorrow morning and I'm ecstatic! http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/270 Angelic View: The Blue Angels will be performing their air show over the San Francisco harbor this weekend as part of the Fleet Week celebrations. I'm hoping to get out and try my new camera out on their show. Moving Slowly: I use transit to get around - there's nowhere to ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/269 LOL: Thanks to Joel for this link of Helio on YouTube. What a joker! You have to be an Indy Car fan to get all the humor, but he's just too funny. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/268 Helio, We Didn't Know..: ...that you were sexy. Julianne and Helio danced a mambo tonight, and it was muy caliente! I wondered how it would go - having watched his career the last few years, I saw a lot of things in Helio's behavior, but full-on sexy was never one ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/267 I (heart) S.F.: It was a beautiful day here - got out for some errands, listened to the last Giants' game of the season while getting things done, and just enjoyed a comfortable, sunny fall day. Kept an eye on the delayed broadcast of the F1 race - another win ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/266 T.G.I.F.: Really hectic week. My new contractor started Monday, I was sick Tuesday, in user research testing Wednesday and Thursday and totally slammed catching up today. But, it was also a fun week. Suddenly, the release we're starting has a few less projects in it, so no writer will be ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/265 Thaaaaaat's Helio!: Yup, he's always like that - always smiling, laughing, joking around and getting up to mischief. Early in the racing season, 20-year-old Marco Andretti was being interviewed by a new pit reporter, the very lovely Brienne Pedigo. Marco's a reserved kid and usually a cool customer when talking ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/264 Julio Sparkled: Helio and Julianne were fantastic tonight on Dancing with the Stars, performing a foxtrot to a vocal version of the theme from Bewitched. It was charming, witty and elegant and Helio did all his racing fans proud with a terrific performance and a first-place finish among the men. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/263 Doom in an Elevator: All umpteen members crammed in an elevator (undoubtedly going down) to perform Neon Bible live. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/262 BFF: Okay, so I haven't even met the guy, but I've managed to make the top friends list on Helio Castroneves' MySpace page. Thanks, Helio - hope you have a great foxtrot with Julianne! (Helio and Julianne have already been mashed-up: Call them "Julio"...) http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/261 http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/260 Dance, Helio!: Indy Racing League driver and 2-time Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves of Brazil is a contestant on Dancing with the Stars, staring tomorrow night on ABC. I rarely turn on the TV and have never seen a reality show or any of these newfangled talent shows (I used ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/259 A Little Better: Still pretty tired, but feeling a little better today. I did nothing physical - it rained here today, which is a couple of months early - so I stayed indoors and puttered around the house. Finished watermarking some photos and revamped my site a bit - the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/258 Without Fire: It's a curse. Three times I've had tickets for the Arcade Fire. Three times, I've been sick and unable to go. Went to work for a little while today, then came home and logged on for the rest of the day. It was fairly quiet, fortunately. I'm restocked ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/257 Ready to be Done with This!: I'm so tired of being sick - worked from home a third day in a row. I think a good night's sleep last night would have made a big difference, but some idiot dialed my apartment from the intercom twice in the middle of ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/256 Flyin' the Jolly Roger: Arrrrr, this scurvy has laid waste to me shipmates, one an' all, and I'm still addled by it. No dashing corsair ter swashbuckle up with me grog, either. Juss me an' me fur-mates here in the bunk. Have ter be back ter sea a'mornin, so ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/255 Best TV Ad You Probably Didn't See: Unless you follow the Indy Racing League, that is. Firestone created a 2 and 1/2 minute video for a corporate event, celebrating their involvement in racing by focusing on the traditions and history of the Indianapolis 500. It was then edited to 90 ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/254 Nasty: A virus has mowed through the office - the Creative team has been decimated the last few days. My turn. I stayed home today, although I was online working the whole time. Can't afford a down day right now - my big projects for the next release are starting, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/253 