PEDTM: Happy 30
Well, yesterday was a VERY BAD DAY and thus we will not speak of it.
Today -- well, I don't know about today, but let's proceed with the hope it will be better, if not altogether happy, okay? Okay.
Tonight at 6:00 the project I have been managing for far too long begins the final stage, the cutover from our legacy system to the new system. My stomach is in knots, even though it's my second full implementation, plus god-only-knows how many upgrades I've managed. I will next be able to relax (assuming all goes well) on the afternoon of Thursday, July 7. I hope to get a bit tipsy that evening, either to celebrate the success or to drown my sorrows.
Today is also the last day of June and thus the last day of my Post Every Day This Month attempt. I did pretty good; missed only one day which as you know doesn't exist so in fact I didn't miss any days.
For today's happy I want to talk about Sonoma County, where in two weeks I will have lived for thirty years. When we first moved here in 1981, we took a long drive around the county and I said to Webster I could put roots down here. I guess that was prophetic, because here I am and I love it here very much. Why?
First of all, I love how rural it is. Although I was born in Santa Monica, and although I do love cities (San Francisco, Seattle, Paris, London, Rome), I love open space best. And here I love the rolling hills topped by oak trees; I love the fog; I love the ocean and the beaches and the weird rock formations along the coast. I love the smell of the eucalyptus trees, and of course the redwoods. Oh, the redwoods. I love all the opportunities to get out hiking.
I like the fact that we're so close to San Francisco, so I can drive in for the day to see a play or museum exhibit or to visit friends. Or to show off the City to my visiting friends!
Although I disapprove of the monoculture that's grown up in Sonoma County, I can't deny that the vineyards are pretty, and the wineries fun to visit (even though I hate the traffic and fear the drinkers). I like seeing the lambs gamboling on the hillsides and the specially bred sheep that weed the vineyards and orchards. I love the olive trees, the citrus trees, the cheesemaking (oh god, I love goat cheese), the breadmaking, the olive oil, all the care and love that goes into so many artisans' work.
I like being able to walk out my door and smell . . . everything. Fresh air, eucalyptus, even the Sonoma aroma (AKA manure on the fields). I like living across the street from a strawberry farm. I like the roadside stands for blackberries and cherries and corn and flowers. I like knowing that the quality of air I'm huffing is excellent. I like that in 1990, the county voted to make the entire county an agricultural preserve, and that the Preserve and the Sonoma Land Trust work as partners to keep the county true to its agricultural roots and, more than that, improve the quality of the land, air, and water. I like that we actually voted to pay a tax to make that happen. I'm really proud of that.
I like finding a place to call home and imagining myself decades from now still here, still happy.
Not that everything is copacetic! Oh my god, no. I worry about all the pesticides used on the goddamn vines. I worry about the shitty public transportation -- how will I get around when I can no longer drive? I worry about all kinds of things.
But today is for the happy, and my happy is that somehow, out of all the world, I found this place to live.
Lots of links for today:
» A favorite picture from Fuck Yeah Granada Holmes (though beware the stupid music that automatically starts up).
» Looking forward to next season's BBC Sherlock, The Hound of Baskervilles! Eeee! Also, check out this woman's gorgeous art work.
» Coffee is awesome! So true.
» From the same guy, the answer to something that's puzzled me for decades: What is the difference between the UK, Great Britain, and England?
» Are you reading Abundantlyqueer's awesome, awesome BAMF!John/BAMF!Sherlock AU WiP, Two Two One Bravo Baker? Oh, Jesus, I've loved AQ since Lotrips days and I was delirious when I realized she was writing in BBC Sherlock. Anyway, I saw this collection of photos from Alan Taylor and immediately thought of her story.
» Speaking of fanfiction, all you myriad Cabin Pressure fanfiction authors: I discovered I love Martin Crieff/ArthurShappey, so get right on that, okay? OKAY!
» Finally, and more seriously, check out these stats on women in the US military. Requires you turn Flash on.
And that's it! An entire month (almost) of happy! I wish you much happiness, enough to leaven the bad days of which we all have far too many.
