huge melon

Currently listening to Neil Young - On the Beach

The wife and I went shopping for my new sunglasses at the Mall of America last night. Much like my previous experiences choosing eyewear of any kind, this was a depressing experience. I can never get exactly what I want because I have a huge head. So, my search for sunglasses ultimately came down to finding something, anything that would fit my head. I tried on all sorts of different sunglasses I never would have considered otherwise, including models by Prada. Ultimately, I selected these:

I bought them in the Oakley store in the mall. I kid you not, I think I found two pairs of sunglasses out of the dozens I tried that actually fit OK...and this was at two different stores, too. I didn't bother to check out how much the pair I selected were before I paid for them, so I was shocked to discover the bill for the whole affair (sunglasses + hard case) was $367. Oops. I had hoped to spend no more than half that, but when you've got a huge melon, sometimes you have to take what you can get. They're nice, but certainly would not have been my first choice under other circumstances.

The only time my large head has come in handy is when I use it for what has come to be known as the "melon test" at work. I used to manage inventory purchasing for all headphones, and currently have category management responsibilities for computer headsets. Most of this stuff is manufactured in Asia, and those guys have fairly small heads. So, I try on everything that comes our way, and if it doesn't fit my head, then we usually reject it. We got a sample of new Bluetooth headphones from Taiwan a few weeks ago, and they broke in half when I tried to put them on. Rejected. Kind of embarrassing, but somebody's got to do it. Sort of.

I can see that I'm going blind

Currently listening to Radiohead - In Rainbows

I can remember the first time I realized that I had eyesight problems. My family went to a Dodger game, and I was unable to read the name and numbers on the pitcher's jersey like everyone else. Shortly thereafter, I got my first pair of glasses--brown carbon fiber frames, oversized, and very 80's-looking. I broke that pair of glasses more than once, and I always freaked out when I did. My mother never got angry, though. She's always worn glasses herself, and I guess she understood that these things happen.

It wasn't until my last year of high school that she allowed me to get contact lenses. I wore rigid, gas permeable lenses for a few years, but never liked wearing them that much because they always made my eyes bloodshot. I was frequently asked by my high school classmates if I was high. Entertaining, in a strange sort of way. I finally got soft contacts after returning from Hong Kong, and although they were much better than the RGP contacts, I quit wearing them altogether a few years ago. Staring at a computer screen all day made wearing contacts unbearable.

I grew tired of being unable to see ANYTHING without my glasses. I couldn't see the clock when I woke up in the morning, and I frequently fell asleep in front of the TV, only to find a tangled mess of wire and lenses on my face when I wake up. So, I decided to have a consultation for Lasik surgery late last month, and then had the surgery yesterday afternoon. My vision is not 100% by any stretch of the imagination, but when I woke up this morning, I was able to read the two digital clocks in the bedroom just fine. It's an amazing feeling.

I'm no fan of medical procedures, but this one was fairly simple and relatively painless. I was given Advil and Valium before the surgery, and took one more Valium afterward. I haven't taken anything else since. A laser was used to create the flaps in my eyes, and then another laser was used to correct my vision. The most painful part of the procedure was the suction cup they put on my eyes to keep them from moving, and not the lasers themselves. It wasn't painful so much as it was annoying to have this pressure on my eyes. The whole thing didn't take 10 minutes.

What has been harder for me is to have to put eye drops in my eyes at least every hour. I tried doing it by myself yesterday, but kept closing my eyes or missing them altogether, so I had the little lady help me do it. I didn't want to wake her up early this morning to help me out, so I finally got the hang of it myself after a few tries. I really do hate eye drops.

I still have this feeling like there's wax paper over my eyes, and my eyes are very sensitive to light right now (the computer monitor seems insanely bright), but I'm doing much better than yesterday, when I had to wear sunglasses in doors and had trouble keeping my eyes open for more than a few seconds at a time until late in the evening.

It was pretty expensive and the whole thing made me a bit nervous, but I'm glad I did it. Not having to wear glasses any more is awesome. I'm going to buy myself some new sunglasses this weekend to celebrate.

sometimes dreams come true

Currently listening to Bach - The Complete Organ Music

I decided to take a break from writing by...writing. Writing about something other than work or consumer behavior for a few minutes will be nice.

In 1994 or so, I paid a visit to the Guitar Center in West Covina, CA (I think). In it, I found a left-handed Les Paul Standard guitar. I tried it out for a while, and although I couldn't play very well, I noticed how different it felt in my hands versus the Fender Stratocaster that I played at the time (I still own that guitar, my first, by the way--never play it, though). It was fast--my fingers seemed to dance effortlessly around the neck as I played. It was then, for the first time, that I understood what a difference a fine instrument could make to a musician. Unfortunately, I was poor at the time and couldn't afford the $3000 price tag. It would be a long time before I saw a left-handed Les Paul again.

I almost bought one (a cheaper Epiphone version) when I decided to start playing again a year and a half ago, but the shredder in me got the best of me and I came home with the black Ibanez guitar that I posted a picture of a few weeks back. It's a great guitar for doing wild things, but it still didn't have the tone I was looking for.

