Life Archives

Tenley Murphy Cederholm

Posted at 12:54 PM

Kerry and I welcomed the birth of our daughter yesterday. Tenley Murphy Cederholm was born June 25th at 1:22pm. Six pounds, eleven ounces of pure joy.

Where our 2 1/2 year old son Jack came six weeks early, Tenley decided to do it her own way, arriving 3 days late. Everyone’s doing wonderfully though, and Mom and baby will be coming home tomorrow.

I’ll be taking the next month off as much as possible as we adjust to newborn status once again. See you in a bit.

Webstocked

Posted at 8:05 PM

I just returned from New Zealand, where I spoke at Webstock. I am tired. I had a tremendous time. I was amazed at the quality of the organization of the conference. I loved the branding that was found on everything from the t-shirt to the speakers’ dinner menus. I saw many old friends and met new ones. I think my talk went over pretty well. I missed out on a lot of the talks due to being obsessive about my slides. I found out I’m not the only one that does that.

I took a lot of pictures. I rented a car and drove up through the center of the North Island and back. I was scared to drive on the opposite side of the road. I loved the espresso in Wellington, in particular People’s Coffee which was free throughout the conference. I’d like to attend more conferences that dispense free, high-quality espresso. I wish I could’ve visited the South Island. I really should’ve enabled mobile roaming before I left the country. I think kiwis are extremely friendly people. I found out that the term kiwi comes from the bird and not the fruit.

I never had a February 11, 2008. I missed my family terribly. I’m calling New Zealand “earth concentrate”, where a two-hour drive can take you through 10 different landscapes. I saw a few movie stars at the hotel in Wellington. I left my iPhone USB cable at a motel near Lake Taupo. I paid $39NZ for a new iPhone USB cable. I am thankful and honored for having to the opportunity to travel so far to talk about web design. I’ll be forever grateful to the hard-working Webstock organizers, in particular Natasha Hall and Mike Brown.

I think I’ll post this, just as it is.

28 Comments

80 Percenter

Posted at 10:11 AM

Last week, I gave my More “Wow”, Please talk at Web Design World Boston. During the talk I mentioned a fantastic book: Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard. Yvon founded the expensive-but-awesome clothing company, Patagonia. I’ve long been a fan of Patagonia’s stuff, and their dedication as a company to environmental causes (they co-founded One Percent For The Planet, of which SimpleBits is a member) , and so when Josh Porter recommended the book a while back, I ordered immediately.

The book covers the history of the company, Yvon’s philosophy on design, and being a reluctant business owner. It’s a great read, with a lot of insightful head-nodding.

One part stood out in particular, when Chouinard talks about how he sees himself as an “80 percenter”:

I’ve always thought of myself as an 80 percenter. I like to throw myself passionately into a sport or activity until I reach 80 percent proficiency level. To go beyond that requires an obsession and degree of specialization that doesn’t appeal to me.

I didn’t know it before reading that quote, but I think I’m an 80 percenter as well. For people that love to create things, whether it be a website or a t-shirt or even a beer coaster (ahem) — the web seems to tie all these things together quite nicely. And it’s reaching 80% proficiency (but not 100%) that I think makes it possible to handle all of that at one time.

Ever try talking to (or working with) someone who is 100% obsessed with a single task? The danger is that they’ll get bogged down in details. Every detail. Whereas an 80 percenter might eventually learn to know which details to focus on. And determining which details are important can be just as useful as knowing them all.

At least that’s my interpretation. Regardless, I recommend the book highly.

24 Comments

U-489

Posted at 2:38 PM

We arrived at the bed & breakfast in the Berkshires and my headache had worsened. Forgot to pack some Advil. Damn. I went in the front door of the inn and an old man asked if I needed help.

“Hi, I was wondering if you had any aspirin?”

“Well I dunno. Let’s see what she has!”

Well that’s odd, I thought, assuming there was a little store inside — or at least those little individual packets for sale. Must be the owner of the inn. Maybe “she” runs the shop in the lobby. He led me to a large living room where an old woman sat in a chair by the fireplace.

