WWC

Glass

Stone

Bonus Shots

Finding the Family Tree

So, the cosmic spirit is coming full circle in an odd sort of way.

Not too long ago I talked about googling my dad to get his address. And when I did that, as I mentioned in the post, I saw a bunch of stuff about my estranged Grandfather. The man I never met, and the man my father hasn't seen, heard from, or really mentioned for 60 years.

Well, Saturday I talked to my dad in the morning and he said he was going to meet someone for lunch and he would tell me about it when he got back.

The person he went to see was his first cousin on his dad's side of the family.

Apparently she called him out of the blue because she was in town and wanted to meet him.

It has been 61 years since they last saw each other. My dad was 4.

But when they walked into the restaurant they recognized each other immediately. He looks exactly like his father, she looks exactly like her mother. My dad remembers his Aunt even though he hadn't seen her since he was 4.

So, they talked for three hours. She told my dad all about his Father, his Grand Father, and even about his Great Great Grandfather.

The conversation was like they had seen each other every week, natural, and easy.

They want to have a family reunion this summer. And she is somehow going to set it up so that my dad can call and talk to his father today (Sunday)

Imagine that, after over half a century, he will talk to his dad.

He's excited.

I never knew that my father missed his father. Or that there was that "empty" space in his life.

It was sooooo cool to hear the excitement and anticipation in his voice.

So, the cosmic ball is a roll'n.

And I can't wait to see what will happen next.

But hopefully, if all goes well, there will be a family reunion in Ohio this summer and we will get to meet our family for the first time.

I can't even imagine how strange it will be to meet complete strangers that look, sound, and act like we do.

I'll keep you all posted as things happen.

Strange huh?

Happy Peeeple

I work in a hectic, deadline driven environment. One in which most of my co-workers are either tackling, solving, or digging up problems. It's the nature of a software implementation. We are combining multiple divisions, multiple methods, personalities, styles, techniques, philosophies, etc.

Through it all, no matter how bad it gets, it seems that the group manages to keep spirits high, stay friendly, goal minded, and for the most part, positive.

And everyone has learned to develop pretty thick skin.

People will yell, rant, ask the impossible, and leave patting each other on the back and laughing.

The only thing that perplexes me is the total lack of "personality" in the majority of the work spaces. At most there might be a picture of a kid and a coffee mug. Other than that, nothing, nada, zilch, zero.

If it weren't for the presence of name signs and a monitor turned on you wouldn't even know someone worked at most of the cubes.

Our cubes aren't temporary. Neither are the employees.

Some are consultants, but they are long term consultants, like, years worth of consulting.

Anywhoodle, why am I babbling about this?

Well, I had been away for three weeks. We moved to a brand new area while I was gone. As soon as I got in on Monday I set up my work area.

My boss (who is located in a different building) came over to visit. As she came around the corner I hear:

"Oh, I knew I could depend on Newt to have the happy cube, everything else around here looks like a morgue"

Is it the IT world? I'm new to geekdom. I just can't figure out the sparseness. I mean, we are at work more than we are awake any where else. Why woudn't you want a happy place to work.

So, this is my happy place, and apparently the one ray of sunshine among a sea of nothingness.

Don't I have the prettiest puppies in the world?

***

This weekend the hubster and I are going to go to Como Conservatory. Drink in some green, some moisture, some heat. We can't wait.

Too high

Here is a vlog of the onramp in Austin that scared the bezeebus out of me.

WWC

First, let me say I had way too much fun with this weeks WWC - as the multitude of pictures will prove.

And I discovered that I now see the world through the WWC. I was heading back to the hotel in Austin when I had to veer into a parking lot, pull over, and run over to the railroad tracks. Wood and Metal. So there I am, standing on the side of the road taking pictures of tracks in a dress and high heels. Who does that?

Metal

metal graveyardmetal angel
metal seat

Wood

Wood and Metal Wooden shop of a metal worker

metal arbor
wood arbor

Images of Austin

Umlauf Sculpture Garden

View of Downtonw Austin from Zilker Park

Zilker Botanical Garden

PFC #1

Brought to you by the amazing, wonderful and fabulous REH!




It was a damn leaf. Of all the stupid things.

My mother said I was easily distracted. I never realized how right she was. Not until it was too late.

I had been doing what all young men do. I had been showing off. There was this girl, she was so beautiful. And she was watching me from the balcony of her home.

She didn't live in a nice place. It was run down, what mom always refers to as an eye sore. But with her standing there, leaning over the balcony rail, she made that building the most beautiful one on all the islands.

I ran from one end of the beach to the other. I jumped over the rocks, I splashed in the water. I was on top of the world.

And then, mid run I spotted a leaf. What a curious thing to find here. There were only palms for miles around. What could a leaf be doing here.

I bent down to marvel. Maybe add it to my collection of things. Snips and snails and puppy dog tails and all that.

With the roar of the waves I never heard him coming. The dune buggy. And he never saw me. He was jumping a ridge of sand. I was bent down low cradling my new found treasure.

Now, I will never know her name. I had hoped she would find me irresistible, I was hoping she would want to get to know me. That playful young man on the beach so full of life and spirit.

I never suspected for a moment that I would leave an imprint on her mind. That sometimes at night she would wake screaming. Screaming for the boy so playful but no longer filled with life.