This week I was on the other side of my office building, looking South toward the International District. My eye was caught by a really handsome bit of architecture and I asked a co-worker what it was. Nobody knew. So this morning on the bus I made sure to keep an eye out for it as we traveled North on 3rd Avenue. And sure enough we drove right past it.
“That handsome building” turns out to be the King County Courthouse! I’ve driven past it countless times but never really looked up at it. The architecture is classic; the original building dates to 1916 and sits on a plat of land originally occupied by the mansion of Seattle forefather Henry Yesler.
Seattle has a lovely skyline and it’s easy to focus on the impressive shiny towers. But my favorite buildings are those classic examples of masonry. Until starting this job last month I had never worked in the downtown core; there are a lot of really beautiful and interesting buildings here. Most of them are easy to miss from the street level because there is so much visual distraction (and the ever-present generic awning). Looking up at them I have realized how much variety and style is present here. It definitely warrants a photographic expedition to capture some of these views.
After a few months of tinkering with a new design, I finally finished the complete overhaul of the Rebuilding Together Eastside web site. This is a volunteer organization for which I am a director. It’s exciting to have the new site done and we’re looking forward to another successful year of volunteer work in the community.
This week I traveled to Burbank on business. I actually stayed in Hollywood, which is always a treat simply because it’s such a bizarre place. It was 95 degrees each day I was there, so I got a good dose of California heat. My hotel was near Universal Studios, so I spent a little time each evening strolling along the City Walk. On my first night I happened to catch some music wafting over from the Universal Amphitheater (sponsored by Gibson). On Sunday night it was a great latino rock band, and I was tempted to buy a ticket and check them out. When I looked at the schedule I was amazed to see that the night before I arrived, a terrifying triple bill had occurred: Sebastian Bach (of Skid Row fame), Dokken, and Poison! Honestly if I had been there one day earlier I could have gotten a seriously good does of California hair metal… and truth be told… I might have gone just for the crazy fun of it all.
Returning home was great. I was fortunate that my airline could switch me to an earlier flight, so I avoided 4 hours of hanging out in Burbank airport. All in all, a good trip.
Today is my final day of unstructured time between jobs. I’ll be starting my new position on Monday, and I’m looking forward to it. The past few weeks have been a great opportunity to work on projects around the house, to practice, and to reconnect with friends over lunch.
The next adventure will be a great one, and I am happy to be joining such a terrific company.
We just returned from an impromptu vacation trip to Vancouver, BC. It was great to spend a few days in such a beautiful city, and we’re always glad to visit with friends — THANK YOU to Dave and Catherine for a lovely dinner!
We also went to the Vancouver aquarium where we were lucky enough to see the baby beluga. She’s a beauty and is a graceful playful sight. Also on the agenda was a trip to the Fluevog store in Gas Town. We both purchased a pair of shoes, which was a fun way to celebrate our vacation before heading back to Seattle.
We’ll look forward to the next opportunity to visit Vancouver.
Evolutionary theory asserts that modern birds are the descendents of dinosaurs. This is strongly supported by Dr. Bakker and other leading paleogeeks, and is upheld by careful comparison of the bone structure, foot architecture, and other physical geometry.
And it turns out, those little feathery dinos are hungry. I’ve got (squirrel-proof) bird feeders in the front and back yards and go through 20+ pounds of sunflower seeds a week. Over the years I’ve tried seed mixes, but the birds just flick everything else out of the feeders to get at the sunflower seeds. So I’ve just accepted the will of my avian friends and give them what want. It’s a great thing to look out in the yard every morning and see such a variety of colorful birdasauruses. It’s really too bad they aren’t huge and scaly and armed with big serrated teeth any more. If you ask me, evolution screwed up a pretty good prehistoric design with these critters.
It’s always fascinating how life goes forward, changes, and flowers into opportunity. Last Friday I was offered a wonderful job position with a fabulous company. I’m looking forward to joining my new team, and this will definitely be a great fit. More information ahead!
I spent a big chunk of the last 24 hours sifting the pile of job postings, looking for that golden grain. So far, nothing but sand. I did take a break from the computer to go watch the Mariners game today, which was a lot of fun (even though they lost).
Tonight I’ll continue my search. If anyone knows how to get a good resume into the right hands at Google and Microsoft, I’d love to hear from you.
Last week I began sharpen up my resume and deliver it to selected potential employers. I have a strong sense of the kind of work I’d like to do, and am targeting opportunities that are aligned with my values. So far the reception is good, and while I have plenty of freelance work if I should choose that route, I’m looking forward to getting back to a standard 40 hour week. Being laid off last week was a big unpleasant surprise. I’ve heard from many people who are offering encouragement and job leads, and I appreciate both!
I just finished re-reading The Dinosaur Heresies: New Theories Unlocking the Mystery of the Dinosaurs and Their Extinction
by Robert Bakker. I’ve been reading his books for years and enjoying them. In The Dinosaur Heresies, Bakker challenges the orthodoxy surrounding dinosaur behavior and physiology; the most commons and incorrect misconception is the notion that dinosaurs were cold-blooded reptiles that sluggishly plodded through prehistoric dust. Through his careful and thorough rebuttal of the traditional palenontological view, Bakker correctly recasts most dinosaurs as warm-blooded, active hunters built for surprising strength and speed.
I especially enjoyed his detailed anatomical drawings comparing skeletal features of dinosaurs with modern analogs, demonstrating that the bone density and dimension makes a strong case for a new view. The book was originally published in 1986 and pulls together many of Bakker’s earlier work into a fairly cohesive case. Some of his earlier work in the field of Vertebrate Paleontology is leveraged here; in the 1970s he published an article in Scientific American called “A Cold Look at the Warm Blooded Dinosaurs”. This is considered one of the crucial moments in re-examining dinosaurs and certainly helped stimulate ongoing discussion about their life behavior.
As a dino geek, this book is fabulous bedtime reading. I delight both in Bakker’s descriptions of the dinosaurs and his writing style. The book is widely available in paperback and makes a good read. I actually dug up my college biology textbook and reviewed a few sections. Bakker could draw me back into the science field with this material, except paleontologists spend far too much time in the sun for my liking. Maybe I could be the first night paleontologist…
