fog

July 05, 2004 by Eric Richardson

I'm lying in bed just now, copying a Simpsons episode over to my laptop so I can watch it while falling asleep. Out my window looms Library Tower. Tonight the illuminated top is shrouded in fog. It makes the whole building look eerie, the partially lit walls contrasting with the dark cloudy sky. The lights at the top reveal the fog around them, making it appear that it's only present in a halo around the tower.

But seriously, it looks cool. Now I'm going to watch Homer Simpson in Kidney Trouble and fall asleep.

for best taste...

July 02, 2004 by Eric Richardson

I'm at work early today. Yesterday I was here at 7:40. Today I walked into my office at 7:20. Last summer I somehow made myself into a morning person in this same sort of vein, but last summer I at least got good parking spots as a result. The last two days parking has been crowded, even trying to find a spot at 7:15. Yesterday I blamed it on Cassini. Today I think there are just a lot more early-risers here than I thought.

My plan was to mitigate the getting up early by actually eating breakfast. I stopped at the gas station on my way to the freeway and picked up a bottle of grapefruit juice and a little cream cheese cake. Only upon getting to the office did I discover printed on the outside of the bottle: "NOV 17 03". Doh. Uhhh... Let's see it's now July, so... I don't think I'm going to drink it, despite what Topher may say:

(07:37:40) topher: go for it man
(07:38:11) Me: see, i don't think you have enough at stake 
in this decision to cast an unbiased vote
(07:38:22) topher: I was thinking the same thing.  :)

I really wanted that grapefruit juice, too. I may just have to go down to the cafeteria and get something else.

It Happened One Night

July 01, 2004 by Eric Richardson

Last night Kathy and I returned to the Los Angeles Theatre for It Happened One Night, again a part of the LA Conservancy's program Last Remaining Seats. The film was again excellent, as any film that goes and sweeps the Oscars should be. Last night we got much more of a chance to wander around the theater than we had the first time around (this time being prepared with coats to save our seats). The projection booth was available for viewing, as you can see in the picture at left. There was nothing high-tech to speak of up here, as most of the equipment and furnishings look like they could well be from the theater's opening in 1931.

Again a very cool experience, and something that everyone in LA should get out to at some point.

this time saturn

July 01, 2004 by Eric Richardson

Last night Cassini entered orbit around Saturn. This, like the mars rovers, is a mission operated by JPL. Though my job is about as far from the space groups as you're like to get here, I enjoy the fact that the lab's success rate during my tenure has been very impressive.

the joys of downtown

June 28, 2004 by Eric Richardson

I have to throw in one story about rural Minnesota vs. my life downtown. The night before the wedding everyone was invited to get pizza after the rehearsal. The wedding, and therefore the rehearsal, was in LeRoy, MN. The pizza place was in Spring Valley, a thriving metropolis of a couple thousand people about 15 miles away. My cousin and his wife live in New York, and on the way there she was talking about how crazy it is to her to have to drive 15-20 miles for pizza. I agreed, thinking about the variety of pizza places in a four block radius of my apartment.

Today I needed to get a cell phone charger for Kathy, to replace one she left in the hotel room in MN. I thought after going to the nearest Cingular store, which is maybe a mile away. I didn't want to go that far, though, so instead I walked to the corner of Spring & 6th, looked around and decided which of the three electronics stores I could see from there to try. I walked in and a minute later walked out with a $15 charger. Total distance from my building front door to the store... maybe 500 feet.

That's why I love civilization.