"For someone who doesn't like to have her picture taken, you sure take a lot of pictures."

I had decided this morning that given the lack of interest I had yesterday at the design conference and the overwhelming pressure I was receiving last night to be in the office, I would do well to resign myself to writing off the conference as a learning experience (Lesson learned? Never, ever go to a conference alone again) and earn money today.

I also decided to skip lunch and work the extra two hours lunch might take. I quickly learned the folly of my decision when I realized I had left my lunch at home, so off to lunch I went, half an hour after I had arrived at work.

As we were walking into the restaurant, Doyle was humored by my camera out, and commented about all of my picture taking, while showing me how he really felt about it.

Lunch was at a brewery, where we met up with a former co-worker, who had just found a new job (lots of cheers!). For the most part, I like brewery food, but today I was especially excited about having fish and chips, which I have been, strangely enough, craving for a while now. Might have been because it's been a month since I had some last.

To prove Doyle wrong, I took a picture of myself after lunch, catching Michael just before he started panicking about where he left his sunglasses.

Um.... on my face?

On the way out the door, one of the guys noticed a Lamborghini parked across the street. As we paused to chat a few more minutes with the ex-coworker, we watched the car. We speculated about its owner, laughing and suggesting it belonged to the old guy who just exited the donut shop the car was parked in front.

To our shock, horror, amazement and delight, the car DID belong to the old guy. Several elder jokes later, we all hoped the old guy would just peel out of the lot. He didn't, but if he had, he would have been all of our hero and inspiration.

I went up to San Francisco today to attend the design conference Voices that Matter. This is one of those conferences that months ago I decided to attend for the networking opportunities with designers. I also expected to have my theme site launched by then, so as to have something to show to all of these people, an outlet for their creative work.

Unfortunately, short term issues overwhelmed my long term plans and goals, so I expected to feel out of place at the conference (developer, not a designer), to be by myself (not going with a coworker or friend), to fight tiredness (problems sleeping as of late), and to be stresed (project delivery for today).

It wasn't a good start.

Worse, I made the mistake of going to the programming sessions for the first session I attended. Let me just say this: Designers think a LOT differently than developers. Holy moly, do they think differently.

I suspect a lot of what I do, I take for granted. I hope that doesn't come back to bite me.

I recovered nicely, however, afer the fsrt session, and started attending sessions wehre I didn't know what the pseaker was talking about, session where I personally couldn't have given the talk and done a good job, with no preparation. I had a much

As of this moment, however, I've deicded not to go to another conference by myself. It just isn't worth it. Having had such a great time with jessica in Washingto, having someone to hang out with and talk and see stuff and do stuff, I have to say going to these events by myself sucks. A lot.

Kris' first cousin once removed, Zoe, came to visit us tonight. Being only a few months old, she kindly brought along her parents, Kris' cousin MikeP and cousin-in-law Rachelle. Are they now my cousins-in-law, too? Am I legally any relation to Rachelle? Because that would be cool, if I am. She, and, really, MikeP, are the kind of people you WANT to know, WANT to call friends.

At dinner, MikeP and Kris caught up on the family gossip. Rachelle chimed in a lot during the conversation, which made me realize just how distant I am from Kris' family. He doesn't really do much to change that, he himself not really engaged in his family's lives. I had to think I'm not really engaged with my family's lives, either, with the exception of my Mom and Dad. Even the brothers' day to day happenings I need to hear through one of them.

Good lord, why don't my brothers blog? It would make life so much easier for me.

Zoe was pretty much a charmer. I mean, just look at how happy Kris is to hold her:

No really, he's happy. He just needed a little girl to motiviate him. I asked what he thought about having one, you know, just for fun, to fit in with the rest of our friends, given they ALL HAVE KIDS NOW. Of course, his answer was "nah," but Rachelle picked up on my question immediately.

"She's given lots of people Baby Fever. Better watch out."