“This gentlemen is looking for some aspirin.”

“Hmm, lemme see,” she said, as she plunged her left hand deep into her left pants pocket. She must’ve fished around in there for a good 20 seconds.

“Ah ha! I found one,” pulling something out. She then carefully tipped her hand so the pill would softly fall into the old man’s palm (so that he could walk over to me and do the same).

I looked down at a single white pill in my hand. U-489 was imprinted on it (or something like that), with no other clue that this was indeed an over-the-counter pain reliever.

I clenched my fist around it and said, “Thanks”.

“Come prepared!” the old man shouted as I walked down the steps outside, firing the mysterious pill into the bushes.

I’ll never leave home without aspirin again.

Gone Fishing

Posted at 3:09 PM

We’re packing up over here for a little trip to San Francisco for @media followed by a few days of vacation. The whole family is coming with me, and we’re excited about everything, save the 6+ hour flight. Snacks? Check. Sesame Street? Check. Non-noisy toys? Check.

I’m posting this primarily to warn anyone of a delay in email response that’ll begin shortly. Well, there’s always a delay these days, but it’ll be even worse for the next little while.

See you on the left coast, or when we return.

One Hundred

Posted at 10:03 AM

Maybe it was the antique car show we drove by this past weekend, but something got me thinking: what would I be working on 100 years ago? In other words, today I design web sites and other related web things for a living. In 1906, I doubt I’d be doing the same (and if I was I’d be insane).

One hundred years ago, radio was in it’s infancy, so there’s an obvious parallel there: a new, exciting technology that increases communication. But really what we’re doing is creating stuff, and I’m not sure I’d be building radios or telegraph equipment. I’m not smart enough for that.

Typesetting? That could be closer than radio, but typesetting was far from being something new in 1906. So maybe it’d be something less obvious, like a “Wheelwright” or a “Confectioner” or even a “Newsagent” — actual professional titles for the early 20th century. And don’t they sound cool?

Regardless, it’s interesting to look back and draw similarities, especially if you do the same looking forward. Will anyone be designing web sites in another 100 years? Will I be doing this in 10 or 20? Who knows.

56 Comments

Webvisions 2006

Posted at 2:02 PM

I’ve returned from Portland, successfully capping off the little Summer Tour. It feels really good to be back, save for the immediate dive into a pile of work. I had a great time at Webvisions — my first time attending the conference (and the state of Oregon).

It was a fun event, and one that feels more intimate despite the full schedule over several tracks. I left feeling like I missed a lot in terms of the panels and presentations, but am looking forward to the podcasts.

My own presentation went well, I think. It was early on Day 2 (8:30am), but the turnout was excellent, and I felt slightly more relaxed this time around. For those that attended, the Bulletproof Web Design slides are available (18MB PDF). They are slightly cryptic without the commentary, but possibly interesting if you’re feeling adventurous. Thanks to those that came out and listened.

The Design Panel (the actual title, which I love) went well, too, in lieu of myself being a bit drained after the morning’s session. There was a great turnout, many of whom brought interesting questions. For instance, after talking about the importance of good copy (a rareity) as interface design, one attendee pimped her own copywriting business (multiple times). Now normally this would be bad practice — but she managed to pull it off humorously. Bryan Veloso did a bang-up job as moderator (excellent meeting him for the first time) and Mike and Keith were spot on.

As with any post-conference rambling, you’ll often hear that the social aspect is just as (or more) important than the program. Very true for Webvisions as well, where it was fun to meet many folks that I hadn’t met before. And it being a smaller conference, that gave way for more time to chat in-depth on things.

Non-Webvisions highlights of visiting Portland included:

• The amazing Japanese Garden (with a free bonus view of the city and Mt. Hood). I was really blown away by it, and the location way up in a rolling hill above the city gave more of a hint at Oregon’s landscape.
• Stumptown Coffee. I had the best mocha I’ve ever tasted here, complete with marked foam.
• The Doug Fir Lounge. Like a pancake house that was turned ultra-hip and cool by the use of giant fir logs, fur-lined walls and crystal moose heads.
• Greek Cuisina. This is where the wrap-up party was, and I’ll let the photographic (and probably videographic) evidence speak for itself. Crazy place.

