OK, all is well...

Keir is back!!!

2004-12-17T11:24:00.000-08:00

I bet you didn't expect to see a new post! Well, the quarter is over and all the stress and time that goes into academics is over for the next two weeks while the holiday rumbles through. One thing that is nice about school is that you don't have to tell anyone what is going on because its always the same. (I had class today, a test the other day and some homework due tomorrow.)

Joy and I will be heading south on the 22nd for a pit stop in SLO then on to Chino Hills for some balmy So. Cal. relaxation. Not sure of specific plans but we will be going back through SLO to spend some time with my parents. We'll also try to catch William at a lull in Amoeba's hectic business.

We'll be lurching back into the grind again in early Jan but I hope things won't be as hectic. We'll be moving to another place at the end of February because our lease is up then...maybe we can extend it if we are lucky (joke).

Well, all I have to do is put some finishing touches on my term paper then start cracking the beers as I head into a weekend of lazy TV watching and beer drinking. I will try to get some football in...maybe watch a whole game!

Update

2004-10-20T10:39:00.000-07:00

Notice: Keir is very busy with academic stuff and has so much reading that he is going nuts! You will have to forgive him for his absence from the blog...he will get the blog bug again and revive the flow.
In the meantime, call or send and email to see how things are going. Go ahead!
-K

Whatever...

2004-09-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

So I am told to claim a desk and a computer in a remote trailer on the UCDavis campus. When I arrive to do so, I am greeted with standard welcome and I arrange to have a desk and a computer. Allseems good. Then, over the course of a week, I find that among the several unused computers in the area that the three speudo-staff people (all former grad/undergrad students who have not ventured from the funding of CSTARS) like to commandeer my new workspace and do random stuff here. I think they specifically like that I have put in a lamp, relocated the noisy computer below the desk and they seem to want to demonstrate to me that I moved in on 'their' property. Like many I am used to having my own workspace with the privacy of it not violated by random loggers-on. Plus, with other space available and other computers available, would it not be courteous to allow me some room? I suppose if things get out of hand, I can take it up with higher-ups but for the time being I will allow the natives to get accustomed to me...maybe they will relinquish some of whatever they are trying to protect. Man, this sounds like something out of Dilbert!

Getting back up to speed

2004-09-23T09:52:00.000-07:00

Hi Y'all,
I am getting back into the swing of updating my blogs. you may have seen the new pics on Buzznet. It will be awhile before I can get newer ones up but hang in there.
I have to say I am leaning a bit away from getting my photos printed and on CD because it costs almost 2.5X as much to do it that way than to get double prints. I may save the $ and buy a scanner. Afterall I typically only post a few pictures of the many I take. And the quality of the pictures on CD is pretty low.
I am several days back from a trip to the Sierra Nevada. William and I tackled two entry points into the eastern side of the Sierra (from Owens Valley). Those being Sawmill Pass and Taboose. We went in Sawmill and out Taboose. Taboose is primitive..or at least most like the path to Mordor that Frodo and Samwise took. Sawmill was very nice albeit long and challenging.
William has some great photos posted....see his site (sixsquare.com). Others will appear time permitting. Mom, did a solo trip into the North Fork territiory of Big Pine Creek while we were doing that trip. She also was critical to getting back to civilization when we exited at Taboose.

On campus again

2004-09-14T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I make an entry for the first time from my lodgings on campus at UC Davis. It has been a tough move but what move isn't. We will be living in an apartment for the next few months and starting a search for a place to buy. Maybe a house, maybe a duplex. We'll see.
I have heard all sorts of news from others like PArley (all the flooding and such), William (the relations with the degenerate boss) and Dayle (her 30th birthday bash coming up). Plus Stephen and Karen are waiting to take possession of a home in Seattle! Good luck to them.
I will be more interactive as things settle down here and we get situated properly. School starts for me in two weeks and I am looking forward to the activity to keep my mind occupied.

Moving now...