Powered by Pink: Okay, so only those of you here in the west will have actually SEEN this stuff anywhere, but I am officially in complete adoration of Go Girl Energy Drink. I have one a day, laced with my Tunguska Blast supplement, as a part of my healthy, well-balanced ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/252 FWMA: Finally got the FWMA web site updated with the story of the fire. The whole site needs an overhaul, and we were just about to ask Chris Beatty what we should add, remove and focus on when she and her family suffered their fire. So, I'll do a content ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/251 There's a special family and their special cause that needs your support. I learned about the Florida Wild Mammal Association through Judy Cooke, who is a member of Pete's Pond Friends. The Friends are a group of folks on Yahoo who share screen captures and videos from the Pete’s Pond cam ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/250 Dario Gets 'er Done!: He was right on Scott Dixon's tail on the last lap when the Kiwi ran out of fuel and The Flying Scot with The Italian Name flew to a win and the championship title. SO happy for him - he's so deserving. There is a part ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/249 Staying Dry: So, she's just skirting the outer banks, that Gabrielle Gal(e). My friends are a bit too far inland to get her rains, so they remain extremely dry. Staying Safe: Here's hoping the Indy Car and IPS races at Chicagoland Speedway stay safe. Lots on the line in both series, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/248 Rain's a Comin', and Guess Who's Coverin' It...: I have friends in the southeast and mid-Atlantic states who are willing to put up with some of the potential wind damage to get some of TS Gabrielle's drought-ending rain. Between endless chores and errands today I popped on the Weather Channel ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/247 I've been pretty disconnected from all my old online social and fan scenes for over a year now, but man, people are mighty interested in what I write in my blogs if it might possibly be connected to one of those scenes. Someone forwarded me an email yesterday (with all ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/246 Throw-down in Chi-town: It's going to the wire in the Indy Racing League; one last race remains on the schedule, and there's just three points to choose from between the top two contendahs. Should they both screw up, third place is close enough to steal it away. And it's an ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/245 “Musicians and Mountaineers unite in the battle against cancer!” – LHSF Web site Do you know the Welsh band The Alarm? “The Stand”, “Marching On” and “68 Guns” are some of their best-known tunes. I hadn’t heard their music until I saw them play live this summer. I really enjoyed the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/244 Viewers: Lots of folks from across the map since my last check on August 12. Readers from Indonesia to Russia to France to Chile (again!) to Mexico, and all over the US. Welcome! New Look for a Good Cause: Decided on a 3-column layout so I can pop some banners in ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/243 I Thought They BUILT Cars in Michigan: The IndyCar oval race at Michigan International was a serious "Festival of Carbon Fiber" with just a handful of cars running at the end. The street course race in the "mitten" state today was only slightly less costly, with the championship leaders Dixon ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/242 Belle of the Ball: Helio Castroneves snuck in at the last moment to take the pole for the race at Belle Isle in Detroit tomorrow. You've read mentions of Helio earlier in this blog, but many of you non-race-fan types will get to know him better soon. The effusive Brazilian ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/241 ...But Happy!: Infineon was a blast. IndyCars, Indy Pro Series, American LeMans in those rad-looking Daytona prototypes, and the amazing Historic Grand Prix cars. I took almost 1000 photos, mostly of cars, but I did shoot some human wildlife as well. Unfortunately, events conspired to cause me and Bud Moeller ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/240 Got Everything?  Tickets? Check. Sunscreen? Check (SPF 70). Sun Hat? Check. Camera? Check. MyFi? Check. Walking Shoes? Check. I'm ready to roll at Infineon. Watch this space for details and photos. http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/239 You Wanna Go Here: LoveHopeStrength I saw The Alarm at the Mezzanine in July. Lead singer Mike Peters has wrestled leukemia twice, and he's a real force on stage - their show was loads of fun. He's founded Love Hope Strength to fund research and treatment for those battling cancer, and ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/238 TGIF: Battled a tummy bug the last couple of days - glad the week is over so I can rest. No Indy Cars this weekend, but next weekend I'll see them race in person at Sonoma. Hopefully I'll run into my old college mate Vince