So Brenda and Kathy invited me over to help decorate their tree this morning. I knew something was up when Kathy said "why don't you arrive around 9:45am?" Since when are we scheduling in 15 minute increments? Sure enough, my birthday was announced on my favorite (broadcast) radio program, KFOG's 10@10 - 10 great songs from one great year. 1969 today. Last song was "Someday, We'll be Together." I hope so.

Even though decorating was largely a pretense, I ended up spending the whole morning (breakfast AND lunch included) with them because we had to return their Christmas tree. Pix tell the story below.


The unfurling of tree #1


Uh oh


Back to the tree farm


Pine needle evidence from the crime scene


Voila! Tree #2.

The good news from all this was I got to demonstrate how cool estrip is - both east and west - since I posted this (pic taken on my cellphone enroute to Santa's Oakland Coliseum Tree Farm) to elmwoodstrip.com.


Pine needles in hand and offending tree visible through the sunroof

You can read the rest of my birthday story on

e:west

Looks like I'm on my own for dinner. Time to buy the fondue fixings. Grinch at 8!

The api[inlink]news,544[/inlink]really is awesome and easy to use. Maybe I'll just populate estripwest with estrip posts until my separation anxiety diminishes.

I thought the api would be a good first step toward integrating my (e:) life with my RL - a direct feed from one world to the other. It's kind of weird to see estrip out of context, but I like keeping an eye on it locally.

I've been so preoccupied with estrip lately, my friends and family are starting to wonder what's going on. My ex called me in the middle of a critical post (ok, they all seem critical at the time) and he accused me of watching Ellen Degeneres while I was talking to him.

Brenda and Kathy took me out for sushi.

Missing Image ;(

Me and Brenda at our "usual" table


The sushi bar


Our sushi bridge

OMG, I can't believe How the Grinch Stole Christmas is actually on tomorrow night. For the past umpteen years I've made it a tradition to watch the Grinch on my birthday, ever since I gave up trying to catch it "live" on TV. I asked for it on tape one year and have kept the tradition ever since. Wow, I might actually get to tap into the Grinch collective unconscious in real time this year. I don't know when was the last time that happened.

Brenda and Kathy usually have me over for dinner and then we watch it. Last year (or the year before?) Kathy also ordered the Jim Carrey remake from Netflix for that night. At first I thanked her for thinking of it but said I really didn't want to watch the remake. I didn't want anything to mess up my imprinted impression of the "real" one. I know it sounds crazy, but why take a chance? Anyway, through the course of dinner and drinks I lightened up and decided to go ahead and watch the new one too. It was fine.

When no one's around to cook for me or drag me out somewhere my habit is to curl up on the sofa and watch it with a big vat of cheese fondue. Why oh why is it only half an hour long? That's not long enough. I still get chills when the Whos start singing their song on Christmas morning.

I've always had a soft spot for the Grinch, but I'd have to say Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a close second. It was many years before my brother and sister and I could make it through the whole show without one or more of us having to physically leave the room whenever the Abominable Snowmonster came on.

Hello,

I am contacting your on behalf of Angela Y. at PeopleSoft. PrO Unlimited
partners with PeopleSoft to payroll their contract workers. So, I will be
working with you to complete your new hire paperwork and get you started at
PeopleSoft.

Please note that Angela has requested that you begin work on Tuesday,
12/14. In order to do this, I will need you to attend an 8:30am orientation
on that date, before beginning work.

In order to get you started on your new job assignment please visit our PrO
Employee Information Center to enroll with PrO Unlimited and preview the
benefits we offer to our employees. The PrO Employee Information Center is
a website designed to provide you with easy access to online enrollment and
benefits information.