2004-09-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, we are moving on Weds and are packing atruck tomorrow...and it is the hottest day on record in SLO! Typical.
I have a bunch of photos to post of our honeymoon (3 years after the wedding). However, Buzznet has changed my account and its layout so much in the last few weeks that I have to relearn how to use them... In the meantime, imagine tropical beaches and sunsets...it was great. I will post when i get to Davis.
I will also post some contact information so I can hear from anyone who wants to get in touch. Our cell will be the primary phone initially then we'll give the Voice over IP service a shot...that should go hand in hand with our broadband cable internet...
anyway, y'all take care and we'll be in touch soon.
Keir

Big Pine photos complete

2004-08-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

I will post some photos of Mimi's haricut...she had to be tranquilized to get the clippers near her. Aft she wasn't normal for 24 hours...she growled and paced the cage til mom put her away in the Pet Taxi to chill til she came down from her high. she is much more normal now and much lighter without all that hair.

New Pics finally!

2004-08-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

OK, go to my Buzznet Photoblog here and see my next 10 pics. I got some photos of PT and his new 'do. I also posted the first few photos from the Big Pine Creek backpack trip...buzznet cut me off with its 10 picture quota (per day) and 10 more will appear tomorrow.
The cat pics are from last night and the Big Pine photos are from two weeks ago. More to follow and some Grand Canyon pics after that!

Fuel for 'Shark Week'

2004-08-19T13:52:00.000-07:00

"the bite measured about 18 inches across, causing the separation of head from torso"

To quote the coroner I suspect... This is from the story about the diver who lost his head in a shark attack. I always thought you were supposed to stay calm and keep your head! I guess its better to die this way than by shotgun homicide.
Isn't there a movie coming out about some divers lost at sea while sharks swarm and terrify them? Well, now there can be a sequel (based in fact).

On the threshold

2004-08-18T15:40:00.000-07:00

There are two more days of work for me at Firestone Vineyard. Tomorrow (thurs 8/19) and next monday. I am very happy about this. I started packing my office and that really made it feel I am turning a corner. Everything here has a slightly different look to it. I now have a foot out the door and the everyday job details are losing their significance.
I just got back from a 5 day trip to the North Rim of Grand Canyon. It is an 11 hour drive from San Luis Obispo in case you are wondering. That big green strip of shower activity you see over the rockies on the morning national weather maps translates to whopper thundershowers that patrol the mountians and valleys raking the ground with bolts of lightning. Really fun stuff to be in. We sat in our cabin on several occasions with the door ajar watching and listening to the storms approach, unleash then recede. I made my first foray into the canyon from the north side on this trip. The North Kaibab trail starts there and plummets to the depths in short order. At 4 miles into the canyon, you have descended 3,200 feet and the temp rises quickly. In some places the trail is blasted into the sheer rock walls of the canyon. To get through the formidable barrier of the 'Redwall', you walk on a virtual catwalk with towering cliff above and below.
We stayed in the Luxor pyramid on the way to the canyon. It has seen its share of Vegas traffic now that it is 10 or so years old. After my first stay there with Parley, Becca, Liam, Joy and Chrisitan, I have felt the interior falls flat when compared to the exterior. The spa is still nice and the pools are fine. There were plenty of people to watch as they crisped their skin in the 110F heat. That city can be inspiring and discouraging all at once. At this point, I think I can more of less avoid the nuisances and enjoy the nice aspects of the city. I, however, am by no means an expert on that city.
When leaving the canyon I get a powerful urge to visit Zion and Bryce and all the other great park areas in So. Utah. I have to print some photos so check my blog from time to time...I will eventually get some photos there...along with the photos from the last backpack trip.
The next trip is a long overdue honeymoon to Hawai'i...I have never been there. I knew I had to do this trip since I denied a honeymoon to Joy three years ago when we got married and I started my winery career. Fall vacations are non-existent during harvest.
Well, I will now do some reading and take a break and wait patiently for the day to end.