More photos of Portland (and mostly the Japanese Garden) are over at my Flickr stream. Thanks to Brad Smith and Nick Finck for the invite — they and the rest of the team put on a great show.

21 Comments

Last Stop on the Summer Tour

Posted at 11:56 AM

My month of ridiculous traveling is about to come to a close this week, where I’ll be heading over to Portland, Oregon for Webvisions. There I’ll be giving a presentation as well as sharing a panel on design with Mike, Keith and Bryan.

This past month has been both stressful and fun (but mostly stressful). London and back. San Francisco and back. Knoxville, Tennessee and back. Now Portland and back. I’m ready to never travel again, and wonder how people do this on a regular basis. I’m also ready to get back to doing, rather than just talking. But we’ll have to wait until after Oregon (which I’m looking forward to: a great lineup in a city I’ve never been to).

Reasons I Enjoy Flying

Posted at 1:37 PM

1. The roominess of it all.
2. The food.
3. The idle time while standing upright.
4. Duty-free shopping (clue me in here, does anyone actually take advantage of this?)
5. Pre-completed Sudoku puzzles.
6. The elbow room
7. Month-old episodes of 60 Minutes.
8. The comforting feeling of being in complete control.
9. Free airport wi-fi.
10. Adjustable air nozzles.
11. Watching someone attempt to close the overhead bin at least 15 times before giving up and letting the attendant deal with it.
12. Ear-popping fun.
13. Cab rides.
14. Quality reflection time.
15. Fumes.

56 Comments

Torn

Posted at 9:30 PM

Tomorrow night I’ll board a plane for London, where I’ll be presenting Bulletproof Web Design on the second day of @media 2006. I’m pretty excited about the trip, depite being terrified of leaving Jack and Kerry. They’ll be fine, of course. But it feels weird to be leaving, even though I haven’t left yet.

Anyhow, it’ll be great to see some friends I haven’t seen in a long while, and I’m really looking forward to meeting new ones. I don’t get out much these days. If you’re heading to the conference, be sure to say “hi”.

Coincidentally, my talk is the first of the morning after the England vs. Trinadad & Tobago World Cup match. Will anyone show up if they win? If they lose? Will I get swept up into all of this? Probably. And then my session should be even more interesting.

Also, for the past eight years I’ve been carrying around a British £5 note in my wallet from our first trip to England. I have fond memories of the trip, where Kerry and I (not yet married at the time) visited my parents who were staying in Oxford for the summer. My grandfather (on my Dad’s side) made the trip out with us, and I can remember we tired him out with walking tours of Oxford, London and the Cotswolds. I’d been saving this 5 pounds for the day I returned to the UK, to plunk it down in a pub, and tip my glass to my late grandfather, and the great memories of our first trip to Europe.

Last week, while cleaning out my wallet of old receipts, I accidentally ripped the £5 note into four pieces along with the unwanted receipts. Argh. I’ve taped it back together, and just hope it’ll be accepted somewhere. For eight years, it’s happily lived in my wallet (several wallets, actually), and then I had to go and do this, just a week before returning. Ah well.

40 Comments

Mending Jack

Posted at 11:37 AM

Pardon the interruption, but this is by far the easiest way to pass along news and avoid forgetting to email everyone that we intended to.

We found out shortly after Jack was born that he had two heart defects. Thankfully they haven’t affected him negatively over the last few months, but we knew they’d need to be corrected nontheless. This past Tuesday he had surgery that fixed the problems, and after a few roller-coaster days in intensive care, as of today he’s doing really well, eating again and has just moved into a “normal” recovery room.

I’m once again in awe of the doctors and nurses that are taking care of our little guy. We’re fortunate to be in Boston (this time at Children’s Hospital) where some of the best surgeons in the world work. For instance, Jack’s surgeon is apparently the Jeffrey Zeldman of cardiac surgery, so we felt pretty reassured.