Welch, and my new MySpace ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/237 REPOST: Using babies as man traps... Why do females get preggers to try and trap guys? I was just reading the profile of someone whom I've always wondered about on that front - he's not too bright, and at the time, there was a nice pile of money in his life - ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/236 Stats: Haven't looked at my overall stats in a while. In the last month: 145 visits from 106 unique visitors 8 countries - Chile (obsessed with my Fixx photos), UK, Australia, Japan, Canada, Germany, Togo US visits from: Cali (one frequent blog reader in LA), DC, Mass., FL, VA (howdy, Leesburg), OH, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/235 Franchitti Flies Again: The Flying Scot with The Italian Name got airborne again, this time just after the checkered flag flew at the Indy Car race in Kentucky. See Dario ride right up the backside of Kosuke Matsuura and go up and over - there's even video from his on-board ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/234 ...Check the Pond: A favorite way to catch up on email in the evening is with Pete's Pond audio/video streaming in the background. From August to December, National Geographic runs a live WildCam, showing a watering hole on a game reserve in Botswana. You never know which species will turn ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/233 Arcade!: I missed the Arcade Fire shows in June due to a flu bug. They'll be back here on September 21. September will ROCK - Underworld on the 7th, Todd Rundgren on the 13th and then Arcade Fire. I've seen only two live gigs this year, so it's good ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/232 It's Done: Barry Bonds set San Francisco rocking tonight with his 756th home run in the 5th inning against the Washington Nationals. There was a fabulous celebration afterward, with a dignified video message by Hank Aaron himself highlighting the festivities. My co-worker Jeremy was in the park for this one...can't ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/231 One Lucky Dude: Dario Franchitti is walking, talking, breathing and scarfing down pizza on pit lane this evening, very lucky to be doing so. Michigan turned out to be what Pressdog would label a "Festival of Carbon Fiber", deluxe version, with plenty of cars into the wall, into each other, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/230 Bondsless, Racing to Catch Up: Barry's sitting out the last game in San Diego, where the Giants and Padres are tied at 2 in the 6th. Dario Franchitti is working some magic at Michigan - he dropped to the rear of the field on a bad pit stop, and within ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/229 A Nice Day: Took a little stroll, ran some errands and enjoyed a lovely day here in San Francisco. My foot's bugging me a little but the temporary pad helps some. Found a way to get my UK pal's gift onto my iPod so I can check it out on ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/228 A Little Better: This week wasn't as hectic as I thought it would be - nice to have a moment or two to breathe and do things at a normal pace at work. A Little Breather: Gonna take another slow weekend, watch some Indy Cars go round and round at Michigan, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/227 Still Smarting: Went to two doctors and had x-rays yesterday. No broken bones. The podiatrist suspects I may have pinched nerves. He gave me some temporary pads to stick to my foot that will take pressure off the metatarsals. That seemed to help some - much less pain when I ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/226 RIP, iPod 2: My second iPod died today. (First one was the victim of me tripping and landing on it two years ago. No. 2 has been dropped a blue million times and I'm surprised it lasted this long.) So today, I hit the Apple store on the way home ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/225 Limping: A few weeks ago (May?), I stubbed a toe on my left foot something fierce. The top of my foot was all bruised, discolored and swollen. I limped through that and it stopped hurting after a week or so. Yesterday, it started smarting again - didn't do anything to ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/224 Pampering: Had a manicure yesterday, ran some errands, lounged while listening to The Talk of Gasoline Alley and Brickyard qualifying, then caught the baseball game on the radio. Bonds is still at 754, but the Giants won the game, which needs to keep happening. Taxicabs: Tony Stewart won at the Brickyard ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/223 Tarrrrd: Glad this week is over. Lots of work projects are finally scooting off my plate, and we have a month of "cleanup" to do before the next wave of complete insanity hits. I have to find a way to restore my energy levels and, frankly, my desire to be ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/222 The Release from HELL: So my boss shows me what's up with the release we have planned for the fall (we don't usually do dev in the fall). To do all the high and