Sometimes, squares are all you get

May 30, 2017, 5:16 pm

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I meant to bring the Podo today, but forgot, and that was fine. It was nice and cool out and there wasn't a single break in the cloud cover all morning.



Other than some ducks and an eagle, I mostly just saw nice flowers. I really like how the colors look on an overcast day.




5.77 miles in 1:57, 12,719 steps

Today just flew by. I started Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale, which I recommend highly. It was neat to see Alexis Bledel show up in it, she wasn't mentioned in anything I saw about it.

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Interference

May 31, 2017, 1:37 pm

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It's funny how weeks without swimming seem so chaotic, like having two extra walking days is just so difficult to process mentally. You'd think I'd just hit the same places I normally do and throw in some extras, but no. I could end up anywhere. Today seemed like a good day for the marina.



The cloud cover was thick enough that I didn't think I'd see much light come through, so I pointed the camera at the water. Unshockingly, this happened when I got about half an hour away from the Podo. More about that later.





Pretty squares.



Not sure why I never noticed this strange cable setup before.



Phone home.



Yesterday's special.




5.81 miles in 1:59, 12,930 steps

While I was at the Southernmost point in the walk, someone was back where I started, finding the Podo. They picked it up and had a look, then put it back where I left it, only facing more downward. I can't be too mad that the video was ruined since they didn't steal the Podo. I spotted that halfway through the walk, so I was able to set it up again, facing slightly more South since that's where the action was at the time.



Here's the person who grabbed the camera. I wonder if they thought it was a video and talked to it.

The countdown begins

June 1, 2017, 10:57 am

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I wasn't even planning to leave the house today because some work for me to take care of has been delayed, and I hoped to get the timeline back on track by hunkering down and doing a couple of really long days today and tomorrow. But another delay was announced, so I went out for a normal Thursday walk and picked up a few groceries, too.



Some friends who live South of here jokingly posted that they found a waterfront studio in Mukilteo for $2,200 a month, this little shack I pass by all the time. So I snapped a photo to put in the comments.



More foxgloves!




I've gotten photos of this little fairy garden on a huge piece of scrap metal before, but I've never seen it growing so tall.



Pretty squares.




5.36 miles in 1:51, 11,993 steps



This was a nice spot for a video and I'll probably use it again, though it's easier to spot the camera when walking by than I like.



I just got word that my work to do is coming down the pike and should be ready in about an hour, so my afternoon will be busy after all. Thankfully it's not my night to make dinner.

SchadenFriday

June 2, 2017, 5:53 am

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CATURDAY

June 3, 2017, 5:37 am

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BONUS Saturdogs










Many thanks to:
Animals Being Dicks
Señor Gif
k00l 4 k@+z
Almost Famous Cats
Cats, Beavers & Ducks
Derpy Cats
FAT CATS
FUCKYEAHFELINES!
CHEEZburger
Every Day is Caturday
Cats and Dogs
The Cat Reviewer
And everyone else who happened to put a cat or dog where I ended up seeing it this week!

Funday

June 4, 2017, 3:45 pm

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It's so nice to wake up to a cool, cloudy sky on a Sunday. Even if the sun can't break through the clouds for a neat sunrise, it's a great setup for a time lapse. On the way into my normal Sunday spot, I set the Podo up at a cool spot I've been wanting to try. A bit later, I really liked how the cloud above this mountain imitated its shape.





I've been waiting for a huge puddle that took up the entire width of a dirt road out there to dry up enough so I could get past, and today I finally could. This is the area up past the 2-mile mark on the map below.




I liked being up there because I could tell I was the first person to in a long time. The only other tracks I could find in the newly-dried mud were from deer, coyote, and ducks.




There weren't tons of opportunities for photos of the sky, but I found this break in the clouds pretty striking, and I like how you can see it form in the time lapse.








Pretty squares.




6.51 miles in 2:18, 14,733 steps



I'm not sure if the battery was at 100% when I started because the Podo sat around for a few days, unused. But I managed to run it out today by having it take a photo every 5 seconds. That time lapse is made from about 1,250 frames, though, which is why it looks so smooth. It ran for an hour and 45 minutes, which is pretty good. And it charged up enough in the next couple of hours to work all through our brunch!



