another year, another end-of-year post

Continuing a tradition, it's the end of 2007 and I'm listening to the Classical Countdown on WQXR.com and writing my last blog post for the year. It's been an unusually good year around here. I rode another 1100 miles on my bike, I played some challenging music with NYRO, I upgraded my home entertainment system, and my job stayed mostly the same. I lost a cat in January and got a new one in June. (After six months, the cats are now tolerating each other the way North and South Korea share a border: lots of talk, the occasional skirmish, but mostly coexistence.) I made some new friends on the Internet and had the usual successes and failures in my personal life. Lately there have been more successes: meeting Kate has been one of the best things to happen this year and I hope that our relationship continues to grow stronger. I didn't follow through on last year's resolution to travel more, so I'll reuse that one for 2008.

As usual for me, tonight's plans involve a party, though a much smaller one than I've gone to for the past two years. If you're going out, stay safe, and if you're staying in, what's wrong with you?

See you in 2008!

heard last night on the subway

It was actually the uptown 4/5/6 platform at Union Square, but it was still in the subway. I was on my way home and I heard bagpipes and drums as I descended the stairs to the platform, so I thought it might be an actual Scottish bagpiper group down there. It turned out to be a lone bagpiper and another guy playing one large hand-held drum. The bagpiper was white and the drummer was not, so I'm not sure they were together. Also, the piper wasn't always playing to the beat of the drummer so musically the performance didn't mesh. Finally, the most important details was the songs the piper played. Instead of the usual "Scotland The Brave," "Amazing Grace," or other Highland tunes, he played off-key versions of "Over There" and I think a Christmas carol or two. I have to read more about it, but I think there's a reason bagpipes play certain melodies and not others, having to do with the key of the instrument and the notes it can play. In other words, this piper couldn't hit all the notes of these songs on his instrument. I wish he'd gone "Over There" to play.

I'm slightly famous

I must note that my commenter alter ego, Peter Cavan, received a mention in Dan Shanoff's yearly Christmas poem for Deadspin. This, along with my comment of the fortnight and presence at two Pants Parties, makes 2007 the Year of Deadspin, at least for me.

The next step for "Peter Cavan" is that he need his own blog. Maybe I'll work on that for 2008.

Busy busy busy...

Work has been kind of crazy for the past few weeks. We've got a couple of projects that are due early next year and so many of us are scrambling to get things done before the holidays. My vacation starts tomorrow (though I'm not going home until Sunday) so I'm trying to get all of my work done by the end of the day. The last thing I want is for someone to call me while I'm at home next week. (I should probably be working instead of blogging....)

Also, it's holiday party season and my schedule has been booked solid with gatherings of one kind or another. Monday night was the office party on Wall Street and I took it easy on my liver, my stomach, and my dancing shoes. I did have a great time enjoying the firm's largess and another year at this job. The evening reminded me that as much as I sometimes complain about work, I know some great people here and I have an extremely generous employer. As for the rest of the week, I have dinner with new friends tonight, as-yet-undetermined birthday plans tomorrow, two parties on Friday night and something else on Saturday evening. And then there's the matter of passing the time on the 7+ hour train ride back to Johnstown. Last year I watched episodes of "Heroes" that I'd downloaded, but this year I don't have any TV series to catch up on. Maybe I'll work my way through some Netflix movies and some podcasts instead.

It's a twister! It's a twister! Auntie Em! Auntie Em!

Schools across the NY metro area canceled class today in anticipation of a monster snowstorm bearing down and expected to drop between two and ten inches of snow by the end of the day. I slept in a little this morning, thinking that it would be raining when I got up and I wouldn't want to walk to the gym. Also, I had a couple of drinks last night and a big dinner so I felt a little lazy. Of course, there was no snow, ice, or rain this morning, just dry streets and a cold wind. I stayed home and did some pushups while watching Tuesday night's episode of Boston Legal.

ASIDE: I'm not sure why I watch that show anymore. It's become a vehicle for David Kelley's left-wing rants about Iraq via Alan Shore. I'm as liberal as the next raised-in-PA-living-in-NY Democratic Jew, but even I'm getting tired of the same shtick each week. Also, Crane, Poole, and Schmidt NEVER loses. Even the firm on The Practice lost a case once in a while. But I like William Shatner/Denny Crane, so I guess that's why I stick with the show. And with the writers' strike, there aren't that many original episodes of anything left.

Anyway, we're looking at a big storm today, and another one on Saturday night. That might give me an opportunity to stay in and do some serious cooking and movie watching/Xbox gaming. I finished Halo 3's single-player campaign last night so now I can focus on getting my ass handed to me by 12-year-olds everywhere on Xbox Live. I'm also playing Guitar Hero III, but my guitar needs a tuneup. The GHIII guitar comes in two pieces and sometimes the neck doesn't connect to the body properly, so some of the fret buttons don't work at critical times, like last night when I was trying to play "One" by Metallica. At the fast section the green button is crucial to the main riff, and it wouldn't respond so I failed the song. I'm going to try a couple of DIY fixes and see if I can improve things.