Go to enroll.pro-unlimited.com
User Name: xoxoxo
Password: xoxoxoxoxo

Once you have entered the web site, clicks on the enrollment button located
on the right hand side and then click on forms. Please print, complete &
return all enrollment documents below including the attached client
specific documents:

· Employee Data Sheet (online)
· W-4 Form (online)
· I-9 Form (online)
· Notary Letter to Verify I9 (only for out of CA workers)
· Direct Deposit Form(online)
· Employee Handbook Acknowledgment (online)
· Background Screening Form (attached)

(See attached file: Background check.doc)

Completed documents should be brought with you to your orientation.

• Remember to bring identification for your I-9 Form and a voided check for

direct deposit to the orientation. We are located at:
PrO Unlimited at PeopleSoft
4500 PeopleSoft Pkwy (Building G)
Pleasanton, CA 94588

When you arrive to Building G, ask the receptionist to give PrO Unlimnited
a call at 925-694-1665. Benefits and services available to you through PrO
include a pre-tax group medical with a significant PrO contribution, 401(k)
plan with immediate eligibility, Dental, Vision, and much more. To view
PrO Unlimited’s benefits, please visit our PrO Employee Information Center
website.

PrO Unlimited will be contacting you to complete enrollment, orientation
and to explain the payment process. Please note that PrO pays employees on
a weekly basis with payroll week endings on Sunday.

If you have any questions regarding benefits, please contact the PrO
Unlimited Benefits Hotline at (800) 813-7946. If you have any other
questions, please contact (925) 694-8400. We look forward to providing
you with Professional Payrolling Services.


Sincerely,

etc.

My neighbors go a little nuts at Christmas. No wonder we had a freakin' power outage.



I used this for my holiday cards last year. I didn't actually send any out, but I had fun making them.

Got the "official" Halloween pix from my sister so I can get going on next year's family calendar.


My sister with her brood in the pumpkin patch. Yeah, this one's going on the calendar for sure.


This is here because of the volcano costume. Hey, it made him happy. I also made the black sheep costume my youngest nephew is wearing in this picture.

Sure 'nuff, you can spot[inlink]ajay,205[/inlink]the beach house, looking sadly abandoned.



This is the house "immortalized" in my Postcard from the beach [inlink]twisted,8[/inlink] post. That's the only time we splurged on a rental on the ritzy end of the beach, nestled between the ocean and the lagoon (for Brenda and Kathy's anniversary party). They won't be seeing the likes of us again soon unless one of us wins the lottery.

The house we usually rent is down the shoreline a piece with the other beach shacks. We love it. B&K (and their dog Maggie) take the guest annex building to the right off the deck. The main house has a ladder up to a sleeping loft in the peak of the roof. That's where I sleep.



Damn! I want to go to the beach now.

p.s. - can't see much without electronic binoculars, but as NoCal promoter I would be remiss not to include links to the clothing-optional sections of the beach. Hey, whatever it takes to get you people out here.

You have no idea how happy I was to find these today. I've been trying to replace this color for a long time.

Seems like everybody's moving, changing jobs or both. I just got back from an interview at PeopleSoft. I did some contract web production work for them about a year and a half ago. It would be so awesome if they hired me for more ongoing contract work. They say they'll decide by Wednesday and have the new person in for training by the end of the week.

My friend Brenda works there, which is how I heard about the job. She says the only reason I want to work there is because I'm so excited about their lunchroom. That is only partially true. Mostly I'm excited about the paycheck. But the lunchroom is a close second. There are many things I've become jaded about, but food is not one of them.


The place is freakin' huge. This is just one of their buildings.


The "Diablo Cafe" salad, sandwich, sushi and soup bars


Main entree du jour and pasta stations


Individual-size pizzas from the brick oven (glowing in the background)


I decided to go for the "Road to Romain" salad with balsamic chicken, carmelized walnuts, blue cheese and mandarine oranges blue plate special.

Going back to work fulll-time in a corporate environment would be shock to my system, but I think the Diablo Cafe could get me through it.


Update 12/08 19:45

PeopleSoft just called. I got the job! Yay!