ACL Surgery
On February 13, 2012, I had my ACL replaced, after a soccer injury left it shredded. I also had some meniscus damage repaired. This is an account of that experience. Note some of these photos are graphic. February 13 (13 is my favorite number.) 6:30 am I arrived at the hospital via taxi with my [...]
Happy 2011!
Two years ago, while at Nokia, I worked on a project called Vision 2010. Although we were looking into a not-too-distant future, it was still the future. And yet today, 2010 is a thing of the past. It’s time to reflect and also look ahead to what this new year may bring. Last year I [...]
4×4 Things About Me
I was tagged by Dan Saffer to continue a meme (noun: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture) of four lists of four things about me, which provides a break from writing yet another post about design! I’ve never been tagged to continue a meme before. It’s [...]
Design School 2007,
Me in 2008, and a Blizzard
Happy new year +3! What follows is my experience in 2007 as a graduate student and the opportunities it afforded me, as well as what I will be doing in 2008. Finally, I mention the blizzard that is about to hit Mammoth Lakes, California, where I currently am. Design School and 2007 Two thousand and [...]
Designing for Beauty
Just finished watching Crash, and am now thinking about the ability films and other media have on stirring emotion and changing our perspective. I used to say that I never felt more emotional than during or after watching a film. There was a time when I would go to a film on a weekend night, [...]
Scrambling up a mountain and hauling my poop
Alone, I scrambled to the top of Mt. Whitney, by way of the mountaineers route, a gully filled with terrible scree and no discernible path. Winded by the altitude and encumbered by a headache either caused by lack of oxygen or dehydration, I arrived at a notch a few hundred feet from the top. I [...]
Done with Adaptive Path, kind of
Friday was the last day of my 10 weeks at Adaptive Path. We had the normal 4 pm tea time, but with more people and more activities. The Wii, which I had heard we had, finally made an appearance. The screen was projected on the conference room wall to make for some great fun. Overall, [...]
Back from Baltimore
I flew back from Baltimore today after day long days with a client. On the plane I read half of Everyware by Adam Greenfield, which I’m finding quite intriguing. I found myself highlighting lots of text and using post-its jot to down ideas and bookmark pages for potential blog topics. Also, I kept putting ubiquitous [...]
Condemn Partially Hydrogenated Oils
So I was in my hotel room feeling a bit peckish. Not wanting to venture out, I found a vending machine. I realized everything in the machines was likely unhealthy. But I hoped a Snickers bar wouldn’t be so bad. Money went in. Fingers pressed buttons. The spiral candy holder twirled, and the bar fell [...]
Pit Stop in Pittsburgh
I left San Francisco for Baltimore Sunday morning for some client meetings early this week. However, Baltimore was backed up, so we landed in Pittsburgh to refuel and wait. After a half hour we were back in the air. It was kind of funny to spend 30 minutes at Pittsburgh International Airport, about a half [...]
Rumbling in the Night
At 4:42 am I woke up. I’m not sure if I was just rolling over, or if my rattling closet doors were the cause. But soon my bed beneath me began to shake. The earthquake lasted about five seconds. And the only damage it did to me was keep me awake for the new couple [...]
I am an ENFP
Apparently Adaptive Path is into the Jung Typology test. I was urged to take it, and according to the test, I’m an ENFP: Extraverted (56%), intuitive (50%), feeling (25%), and perceiving (22%). The percentages are strength of preferences. Qualitative analysis of your type formula You are: moderately expressed extravert moderately expressed intuitive personality moderately expressed [...]
iPhone NDA Broken at SF Party
Tonight I was at a party in San Francisco and someone from Apple had an iPhone. At first it seemed like a privileged few got to sneak a peak. But then as the drinks were flowing and the guy with the iPhone wanted to get laid, the phone was on display much more openly. Naturally, [...]
My Very Own Place in SF
I am happy to report that I found a place to live in San Francisco! It’s a 1BR in Cole Valley very near to Golden State Park. It’s not even a sublet. I signed a two-month lease today. How lucky? The red peg is where I live. The green one is where I work. Also, [...]
I found Fred and Plouf!
I didn’t get the apartment I saw last night, so viewed two more apartments tonight after work. One I think I got, credit check pending. But I will not celebrate until it’s final. Anyway, on my way home, I was walking up Powell Street and out of the corner of my eye I spotted Fred [...]
First Day at Adaptive Path
And so it begins. I introduced myself at the weekly Tuesday staff meeting. “Oh, so that’s how you say your name.” I also got a couple, “You don’t look like what I imagined.” Today was pretty relaxed. I met the other intern, Irene Chong, from the Institute of Design. We compared design programs and conference-running [...]
San Francisco
I’m back in San Francisco after a week of kicking it in the mountains with my bro. On Sunday I drove back through Yosemite—mighty gorgeous—and arrived in gloomy, cloudy, and chilly San Fran that afternoon. I immediately went to check out an apartment in Inner Richmond. I was really hoping it would pan out as [...]
Happy Birthday to Me
I’m not one to go around telling people it’s my birthday, which is why this post is coming 40 minutes after my birthday (unless you’re on the west coast). It was a fun experiment to see if anyone would say anything. My number one suspect for getting the word out: Facebook. At around 4 p.m. [...]
Rock Beats Skin
It’s spring break and I haven’t been on my computer much as I’m in Mammoth Lakes, California, visiting my brother, Matt. I’ve been snowboarding, bouldering, rock climbing, and also just hanging out and doing nothing, and sleeping! My brother has been totally impressing me with his climbing skills. When I arrived last weekend, he was [...]
Spring Break!
Spring break! Spring break! Who would have thought that at 32 I’d be chanting those two words. But thank goodness for it, because I definitely need a break. While I haven’t been stressed out in the same way I was last semester (probably because I kind of feel like I know what I’m doing, maybe, [...]
Climbing Photos
I finally uploaded all the climbing photos I took while visiting my brother Matt in Mammoth Lakes, California. We went rope climbing at the gorge in Bishop, and bouldering at the Happies in Bishop. We climbed with his wife, Ericka, who is also a rock star climber, and their dog Zoey, who is quite a [...]
Back from Cali
I spent the past 10 days before the semester began visiting my brother, Matt, and his wife, Ericka, and their dog, Zoey, in Mammoth Lakes, California. They didn’t have an Internet connection, so I had to rely on a local coffee shop, which provided free wireless—a beautiful concept. However, I only checked my email every [...]
Visiting Brother in California
Tomorrow I’m heading to Mammoth Lakes, California, to visit my brother Matt and his wife Ericka. Although Matt moved to California six years ago, this is the first time I am visiting. It’s also the first time I’m visiting California. One reason it has taken me so long is Mammoth is in the middle of [...]
Happy New Year
New year’s eve means parties. And parties often entail meeting new people and telling them what you do. So I got a lot of practice on new year’s eve telling people what interaction design is. It’s still difficult to do. I usually start off just telling people I study design and hope that don’t ask [...]