I'm happy to report that the stuff I had to do for work on Thursday and Friday went a lot quicker than I thought it would. I spent a good amount of time on documentation in Word that I'll do again in Excel tomorrow, but that's fine.

EDIT: Oops, there's one more cloud pic I missed, and I really like it.

Sunny day, keeping the, clouds away

June 5, 2017, 4:31 pm

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I was originally in a bit of a hurry this morning, so I went down to Lowell. It's really close and the paved trail's not very long, so it's easy to do it quickly. There are gravel trails there as well, but this time of year there are lots of mosquitoes all around those, so I tend to stay on the paved parts. Of course, now that I think about it, during the winter I also tend to stay on the paved parts because of the darkness. I need to remember my bug spray and explore around the gravel parts again next time I'm there, it's been a while.



There was a wisp of a cloud in the sky. Just one. But I set up the camera at the new spot I found by the water and went on my merry way. I normally like to include a loop around the boat launch parking lot to add some distance, but the gate was open and there was a truck parked there, so I skipped it. The view looking up the hillside as I headed West again was really nice.



This is one of the smallest snails I've ever seen. So small, it was really hard to get a photo of. But since there's nothing in the photo for scale, you can't really tell.



Pretty squares.




4.95 miles in 1:45, 11,250 steps

I almost didn't save the time lapse to Instagram because not much happened, but I really liked the contrail, so I uploaded it.



I didn't run out immediately after my shower like I planned because I realized I could do a lunch for a future Live in Everett post near the stores I wanted to go to. Lunch was good, but the stores were annoying crowded. I really prefer to shop early. Crowds always annoy me, but they're even worse in stores because of the aisles. Oh well, I got some good stuff.

Never early enough

June 6, 2017, 4:56 pm

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As I drove down our street this morning, I saw that there was a really amazing purple and pink stripy sunrise in progress. It was tempting to go straight to the same place as yesterday to catch it in that wonderfully reflective spot on the river, but I didn't want to do the same walk two days in a row. So I parked at Legion Memorial, up above the marina, and left the camera going there. The last bits of color I saw were really great, but it didn't last.



The sky was still really nice the whole time.






Pretty squares.



I thought this was a square, but when I saw it in the grid, I realized it wasn't.



Clearly I had a great time taking photos today. Videos, too.



And even though the color disappears right at the start of the time lapse, it still came out great.




6.6 miles in 2:19, 14,894 steps

I didn't even do the South portion of the marina and still got a lot of distance in. Starting up above like that is pretty neat, the only disadvantage is the lack of a crosswalk. I emailed the city about that a couple of years ago and they were confident they'd get funding via a grant for one. Maybe it didn't work out.

And here's a hummingbird on our feeder. They keep taking off whenever I reach for the phone lately, so I was surprised to get such a long video.

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Skeeter meat

June 7, 2017, 2:30 pm

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My brain must have been listening yesterday, because I was wide awake this morning at 3:30 or so and out of bed at 3:37. The coffee pot starts brewing at 3:45 so it only got a little bit of a head start, but I'll take it!



I was told last night that my next batch of stuff to do wouldn't be ready until mid-day today. It's never easy to tell what that means when working with someone on the East coast, but I knew he had a lot to do and I would see it for a while. One frustrating aspect is that most of it came from a name change asked for by a stakeholder yesterday, and that name appears all over the place. The developer had to make the same change over and over, and then I had to re-do all the screenshots in my documentation. But a big reason people like working with me is that I turn that sort of thing around quickly and without making a fuss.

I only mention it here to explain why I'd stay out walking for a really long time when I also have a lot of work.

I left the Podo at a spot I like near the Langus entrance and then pressed on to my normal spot. It was a really neat day for clouds, even though a lot of what I saw was further South of the Podo's view.










The foxgloves are growing like crazy.




Today for the first time, I saw an eagle fly into a tree, forcing another eagle off the branch where it landed. That eagle looped around and settled on another branch. I've never seen two eagles at once before. I think I can make them both out in this photo.



Same tree and eagles, different angle.



I love when the water is really still and I can get strange shots like this.



Pretty squares.



This one's also square, but I like the detail too much to show the smaller version.




