GRIZZLY PEAR

written snapshots

Category: Life

  • Chase Bank Parking Lot, Arroyo Crossing, Las Vegas

    When you live in an area for an extended period, mundane places begin to pick up the residue of various experiences.

    Last year (just around this time) we sold our little Mazda that we owned for nine years. I met the buyer outside of this bank because he was pulling his cash out from this branch.

    This year, I met my new tenant to sign the lease and transfer the rent and security deposits between our two accounts.

    Looking at it, you’d never anticipate major exchanges would happen in this little parking lot.

    Until it happens.

    Twice.

  • Upper back pain

    I’ve had several bouts of lower back pain, usually attributable to various forms of physical exertion. However, I’ve realized that such events are always preceded with various forms of neglect or stress that allow the proverbial straw to do the final break.

    But recently I’ve had a new twist – upper back pain! I suspect it was a mix of working on deadline without the greatest ergonomics and playing with my daughter as she sat on my shoulders at the park.

    I’ve had various other forms of non-lower back pain, but of the individual localized variety, not this comprehensive regional stiffness and swelling that I’ve previously only associated with lower back pain.

    In any case, I guess as I stumble past 40, I’m gonna after to take care of my back. All of it.

  • Grateful

    Sometimes you want to write something deep and profound for a big occasion.

    But maybe it’s best to just sit back and be grateful.

    I’m pretty sure I’ve had something to do with my luck, but still I’ve had a fair share of good fortune.

    The funny thing is that stress and “first world problems” still strike viscerally. But step back a bit and I realize that life has been kind to me and it would be uncouth to take it for granted.

  • On a cover!

    A fellow Berkeley alum had a project was on the cover of Architect magazine!

    Unfortunately with kids, life, and work I still haven’t had a chance to read it.

    But I did at least congratulate her this morning.

    We all be growed up different now, it’s a long way from kicking it in front of Wurster Hall.

  • Tao Te Ching, Laozi

    As you may have noticed, I’ve been dabbling with reading the Tao Te Ching, borrowing all the copies available at the library and reading the liner notes and introduction.

    After all, the Tao Te Ching is somewhat impenetrable.

    And then I had this sudden inspiration, let’s start buying copies of this book! I’ll start a collection!

    Old habits die hard.

  • Calculords

    I stayed up till midnight playing this new-to-me iOS/Android game Calculords.

    It’s a cheeky digital CCG where the main mechanic is adding up number cards in your number hand to play out cards in your unit hand, but I digress.

    With my current life, I don’t stay up late much, and certainly not gaming.

    This morning I woke up in an odd mood.

    I suspect it’s a mix of the lovely weather out, mixed with the feeling the grogginess from gaming late into the night. A gaming hangover.

    Strangely familiar, a bit of deja vu, but not in my current setting, not this current life.

  • Dang. Lucky.

    Sometimes I just stepped back last night and looked around.

    Dang I’m lucky.

    Maybe I helped make some of the luck. But it’s not as if I performed any monumental efforts or made any sacrifices to get here. I just showed up regularly and did what I thought I was supposed to do.

    Aside from counting my blessings, what am I going to do with this luck?

  • Vacations

    Sure are disruptive.

    I believe they are supposed to be fun.

    But getting ready for one sure feels like work.

    Maybe we should rethink next year’s run.

    Then again, a break will be good.

  • The dangers of getting cute with it

    With the boy being mobile and pulling at everything within reach, we decided to get rid of the curtain for the glass panel in the door to the backyard, replacing it with a vinyl panel.

    The panel was 21″ wide by 80″ tall. Per the manufacturer’s instructions, we oversized the initial cut by an inch so we could trim the film after was installed.

    To get the best measurement, we started from the one inch mark and cut it at the twenty two inch mark.

    Oops. At least it turned out we cut it at the perfectly correct width.

  • Crisis, midlife

    It seems that a midlife crisis is an common occurrence in our culture, especially with the prospect of turning forty this year.

    I wonder this new gig with its attendant change in status and pay will stave off the inevitable.

    But once I get comfortable in the gig, will it come?

    I guess I’ll find out.

    Maybe I just need to stay being uncomfortable?

    Maybe I’m already in the middle of it!