Work has of course been put on hold and emails are going unanswered while we’re living at the hospital this week. We’re hoping we can all be home sometime early next week.

Update: Finally home. Mentally and physically exhausted — but home and doing well. Whew.

Degrees

Posted at 4:10 PM

I’ve always assumed that everyone suffers a little from the “grass is always greener” syndrome. Here in these Northeastern United States, I know we do.

I grew up dreaming of tropical lands — especially when in the middle of a frozen arctic winter. Recently, we’ve picked up hobbies that embrace the snow (e.g. cross-country skiing) but it’s inevitable that you’ll go a little stir-crazy come March. Add a baby that’s supposed to have limited travels to the mix, and you’ve guaranteed yourself some cabin fever.

Then there’s a day like today. It’s approximately 67°F. That’s pretty much a rarity in early March around here. But it’s always amazing when it happens. People seem friendlier. And it’s when a day like today comes along where I wonder if I wouldn’t appreciate it if it happened more often.

We talk about the weather a lot in New England^[1]. I’m constantly watching forecasts. So, I wonder what it’s like to not think about the weather? To wake up and know it’ll be roughly the same as yesterday. Is it boring?

I both love and hate the swing of the seasons.

[1] For instance, I’ve devoted this entire entry to the weather.

77 Comments

Four Things

Posted at 2:09 PM

I’ve been meme-tagged by Ethan, and now I must comply by revealing four things for every cleverly-devised question. A warning: the answers are incredibly interesting.

37 Comments

Home. Finally.

Posted at 12:55 PM

Writing about anything else just doesn’t seem right (not to mention the lack of time), so bear with me here. We finally brought Jack home on New Year’s Eve day after 2 weeks in a special care nursery. He’s doing great, eating like a champ and packing on the pounds ounces. Our lives now get very interesting.

A huge “thank you” to all that have left congratulatory comments, emails, etc. It’s amazing to get such positive thoughts and similar stories from all over the globe. Jack loved it.

The biggest parenting lesson we’ve learned thus far is: don’t assume anything. All those pre-birth plans we’d made were completely thrown out the window when he arrived so early. Any choices that we were so adamant about were forgotten in favor of just getting the little guy to make it through his hospital stay so he could come home. What seemed important before he arrived quickly didn’t matter any more. He just needed to thrive.

We found out shortly after the birth that Jack has a heart defect that may need surgery in the coming months. We’re assured he’ll be perfectly fine, and that (amazingly) the correction, if necessary, is even considered routine at Children’s Hospital Boston. Again, all the dumb stuff we were worried about months ago just seems so ridiculous now.

Thank you once again for all the well wishes — I’ve always been horrible about returning emails, and even more so now. I’ll be back to the world of web design soon.

Jack Murphy Cederholm

Posted at 11:33 AM

For whatever reason, our little guy wanted out 6 weeks earlier than expected. Jack Murphy Cederholm was born Sunday afternoon at Mt. Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He’s a tiny and beautiful 4lbs 8oz. Both Kerry and baby are doing great. The unexpected surprise means spending a few weeks in the hospital before we can go home. But it also means we need to quickly buy Jack a Christmas gift (not to mention all the other last minute preparations we’d planned for after the holidays).

Such a wide range of emotions over the past two days. Fear, joy, anxiety, and those other emotions that you can’t even apply a word to. Right now, we’re just hoping he continues to grow and that we can get home as soon as possible.

Here’s to life’s surprises.

364 Comments

The Penny

Posted at 9:11 AM

Earlier today, I purchased a one-gallon jug of spring water from a local convenience store. The total came to $1.29. I handed over $1.30, then silently waited for my single penny to be returned. It never came. Apparently the clerk was unaware of the optional “courtesy thank you” that a customer can say that means “keep the change”. I didn’t give the “courtesy thank you” on this particular visit, and it took me a minute to realize that I wasn’t getting my penny back. And that was OK. I turned and walked out with my jug of water that I had just paid $1.30 for.

