If I told you what it takes
to reach the highest high,
--PT
For twenty Chanukahs, Rabbi Yosef Langer has been lighting a giant menorah in Union Square. Bill Graham built the menorah, and his organization and family continue to support its lighting. Robin Williams, Carlos Santana, Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and a handful of local politicians and celebrities also contribute their support. I arrived on Christmas Eve to eat latkes and watch the Rabbi light the last candle. In honor of Jerry Garcia, the Grateful Yids sold T-shirts.
Before the lighting, I visited some of the local stores and hotels to work off the latkes. I stumbled upon a Victoria's Secret at the St. Francis Hotel. From what I could tell, they weren't selling secrets. (In retrospect, maybe they were and the problem was that I was not buying.) The "4 for 2 Sale" intrigued me, but I couldn't find anything in my size, so I left disappointed. Maybe I would do better in a "Victor's Secret" store.
Before lighting the candles, the Rabbi praised Jerry Garcia, read a letter from his widow, and happily danced to the Dead tune that the band played. I joined hundreds of others and lit a candle. I suspected that most of the celebrants were not Jewish, but they all seemed to enjoy the music and candles. Free music and candles must transcend religious differences.
You'd laugh and say 'nothing's that simple.'
--PT
Early in the new year, I went to the San Jose Auto Show in search of ideas for a new car. I couldn't convince the Lamborghini dealer that I would not consider buying his car without at least sitting in the driver's seat. He barely acknowledged me, so I wandered over to the Oldsmobile section for more attention. A gentleman inquired about my interests. "Captain, I would like a Cutlass," I replied. "What kind of Cutlass?" he followed. "Veal Cutlass," I finished. He was not amused. I guess he must have missed that Little Rascals episode.
But you've been told many times before,
Messiahs pointed to the door,
And no one had the guts to leave the temple!
--PT
That weekend, Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu ba made one of his periodic visits to the Bay area. We met at Mr. Mike and Denise's place up in the forest. Digital Duke was there as well, and it occurred to me that the only times I see Mr. Mike and him are when either Cube or the Grateful Dead are in town. We talked about the good old days in Burton House, and the new world order in the Bay area. Mike did his usual wonderful job in the kitchen, and we all enjoyed a great dinner.
I also had a great time playing with Mike's 2-year old son, Sam. I was sorry to miss his birthday party during the summer; he has grown a lot since I last saw him. His two furry friends, Jane Doe, and Buck Naked were new additions since I had last visited. Being rabbits, they are apparently enjoying the delay caused by the veterinarian's lengthy neutering schedule.
I'm free-I'm free.
And freedom tastes of reality.
I'm free-I'm free,
And I'm waiting for you to follow me.
--PT
As Napoleon said at Waterloo, "This is it!" Growing commitments in the community, and a rapidly worsening commute led me to find a job closer to home. Also, I found out that Pacific Bell is the least productive phone company; since I couldn't possibly work any harder, I figured the only thing I could do to increase productivity would be to leave.
Soon, I will be designing the user interface for a startup company that produces a laptop computer for doctors to use in clinics. The doctors will use this device to enter and maintain patient information such as diagnoses, prescriptions, and family history. Silicon Valley is renowned for startup companies, and I figure this is the time to take the plunge, while I still have time to recover if it doesn't work out.
My Pacific Bell buddies were very excited for me. Both my project group and the Human Factors group took me out to lunch. If I knew I would get free food out of quitting, I would have resigned earlier!
I will miss many things at Pacific Bell. The ducks and the people. Telecommuting on Fridays. The cafeteria and the gym. The mail robot that blocks the exit to my cubicle and the automatic blinds that block out the shade. Playing voice mail tag and listening to the indirect reports to the direct reports. Taking daily readings on the nonsense meter and noting the number of days since new development. Collecting the monthly distributions of T-shirts, pins, pads and other junk. All the free exercise I get hiking from the parking lot to my office, to the cafeteria to get ice, and trying to find a working photocopier. Changing offices and writing down the serial numbers on my computer every few months. Getting on the list to be eligible for computer repair. Working in Dilbert's birthplace.
The night of my last day at Pac Bell, I will take a redeye to the Caribbean to go scuba diving. I have been planning this trip for several years, but trips to NY kept getting in the way. For my trip, my old EVA rescue pal Captain Curt generously loaned me a Lycra suit. He said it would keep me from getting sunburned when I go diving, but I think he just wanted me to look silly on the beach. We had the chance to catch up a bit when I went to pick it up and he told me about the latest happenings at NASA. Reminiscing, he noted that the space station astronauts will be wearing a rescue device that benefited from our one small step all those years ago. Also, I had a swell time playing with his kids.
Stay tuned to hear about my trip.