enhanced priority projects, we'll need me, Jon B., John F., three other people we DON'T have ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/221 Trained to Death: Had two solid days of training so far this work week - project management and presentation skills. Really good facilitator from the home office made it fun, but that's just SO long to be in "class" - my brain is all mushy. Ire: So I got an email ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/220 Mid-OH!: Huge crowd and gorgeous weather for the race at Mid-Ohio. Really miss that place, and everyone visiting for the IRL's first run there seemed to love it. Scott Dixon marked his birthday by winning his 3rd race in a row, but Dario Franchitti kept his lead in the championship, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/219 Finished: All 759 pages. And I would hate to spoil it for anyone out there, but I can say it didn't quite go as I expected. I won't elaborate further. Now to find time to see The Order of the Phoenix... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/218 Harry's Hallows: UPS brought my copy of HP&TDH at about 10 this morning. I'll be spending the weekend with it, hopefully getting it knocked out before I have to go back to work. You GO, Girl!: Danica Patrick qualified second for Mid-Ohio today, her best starting position for a road course. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/217 Illin' Again: Ever since I was sick about 10 days ago, I haven't been able to eat very much without feeling queasy. Sunday I went to my favorite Indian hole in the wall, Naan n Curry, with Rupert, Ira and Jimmy and dared only nibble on some naan. I was ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/216 Can't Wait for Mid-OH!: The IndyCars return to Mid-Ohio, one of the best stops of the season back when there was only one big league open-wheel series. I went to a couple races there back in the early 90s - it's a beautiful place and a great spot to see ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/215 Slightly Rested: Nice to have yesterday off. Really just fiddled around at my place and took it easy. Tossed some photos on my web site and fielded calls and texts from people I'd missed the night before. Although it was a bummer to miss them, the upside was "No drama! ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/214 Fast Going: We raced at Nashville, a day late. Scott Dixon had the Energizer livery on the 9 car, and spent the weekend being followed from pit to garage by a huge pink Energizer bunny. At one point, he quipped that it was getting annoying. It's the second time that ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/213 Wet: So it hasn't rained in middle Tennessee for the whole month of July...until tonight. Buckets, cats and dogs, men - it's raining everything but green, yellow and checkered flags. Not a lap turned at Nashville tonight. We'll run at 10 a.m PT tomorrow. (If it doesn't rain...) Wiped:  Went for ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/212 Slogging Through: Tired and achy, but there's so much to do today - gotta power through it all. Hoping to turn in extra early tonight and see if some additional sleep will beat this bug. Music City Speed Show: My Indy Cars are racing on the bumpy 1.33-mile oval at Nashville ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/211 Pile on Bash: Just when I thought it was gonna get better, two projects I'd put to bed (one SIX WEEKS ago) have cropped back up for extra edits, etc. What part of "No bandwidth" isn't sinking in? Sheesh. Ah well, I cranked on a lot of things today ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/210 Chillin': Was up most of the night rejecting last night's dinner. Really weak and woozy, but took advantage of the day working at home to get a huge chunk of work done. Takes the pressure off a bit, but I still think I'll be worthless by the end of the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/209 Throwdown: For the third year in a row, Scott Dixon took the win at Watkins Glen, and then all hell broke loose. Sam Hornish and Tony Kanaan got together on the track - hard to call fault in the incident - and both continued on to finish. When they were ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/208 TGIF: So today, I took back the chunk of the project I took from my new guy a couple weeks ago and had given back to him last week. I have no bandwidth for it, but there's too much left to do on the part he kept, plus help files ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/207 Ugh: My knee kept me from doing too much on the 4th, but I did clear out some filing and magazine/recycling sorting, and I did purge the bathroom of a ton of inferior bath products. *grin* It's a start. Today, the knee is a bit better. Work was exasperating, though. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/206 OUCH: Yesterday morning I re-injured my knee on the yoga mat. Spent the day working from home with the ice pack on - it's taking a bit longer to snap back this time. Got a lot of writing and editing done, though, so there's the upside. Independence: Most folks I know ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/205 No Knee'd to Worry: My knee injury has sorted itself out. Not quite sure how, but I'd rather not repeat that incident. Seriously, whoever designed the human knee was dead drunk at the time... Smoothing Out: Things at work are a little smoother - after I spent time this weekend working, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/204 Bad by Design: Seriously - who in their right mind would engineer something so crappily as the human knee has been? I was sitting here in my chair, cross-legged as usual, catching up on email and keeping an eye on the IRL race at Richmond. I straightened my legs to ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/203 Survived: It has been a hectic last few days getting a handle on the crunch at work. The next couple of weeks will also be crunched. Good thing I don't actually also have a life to attend to. Bullring: The Indy Cars are racing at Richmond, VA,  tonight and that's always ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/202 Fed Up: Today I was told that I didn't sound the alarm early enough - totally tossed under the bus - so I have to do this huge project by end of day Thursday as originally scheduled. Not possible. We can't get any dates out of engineering as to the ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/201 Red Flag: For the second time in as many months, the producers are all meeting to re-schedule my workload. A little over a month ago, a large, high-priority project landed on us. We sent up a flare that we were too understaffed to take this on without something else being ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/200 Loads of Loafin': Well, I did go out for a haircut and manicure and grabbed a few household needs on the way home. But for the most part, I've been at home lounging, keeping up with my sports interests as you'll see below. Feels great! Expensive Lessons: The IndyCar Series broke ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/199 Overworked: Really starting to pick up at work - I've taken on a part of my direct report's project because it's a lot bigger than we thought. Also doing two small projects, plus my major one is three times or more the size we thought and will require two writers ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/198 Takin' it Easy: Doing mainly liquids today (may need a soda cracker or two to make it through) to try and reset the ol' bod. Have started walking regularly again and I hope that'll help, also. Energy levels are just really low at the moment. Following Formula 1 practice and ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/196 T.G.I.F: The weeks are flying by this year, and I'm glad this one's over. Had a really great time with my friend Steve at the Police show in Oakland. The show was a lot of fun, and I also really enjoyed Fiction Plane, which features Sting's son Joe as lead ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/195 Bonehead Taxicab Drivers...: So I was exchanging messages with this rabid NASCAR fan who asked me what kind of dumb-sounding name Castroneves is. I had to chuckle - I mean, just how dorky does BIFFLE sound? I suggested we strap one of his boys into one of those 220+ mph ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/194 Arresting Text Message!: I got a text message from a friend down in Santa Maria today. He has an extra 5th row ticket to see The Police in Oakland Wednesday night - did I want to go? Schweeeeeeeeeeeeet! This guy is one of the most avid concert-goers I know, so ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/193 (That's RaceSpeak for Caution): Have been taking the last few days really slowly. I've developed a cough that will not go away and am extremely tired - I swear I wasn't on the plane with that tuberculosis guy! Followed the race at Texas last night, mainly watching online, where you ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/192 Bloggy: Haven't taken the time to update the last few days - really the same story, just a different day. Unfortunately, I was too tired to see either Arcade Fire gig this past weekend. Bummed about that, but I didn't want to end up sick again. Followed the racing at ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/191 All Stitched Up: Just dawned on me that it was a year ago today that I had my surgery. Feeling pretty decent these days. Could really use a full vacation and I think that would make it all good. At least I can walk long distances again - until recently, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/190 A Grand Tour: Loads of fun - family, racing, zoo critters, tons of photos, lots of walking, bushels of laughs. Really nice to have gotten a break from all the work - my stress levels are much lower than they've been for a while. Need some time over the next ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/189 Still Around: Just super-busy, per usual. Had to skip Bay to Breakers on Sunday, due to my sore back. I'm slowly getting rid of the bug I had, and am cramming a couple of weeks' work and chores into this week, getting ready to travel back east this weekend. Hee