Thursday Morning Trainside, originally uploaded by 3seed.

A crisp morning, waiting for the train. Believe it or not, the weather people expect it to snow tomorrow night. I really hope it will.

Chocolate Wall of Honor, originally uploaded by 3seed.

Just in case you were curious about the Chocolate Wall of Honor. (That’s my
desk at work.)

Three bars from Sharona’s Chocolate Shop in San Mateo, California:

Moonstruck Dark Chocolate 68%
I have fond memories of Moonstruck’s chocolates from when I lived in Portland. They were my favorite local chocolatier.

Cachet Costa Rica 71%
A Belgian chocolatier I’ve never tried before. The bar is Rainforest Alliance Certified, so I’ll be sure to feel good about eating it.

Chocolate Visions: My Goodness Bar
Sharona raved about this bar: 61% bittersweet chocolate, honey roasted peanuts, and toasted coconut. The bars are made locally (in Scotts Valley, CA), and while I usually prefer trying new chocolates in pure form, I have to admit I’m curious.

I have high hopes that two of the three bars of will make it to the Chocolate Wall of Honor. Also, Sharona gets bonus points for making a custom pecan turtle (nuts, chocolate, caramel) for Mary when inquired about one. It took about five minutes, but we were happy to wait and the result was delicious. Thanks Sharona!

The shooting deaths in Arizona on January 8 are a tragedy, a terrible consequence of the bitter, reactionary rhetoric used by political leaders choosing vicious temporary gains over long-term civil engagement. In acting out of their fears of economic, political, and/or social loss, they have nurtured hate in the hearts of their followers.

People are capable of such beauty and grace, but we can also become our own worst enemies. And so Jared Lee Loughner failed himself on Saturday, and his political leaders failed him too by broadcasting too much heat and too little light. Is it any wonder that he caught fire and burned those around him?

In Buddhism, “right speech” is seen as the first principle of ethical conduct. The rancor of the last election and the health care reform debate can therefore be seen as an ethical failure on political leaders. One with very real and lasting impact on Representative Giffords, Judge Roll, Christina-Taylor Green, Phyllis Schneck, and all the other victims of the shooting.

Words have their consequences, and once uttered or written, they live a life outside of the person who first gave them life. Every writer knows this (or should). Every politician or political leader should know this (and frequently doesn’t).

Lancia Rally at Alice’s Restaurant, originally uploaded by 3seed.

Alice’s Restaurant is a cool little place tucked away in the hills of Skylonda, west of Redwood City. (Not the restaurant made famous by the Arlo Guthrie song. That’s back east.)

The diner menu and windy back roads attract gearheads and bikers from all around the area. The neighborhood is quite wealthy, so it’s a chance to see some rare cars. Mary and I spotted six Lotus Elises in the first half hour. More importantly, check out the gorgeous restored Lancia Fulvia parked out front. So pretty! And the classic Porche next to isn’t bad either.

We didn’t get a chance to see the Fulvia run, so here is a video of Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear fame singing the car’s praises.

Just Another Day at Care2, originally uploaded by 3seed.

This is a couple days late but I thought it might be fun to share. And a gentle way to start blogging again after the prolonged absence.

I’m calling the novel’s first draft complete, and I am so ridiculously pleased. Oh, there’s a ton of work still to do–so much to fix and straighten out–but this is a big milestone; one that I didn’t think I’d ever reach.

There’s still some work to do before I start the revision process–namely some fleshing out of the geography and time line, but that can wait till tomorrow. For now, I’m going to enjoy the moment and be grateful for all that’s led me to this point.

Seriously, y’all–this is pretty damn cool, and big thanks go out to everyone who encouraged me along the way. Thank you.

Milo the Dreamer

I’ve set a goal for myself of finishing the first draft of the novel this week, and I’m almost there. So very, very close. I estimate that I have another four to five thousands words to go.

For years, I told myself that I didn’t have the temperament for long fiction–that I’d just stick to poetry–but the truth is that I romanticized the process to such a high degree to excuse myself from having to attempt it. And risk failing at it.

Well, I’ve finally reached the point where I don’t care about failing. I have to do this thing, or I’ll be miserable and shortchanging myself on something I care deeply about. Now it’s almost here: the day when I can say that I’ve written a novel.

No romance, no drama–just sitting in the chair and writing a few hundred words every day.

Milo the Dreamer

I will be so happy once election day’s come and gone. This particular round has been so wearying, like a hard slog through muddy ground. Very much like that actually.

And what’s with all the violence? I’m not so naive to think that previous elections were exempt, but the pattern (conservative men acting against progressive women) is troubling on multiple levels. But then again, most political violence has institutional/structural roots. Even if it does look like chaos at work.

Let’s be clear–I’m not saying that there’s a kingpin on a throne saying, “Beat those uppity girls for speaking out.” No, it’s more that individuals act out of fear for their position in society. Perhaps egged on by their political or community leaders. You know who you are.

I’ll do my part on election day. It’s a responsibility and privilege both. But just the same, I’m looking forward to November 3. The vitriol this election season has been as deep and thick as I’ve ever seen it.

Shadow Angel is a small production company put together by a couple of friends of mine. They’ve produced three short films, of which I’ve helped on two. This last Sunday they shot their fourth film, On It.

The shoot took place on a Muni Bus that we rented for five hours. I was worried about getting all the scenes done, but somehow we managed. It helped that the crew, actors, and extras were fantastic.

Curious about the film? Well, you can watch all five hours of the shoot at like 300X speed through the magic of timelapse photography.

ON IT – Behind the Scenes – Bus Timelapse from Shadow Angel Films on Vimeo.