New developments

2004-08-10T07:47:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy week. The highlight was the Boston concert at the CA Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles. It can be really fun to see a band that you have liked for so long. I recall Boston music from the dim corners of my childhood and can still pop in a disc and sing along and have a great time. A big bonus for relative has-been music groups is that they perform at smaller venues and draw long-time fans. The vibe is good.
After 30 years, their sound is still consistent and Delp's voice still has that distinctive ring. It was good to have William along too as he has always liked them. Joy had a great time too even though she is a newbie fan of Boston (perhaps 6 years). We left the concert fully satisfied with the playlist...of course we would have been game for more. Afterwards we had the cornucopia of fair activities to do including checking out the animals. Please check out William's blog for some good pictures. He is infinitely more capable of getting good looking photos onto his blogs than am I.
The next morning after 4 hours of sleep we hit the road to Davis to secure a lease for the coming months. We dealt with this young woman who runs an apartment complex and lives in neighboring Sacramento. She is nice enough but with a brain that moves like molasses on a cold day. She is a self proclaimed fan of "80's butt rock". We weren't sure what she meant by that but think she means bands like Foreigner, Van Halen, 38 special and the like. She also mentioned one of the perks of where we are gonna live was a nearby dirt lot for doing "broadies". Then she realized we have a Honda sedan.
The other reason we went to Davis was to get Joy to a job interview at UCD. The interview went well but you never know what will happen with those things. Well now we do know cuz she was offered the job! And it is a job she wants! So Joy is now the future payroll wrangler for the psychology department at UCD. This is good in many ways but one of the best is that she will be near me on campus and we can meet halfway at the Coffee House for mid-morning refreshment. After a halting summer the fall is looking very good.
I am back at work but will be motoring off to the north side of Grand Canyon Nat. Park tomorrow via Las Vegas. We will stay at the Luxor for a night then move on. The parents set out for Mandalay Bay this morning pre-dawn. Their first experience with the strange glitz that is the Las Vegas strip. At least they picked a winner hotel. We chose the Luxor for the price and that they offered us free gym access too. I think the temps will be 100+.
I saw my boss for the last time yesterday. I can't say I was sad. He is heading off to Hawaii for two weeks. The company is unnecessarily stingy with vacation and sick time but he seems to be allowed to have as much as 2 weeks more vacation than the 'rules' allow. Inequities like that never inspire confidence in company peons like myself. I suppose that is why I have no interest in sticking around. I did however get a 'free lunch' yesterday. I had to talk with the winemakers for the duration but otherwise it was pleasant. I had seafood tacos.
Time for some lab action...check the wine for critters before we ship to the stores and restaurants.

The internet is buggy

2004-08-04T21:24:00.000-07:00

So Firefox (mozilla) puts my profile at the top of my blog...but IE does not. Whatever. Now Blogger displays one picture of Keir Dullea on my blog main screen and a different one (the one I want displayed) when you click to see my whole profile. Why...there is on ly one file listed for the photo.
Whatever.

Profile at the bottom

2004-08-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Why is my profile information at the bottom of my blog? Is it my browser? Do you have to scroll to see Keir Dullea?
-Puzzlin' Profile
-Los Olivos, CA

Handsome mystery man

2004-08-04T08:58:00.000-07:00

In case any of you were wondering, the picture in my profile is Keir Dullea (my namesake). He is 'Dave' in the move 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Joy's toe is doing well, it has toned down from its cherry red stripe appearance to a vibrant raw tuna color. Dad is recovering too...no fractures that he knows of. We are excitedly wainting some DEET alternative info from Parley (thanks Parley). I am doing my best to not scratch my mosquito bites.
I am now on Buzznet (http://keirdavis.buzznet.com) and will be posting photos there. I will try to put a link on my blog to access it easily. I will post photos from the last trip...technology barriers stand in my way. I have photos on a flash memory card and no way to get them off!
The boss took my resignation well but the timing is not to his liking. He leaves for a 2 week vacation next week...that means the other winemaker (if he is around) will have to run the show while I go to Grand Canyon. Too bad for him! I don't expect anyone will make an effort to throw a farewell party. The parties seem to have gone extinct in this company...you'd think at a winery things would be different...oh well. I am not crushed.

