Post o' the Year

Simply the best post of the year here at Love and Coconuts was the one in which nobody drowned, but enough ruckus was raised to make it seem so.

Hopefully the next year will include some 'best post' candidates that are driven by the writing, rather than the event which they document. However, this year's best post was the action-packed DR-1 (originally airing as "One Step Back" in locations with interwebs access).

You'll find it all in this post: damsels in distress, swashbuckling river rescue swimmers, fishermen, helicopter command centers, swashbuckling firemen, and some sailing. Okay, very little sailing, but the action was driven by the intent to sail, so that's gotta count for something.

Thanks to Tillerman for the inspiration to go back and look through what I've written in the past, uh, three+ months. It was fun to review where I started and remember the dream of where this is all headed.

[Addendum] Just finished Edward's stellar recap of his race from San Francisco to Kaneohe. Great read! Here is Day 6, but you have to read the whole thing. It's well done and a compelling reason to blow off a project for a new client, as I did this morning for an hour.

Gotta Get the 5 y/o in the Picture Too

Here she is ...


and here she is smiling.

Lovely Lonely

There she sits, shivering off her winter cold.

You can see some of the snow left over from our little taste of winter, which the local news stations dubbed "Arctic Blast 2008."

Yeah. Not much to cause a stir in Stumptown this time of year. The Blazers are on track for a playoff spot, which we won't have to worry about too much until April. So, they send out their "team" coverage, uh, team to update us on important things regarding the weather, catching important details like how the grass is covered with snow and people who are going downhill in icy spots are trying to go slow.

Yeah, I'm bored too. I've been working all day on a new project for a new client and trying to keep my 7 y/o entertained with a game or two of actual chess in between her battles with the desktop version.

I picked up the MacBook and pointed it out the window at the dinghy. Came out nice, eh?

So, took one of the future Grandmaster.


And Gangsta me.

Humble Pie: First Slice

We are mind sailing this morning, with some help from YouTube here. The girls were watching with me and Maeve asked, "Is that boat gonna tip over?" I told her they probably wouldn't, since they are trying to get the boat up like that to go faster. Her sister chimed in with, "Yeah. They know what they are doing. They could probably teach you a lot, dad."

This is my life.

I Know the U.S. Masters 10th Ranked Laser Sailor

Well, at least I read his blog, anyway.

Casting off the Mooring Lines

I left a job in the healthcare industry the week before Thanksgiving. This may rank up there with the woman here in Portland who bet her investment firm's entire portfolio on Bear Stearns the Friday before they ceased to exist, but hindsight is not here yet to spoil the show. So, let's party!

I had been suffering from a massive career ennui and missing the thrill of marcom in the high-tech world when a couple of project opportunities dropped in my lap, so I picked'em up and ran. I gave notice to the healthcare guys back in October and departed on Friday, November 21. It has been quite a whirlwind and I'm feeling much more enlivened, even though what I'm doing could be summed up as touting high-tech toys for business.

The pace is much faster and I prefer the activity. I've dropped a few pounds off my middle-aged frame and I'm enjoying Kris and the girls more, as I should.

Why throw all of this out here? Not sure, but I think it's a sort of articulation and admission of something or other. I think this blog (and the other) have helped me in the transition from s/w product mgr in slow motion back to a strategic, active, writing role. Also, I feel like I've been neglecting the coconuts, so to speak, since I've been slamming busy the past two weeks with the new gigs.

I hope to sail this week, but I'm beginning to understand why there's an off-season to this sport in the higher latitudes.

Sale-ing

Holey Crimoley, I haven't sailed or done anything sailing related in near two weeks. Yah!

So, how about an ad? My daughter's b/f (they are in college) has some entrepreneurial aspirations and has come up with a solution that seems to fit their immediate needs: Getting your roommate to pay his/her bills.

http://wepaytogether.com/

Good luck kids!