126 Comments

Digital Web Interview (and Life News)

Posted at 10:12 PM

Not too long ago, Ethan Marcotte was kind enough to ask me some questions. I answered these questions, and the resulting interview is now published over at Digital Web. In it, I attempt to shed (more) light on the new book and, saving the best answer for last, also break the news of an upcoming, gigantic, exciting life event. This winter will be unlike any other for both Kerry and I!

Slidell Hurricane Damage Blog

Posted at 5:48 PM

I’ve been working with colleague and Slidell, Louisiana resident, Brian Oberkirch over the past few weeks on several web-related projects. To help gather information on what’s happening in his town, he’s set up a weblog to help people post and query on what’s happening in an area that’s been hit hard by Katrina. Brian’s proven that a weblog can be a helpful tool, and is looking for help regarding ideas to make it even more useful. Have an idea? Lend a hand if you can.

Figure 1: Current Work/Life Balance

Posted at 11:00 PM

A diagram depicting what happens when the delicate ratio of work/life gets out-of-whack.

Why I Didn't Leave the House Today

Posted at 5:57 PM

Although it is a Sunday, I’m reminded of a major downside to having a home office: no snow days. Figure 1, seen below, illustrates the reason I didn’t leave the house today. The photo is a bit deceiving, as some of the height is caused by the winds whipping the snow into drifts. But needless to say, a heck of a lot of snow was dropped on this part of the world last night and today.

So, no snow days. Work is still here — still accessible. Only when the power goes out, do we truly unplug from everything without a choice. This is both good and bad. Although the weather is annoying, it can give you a chance to just say, “ah, well.”, and just come to terms with staying indoors.

67 Comments

Down With Laces

Posted at 4:09 PM

I’m slowly, yet methodically, ridding myself of shoe laces. With each new footwear purchase, I am opting for models that simply “slip on”, rather than those that require lacing up. I’m also aware that my gradual switch only accelerates the fact that I am no longer “cool”. That aside, let’s take a look at the ways in which non-laced footwear is superior:

• You don’t have to bend over.
• Does not require the use of hands.
• Faster.
• Pants don’t get caught in lace bow.
• And other reasons not listed here.

What’s fascinating to me is that it’s taken so long for slip-on shoes of all styles to catch on. I realize (intelligent) people have been wearing laceless shoes for perhaps centuries, but it seems that in recent years, the variety has increased, and shoes of all types now come without laces. They’re everywhere now, or at least I’ve just started noticing.

Couple this recent popularity with the fact that I never really properly learned how to tie my own shoes, and you have the recipe for a global wardrobe “about face”.

Now, the more important question to ask, is why (on a web site historically known for web design-ish topics) all the posts on slippers, shoes and breast pockets? Well, I’m told that variety is the spice of life. And if that means meaningless rants on uncool fashion trends, sprinkled in with actual engaging topics — then so be it.

84 Comments

Realities of Self-Employment: Part 1

Posted at 4:52 PM

I have emerged from a temperature of 102° with a certain realization. When you get sick the world doesn’t stop. Email doesn’t get put on hold. Deadlines don’t get sick. Granted, I was only down and out for maybe 48 hours — but it’s enough to throw a wrench in the works.

It goes without saying that it sucks to get sick. It happens. This is magnified significantly when you work for yourself, and your company is comprised of one employee. Those that work for businesses that have greater than one employee have the benefit of the company not completely shutting down should they call in sick.

Simply an observation, as well as another learning experience.

25 Comments

Cycling: The First 100 Miles

Posted at 3:50 PM

I’ve ridden 100 miles (approximately) on a road bike. You may remember my proclamation of a few weeks back, inspired by Lance Armstrong’s historic sixth straight win over Le Tour de France, I had decided I needed a road bike.