Today I quit my job...

2004-08-02T09:29:00.000-07:00

I wasn't sure how I would feel actually telling my boss that I quit. I was quite nervous but it came out as I had hoped. If anyone covets my job, you can now apply with Firestone Vineyard to see if you too can be an enologist.
What is the most difficult part of the process for me is saying farewell to my lab tech. He is a very kind and hard-working guy who is doing what he can to make a decent living in the U.S. I can see he is fighting his cultural tendencies to better adapt and be successful in our culture. But I think he is doing well...he is a mexican immigrant who has citizenship, a home (yes, he bought in CA) and a sharp looking '97 Honda Prelude. If you ask me, it seems he is doing considerably better than I am!
Whatever the case, he seems to respect my opinion on many of his affairs and I do what I can to show him the best way to deal with life's difficulties (mostly pertaining to financial and insurance issues...which can be real p.i.t.a.).
Two weeks til harvest...no more night shift for Keir. That is wonderful.

In other news, I just got back from a backpacking trip along the South Fork of Big Pine Creek. A wonderful basin with textbook examples of High Sierra terrain. I took ~35 digital photos...but how do I host them for others to look at?! Several interesting things happened. On the layover day we day-hiked to Finger Lake which is the color of mint flour (due to glacial till). We could see into the water about 30 inches before the suspended rock obscured the bottom. Hudreds of swallows were skimming the surface eating Cattus flies that were hatching like mad. I guess no fish can survive in the water with all that rock dust...perhaps its like humans breathing volcanic ash. As we hiked above the lake to get better views of the glaciers suspended on the walls above us, Mom spotted 3 people at the summit of Middle Palisade Peak. Not being a mountaineer I figured they had ascended via a ridge but as we watched, they started descending the peak straight down the side at an angle of perhaps 75 or more degrees! We saw them the next day on the way out and they said it took them from 4am til 7pm to 'bag' the peak from Finger Lake. At one point Mom heard a rock falling from where they were on the mountainside...good reason not to climb below others.
Other happenings involved some injuries to both Joy and Dad. Joy, when replacing some tape on her big toe, ripped two thick strips of skin off the bottom....which then gushed blood. I though she had flayed her toe on something in the grass we were sitting on. Later I found the tape with two adhered hunks of what looked like cheese rind on it (gurgle). In a professional panic, I wadded up some toilet paper and stuck it to her toe (where it immediately cemented itself). I scrambled back to camp and retrieved our 1st Aid kit then set about patching up the wound. Fortunately it was on her foot and I was clear of her swinging fists as I poured Iodine on her toe!
Not too much later, as I wondered how cold dad's dinner would get after he wandered off to drop a fishing line in the lake, he comes back into camp with 4 wounds from shin to face, with blodd issuing from them all! He tripped going down some rocks and used his body to cushion the fall. It was pretty gory but he insisted that all was fine....he is going for X-rays of his face to determine if the cheek bone is broken today. I'm not sure if I would be as heroic in my behavior after a fall like that. I suppose it could have been much worse. No need for a rescue effort and the two injured were the 1st and third of our 6 person party to get to the trailhead! So the score was Keightley:2, Langford:0.
Look for another post perhaps with some photos from the trip...

Infomercial

2004-07-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Democratic National Convention is being compared to an infomercial (especially when compared to past conventions that got rowdy...many years ago). Something that struck me as especially odd and disturbing was the enormous electrical banner/sign that was sold as advertising space to Al Jazeera. From my experience, this news source is very critical of the US and appears to rally anti-american support in the islamic community. Whatever the case, someone in the Democratic organization felt this way too and removed the advertising from the sign. I also noticed that the press didn't treat the incident as anything alarming or unusual. However, I have not checked Fox News.
   Well, the two winemakers are away from the winery and the place is mellow and quiet. The calm before the storm...harvest and other things are on the horizon. Stuff that will shake things up.

