http://flickr.com/search/?&q=snow&m=text&s=rec&b=-71.460914,42.218206,-70.684318,42.428018&a=7&d=posted-19700111-:taken-19700101-

http://flickr.com/photos/hybernaut/123760065/

http://www.hollyc.com/murraycreeksnowstorm/index.html

"Snow is a four letter word,
no is the only part of the word that I heard, 
call me morbid or absurd"

(boston+snow)

**update 2005-11-1: ** In fairness to Boston, every day since has been stunningly beautiful, sunny and 70 degrees. Supremely odd weather to have after getting several inches of snow.

As may or may not be obvious from my recent posts I am not currently writing PHP for a living. You can read the press release for background, to which I can add that I’m understandably disappointed.

But also excited. Excited about the future open source incarnation of the Groundspring toolset. Excited to be keeping busy brainstorming new ways to make trouble with some of my favorite people (more on that soon), and contracting out as RoR slinger for an old friend.

And it’s finally Spring in Boston! Life is good. Thats the update.

(update: bah! after a week of 68 degree weather I had to tempt fate, and now it’s snowing)

http://www.boston.com/news/weather/gallery/readers_snow_photos/

Apartments

A bit more conventionally, and a bit more expensive, we’re debating a nice place we saw in one of the faux brownstones on Lakeville.

Still if you’ve got any tips for nice apartments for 2, pondside in JP, let us know.

Plans

I’m also thinking of reviving my “Programming 101 with PHP” tutorial I did for Ruckus Tech Camp, and turning it into a class at the JP Free Skool if anyone would be interested. Maybe in exchange for someone offering some Photoshop classes? I don’t know, its a thought.

Mostly I’m just hunkering down, and surviving a hard core case of jet lag, which seems to more existential then physical and planning what comes next.

Last week Jasmine and I caught the breath taking ferry ride from Anacortes to Orcas Island in the San Juans. We spent almost exactly 24 hours on the island, but if time had allowed, would gladly have stayed the week. Our first day over was crisp, and clear, the air so clean and fresh everything seemed to gleam. I tried to capture it on film, but alas my camera seemed unsusceptible to the glory of the day. The snow clouds rolled in over night, and the second day was one of quiet, a muffled peace laying on the land. Winter is the off season for Orcas (and our incredibly cute, hundred year old little cabin, with hot tub, and sea kayak was priced accordingly), but I can’t imagine a more appropiate season to expirence the islands in, the dark green of the pines, cedars and ferns contrasting with the white snow, the blue grey sky, blending with the green grey sea, and a distinct lack of tourists. (except us) The only draw back is the peak of Mt. Constitution, which is supposed to be an amazing view of the islands, was very closed do to heavy snow fall.

Orcas Island, December 2003

My one question, where did they find a snow shovel in Los Angeles?

(It was pointed out to me that as I’ve been the proud owner of a digital camera since Xmas, I should take pictures of such things. At first I thought, “Who wants to remember snow?”, but then I realized I need the pictures for next time I leave New England….. on why not to move back. So next time, before it gets all nasty, icy, and gray, pictures!)

Chicago is a Hollywood re-make of Dancer in the Dark.

So besides my fumbling attempts to find a rationale for spending $300 on one of the new 12in Brothersworker doll (I like Smart in Grey), life is very good indeed.

• White Queen by Gwyneth Jones, ~$12
  Attlebery said many flattering and intriguing things about this book in Decoding Gender. Though I’m also skeptical as he had many flattering things about Kress who I personally can’t understand how she ever got published.
• Clamor subscription, ~$20
  Because Zmag is boring, and the Nation has swung way way right.
• Apple IBook, ~$1200
  I’ve got my reservations, but my Vaio is not long for this world, and I can feel myself being seduced by a laptop with a decent battery life, that runs a Unix that can run Photoshop.
• Rivendell Bike, ~$2300
  The best, best looking, custom, hand built bicycles around. Some people have cars, I want a bike.
• Nice, 3 story, 1920s Victorian on College Ave, near Davis Sq., ~$550,000
  Its a great deal, I’m sure, the house looked gorgeous from the outside.
• My library as ebooks, ~$????
• The X-Files as written by Italo Calvino or Dostoevsky, $24.95

Which is to say, I guess I don’t really want anything

update: dean, dru, and mark and have all published their wishlists.