Today -- well, I don't know about today, but let's proceed with the hope it will be better, if not altogether happy, okay? Okay.
Tonight at 6:00 the project I have been managing for far too long begins the final stage, the cutover from our legacy system to the new system. My stomach is in knots, even though it's my second full implementation, plus god-only-knows how many upgrades I've managed. I will next be able to relax (assuming all goes well) on the afternoon of Thursday, July 7. I hope to get a bit tipsy that evening, either to celebrate the success or to drown my sorrows.
Today is also the last day of June and thus the last day of my Post Every Day This Month attempt. I did pretty good; missed only one day which as you know doesn't exist so in fact I didn't miss any days.
For today's happy I want to talk about Sonoma County, where in two weeks I will have lived for thirty years. When we first moved here in 1981, we took a long drive around the county and I said to Webster I could put roots down here. I guess that was prophetic, because here I am and I love it here very much. Why?
First of all, I love how rural it is. Although I was born in Santa Monica, and although I do love cities (San Francisco, Seattle, Paris, London, Rome), I love open space best. And here I love the rolling hills topped by oak trees; I love the fog; I love the ocean and the beaches and the weird rock formations along the coast. I love the smell of the eucalyptus trees, and of course the redwoods. Oh, the redwoods. I love all the opportunities to get out hiking.
I like the fact that we're so close to San Francisco, so I can drive in for the day to see a play or museum exhibit or to visit friends. Or to show off the City to my visiting friends!
Although I disapprove of the monoculture that's grown up in Sonoma County, I can't deny that the vineyards are pretty, and the wineries fun to visit (even though I hate the traffic and fear the drinkers). I like seeing the lambs gamboling on the hillsides and the specially bred sheep that weed the vineyards and orchards. I love the olive trees, the citrus trees, the cheesemaking (oh god, I love goat cheese), the breadmaking, the olive oil, all the care and love that goes into so many artisans' work.
I like being able to walk out my door and smell . . . everything. Fresh air, eucalyptus, even the Sonoma aroma (AKA manure on the fields). I like living across the street from a strawberry farm. I like the roadside stands for blackberries and cherries and corn and flowers. I like knowing that the quality of air I'm huffing is excellent. I like that in 1990, the county voted to make the entire county an agricultural preserve, and that the Preserve and the Sonoma Land Trust work as partners to keep the county true to its agricultural roots and, more than that, improve the quality of the land, air, and water. I like that we actually voted to pay a tax to make that happen. I'm really proud of that.
I like finding a place to call home and imagining myself decades from now still here, still happy.
Not that everything is copacetic! Oh my god, no. I worry about all the pesticides used on the goddamn vines. I worry about the shitty public transportation -- how will I get around when I can no longer drive? I worry about all kinds of things.
But today is for the happy, and my happy is that somehow, out of all the world, I found this place to live.
Lots of links for today:
» A favorite picture from Fuck Yeah Granada Holmes (though beware the stupid music that automatically starts up).
» Looking forward to next season's BBC Sherlock, The Hound of Baskervilles! Eeee! Also, check out this woman's gorgeous art work.
» Coffee is awesome! So true.
» From the same guy, the answer to something that's puzzled me for decades: What is the difference between the UK, Great Britain, and England?
» Are you reading Abundantlyqueer's awesome, awesome BAMF!John/BAMF!Sherlock AU WiP, Two Two One Bravo Baker? Oh, Jesus, I've loved AQ since Lotrips days and I was delirious when I realized she was writing in BBC Sherlock. Anyway, I saw this collection of photos from Alan Taylor and immediately thought of her story.
» Speaking of fanfiction, all you myriad Cabin Pressure fanfiction authors: I discovered I love Martin Crieff/ArthurShappey, so get right on that, okay? OKAY!
» Finally, and more seriously, check out these stats on women in the US military. Requires you turn Flash on.
And that's it! An entire month (almost) of happy! I wish you much happiness, enough to leaven the bad days of which we all have far too many.