On another topic, it takes about 4 DVDs to hold ~200 music CDs encoded to 192kbps mpeg files. This I know because my entire CD collection is now an MP3 library. The next step is to link it to my Yamaha via the digital fiber-optic (read no-buzz) link. It will be nice to create a full digital music library. I need to find a good music library program that can sort, create playlists etc...   Anyone have any suggestions.
Just for the heck of it, I will also cover a topic that still has me scratching my head. As some of you might recall I used to drive an unusual car called the Saab 97 (aka the Sonett)

It is a car that seems more kit than production but it had a 4 cyl. V4 manufactured by Ford of Germany (Opel). The body is fiberglass. It is an unusual car to say the least. In general, Saab is a car company that has a small but devoted following. This mainly due to its designs and unique styling. In the last decade, GM bought Saab and began the process of making them more appealing and a useful part of their automotive empire (why?, I have no idea). Well, the cars became boring and unimpressive in performance. Not so anymore, they have decided to take some of the more popular automotive ideas and apply them to the Saab badge. Since Saab has ties to Subaru and of course to Chevrolet, they decided that what the world needs is a pair of new Saabs that need no introduction. Specifically, they re-routed a bunch of Subaru Impreza WRX cars, rebadged them as the all new Saab 9-2X, then they re-routed a bunch of Chevy Trailblazer SUVs and called them the never seen before Saab 9-7 SUV. Just for reference the old Saab 92 looks like this (left) and the new (right).

And the new Saab 9-7 looks like this...not much like the Saab 97 Sonett

What a joke...Saab is now useless. Just a name...kinda like the Jaguar...just another GM car.

South Fork Big Pine Backpacking

2004-07-22T14:09:00.000-07:00

One week from now I will be preparing for a two night trip into the Sierra Nevada up the hill from Big Pine CA. I have been up the trail along the North Fork of Big Pine Creek to visit the lakes and the Palisade Glaciers numerous times. Very beautiful.
This time we (Dad, Mom, Bill and Carol Langford, Joy and I) will be hiking in to Brainerd Lake, staying two nights and exploring the area perhaps up to Finger Lake. Very rugged country but we will stick to trails. No attempt will be made at climbing Mt. Sill or even climbing the glaciers.
Should be nice and I am hoping the mosquitoes have died down. They can be pretty aggravating while out there.

Skywalk

2004-07-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

Exercising their right to develop their land, the Hualapai indians will be building a 60 foot U-shaped walkway that extends out over the brink of the south rim of Grand Canyon. I suppose to give visitors a better feeling for the exposure at the edge of the canyon.
I think they will charge admission (just as GCNP does) to visit the site. It will have a section of glass floor so you can 'float' over the abyss.

Who reads me?

2004-07-21T11:40:00.000-07:00

I shouldn't worry about who reads this stuff but I am sorta curious if anyone reads this...I know Liam does but who else? Will you comment to let me know?
I get the feeling that these entries are not that interesting but you never know...

While I blog away...

2004-07-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

My brother William is shipwrecked while Internetland speeds by. Hostsave is under attack from unhappy (or not) hacker types who have initiated a denial of service (DOS) attack. That means that the host is flooded with a paralyzing amount of network traffic that makes access to its services impossible. This seems to be a relatively lengthy outage...must be tough for the Hostsave customers and those who depend on William's blog to get them through the day (you know who you are).
Meanwhile here at the winery, the grapes are growing and the wine is aging. Today I tasted our soon to be bottled reserve chardonnay...I think it needs no fining (to remove bitter or otherwise objectionable flavors) and as it turns out, so does the winemaker (or is he a Winegrower?). Perhaps I can have a bottle of this stuff to take home with me...would be good to have around.
On another note, I am glad I don't have any life threatening food allergies. One mother (interviewed on NPR) told the story of her son who had a deadly allergy to nuts...he had been habitually eating a certain brand of vending machine chocolate chip cookie. The company changed the recipe but not the ingredient listing and upon eating the cookie, he reacted and died within 15 minutes. The cookie company was found not liable.

Bright Angel Trail Damaged last week

2004-07-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

The main trail from the South Rim Grand Canyon (Bright Angel) was damaged in flash flood...here's some of the damage..