Better yet, just hand her back, lest she poops.

Went with Keebler on a hike today. We went up to Coal Wind again, it being a good hike for the dogs, as well as kids. I swear Charlotte is cuter every time I see her. I suspect it's the big brown eyes and the curly blone hair that does it. She's going to be a serious heart breaker when she grows up.

She was quite the trooper, too, running up some of the hills and even walking up one backward for an extra workout.

For the record, I never want to take Kris' dogs on a walk ever again. Gah, those dogs are so freaking ANNOYING. I'm so done with trying to herd them in the correct direction.

On a different note, I met Briscoe, Keebler's new black lab. They rescued him from the pound. He seems to be a fabulous dog.

I didn't think the hike was particularly tiresome or hard, but the dogs did,

Now, here's an example of just how badly I overschedule my life. Just as we were finishing up our hike, I received a text message from David about a HackerDojo space that was open for viewing. Having gone to the last one, and being only one of two people there, and knowing that at least David and Brian were going, I didn't think I needed to go. However, since David asked me to go in his message, I felt it necessary to go. So off I went to meet to agent who was showing the space.

With two dogs in the car.

Unable to find parking in the shade.

I took the dogs with me, and they toured a cavernous 10000 ft2 space with me. The space was awesome, but so unfinished I worried about the safety of the place. Still, I have to admit, taking two beagles on a real estate expedition is kinda fun.

Not that I'm going to walk those dogs ever again.

Bob and Suzanne were up in the Bay Area this weekend, checking on a friend's family (long story, not mine to tell), and asked if they could stay with me. Ignoring the kabillion times Bob and Suzanne let me stay at their house and the desire to return the favor, I was unbelievably happy to have them stay at Krikitt Downs, my excitement not very well contained.

Suzanne has asked for suggestions for dinner. I had made a suggestion for a Malaysian restaurant I had never been to, but a couple joining us whom I hadn't met yet suggested an Afghan restaurant about a mile from my house, the restaurant, oddly enough, I wanted to originally suggest, but didn't. I don't know why I didn't, but I was happy to go.

Life happens, making Bob and Suzanne a little late, which worked out wonderfully for the six of us at dinner with the Dillers. Bea's aunt and Peter, were both early, allow Kris and I a few minutes to catch up with them before everyone else showed up. When Bob and Suzanne arrived, we were all BFF.

As much as I miss my friends, I have to admit that I enjoy the stories they have to share when we meet up: stories that are new and fun because I wasn't there to experience them in the first place

Take for example, Bob's current volunteer project: he teaches the application of science concepts to a class of fourth graders. Here's this Caltech grad, who knows a lot about just about everything in science (let's say 46 science subjects, the 47th being one too many), and can explain any of it in such a way that you understand it. That holds true even if "you" are a fourth grader.

I wish I had had Bob teaching me science in fourth grade.

He's currently working with them discussing the possibility of a manned spaceflight to Mars. He has his class thinking about all the things that have to happen to make that possible. The kids divide into groups to tackle the logistics of different parts of the mission: from lift-off to survival to investigation to return. dealing with air, food, water, recycling nutrients and wastes, etc. The lesson is about the application of science and rational thought in creative ways so different from the "memorize this fact" sort of scient learning that is so overwhelming in today's education. How to problem solve has to be the best skill to have, and the worst one taught.

Bob's class named their ship a great name: "Beyond." See? Ten year olds can be creative and brilliant when asked.

Bob happliy told us a new story tonight, too. A group of Techers were together doing something or other they weren't suppsed to be doing (a bonfire maybe?), when the police showed up. Most everyone left, but one person stayed behind. He was told to disperse by teh police officer, and yet refused to leave. When the officer threatened to arrest him if he didn't disperse, he still didn't leave. He was arrested. When asked by the court why he didn't disperse, he commented, "One person can not disperse."

The charges were dropped.

I love Bob's stories.