Five years ago this day I awoke at 4:30 AM with the millions
of my fellow Angelenos, as we all experienced the "Northridge"
earthquake. I described that day here;
three days afterwards I made my already-planned Los Angeles
exodus, driving all the way Back East where I'd live `Inside
the Beltway' for three more years. I've since returned to the
Golden State, where the living is easy. Unfortunately they don't
find California's charms all that alluring; things would be
even better if friends & family would follow me out here.
Or maybe not. Sometimes I forget about the positive
aspects of family far away. The situation with
my brother J's Big Letter continues to develop. He's
allowed me and now N to review it prior to his
delivery to our parents - I've been reading N's
lengthy responses, and interjecting my own thoughts
into the fray. Several years ago (just a few months
before the earthquake) after having J and N review
it, I myself sent my father a heartfelt, desperate,
multi-page Email, hoping for breaks-through in
communication and positive change. My experience
with the result, which I tried to express to J, was
that these emotional Email-bombs are too temporal
to cause much effect except some hurt feelings. (They
read it and get upset, compose and fire off a
response; then forget everything and move on.)
J has to get this off his chest, but for
my own serenity it's my (perhaps futile) intention
to not fully engage with this latest episode of
family stress. N turns a nifty phrase with his comment
that stopped-up un-dealt-with feelings are like "...mental
baggage too large for the overhead compartment."
At work many hours this weekend, most of which
I'm not billing since I feel guilty about screwing
around so much pre-Europe, when I should've been
focusing on this problem - with a sudden end-of-month
deadline announced, desperate efforts were
required - I'm glad to report that I finally
have a solution, found within small knots of
sloppy code, sure signs I've located the damage
point of this feature, which has been characterized
by the users as "that never works." It does now.
Late afternoon yesterday I cruised around the freeways down to
SCB <1> watching
the mountains of the Diablo Range off in the distance - low flying
clouds were passing between the mountains. I located the
non-descript multiplex-cinema and bought my ticket for "Babe:
Pig in the City" and joined the sparse and mostly very young
audience, and we only got one preview, for "Patch Adams". I
initially covered my eyes, since its cloying premise
nauseates; but then watched so I'd know. Dr. Mork?
Please - I think I'd like a second opinion. On the
other hand, "Babe" was great, much better and more
amazing than the original. The City itself was
wonderful, a composite.
Out-Patient Status