What Kate Did

I keep looking at this video to find clue to Lost, but I can't find any.

Travelin' Dave

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Originally uploaded by Seattle Dave.

I'm sitting in the lobby of the Paramount Hotel in downtown Portland, just killing some time, sippin' a grande nonfat mocha and taking advantage of the last bit of wifi before I head to the train station.

My trip to Portland was fairly uneventful, except for accidentally stepping on a cat in Powell's Technical Bookstore, finally meeting the oh-so-cute-and-smart Shiloh Rockey (and catching up with the rest of the Rockey clan, as seen in the pix), and getting an eggs benedict at Rose's on 23rd.

Oh, and I just happened to stumble into the Portland Vespa shop, which had a windshield that Laurel needs for our upcoming trip to the San Juan Islands. As I had put a similar shield on my Vespa earlier, I noticed that not all the parts were in the package -- luckily, I noticed this before I got on a crosstown bus, and I was able to go back to the store to get what I needed!

All that is left now is to catch a (free) bus to the train station, and then four hours of the rails back to Seattle.

Pax Amigos

PAX Party
Originally uploaded by Seattle Dave.

Tatyana threw a Mexican-themed BBQ complete with sombreros and pinatas (not to mention tequila) for all the members of the long-defunct (but still together in spirit) Microsoft PAX team.

One vote does make a difference

My friend Traci proved this in 1989, and now in 2006, there is a book about her (I guess technically the book is about voter turnout, but it uses her as a prime example in the online excerpt).

The full book is on Amazon.com, of course.

I already loved Kelly Clarkson ...

... but come on, this makes her, like, 1000% better. Don't play the video at work.

Dave rides the rails

I was looking for something to do with the week between when I leave Amazon and when we take off to the Treehouse in Friday Harbor for Labor Day. I've settled on a rail trip, but you're sort of limited from Seattle. I thought about Chicago, but the trip is 48 hours -- therefore, I'd have to turn around once I got there, and it would be pretty expensive ($1000 to have a bunk). So I'm going to go to Portland ($72 round trip, only 4 hours) and maybe go out and do some street photography. But actually, I'll probably just go to every Powell's Bookstore location and sleep till 2 p.m. in the hotel. So kinda like home, except with a bookstore.

Put it all together

Today, I had a post about British TV comedy, and another about Microsoft. Well, here is a post about Microsoft and British TV comedy: This blogger posted two Microsoft UK training videos by the stars of The Office (yes, the UK version -- the funny one).

And back again ...

I just accepted an offer to work on Microsoft's Virtual Earth team, starting mid-September! I'll be working with my friend Chandu, author of Programming in MapPoint.NET (ironically, an Amazon link).

I've long been trying to find a home with them, and it just never worked out in the past -- most recently, because I had to find out what Amazon was all about. Sorry to anyone who was hoping to get some sweet book discounts (I couldn't get them for you anyway!)

Also, sorry to Mini-Microsoft ... take a tally down, I'm no longer ex-msft!

Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

This show is hilarious. Just happened to hit it while flipping the channels, and I'm glad I did ... it's worth a "Tivo" anyway.

Tatonka

Wings
Originally uploaded by Seattle Dave.

I ate a lot of wings. Don't try this at home (or anywhere).

I don't do that, I don't care how much you sweet talk me in Italian

I got a new windshield for my Vespa -- the instructions were in Italian, along with a very poorly translated English version. I originally had some trouble when I was putting the windshield on, which I eventually figured out (the instructions hinted at the step I missed, but they weren't very clear) ... also I was laughing so hard at one of the instructions:

... you may gently hummer on the screw ...

You wish, Guido!

Hips may not lie, but they can be creepy

Creepy
Originally uploaded by Seattle Dave.

Who is this scary little fellow in the video for Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie"? I swear I'll figure it out, even if I have to watch this video 10,000 times (for a total of 8.3 million Shakira hip shakes).

My playin' around website

It is very lame and cheesy.

Laboring in the treehouse

For Labor Day Weekend 2006, Laurel and I are going to hang out in the Treehouse in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island.