7.92 miles in 2:46, 17,822 steps

It was mostly a nice walk, but I was eaten alive by mosquitoes, especially over on the island. I even caught one biting my foot at my desk later on after I got home and showered! It's entirely possible it caught a ride inside on my clothes.

The video came out neat. Funnily, I didn't even notice all the bales in the shot as I was setting it up.

Not a lot to report

June 8, 2017, 6:26 pm

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I had to go to campus today and decided I'd do a nice long walk before heading out. Same destination as I always hit on Thursday, just more of it.



It was grey and wet, though, and there wasn't much to see. Other than this heron, which was sitting much higher than they usually do. Of course, it flew away after I took this.



And it's not a great photo, but I was really taken by the fog rolling over the island.




7.56 miles in 2:29, 16,394 steps

People are always saying I should write words or draw pictures with my routes, so I tried to write FUCK today. It's not quite precise enough for that size.

There's not much to see in the video, so I didn't put it on Instagram. But there's a surprise!



At least this guy didn't move the camera. The photos have a neat quality to them, too.




The meeting on campus was good, and I chose the long, slow way home instead of the stressful one. It was a really pretty drive, and I ran the dashcam for part of it. If the roads were straighter, it would have made for a great video, because the sky was really dramatic. But I think everyone would have gotten motion sickness, so I discarded.

SchadenFriday

June 9, 2017, 5:30 am

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CATURDAY

June 10, 2017, 6:07 am

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BONUS Saturdogs














Many thanks to:
Animals Being Dicks
Señor Gif
k00l 4 k@+z
Almost Famous Cats
Cats, Beavers & Ducks
Derpy Cats
FAT CATS
FUCKYEAHFELINES!
CHEEZburger
Every Day is Caturday
Cats and Dogs
The Cat Reviewer
And everyone else who happened to put a cat or dog where I ended up seeing it this week!

Miles in the car, miles on the feet

June 11, 2017, 2:43 pm

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I've been all over the place lately. Not mentally, just physically. Thursday was the trip to Redmond and back, and Friday morning I went down to Bothell and Mill Creek. I agreed to let a traveling friend's dog out for a morning pee break, and figured I may as well do a walk while down there.



There's a cool trail by the house where the dog lives. Very pretty, but could be maintained a little better. Of course, what I thought was the worst part was not actually the trail at all; when I emerged, I realized there was a paved trail parallel to the brush I pushed through. Oh well.




There's a very cool park down there called North Creek Park. Even though it's huge on the map, most of it's wetlands and there's a very long boardwalk. The fog gathers in it nicely.








The boardwalk goes North and South with branches heading West. I wanted to check both those out, but this kid blocked my path on the second one, and was really scared so I didn't want to disturb it.




5.84 miles in 1:54, 12,646 steps, 347ft gain

My original route was supposed to be a little longer, with some exploring in the Mill Creek Nature Reserve. I got really tired of all the traffic, though, and cut it a bit short. Then I went to three Walmarts hoping to find some Zima, which an article I saw said they already had in stock. No luck there or at the two grocery stores I checked later on. Hopefully I'll find some this week.

I should have left the Podo in my friend's yard, but didn't. You still get a video from Friday, though.



And here's a video of Steve being bad yesterday. I managed to make it loop almost perfectly!



Also yesterday, I met an coworker from 11 years ago and her son for brunch, which was a lot of fun. We worked a swing shift together and used to like to go out and play pool a lot on Fridays after work. And I finally approached a business owner in person about an interview, which was a big milestone for me. I'm also happy to report that I've been approached for possible freelance work because of the blogging I've been doing.

I don't talk about work a lot online, but my original career plan when I was in college was to become an advertising copywriter. And I did! It was for an employment agency, though, and the work was really uninspiring. I took some copywriting classes after I was laid off from that job, intending to get back into it, but life happened and I ended up not wanting to be back in an agency environment ever again if I could avoid it. I never pursued that kind of job again and wasn't sure I was any good, so the talk of work and feedback on my blogging has been really nice.

We had a fun evening at home with Netflix and although I didn't sleep particularly well, I got out on time for a very nice walk this morning. The moon was setting and looked amazing, so I pointed the Podo that way.








Pretty squares.



I do love when the water is smooth and I can do some mindbenders.





That sky called for a pano, for sure.