End of year meme

This is quite Myspace of me, but whatever. At least I'm posting here.

As 2007 comes to an end...

1) Where did you begin 2007?

At an overcrowded party on the Upper East Side with the woman I was dating at the time. We should have just stayed home.

2) What was your status by Valentine’s Day?

Single, cold.

3) Were you in school (anytime this year)?

I went to a Linux training class in August.

4) How did you earn your money?

Doing the same job I've had for the past seven years.

5) Did you have to go to the hospital?

Just for my other job with HealthTV, not for any actual health problems.

6) Did you have any encounters with the police?

No.

7) Where did you travel this year?

DC, Johnstown. Wow, I haven't wandered much. That would explain the surplus of vacation time.

8) What did you purchase that was over $1,000?

My HDTV and my new sofa.

9) Did you know anybody who got married?

Some friends in the orchestra.

10) Did you know anybody who passed away?

My ex-wife's grandmother, and my cat Vladi.

11) Biggest surprise?

Kate.

12) Did you move anywhere?

No, and thank God for that.

13) What concerts/shows did you go to?

The Police at MSG, Madama Butterfly at the Met, Avenue Q on Broadway

14) Are you registered to vote?

Yes, but I didn't vote this year. In my defense, it was an off-off-year election.

15) Who did you want to win Dancing with the Stars?

I don’t watch it.

16) Where do you live now?

The Upper East Side of Manhattan, in the same apartment I've had for the past four years.

17) Describe your birthday?

It's next week, but it will include taking the day off work, probably dinner, and maybe a movie. I'm easy to please.

18) What's one thing you thought you'd never do but did in 2007?

Go to a meetup of online friends and have one of the best nights of the year.

19) What has been your favorite moment?

Watching the New York Philharmonic season premiere concert in Lincoln Square with Kate.

20) What's something you learned about yourself?

I'm doing better on my own than I ever thought possible.

21) Any new additions to your family?

My cat Grady

22) What was your best month?

September.

23) What music will you remember 2007 by?

Icky Thump by the White Stripes, Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphoses, Barber's Violin Concerto

24) Who has been your best drinking buddy?

My friends from work.

25) Favorite night out?

The Deadspin night at Shea is a close second to the NY Philharmonic concert in Lincoln Center with Kate.

another one of these e-mail survey things

It's been a busy week here at Five Guys Productions, and I haven't had much time to think about blogging. I got this survey on Wednesday evening and replied to it then but I'm posting it now. (I have been down this road once or twice before.) I changed one answer from the e-mail version: I remembered that the last time I cried was not when my ex-wife and I decided to break up, but was in fact this past January, when my cat Vladi passed away. I felt bad that I'd made the mistake in the e-mail, so I've rectified that here.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?

My father's older brother, who was killed at the age of 6 in a bombing
raid on Glasgow, Scotland, where my grandfather had sent his family to
avoid the bombings in London.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?

When my cat Vladi died unexpectedly in January.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?

No. It's deteriorated from years of typing on computer keyboards.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?

Pastrami.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?

No.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?

I'd either think I was the coolest guy ever, or a jackass, depending on the day.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?

All the time.

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS

Yes.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?

No.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?

Life.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?

Yes, otherwise I can't get them off my feet.

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG?

I've moved heavy appliances on my own, so yes.

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?

Mint chocolate chip.

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?

Face.

15. RED OR PINK?

Red.

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?

I worry about everything.

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?

My family.

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?

Yes, but those of you I don't know will get a spamblocker response.

19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?

Blue khakis and brown loafers I bought at Macy's on Monday.

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?

Tuna sandwich and tortilla chips.

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?

Georgetown-Alabama basketball game on TV.

22. IF YOU WHERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?

Silver.

23. FAVORITE SMELLS?

Coffee, simmering tomato sauce.

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?

Kate.

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?

Yes, Jess is one of my oldest and closest friends.

26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?

Football and hockey.

27. HAIR COLOR?

Dark brown.

8. EYE COLOR?

Brown.

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?

Yes, and I need to change them.

30. FAVORITE FOOD?

Pizza.

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?

Happy endings. I like to think there's something to hope for.

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?

The Mist. That was a scary movie.

33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?

Brown & white striped shirt.

34. SUMMER OR WINTER?

Winter. I love the wind and snow.

35. HUGS OR KISSES?

Don't these two usually go together?

36. FAVORITE DESSERT?

Apple pie a la mode.

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?

N/A

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND

N/A

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?

I'm between books, but I want to pick up a copy of His Dark Materials
before The Golden Compass opens.

40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?

Nothing. I'm using a laptop with a touchpad.

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT?

Nothing - I had to work late.

42. FAVORITE SOUND?

An orchestra playing Beethoven.

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?

Beatles.

44. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VACATION SPOT?

London.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?

I play the viola.

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

Johnstown, PA