A bike was then purchased, and as corny as it sounds, on the very afternoon of Lance’s familiar pose in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

So far, I’ve fallen twice. Hard. On account of the clipless pedals which lock your special shoes into the the cranks of the bike, requiring a delicate, almost graceful “twitch” of the heel in order to free them again. My problem: unlock right foot (so that I may touch the curb), but lean left — thereby tipping ever-so-slowly into the pavement. It’s the sort of fall that happens literally in slow motion. You know you’re going to hit the ground, yet you can (or choose to) do nothing about it.

Aside from the falls, I’m loving it. Hills are getting slightly easier, and thanks to my wife I’m going on some nice routes around the North Shore of Boston.

There is one scenario that’s maddening though. Consider the figure on the right. I’m riding along, and a huge SUV sits parked on my right. Just to the left of the SUV is a giant pothole. I have three choices here: Run into the back of the SUV, take my chances with the pothole or swerve out into the lane around both. Don’t worry, I’m extremely cautious when riding. But I’m presented with this situation constantly.

And that brings me to another topic: why is cycling more popular outside the United States? I’ll take a few guesses. I can’t speak for all of Europe, but when we visited Sweden recently, there were few or no SUVs in sight. Gas was roughly 3 times what it is here, making it more expensive to get out on the road. Less cars, smaller cars = more room on the road.

In New England—or in any location that has harsh, snowy winters—roads are horrible. Potholes are everywhere. Salt, gravel and snowplows make for bad riding during the other seasons. Road work is constantly being done. Certainly that has to affect cycling popularity in some fashion.

Regardless, it’s fun and it gets me exercising—which these days is a victory. Expect additional reports as the miles increase.

73 Comments

The Obligatory I'm Busy Post

Posted at 6:42 PM

The view out the front door of my house was particularly nice this evening, so I thought I’d snap a photo of it. I’m told Venus and the Moon were closer to each other than normal tonight. And I’d guess this is a good thing. My wife dragged her telescope outside and I must say the moon is pretty amazing when magnified. It tends to put things back in to perspective.

I suppose I’ve been busy with the usual lately and haven’t found the time to post here. Lots of things happening behind the scenes that will surface later on. All good things — including more priming and painting and caulking. It will never end.

But soon the leaves will appear again on the trees, baseball will return to Fenway Park and all will be right with the world.

The Search

Posted at 9:45 AM

So I’ve been looking for a new job — and so far it hasn’t been going well. It’d be silly for me not to announce something here, in the event that the esteemed readers of SimpleBits might be of some assistance. While my brief unemployment has allowed me to get some great things done, I don’t intend to stay that way.

I’m looking for a full-time web design/development/UI/webmaster type role at a cool company in the Boston/Eastern Massachusetts area (I just moved, so relocation is out for now). There are so many directions to head within these categories, so for the right company, I’m certainly willing to mold. Most of what I’m seeing out there so far is either contract work (which I’ve decided against for now), entry-level or crap.

So feel free to contact me if you know of anything, hear about a cool company that might be in need, if you work somewhere already that is looking to hire, or if you just want to chat about American Idol. I would be forever grateful.

Escaping the Cold Snap

Posted at 5:13 PM

We’re packing up and heading out for about a week. Tommorrow we head to sunny Florida to visit family. Just in time too, as it’s down to about 20(F) degrees here (during the day).

While I’m away, we can all root for the Patriots* as they try to further distance us from the terrible Game 7 of the American League Championship of last October. The Pats’ 14-2 record has almost made me forget.

*Unless of course you are a Tennessee Titans fan.

I’ll be unplugging for most of the week, so until then…

What I've Done on My Holiday Vacation

Posted at 3:40 PM

• Sanded
• Spackled
• Painted
• Had a beer
• Installed track lighting
• Installed washer & dryer
• Installed dimmer switch
• Removed two shutters
• Cut my hand while removing the second of two shutters
• Tried to remember when my last tetanus shot was
• Received tetanus shot
• Made 7 trips to Home Depot in as many days
• Had a beer
• Did a fair amount of writing
• Stained two bookcases (acutally, they hold CDs)
• Watched the Two Towers (Extended DVD, of course)

* The list excludes the holidays themselves, which were/are very nice. List items subject to change, removal or amendment without notice.