Hot air balloon!




5.91 miles in 2:07, 13,475 steps

I didn't go to the island today because of the mosquito attack I suffered there earlier this week. It was a very lovely walk without it, though. and I dig today's time lapse.

Not enough or too much

June 12, 2017, 9:33 am

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My friend Melissa asked a few days ago if she could walk with me today, and I chose Lowell because it's been a long time since I took her there, and the new housing development has come a long way since she saw it. But as is often the case, I didn't use my phone much since I had company.


I took exactly one picture of this thing I hope is incorporated into the design when they create the new park at this spot.



I left the Podo at the spot by the river, where I wished the skies weren't so clear the last two times I made videos. Today was the opposite issue. The cloud cover was so thick, there's not much to see. Still a neat video, though, mainly due to the reflections on the water.




6.31 miles in 2:02, 13,560 steps

It'd been a while since I saw Melissa and it was fun to catch up.

I shouldn't have said anything!

June 13, 2017, 3:01 pm

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Yesterday the sky was overcast, but there was still some texture to it. Today when I got to the pool, it was drizzling out and the sky looked completely flat.





Nothing at all to see, so I didn't bother setting the Podo up. My swimming soundtrack was Lip Locked 305, and I really liked this song that played toward the end.



After the pool, I headed over to a local business for my first real interview for the blog I've been writing for. It was much easier to do than I thought it would be, mainly because I'd already read their website and we chatted a bit the first time I went. It'll be a while before it gets posted as there are two in the queue before it, though.

Since there wasn't a sky video, I decided to experiment a bit. When I finished my lunch yesterday, I froze a toy in the container it came in, and today I melted the ice with the Podo going. Unfortunately, with a photo every five seconds, the battery died before it could melt all the way. So it's just on YouTube since it's not what I wanted it to be. And it was just a test anyway.

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Stuck in the middle (of the week) with you

June 14, 2017, 2:50 pm

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Melissa wanted to join up again today, so I figured the tank farm, my usual Thursday spot, would be good. I'm swimming tomorrow since Ana and I are getting tattoos in the afternoon and I won't be able to swim again for another two weeks.



I was happy to find such a dramatic sky waiting for us. So good for time lapses.



A friend posted a few photos from Mukilteo yesterday, including this spot, so I took this to send to her.



Can't say I've ever seen someone fishing quite like this before.



With company along, I never stop for too many photos, but I managed to get a couple of pretty squares.




5.55 miles in 1:48, 11,966 steps, 284ft gain

I've wanted to leave the camera at today's spot for a while, which is a sign saying what the parking restrictions are when I park down there. Today was a perfect day for it, because with my car in front of the sign and Melissa's next to mine, one would have to wade through waist-high plants or lean on our cars. I figured people wouldn't even notice, or wouldn't want to come close if they did. I like this video, but I wish there were more trains.

Zhitzhow

June 15, 2017, 10:11 am

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Ah, what a morning. I was on the way out the door to go to the pool when I smelled something.



The litter boxes are in the coat closet by the front door. Not really ideal, since that's the first impression someone gets walking in, but at least they're hidden away and far from where anyone eats. That's right by my bedroom door, but it's only ever bothered me in there a couple of times over the last few years.

But I was in the bathroom when I smelled it, and sure enough, there was some poop in the tub. I assume it's Sam since he's older, and if it's going to happen somewhere other than the boxes, the tub is fine by me. We don't even use that one. It was still fresh enough that it came up way easier than the last time I found some in there, when I had to fill the tub a bit and soak for a while.

Unfortunately, when I walked it over to the toilet to dump, I didn't notice there was some more next to the toilet, which I stepped on. I honestly wish I'd been barefoot at the time, because as gross as it would have been, I would have noticed. Instead, I tracked it all the way into the kitchen and back, so instead of cleaning up just the one poop, I had to clean up a dozen more spots. And clean my sandal. And then I found a little more by the front door. So glad I found that one because when I find them there dried, they fuse to the stonework.

Anyway, here's today's time lapse. Ha.



Sushi and tattoos with Ana this afternoon, then she's joining us for dinner after!

The title to this post is a Zima reference. It's in stores, but I still haven't found it. It's on the site for a big liquor store one city South and I can even order it to pick it up there later, so that'll be what I do if I don't find it soon.

