Hope and bad weather

You know what I love about living in Seattle? Hope. Hope I say. Unlike other places in our great country (LA, Detroit, D.C.) where hope may not be in strong abundance these days, we Seattle-ites  have hope; we also have bad weather. I’m not sure if these two things are somehow tied together, but what I do know is that we are full of both.

When I moved here 16 years ago, Seattle was spilling forth all the hope and bounty it had to offer. Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks were all sending their products far and wide…disseminating all the hope that Seattle’s potential could support. Even the most popular music of that time (grunge), whilst on the surface seemed full of despair, was full of hope.

Now Amazon is touting its new complex down in the South Lake Union neighborhood (http://www.geekwire.com/2012/detailed-plans-amazons-proposed-downtown-seattle-hq/) and once again it fills me full of hope. Hope that the economy is ready to reassert itself in a way we’ve been desperately needing. Hope that Seattle, after a stutter -step, will continue moving closer to be the city that shows the rest why the Pacific Northwest is so viable. This is the new Gotham; the new Metropolis.

Now if we could just get more decent weather.

40 is the new 18

I remember when I turned 18. I was interested in only a few things. Hell, I was interested in what most 18-year-old boys without a ton of prudence was interested in. Let’s just say it didn’t get me far. Nevertheless, I stand before you today not really any worse for wear.

This year I turned 40, and I have to say I feel pretty fantastic about it. In many respects it has given me an honest sense of being 18 again. How is that you say? Well, for one thing I feel fresh-faced, and ready for challenges. My curiosity level is as high now as it’s ever been. Further, I feel like I have a direction I am pointing toward. My internal compass is showing me a new direction, and I feel like I am ready to take a new track. Of course being introspective is also a driving force in my feeling of newness. The latest decisions I have made are:

• I quit smoking (again): Let’s face it, there is no future in smoking. The funniest thing about my smoking is that I am not addicted to nicotine, I just enjoy tobacco. I have probably been smoking 1-2 packs of smokes a week for about 5 or 6 years now. Time to give it up.
• I have decided to lose at least 50 lbs for good. I mean, really? I am not taking this to the grave with me, nor will I let it take me there either. Time to put up or shut up!
• I have decided that less is certainly more. I will be attempting to apply this principle to my life.
• I will be continuing my creativity, and ramping up to get involved with more artistic/creative/technological endeavors.

Let’s face it…we are here, we live…shouldn’t we reach out for the potential we have, just like when we were in our youth? This time though it seems to make more sense than when I was 18. Go figure!

Absenteeism can hold you back!

Yes this is a true statement, literally as well as figuratively. I realize I have been gone for quite some time,and left my public hanging. I must apologize. Much has happened since my lastpost, so let me string the highlights together, and try to bring you up to date.

May 22:  I was hired and had my first day at PayScale.com

May 23-31:  Basked in the sun in St Petersburg

June 16:  I turned forty (40) WooHoo!!!

There was a bunch of other stuff, but these were the bright points. Having said that, I promise to not only post more here, at Tucker Out and at Dubbed Out, but also to generate more pages of interest right here on CMB!

You know you love me…

Rest In Peace Robert ‘Bob’ Harrison

Someone I love’s father passed on today. It all happened so fast, and at the same time it didn’t. He was 68 years old; far younger than a man should be to be faced with his own mortality. Bob was a family man; loved by his family for being a good example of living life on his own terms. Bob found out that he had throat cancer, and made the attempt to combat the illness that eventually took his life. He went through the chemo and then the radiation, but ultimately the cancer made its way throughout his body.

There is nothing that I can really say about this event. I have both of my parents, who are currently in good health. I can be there for my friend as she deals with the emotions and the logistics of these events. In repose we can reflect on the fact that we have our loved ones and our health for as long as it is afforded us, but that ultimately we are all going together in the same direction.

It is amazing that how we think and feel about ourselves, and our choices in life visit us at these times. Julie was just recently divorced, and interestingly, this was the day of her wedding anniversary as well.

We make choices on how we live, and occasionally how we die. I am saddened by her loss, and recognize the impact that these circumstances will have on her and her family for some time to come. Mourning is a healing process, and we all do this in our own way.

Bob will be missed, but he will also be remembered.

Tucker Out Seattle…my newest blog

So most of you know that I am constantly at the helm of my computer. If you read my blog, then you have some insight into what makes me tick and what drives me.

I have started a new blog called Tucker Out-Seattle, and no it is not about getting tired, it is about dining out, or rather places to find a bite in Seattle. I was being clever by using the phrase because in Australia tucker means food.

My pages still need to be filled in, and I am working diligently toward that end. Have a look, and if you like what is there so far, please leave me feed back, and follow the blog! The more followers I have, the better it is for me in the long run right? Enjoy!

The Walking Dead Season 2 finale

The Walking Dead season 2 ended with some amazing action, and some surprises too. Rick stepped up into a newly realized position of power. He finally had enough of being undecided as what to do, and has grabbed hold of the reigns. His revelation to the group that they are all infected came as a surprise to all, and the fact that he put Shane down didn’t quite sit well with his wife. I find that interesting though, since a couple of episodes before, she was acting like she wanted him to take action against Shane. She told him that Shane was dangerous, and couldn’t be trusted. It seems her feelings for Shane had resurfaced shortly before Rick took him out. The fact that they lost two key players at the end of the season seems to suggest that no one is safe, and kicks the drama up significantly. The introduction of a new character in the form of  Michonne (Danai Gurira) will reveal new abilities, as well as a new ally in the fight to survive.

What was your favorite event of the season 2 finale? What do you think will happen when the group meets Michonne? Will Rick and Lori blow apart?

Reflecting on the speed of time

As I approach my fortieth year this year, I feel like I am just about to start my life again. I suppose in a sense I am. If my life expectency is around 80 years, I have reached the half way point. So I have been taking stock of what I am getting right, and things I need to dial in a bit better than I have so far. Life’s little epiphanies often reveal themselves when one looks for them, you know?

I spoke with my aunt today for the first time in perhaps nine or ten years. I almost couldn’t beieve it had been so long. She is my grandfather’s sister, and soon to be 85 years old. I called her in response to the feeling that if I don’t pay creedence to those in my life that “I’ve been meaning to contact” I may not have the opportunity later on. Let’s face it, year by year all of our  ”later ons” are diminishing. I have been doing a lot of this contacting over the last decade or so. When my grandfather died back in 2000, I had regret that I had not spent more of my “adult” years with him. I slowly but surely started to acknowledge that life is short, and one way or another we need to stay in touch, and we need to reach out to those whom we have had a relationship with, and let them know that they are remembered.

I have been continually attempting to learn new skills and strategies, as well as gleening as much information I can in the fields that interest me. This also has to do with the speed of time. Now I need to put some of that good knowledge to practical use, and get ready for the second half of my life when it arrives mid year. Great things are getting ready to transpire in my life, and I am ready to shift gears. So time be damned…BRING IT ON!