12 Comments

An Old Stove

Posted at 1:07 PM

When I say to someone, we bought a new house, what I really mean is that we bought an old house. Case in point: the stove.

This thing is ancient — but it’s so old, that the style is almost hip in a way. I love the typography on it. Typography? Wait a minute… a stove is much more about function than form. I should care about how it performs — the heat it produces, cooking time, etc.

The stove works just fine, and I remember the realtor saying that it was made so long ago that it’ll probably last another 50 years. Manufactured at a time perhaps before planned obsolescence.

I’m sure we’ll replace it someday, but for now it’s a matter of convincing ourselves that it’s just fine.

Anyhow, warm wishes for a Happy Holiday Season from SimpleBits. I will be sipping eggnog while priming, painting and spackling my way to a New Year.

18 Comments

Thank You, Neighbor

Posted at 6:10 PM

This post comes courtesy of someone’s Wi-Fi in the new neighborhood. Thanks. While I was supposed to have phone, cable and internet hooked up today, I missed the appointment and now have to wait another week. Yikes. One more week without cable. This is an atrocity, but thank goodness for wireless technology.

Anyhow, it’s probably just as well since we’re still navigating a sea of carboard boxes. Aside from that we’re still in awe of the previous owner’s horrific fascination with stencils. There are random stencils on the wall in a few different spots of the new house. Stencils that start on one wall and abruptly end before meeting the next. Or stencils that travel all the way around the room as if a vine had grown in a perfect circle. How charming.

Happy Thanksgiving to all.

12 Comments

Cardboard Carnival

Posted at 11:53 PM

My wife Kerry and I are moving into a new house this coming monday. Although we’re moving approximately 300 yards away, the process is no less of a disruptive stress-fest. We’ve been living in an absolute mess for the past few weeks as we box up everything and throw out stuff that we haven’t looked at since the last move. It feels good to rid yourself of old stuff. Like shedding a skin.

We’re saying goodbye to the 2nd and 3rd floors of the “Old Frye Building” (pictured right), a mid-nineteenth century gambrel that has treated us well these past two and a half years.

A recent readthrough of the house’s history revealed an interesting little tidbit. According to tax records, there was an occupant: Thomas Collins, Jr. age 19 (navy), that lived here in 1864. The next record for 1869 reads: Thomas Collins Jr. died Nov. 27, 1864. Now, I immediately got to thinking… he was in the Navy at the time of the Civil War, and died right around that same time. Whoa. It’s possible that a young boy — just 19, lived between the same walls that surround the keyboard as I type this, went off to fight the Civil War and never came back. History is incredible. We’ll certainly miss this place.

And now it’s all about new beginnings. New house, unfortunate timing of a job termination means rethinking of where to go next. I know I already talked about this not too long ago, but it’s as if the world is a completely different place then it was just two months ago. And it must be weighing heavily on my mind enough to dedicate two posts in a month to vaguely rambling on about the journey of life.

Anyhow, I’ll be offline for a bit next week, but will emerge from a flattened, cardboard box mountain soon enough. Hopefully unscathed and ready to take on the world of standards-compliant design again.

10 Comments

What's Next?

Posted at 12:35 PM

I’m going to be asking myself that a lot over the next few months. All of the sudden, I’m at this crazy juncture in life. Sometime after the New Year, I’ll no longer have a day job. My wife and I bought a new house (albeit just a few blocks away) and will be moving at the end of the month. And there are possibly a few other exciting things happening on top of all this.

There are so many directions to go, so many things to consider. It’s all exciting and positive, yet at the same time overwhelming.

So, hopefully postings here won’t suffer — but if I sound incoherent now and then, you now know the probable reason.

5 Comments

Remembering

Posted at 4:32 PM

One year ago I wrote about seeing the year-old, worn pools of candle wax on my walk to the train every morning. It’s amazing, but they’re still there — 2 years later now. They are even more worn than last year, but still a constant reminder of the sad day and vigils that followed.