EDIT: Oh yeah, there was no sign of the swim team that was the reason I stopped going to the pool on Thursdays. Monday and Wednesday is a better schedule anyway, but it was nice that they weren't there.

SchadenFriday

June 16, 2017, 9:30 am

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CATURDAY

June 17, 2017, 4:48 am

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BONUS Saturdogs


















Many thanks to:
Animals Being Dicks
Señor Gif
k00l 4 k@+z
Almost Famous Cats
Cats, Beavers & Ducks
Derpy Cats
FAT CATS
FUCKYEAHFELINES!
CHEEZburger
Every Day is Caturday
Cats and Dogs
The Cat Reviewer
And everyone else who happened to put a cat or dog where I ended up seeing it this week!

Phew

June 18, 2017, 7:54 pm

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Sometimes I miss the days when we were all sending in quicker posts via flickr because it was easy and things didn't pile up. But it's just not how to do it now. Imagine if each photo in a typical post of mine was its own post. It's weird to even think about. But now I find myself after a busy few days ready for bed, but knowing I'd better get the post out first.

Thursday afternoon and Evening were fun. Ana came over from Port Orchard so we could take advantage of the fire sale at the tattoo shop. It was my second time and I got my other foot tattooed.





On the left is the Starheadboy sticker I found downtown under the freeway 8.5 years ago, and on the right is the tattoo. I've wanted it ever since I found it, but I didn't want it big, and have been mostly concentrating on the larger stuff for a while. Perfect subject for that sale, though. Ana came over for dinner and we had a swell time visiting.

Friday was my third day last week walking with Melissa, and we had a nice time.

I normally walk at the marina on Tuesdays, but with her walking with me Monday/Wednesday/Friday, Tuesday and Thursday were pool days. So we did the Marina on Friday. She lives down there on a boat, so I picked her up at her slip and we drove over to the park so I could leave the Podo camera. Once again, not a lot of photos because I had company.





6.25 miles in 1:56, 13,096 steps

If you pay more attention than I bet anyone does to the maps, you'll notice we walked somewhere I haven't gone, to the end of the pier on the lower left. I've walked onto it for pictures before, but never went all the way to the end. It's pretty long, so I may as well do it regularly.



That video looks like I may have accidentally put in the last part at a slower speed. That's entirely possible, but I've settled into a really mechanical routine and doubt it happened. If it didn't, it's pretty cool how suddenly the clouds slowed down.

After the walk I went to WinCo to pick some Zima up. I knew they had it because my friend Liz sent me a photo from there the day before. These are mine, though.



We each had a couple that night and they taste as good as I remember. And I left the camera running all day in the back yard.

Oh and Garrett took Friday off. We went to lunch at Terracotta Red, which he's been wanting to try for a long time. The first time we went over there was when we discovered they don't do lunch on weekends the hard way. The second was with Jenn and Jason the night of the Duran Duran concert. I didn't think to make reservations and it would have been hard anyway since they were coming up from Seattle. The wait was too long, so we moved on. I'm glad he liked it and I'm so happy he's finally been there; I've wanted to take people but would have felt bad about it. I took this photo because I love the way they did the plaster on the walls.



Saturday was mostly spent relaxing at home with Garrett, though I did run out for some thrift store shopping. Haven't been doing that much lately, but we needed prizes for our July 4th Croquet tournament. I left the Podo running all day in the back yard.



It was a very typical Sunday morning today, though I didn't immediately go to the paved trail, figuring I could end with it today. I got a little bit further up the Northeast trail than I have in a while, because they've mowed. Which isn't to say my feet didn't get wet, but just my feet got wet, not everything from my navel down.

This is officially the lowest I've ever seen the water here. I know because today was the first time I ever saw duck tracks in the mud.



Pretty Squares.



On my way back to the car, I thought, it's been a while since I saw a deer right over there that time. And then there was a deer!




I didn't go as far today because I wanted to do a deep clean of the litter closet when I got home, plus I had to call Dad today and we always talk for a long time.


5.33 miles in 1:56, 12,474 steps

And my new tattoo left a little ink ghost inside my sock.





We had a very nice time at Dennis and Bev's place this afternoon. Bella says hi.