Hee: ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/188 Ouch: Slipped on a little water on the bathroom floor after my shower today, and did a number on my back. Spent the day working from home, sitting on an ice pack. Was due to walk in my first Bay to Breakers this weekend, but that may not be possible ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/187 Indy Racing Weekly: When it was announced that Davey Hamilton would return to racing, I wrote an email to the host of the IMS Radio Network (Davey's the driver analyst for the broadcasts) to cheer Davey on. That host, Mike King, read my email at the beginning of his interview ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/186 Go Davey!: Davey Hamilton put his No. 02 HP Vision Racing car solidly in the field for the Indianapolis 500 today, and the commentary on both radio and TV has been so fun to follow. Everyone's celebrating his return, and nothing can wipe the smile off his face. This is ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/185 Runnin': The last three days of the week were pretty taxing - even now, I'm still under the weather, but I had to get a ton of work done on SLAP and another project became very complex. I think I'm finally done with the latter. SLAP will be a main ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/184 Ucky: Worked from home today and put in over 9 hours, all the while wishing I was sleeping. Still very warm here. Listening to the Giants-Mets game and running all the fans to cool the place down again. Should be better for sleeping tonight - it didn't get quite so ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/183 Ugh: It was 90 degrees today, and 190 in my apartment. I stayed home with this bug raging - so much sinus pressure, sore throat, congestion, exhaustion. Dozed on my futon today while listening to proceedings from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and then WIBC for the Talk of Gasoline Alley. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/182 That Sinkin' Feeling: Woke very tired with a dry, scratchy throat. Slowly took care of the laundry and kept an eye on opening day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway via IndyCar.com - they have the public address audio and video streaming on their site. Watched Davey Hamilton ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/181 Go Davey!: Delighted to start the day with the news that Davey Hamilton has secured a ride in the Indianapolis 500 with the Vision Racing Team. His No. 2 car will be sponsored by HP. Davey hasn't raced since a terrible accident nearly cost him his feet several years ago. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/180 Not Yet, But Soon: My new guy's getting off to a decent start, especially for someone who's had so little of my time. But my week is booked solid. My visiting friend has postponed, which means I can return to my leisurely spring cleaning pace. She'll likely visit in June. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/179 The end of the work week was brutal, and the upcoming one will also be swamped. On her way out Friday evening, my boss told me "DON'T work this weekend." So, I obeyed. My new guy starts tomorrow, but I'll barely have any time to get him up and running ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/178 Secret Project is Back: My boss gave me back the secret project I covered for her while she was on vacation. I'm trying to figure out where it will fit on my plate. Today, all the producers met to push out deadlines for as many of my projects as possible, ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/177 Even More Work: I've lost my beloved contractor for at least a month - he's gone on vacation, and I've inherited his projects, one of which isn't as done as it was supposed to be due to engineering complications. Next week is going to be the worst yet. Everything else ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/176 IRL Addict: So it's Friday night, and instead of being out drinking, I'm at home drinking. All because the IRL is racing in Japan, where it's tomorrow and a perfectly normal time to hold a race. *grin* Ah, well - since I'm not big on sushi, I've cracked open a ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/175 Home Sick: Been texting tonight with my bestest Pippi, who's happy to be back with the love of her life, but really homesick for SoCal and her family there. I was wondering what would cheer her up best when the thought of extra dark chocolate (FRENCH extra dark chocolate) popped ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/174 Home, Sick: Running a fever and battling a sore throat, so I skipped "school" today and slept most of the morning. I'm so exhausted. Really need a break. Supreme Wort: The top court chipped a chunk out of Roe v Wade today, by upholding a federal ban on late stage abortions. ... http://www.bashful7.com/BashUp/archives/173 Got 'im!: We had a terrific candidate for the open UI Writer position and today he accepted an offer to take the job. He'll start April 30th. I'm overjoyed not only because I'll finally have some help, but beca