The Little Mermaid - Broken

I've always been charmed by The Little Mermaid.

Intimacy. Computers.

The thing about this blog is, how intimate do I want to get? This is basically a public forum, so a reserved approach is appropriate, but that leaves out a lot of fun/interesting/important stuff.

I am way deep in Unix land these days, lifting out mostly just to do some parenting, visit with the neighbors, and eat not-so-very-well. I'm making some computer-space to look at my life, but am I doing it to look at my life, or using a look-at-my-life idea to fuel my computering? You're probably confused by that last sentence. Not enough context. I really don't like to think of computer programming and software and interfaces as mechanistic tools. I'm there to explore a world of relationship, form, action/reaction, personality, ethos. So when I'm there I'm understanding, recognizing, judging, shaping, reshaping, moving, dialoguing. I encounter the ghosts of countless other programmers, and leave my own shades for others to love, hate, fear, be amused by. This romanticized computer world isn't just fanciful. Without this kind of relationship with the machines, they will become more and more disconnected from humanity, more mechanistic, less caring. I'd forgotten that.

Back from Arizona

I am marvelously wrapped up in programming. More on that later, I expect. I did go to Arizona and enjoy time with "the six," my idiosyncratic family of origin. I guess all families are idiosyncratic, only we're more so! Mom wanted for her 75th birthday to fly in a helicopter over the beautiful desert mountains near her home. This is Weaver's Needle, an old landmark that I've never seen from this angle before. It was a really beautiful ride.

Don't forget to click on the picture to see a larger version!

Airport Time

At Bradley International Airport. I was scheduled to leave here at 6:20 AM arriving Phoenix at noon. But the Dehavilland Dash 8 had some trouble starting an engine. Anyway, now I'm scheduled to leave at 1:20 PM, arriving in Phoenix 6:45 PM.

I don't really want to leave the airport and come back, going through security again, so I'm sitting in a very comfortable upholstered chair in a book shop, laptop plugged in, connected to airport wi-fi, a latte almost finished by my side. Bleary eyed, but patient.

Mom's Birthday!

All we siblings are flying to Arizona to celebrate Mom's 75th birthday! Her present to herself: a helicopter trip over the Superstition Mountains. And we're invited. Woo-hoo! The kids and I made a little present for her--hope she likes it! I have to get up about 3 AM to get to the airport. Oh my, I'd better finish packing. :-)