Flowers and Voyages

Ordinarily. I leave flower photos to my friend. This morning, however, when I stepped outside, this perfect camellia just begged to be photographed. There are lots of buds on the bush, but it looks like rain today, and that will spoil them. I clipped it, brought it inside, and sat it down for a portrait. I hope to enjoy it all week.

Speaking of week, one week from today, at this very time, I will be flying across the Pacific to visit Mom for about 8 or 9 days. Although I believe spring has come to Sacramento, this weekend is a reminder that winter is not long gone - from high temps in the mid 70s, we dropped overnight to highs in the mid-50s. 80s in Hawaii is sounding pretty good, right about now, as I look out my back door at wind, overcast, and drizzle.

I've been reading Hokule'a's twitterstream, vicariously following along as she sailed to Palmyra. The photos posted on the Polynesian Voyaging Society blog are absolutely stunning! What amazes me, though, is that the Hokule'a is so small on the vast Pacific Ocean. Reading about their thoughts and observations during the voyage is much different from reading narrative accounts after-the-fact. I've especially enjoyed the exchanges between Hokule'a and Kama Hele crew and the children in Hawaii. The crew answers the kids' questions respectfully and with humor. The kids will never forget this experience!

Reprising a Ritual

Time was, I would take the first week of March off and prepare our tax returns. For the past 3 years, we had an accountant do them, but last year, we had a difference of opinion about the correctness of the return. So this year, I'm reprising the ritual. I'm taking this entire week off to submerge myself in piles of receipts, credit card statements, and 1099s.

I've installed Turbo Tax (lazy - received the disc in the mail - or I would have purchased Tax Cut) and have already entered the information from my W-2. the reason I need the rest of the week is to go through Husband's paperwork and codify the financial picture of his business for the year. I hope to surface next weekend having filed both returns, so I can go to Kailua at the end of the month with no worries.

BLMurch's photo used with permission.

Robbery Sucks

This evening on my way home from work, I got a call from Daughter saying she and her friends were robbed at gunpoint while sitting in the park a block from home. Three black dudes were involved - one walked ahead; the other two made small talk and then showed a handgun and asked the kids to empty their pockets, but all they got were the cell phones. Daughter had the presence of mind to remove the sim chip from hers before handing it over. The robbers fled on foot. No one was hurt.

So one of their friends, who pulled up just as the robbers ran away, called the police, and by the time I arrived at the park, the police helicopter was circling, and the Southwood manager was letting the other kids use his cellphone to notify their parents. Parents and cops arrived, took reports, etc., and then we all went home.

Apparently, this is the new crime of choice, and the police advised all the kids that if strangers approach in the park, especially if asking for money or weed, they should immediately LEAVE. I feel vindicated that my warnings about walking about alone after dark proved prophetic, except she wasn't alone, and it wasn't dark! I indulged in a big, fat "told you so!", but feel that Daughter was properly impressed by how unexpectedly and how quickly everything happened, and how vulnerable it made them feel. Especially as her companions were all pretty big guys!

Facebook ...

... t's the new water cooler. And every day, I spot another friend there. Today I added about three "friends" from among people I know from the family or from work, and in addition, I found a Facebook group for the 23 Things summit I'm attending tomorrow.

Facebook is nice, because there are pictures there, a few games and silly "gifts", and also the ability to chat in real time if you happen to be online at the same time as some of your friends. Like e-mail on steroids. It's a great way to share photos and have conversations with friends and family, no matter where they live! Despite the social aspect, whereby all your "friends" can see all your posts to everyone - and theirs to you - it is still possible to have private conversations via messaging.

Most of the co-workers I see every day are on Facebook, as are the children of most of my friends. (Daughter, however, stands by her MySpace account.) My friends and family are getting accounts, one by one, as a way to keep in touch with their kids when the kids leave home, and as a way to seek out former co-workers, classmates, family and friends, and also as a way to contact others in the same line of work or with the same interests.

Facebook nullifies the limitations of distance, and makes it easier to find people in an age when many have given up their land-line phones in favor of cell phones, which have no centralized directory. And if you don't want to be found, just don't accept the friendship request.