The trail is open to foot traffic now but not to mule traffic yet (how nice!).

Oh, update on the runner death, rangers speculate that the temps in Cremation Canyon exceeded 120F the day she passed away. sizzlin'

Bubba Ho-Tep says...

2004-07-20T08:11:00.000-07:00

OK, so while Bubba is taking care of business in the guest bathroom, he has things to say. For instance:
"Pharaoh gobbles donkey goobers"
"Cleopatra does the nasty"
Unfortunately, he doesn't get the chance to share any more of his potty humor before he is dispatched. The glyphs are pretty good too. You can follow along with the translation and see how he communicated this to Elvis and Co.

Bubba the artist

2004-07-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

     I gotta quote some of the hieroglyphic grafitti that Bubba Ho-Tep writes on the bathroom stall. I guess he has time to share his thoughts while taking tome off from soul-sucking in the Shady Glen Rest home. I will research the grafitti...its something like "The Pharoah eats donkey doodie"...it fits with the movie. When one of the characters translates the glyphs it is arguably one of the funniest moments in the movie.
     No recent news from the GC. Too hot for even the most ignorant of hikers to risk a major hike in the canyon...or news just hasn't reached major newspapers yet. Supposed to be close to 110F in Vegas this week...similar temps to the inner canyon.
     K

Back to work

2004-07-19T08:11:00.000-07:00

OK, been a few days. Had the weekend to finally catch up on sleep and to get some much needed computer time in. Almost done making my mp3 library from my collection of CDs. I will be free to pack up my cds and listen to all my music via my computer (and make cds as needed). Not sure ultimately how useful this will be but I have put plenty of work into it.
So I eliminated the time stamp on the blog...now I have a new blog title...
I also finally got the chance to rent Bubba Ho-Tep. Its a newish movie with Bruce Campbell playing the aging Elvis who teams up with other retirement home folks to kill off an errant egyptian mummy who is preying on doddering old-timers. Bruce and director Don Coscarelli do a good job of making the commentary entertaining. This movie is definitely on its way to cult classic. The portrayal of aged Elvis is the most worthwhile part of the film. Good 'ole Bubba Ho-Tep (the mummy) is not much of a horror.

Songs

2004-07-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

I like Jason Bentley's choice in music. He repeats some of the songs just enough to really enjoy without overplay. I mentioned in another forum that the Sasha remix of the Grand National song on Involver is pretty great. I also really like the Chung King song Voodoo...nifty vocals.
Also, Liam, I like that mix you made (053104.mp3)--got it on my Yepp. Which is the one with the Israeli guy...is that on that disc you gave me?

Posting time

2004-07-14T14:47:00.004-07:00

I am beginning to think it is always 2:47 in Blogger land!

Prior Death in GCNP

2004-07-14T14:47:00.003-07:00

OK, I slipped. I forgot to mention the death of another Grand Canyon visitor recently...a week or so ago. Papillon charter services flies fixed wing airplanes and helicopters over Grand Canyon from Vegas and the South Rim. A helicopter was on its way back from the canyon (to Vegas) when a male passenger detached his seatbelt, opened the door and lept out into the canyon. He fell 4000+ feet to his death. I think they decided it was a suicide. The pilot and passengers were pretty shaken up.
Ouch. Sorry for the morbid story.
On another note, the Las Vegas monorail opened the other day. Maybe I can try it out in August.

Time stamp on entries

2004-07-14T14:47:00.002-07:00

My time stamp on my entries says 2:47pm....not correct...its about 6 hours early!

Blogger is now operational...I think

2004-07-14T14:47:00.001-07:00

OK, now I am up and running on Blogger instead of LiveJournal...I need to direct others to my blog...maybe Liam will change his link so others who use it won't have to think.
'nother long day at work...but I can blog.
News: Stephen Stukovsky got in touch and has a new place in Seattle. A rental but I think they will buy soon. Time to make some plans to visit.

my second first blog...blogger has given me the finger on the first!

2004-07-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

pain in my butt...will it work this time????