Stayed up wayyyy too late last night chatting with friends n stuff - went to bed watching an old movie on tv. Slept in - woke up to NASCAR. Putzed around the house, doing a few chores, shaved (well, partially - gonna grow a goatee) - then drove out to Vienna for a bike ride.

It was such an amazingly beautiful Fall day - all the leaves were in full color. The temperature was in the low 70s - wore short bike shorts. Managed to do a 45 miler on the Annandale loop. Came home, showered and had grilled BBQ chicken, salad n stuff.

Gonna make pumpkin soup tomorrow - need to find my recipe (will eventually post it on my cookblog).

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What a WONDERFUL fall day! My favorite time of the year.

Work went smooth with a new series of exciting projects - was a dull cloudy/rainy day - but very colorful with the leaves changing to orange, yellow, et al.

Went on a delightful 36 mile bike ride - very cool breeze, leaves all around. I was basking in the glory of it all. Ran a few errands and then came home to carve my pumpkin.

What took me about 2 hours start to finish - I was able to salvage a lot of pumpkin, saved for the pumpkin soup and/or pumpkin pie I will make over the weekend.

This pumpkin looks a little maddening - very evil. But perfect for Halloween. I enjoyed the time carving it.

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Was nervous getting back to work today - turned out to be less than painless - even little drama. Seems that the week for the staff went well. I was relieved. Day passed by without any stipulations. Got off work and went on a really beautiful 36 mile bike ride. It was oh-so-Fall-like.

Came home, basked in domestic bliss of simple chores, then decided to get a little Halloween festive. I created a quick template stensil for the Pumpkin I'm going to carve tomorrow night (a pumpkin soup recipe will follow). Click on my silly stensil and it will open a new browser window - you can print it out and use it as a stensil to carve yer pumpkin (use the side of a pencil lead to rub on the backside of the stensil to transfer - then tape the stensil to the pumpkin, and trace using a ball point pen - the marks will transfer for you to carve). Enjoy!

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Had a last day off work - was going to stay an extra day at the lake house, but I had scheduled a job interview. Glad I did. Was a great day to just putz around and prepare for the interview (which went extremely well). Was another beautiful Fall day. Took in a 36 mile bike ride in the late afternoon - was oh-so-nice.

I made a superb dinner - Linguini with a Crab and Mussles in a Rosemary Garlic infused butter broth. (recipe will eventually be in my cookblog).

I'm not looking forward to going back to work tomorrow - I have Sunday night anxiety tripled, since I've been off for the majority of the week on vacation. Will take it in stride, though - we have a new project which will prove to be exciting.

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(backlogged on 10/26 - out of town)
Woke up after a night of really odd dreams ranging from bizarre scenarios involving late night coffee conversations about Golem and technology in a series of diners in New Jersey combined with sexual trysts with nymphomatic asian phychophants. I woke up at the point in the dream when I smelled coffee brewing - during a dreamscape of my soon to be dentist discussing the psychology of teeth.

Coffee was brewing - I had to get going from my parent's lake house. Packed up and said farewell. Drove home in a strange misnomer of the Fall weather listening to the end of the Mickey Spillane "I, Jury", book on tape. Took me 5 hours to drive home - two stops. The day was quite beautiful - I opened up my moonroof.

Came back, unpacked - dealt with mail, et al. I had a penchant to take a bike ride. Decided I was going to do something close - too much driving today. Decided to do the the bike trail of Fairfax County Parkway - it was too short and too shitty. Too much glass, too much gravel....and all the stops were at huge ass intersections - 5 minute interval light changes, and the damn pedestrian (which there none) lights were non-functional. I hated that ride. Ran a few errands, including the bike store - had to get a new set of tires...yes, TIRES (not tyres). Laughs. I had worn thru the ones that came with my "new" bike - well after 6,000 miles - gotta replace them. Not cheap though. Came home, made dinner, replaced tires, et al....had to refit myself on the bike (even a fraction of a milemeter can throw off my cadence). I'm finally home - relaxed, replete with beer and a time to finally upload all this text.

***listens and hums Everything

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(backlogged on 10/26 - out of town)
Had a task at hand, helped my dad install a floor for the wet bar in their new lake house (it's so new, the finished basement needs to be "finished". We spent the majority of the morning and early afternoon installing this tile floor. My knees were sore from kneeling all day - even though I had duct taped left over foam (from pulling up the carpet) to my jeans. It was a funny sight - I had those improvisational knee pads on - and tissue paper in my ears - as ad hoc hearing protection (photo soon to appear).

