The City is quiet

I walked up to Starbucks this afternoon… the one on Market – I mean, the one between 8th and 9th – I mean, the one on the SOUTH side of Market between 8th and 9th – how many more S$s do we need? Anyway, I walked up to Starbucks for a cup of tea and a cookie, and the world seemed very quiet. That’s when I realized that the picketers are gone. I think they’ve been at the hotel on 8th ever since I moved into this neighborhood. So the city without them seems unusually calm. I’m glad they’re back to work, even if it’s just a 60-day cooling off period.
This past week was more hectic then usual. I’ve just begun splitting my time between my office in developer support and another in R&D, as I gear up on a next-gen project. I’m very happy to be working on it, but it’s going to be a TON of work. So I’m looking at how to simplify my life and put in more rigorous scheduling so that I can worry about the process of living life less, and focus more on what I’m setting out to create. That’s always a good exercise.
Thanks to DirecTV’s digital music channels, I’ve stumbled across an absolutely stunning new piano player, and I’m thoroughly enjoying listening to her first CD. Hiromi is a 25-year-old Berklee Music grad, but she plays like someone twice her age. Her piano playing is energetic, unbelievably technical, and filled with joy. She pulls together crazy harmonies and dissonances, and drops styles and references from the 20s, 40s, 60s and 80s in random places during her improvisations. But what I love most about her playing is how much FUN she is having. Listening to her play brings a smile to my face, and makes me laugh and dance in my seat as I cruise down the gray freeway on my daily commute. What makes me even happier is that I know she already has a second album out. 🙂
I finally got my copy of Half-Life 2 to work (thanks, Jeff!) and I’ve been enjoying it. It’s a fun Disneyland ride – not many choices to be made, but the linear experience has been quite wonderful. I just finished up a long section of speeding down polluted canals in my airboat. I think we should nominate “Dog” for a “Best Supporting Actor” award at the GDC Awards next year.