Grumps can suck it, it's Friday!

[bigbill]

Gay Pride weekend in NYC and the city is packed. Supposedly 4 million people projected to attend the parade. We are 1/2 block from 5th Ave and so 1.5 blocks from 7th, so our street will be shut down hard (as in lots of security, no through traffic, no parked cars at either end, etc.) but we aren't going to be here so ... actually kind of a shame we are not going to be here since it is the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and the mood is already 100% celebratory. Even if we probably would not watch the parade for long (so loud! those kids, does your mother know you are wearing that? oh that is your mother?) we'd be here absorbing the atmosphere and remembering people we knew and know who helped make all this possible with hard work, activism and bravery.

We have to start each morning meeting with an "icebreaker", an interesting topic. This morning I discussed Stonewall and also mentioned that it's also the anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in Sarajevo. A lot of history on this date.

[bigbill]

My USNA Midshipman son is at West Point for a month. His first impressions were: "I'm glad I didn't go here, it's just mountains and forests, a really shitty Hogwarts". Made my day.

[doomridesout]

I finished my first trial to verdict as an attorney yesterday. We successfully defensed the accounting dispute that was at the center of the case, and as a bonus, we won on the counterclaim for some wrongfully withheld goods. Our cross-complaint asked for the value of the goods, but we were awarded the right to retake the goods themselves. So my first trial verdict in my career was that the plaintiff takes nothing by their complaint and an award of 1230 lbs. of freezerburned frozen huckleberries. Today the office printed out a "Certificate of Achievement: Largest frozen huckleberry verdict in firm history".

Life is very amusing sometimes. I'm grateful to work somewhere where they give me a speaking role (a major one) at trial in my first year of practice.

[joosttx]

I finished my first trial to verdict as an attorney yesterday. We successfully defensed the accounting dispute that was at the center of the case, and as a bonus, we won on the counterclaim for some wrongfully withheld goods. Our cross-complaint asked for the value of the goods, but we were awarded the right to retake the goods themselves. So my first trial verdict in my career was that the plaintiff takes nothing by their complaint and an award of 1230 lbs. of freezerburned frozen huckleberries. Today the office printed out a "Certificate of Achievement: Largest frozen huckleberry verdict in firm history".

Life is very amusing sometimes. I'm grateful to work somewhere where they give me a speaking role (a major one) at trial in my first year of practice.

This is awesome. I’m sure there will plenty more notches in your belt,

[ides1056]

Gay Pride weekend in NYC and the city is packed. Supposedly 4 million people projected to attend the parade. We are 1/2 block from 5th Ave and so 1.5 blocks from 7th, so our street will be shut down hard (as in lots of security, no through traffic, no parked cars at either end, etc.) but we aren't going to be here so ... actually kind of a shame we are not going to be here since it is the 50th anniversary of Stonewall and the mood is already 100% celebratory. Even if we probably would not watch the parade for long (so loud! those kids, does your mother know you are wearing that? oh that is your mother?) we'd be here absorbing the atmosphere and remembering people we knew and know who helped make all this possible with hard work, activism and bravery.

Amen to that. I was at an annual event around 1984 or 5, a Christmas party attended by the myriad gay friends of my wife's aunt Cherry, and I said to one how much their situation reminded me of Shirley Jackson's short story, The Lottery, which led to a momentary uncomfortable silence until I explained how perverse it seemed to me that at the very moment of freedom from the closet of social constraint, at least in places like SF and NYC, HIV would come along and just rain hellfire and damnation on the parade. Those were hard times when the plague first hit.

[summilux]

My USNA Midshipman son is at West Point for a month. His first impressions were: "I'm glad I didn't go here, it's just mountains and forests, a really shitty Hogwarts".

Yup. My daughter was there on exchange and she was like: "Do they need to deep fry ALL the food?"

[Dallas Tex]

When I see the quality of the help at grocery stores & Home Depot stores drop dramatically I know our country is operating at full employment.

I’ll happily accept the surly, unhelpful ‘help’ because of what it represents.

Have a great Friday everybody.

[bigbill]

In a few hours I'll put the Coconino on the Kuat and head east to Flagstaff for a weekend of mountain biking near Garro world headquarters. I'm trading the 104/77F of Kingman for the 80/55 of Flag.

[rwsaunders]

Another year, another kid moved into a new apartment and thank you Mr. Amazon Tech Bro for essentially selling your apartment full of nearly new furniture at an unbelievable price to our daughter.

[bigbill]

My application essay for the MA program was accepted. Writing thesis type essays and the Chicago Manual of Style were foreign to me. It's a skill set I've had to work on. I'm an engineer working as an Engineering Manager and I'm pursuing a Masters in American History because I love history. This is for me.

[Dave Thompson]

My son finally returned to the U.S. after a four month gig in Kuwait dealing with the Iran shitstorm. He loves the Middle East like I love Mexico but he’s real happy not to be there now.

[ericpmoss]

You think you had a tough climb to the top? Heh.

[JoB]

I had a rare 100 miler planned for today and the forecast was 50-70% rain for the whole ride. When I left this morning at 6:30 it was drizzling and I was || this close to going back insinde. Gave myself 45 min and like magic, the rain stopped and I had the most amazing ride. Sometimes you get lucky.

[Dallas Tex]

It’s important to also focus on the positive things in life when tragedy strikes our society.

I’ve been ‘up to bat’ in life far more times than I deserve. Whatever the reasons, I appreciate it.

[summilux]

My wife went to our garden plot this morning and told me that there were no zucchini that needed harvesting.

[sbornia]

Summer camps are kind of hit-or-miss for us, my kiddo feels a lot of anxiety about new places and routines. But this week's rock climbing camp has been a big success: she worked through her fears, learned new skills, and had a great time. First climbed indoors, then got to rappel down a three-story building, and today tried climbing up some real rock outside.

[j44ke]

On Wednesday my wife went in for surgery to have an "abdominal mass" removed laparoscopically that would switch to full open surgery if the mid-procedure biopsy revealed any sort of malignancy. There wasn't, so it didn't, and after she woke up, I put her in the car and took her to Hillsdale for the first 4 weeks of recovery. Yesterday we went for a four hour walk (doctor's orders) and today we went on another one. She's still feeling after-effects of the anesthesia (balance, day dreams vs. reality, etc.) but the plumbing started working yesterday afternoon and the appetite returned today at lunch. I've been holding my breath since May, and I think today I finally exhaled. Sunny, breezy, and 81F. Windows open. AC off. Nice day.

[rwsaunders]

Moving the youngest back to school this weekend to start his second year as an enginerd...simple logistics of my wife and he packing the van, me taking a redeye from SEA to CMH and meeting them at Scholars House East at 12:30pm EDT. Easy peasy.

[72gmc]

I had a great second week with my new team, and now the last weekend before my sweet kid goes to college, but I'm at least 37% happier after reading your post, Jorn. Here's to walking slow and holding hands.

[rwsaunders]

We received a call from our daughter late yesterday afternoon informing us that she is now a University of Washington staff member...Go Huskies!