Finished up - and drove out to take a bike ride. It was actually warm out. After a few failed attempts to find a new bike route for the ride - I stumbled across a schweet find at bequest of a Sheriff I talked to at the state park - route 735. It was a very nice ride - rolling hills. All cows staring at me, sunset over the hills and mountains. I cam back very satisfied. And exhausted. Came back to the lake house - showered and joined my parents for dinner at a local restaurant. The rest of the evening was almost serene - just relaxing.

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(backlogged on 10/26 - out of town)
Got up early, primped myself into almost a suit - full regalia for my neice's Christening. Drove with my parents from the lake house to the church (an hour) for the Christening - it was a really amazing ceremony. I have not been to a church service in years - what an odd reminder of how ...um..ODD it is. Granted, my brother's church is incredibly liberal, in fact - almost too down to earth for me to fathom joining (gasp!). I was still struck by all the formality of it all. Not to mention for the reason we were there. I was proud as an uncle to be involved as a witness to the event - or rather custom. Made me think too much. And what it meant. It obviously meant more for the parents and the family. My neice - who still has a soft skull, cannot think for herself. All she "thinks" is "I need boob!...I am HONGRY!..." "Whaaahhhh! I soiled myself....clean me...." and "what are you making a messed up face for?" So now she is a Christian - unbeknownst to her. (get them hooked while they are young). All kidding aside - I found out this day that I was never Christened (only one in my immediate family that wasn't). Still wondering about that - and why.

Anyhoo, afterwards - I made an attempt to have a formal picture session with the entire family. Proved difficult and challenging with 15 adults and seemingly twice that in children under 10. But since we were all gussied up - and it was a fall day - perfect kinda day to take pics in front of an Ivy Leaguesque setting. It was quick - hopefully all smiled...will find out next week when I develop them.

We went to my brother's mansion and had a lengthy reception - great food! Lotta kids running around, in formal wear wanting to jump on the enclosed (totally wet and full of leaves) trampoline all hopped up on sugar - ADD whining of Gameboy this, Pokemon that...arrRRRggg (does my best Charly Brown impression). I took more pictures, chatted with all the family, the minister, then we all said our farewells.

Drove with my parents back to the lake house (another hour) I was hankering for a bike ride. Afterall, I missed taking one Saturday.

I geared up and drove away from the lake to an area pocketed with old country roads. I parked (ironically) in a church parking lot. Changed into my bike shoes, assembled bike (with many onlookers wondering - what the H-E-L-L is this?). I biked up and down a series of these roads - basically putting together about a 20 mile ride. It was definately hilly - and backroadish. Beautiful countryside, sans the confederate flags, trailer homes with Bud cans littering their properties. I encountered a nasty dog on the way back - I musta wizzed by him on the way down past the airstrip going 45mph...but huffing it back up.....this dog...growled and showed teeth. He circled me 6 times ready to chomp my leg...I said "NO!" he backed away - was odd. He was both wagging his tail and growling at me. Damn ambivalent south - like people driving Volvos with a gun rack. Finished my ride, and then drove back to the lake house. On the way, I came .00000001 inches of hitting a deer that lept in front of me. Came to a skidding halt as the last hoof hit my bumper.

Hung out with the folks for a bit making dinner n such - we all fell asleep to tv. Exhausted.

One odd thing about this church experience - was the sermon, delivered by this young guy - with a goatee. It was fantastic how liberal, unconditional and welcoming it was. Down to earth - "...we are all here together, under god - let's make the best of this...lt's hope the Redskins win today...." kinda delivery. Ironically, it was precluded by this woman who did this quip with all the children - the children's sermon (before they were all excused to go to the equivalent of bible school). It taught the children how to be "tolerant" - and warm with all people..all god's children and people - including those who are white, black, brown, yellow, red........ I sat there in the chapel - looked around. Of all 100+ people, not ONE person of color. It was all white. No asians, not one african american, et al. I was speechless in my mind. Then I figured it out when the latter part of the service included a 20 minute almost corporate boardroom presentation by this anal retentive woman "reminding" the congregation of their duty to god - that between 5-10% of their annual income was expected to fulfill their entry to the gates of heaven or some bs.... If I wanted to join that congregation, hell - I'd have to make a decision whether I wanted to make a second car payment or join heaven. OY VAY!

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