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I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise that a reporter would have a blog. Nor that “Santa Al” would make a blog-worthy impression. Still, it’s a bit of a trip to run across. OK, I didn’t really “run across” it — he forwarded it to me. But there you go. A reporter got caught up in my dad’s “alternate reality” field. Maybe that’s why I’ve been into virtual worlds for so long; I’m just trying to recreate my childhood.

Sam: I met a blue jay once at my house in California. He sat in my seat. Dad: He sat in your car seat? Sam: No, I sat in my car seat. He sat next to me. And a birdie sat next to me. Dad: Isn’t a blue jay a type of bird? Sam: And the blue jay said “Wow.” Dad: Wow?

I guess this really has been a bay area weekend. Yesterday, we went down to Berkeley partly just to wander, partly to pick up a kid-sized table and chairs for Sam that Carolyn arranged to buy through BPN but partly to go to Half Price Books. We were seeking the third book in the Song of Fire and Ice series — A Storm of Swords. I gave up on the series after the first book — too much soap opera, too little fantasy, but it engulfed Carolyn like a raging storm (of swords?

Last weekend, we were dining at our favorite local Thai restaurant and we had a seating neighbor who was fairly loud. Since we’re north of Berkeley (and in the San Francisco area), the fact that she was “naturally” dressed and appeared to be on a date with her female companion went completely without note. That she was on an easily overheard and extended rant about her neighbor’s behavior was a little bit annoying.

Sometimes, I can get into a groove with taking care of myself when my family’s not around. I haven’t found that groove yet. While I like the flexibility I get in timing, getting to go to “Movie Nite” with other Lindens, etc. I miss my family and look forward to getting them back. (They’re at Mom-mom’s house helping out while she gets a mitral valve repaired (!!!)) At least I get to talk to Sam on the phone pretty much every day.

As usual, I am late to the internet meme game, but I recently came across LOLCATs. (see also Cats Can Has Grammar). I got one in my email about an upcoming work project. More recently, I was reviewing older, less relevant email streams came across http://icanhascheezburger.com/ — too funny! Had to share. Enjoy. This one really cracked me up.

Sam, Carolyn and I went for an outing today after Sam’s afternoon nap. We generally try to do these things in the morning when we have a little more time, but it was a typically lazy Sunday morning complete with lying around on the couch, listening to jazz and a pancake breakfast, so morning wasn’t happening. <p> It was a sunny afternoon here in El Cerrito, but we could see the fog nestled around the city with only the transamerica building and one other poking out.

The radio was an important part of my childhood. I was limited in the amount of (non-PBS) television I was allowed to watch, but there was no such limit on the radio. The 80’s contained the complete range of my teen-hood, and I still have a fondness for ’80’s music. Mostly my parents listened to NPR (WUNC – Chapel Hill), so that was a big part of my childhood too. I have fond memories (to the point of idealized nostalgia) of listening to “Prairie Home Companion” by kerosene lantern after Saturday evening meals nestled in the “shack” in the mountain woods of Virginia.

Dear Samantha, Tomorrow you will turn 16 months old. Back in Pennsylvania, a little groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil will stick his little brown nose out of his hole-in-the-dirt house and venture out into the air. Hundreds of people will watch to see if he sees his shadow. If he does, folklore has it that there will be six more weeks of winter. If not, there will be an early spring. I was saying to your Dad the other day that I doubt people in the San Francisco Bay area pay much attention to Groundhog Day.

Dear Sam, Already it’s been almost a month and a half, since I’ve written your newsletter. Yet, in some ways it seems to me like I just wrote your month 14 newsletter. I’ll be fascinated to see how both of us have a changing perception of time as we both mature. I remember as a child ((I was about to write ‘kid’ here, but then remembered that as a kid, I wouldn’t let anyone refer to me as ‘kid’ because it (also) meant ‘baby goat.