Health note

Cholesterol is 170, with LDL under 100 and HDL over 45. Triglyceride levels are also in check. What is your lipid health?

I am fully convinced that this health status is the result of my Omega-3 overload that I've been enjoying for the last 3 years. There is magic in bottles!

Health status at this very moment is questionable. I spent the morning serving LAEP families mimosas and drinking a healthy amount of sparkling wine myself. I came home at 2 and slept until just a few moments ago. I have to find my second wind as I have a bar to show up to at 8:30. I should go outside and walk around a little bit. My blood feel like molasses.

Making up for lost time; cholesterol

I have been more or less off school for the last week. Our final review was last Thursday from 10am-3pm. The day was hot and steamy and so we suffered in agony in Wurster's ground floor lobby while being jabbed and made fun of by local Bay Area design personalities. It was a fitting end to a rather ridiculous 8 week project that focused on the UC Berkeley West Gate.

Since then I have been under forced bed rest. My only diversions have been exercise and shopping activities. I had to go back to studio last night to move all my crap back home. It took nearly 4 hours to clean up and vacate, and boy was it PAINFUL. My car was FULL of junk I keep at studio, including a toaster oven and several changes of clothes I found tucked away in the back of my desk.

Tonight I ate at a Louisiana-cuisine place on Shattuck. Now I have indigestion. I ordered the fried catfish. I guess my body isn't used to deep fried food and simply doesn't want to process it. My stomach has been churning away since I ate nearly 6 hours ago.

Tomorrow I have a doctor's appointment where I will receive test results for my cholesterol levels. We will see if my lipid level health has been maintained by the Omega-3 regimen I've been on since early 2006 (5 huge capsules of fish and flax oil EVERY morning). Last year my LDL dropped by 20-30 points under this diet treatment. I am hoping that things will be along the same lines this year. I've been touting this diet secret for a few years, but I have sparse evidence to back up my claims.

When I post next I will likely be in Portland. I begin work in one week there am excited to be near my awesome family unit.

Landscape and Dragons

As of tonight, I have put one of my final projects into its rightful and deserved grave. Nonetheless (is that one word?), there are still 2 beasts to wage axe battles against before May 15.

I notice my choice of vocabulary is going a certain way...

In other news, I am a bit soured by the political developments. I hope that Oregon gives Hillary a victory. I would be satisfied if that happened, and then she can drop out. We will see. If either of them showed up to one of the rallies on a bicycle, they'd get Portand's vote in a heartbeat. I should do political consulting on the side.

Joseph Ivan Karash (Feb 22, 1912-May 2, 2008)

My grandfather, who I have not seen since 1991, has passed away in Wickliffe, OH.

Monkey biznass

I've officially turned into a monkey. A CAD monkey, to be more specific.

Working in CAD is pretty maddening. I've heard it before, but it will make you crazy. My latest battle has been with with scaling viewports and editing embedded xrefs. Yes, it is THAT exciting!

At least I am surrounded by people that can help me when I am in a pinch. A huge project, which I got an extension for last week, is due in the next couple days. Therefore, I have assumed my banana task and have gotten behind the monitor with willingness. However, tomorrow is Derby Day, so this monkey may have to go to Tim and Danielle's house to watch the pony race shortly past 2pm.

In other news, life at Wurster is getting difficult to stand. My students are getting flaky so prof and I instituted a student-led review session for all the readings in the course. They are probably cursing at us, but they are still getting off pretty easy. Three people are assigned to each article; in between themselves they are responsible for presenting a 1-2 minute synopsis of the article when we meet next Thursday.

My stepdad's mother is about to die. That's really sad. Poor Bruce. Anyway, there's a lot of issues going around. And presently, I add to the woe as I am still unemployed.

Current Grove Street status: people across my interior block are having a party and you men are yelling expletives. Our downstairs neighbors Christopher and Jeffrey are also moving to San Rafael. I overheard Jeffrey talking about it to the neighbors earlier today.

Visual camp out

As promised.....paintings are annotated so there are no labels.














Here Joe McBride is telling us about all the vegetation and geology around us.
























I thought this one was fitting to end the entry. Joe McBride is our hero.