I recently started looking at Les Pauls again online. As I mentioned above, it's hard to find left-handed ones (it's hard to find any decent lefty guitars, for that matter), so I was considering ordering one online. That's always a dangerous proposition, though. You don't buy a guitar for the way it looks; you buy it for the way it sounds and plays. I ended up not having to do this, however. The little lady and I paid a visit to our local Guitar Center on Saturday night, and much to my delight, there were two Les Pauls hanging up in the tiny "lefty" corner of the store. After playing both for a while (a Studio and a cheaper Epiphone), I decided to buy the Studio:


This picture doesn't do it justice, but it's wine red and has gold hardware. I love the way it looks. The Studio version of the Les Paul is made for tone--all the extra inlays and art are removed so that what is left is a very solid guitar, built purely for sound. I found this to be very true--its tone and feel are incredible, and for whatever reason, it doesn't feel as heavy to me as the typical Les Paul, which is good. It was expensive, but I finally have the kind of guitar I've wanted almost the entire time I've played. I'll keep the Ibanez, but there's no question that this will be my main guitar for a long, long time. I love playing it.

There are better images of it on the Gibson website: http://www.gibson.com/en%2Dus/divisions/gibson%20usa/products/lespaul/studio/

northwest on northwest

Listening to Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV

I've been in Vancouver on business since Monday morning. I like Vancouver, but don't really enjoy coming here for work. I always have meetings all day, and always end up working non-stop from the time I wake up in the morning until the time I go to sleep at night. The "fun" is compounded by the fact that my counterparts here aren't particularly good at what they do. After seeing presentations and information packets they put together, I always end up having to do a lot more work to make the information presentable so that meetings will go more smoothly. This trip has been no exception.

Things started off OK for me, but quickly went downhill. I got to the Minneapolis airport with plenty of time to spare on Monday morning. My co-worker that was traveling with me, however, never showed up. I called him right before the plane took off, and it turned out that he had forgotten his passport and had gone home to get it. He's a bit of a pain to be around, but since he was carrying all of our product samples, not having him for the trip would have been a problem. Fortunately, he caught a later flight and still made the one meeting for the afternoon that we weren't able to reschedule.

The flight was fine, but getting through customs took forever. My flight apparently landed at the same time as several other flights from Asia, so I was one of the few white guys in a sea of black heads. I was in line with a bunch of Koreans on both sides of me. Koreans apparently don't have the same space requirements as Americans do, because the old couple behind me kept pushing up against me, despite my repeated glares and dirty looks. Very annoying to be stuck by such people for so long. Things went further down hill when I got to the rental car parking lot and found that all they had left was a PT Cruiser. There are few cars that I hate more than the PT Cruiser. The ride and features are just as bad as the car's looks. It took me ten minutes just to figure out where all the buttons were for things like the windows, the trunk (which ended up having none), etc.

I stopped at McDonald's on the way to our Canadian office. I always enjoy seeing the differences in restaurants and other things when I travel. This McDonald's was one of the nicest I've ever been to, if not the nicest. There were several LCD TVs on the walls, and the lighting was bright and pleasant. I laughed when I saw the napkins labeled "serviettes." Differences in the English language from one place to another always entertain me. Listening to the Canadians is equally entertaining, if not a bit grating after a while.

The majority of the trip has been productive and a lot has been accomplished, which is good. I've become good friends with a few people up here, so it's good to see them and spend a little time with them, even if it is mostly work-related. I haven't had any time for fun and haven't been able to go downtown, but that's OK--I've been downtown before. Vancouver is a place I could see myself living--it's very pretty, and I love the way the city was built right in front of the mountains. It's very picturesque.

I'm leaving for the airport soon, and I'm glad to be going home. As an added bonus, my class for tonight was canceled, so I'll be able to go right home from the airport, which I hadn't been counting on.

questionnaire

The other half enjoys these kinds of things, and since I hate forwarding emails, I thought I'd just answer the questions here (despite the fact that many of them are lame). Enjoy.

1. What time did you get up this morning?

3:59am.  Too early, as usual.

2. Diamonds or pearls?

Neither, obviously, but if I was to choose for someone else,
then I would choose diamonds.

3. What was the last movie you saw?

Watched "School Ties" last night.

4. Where is the most beautiful place you've ever been?

No one favorite, but there are many places that come to mind:

- Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
- Ding Hu Shan and Qi Xing Yan (near Zhaoqing, China)
- Arches National Park, Utah
- Various places in Hawaii, such as the Na Pali coast

5. What do you usually have for breakfast?

Nothing

6. What is your favorite food?

Gan chao niu he (I think it's usually called "chow fun" in English):
stir-fried flat noodles with beef, green onions and sprouts

7. What food do you dislike?

Many--beets, most squash, tomatoes, mussels, clams,
scallops, avocado, kiwi, mushrooms, basil.

8. What is your favorite CD lately?

I never listen to just one thing.  Current heavy rotation includes:

- Music from the Xbox 360 game Tiger Woods PGA Tour '06
(mostly laid back electronic music like Thievery Corporation)
- Nile - In Their Darkened Shrines
- Pantera - Far Beyond Driven
- Allman Brothers - Idlewild South

9. What kind of car do you drive?

Acura TL

10. Favorite sandwich?

No particular favorite.  I usually avoid sandwiches.

11. What characteristics do you despise?

Arrogance
Laziness
Complacence
Lack of punctuality

12. Favorite item of clothing?

Coats.  Lately, a chocolate brown suede jacket from Banana
Republic and a black polyester/nylon Kenneth Cole Reaction
jacket have been my favorites.

13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation,
where would you go?  

Right now, someplace tropical with a nice beach.  Probably somewhere
in the Florida Keys or the Caribbean.

14. What color is your bathroom?

White, like every other room in the house.

15.  Favorite brand of clothing?  

Banana Republic

16. Where would you retire?

Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  I'd want a vacation home in a tropical place
as well, probably Hawaii.

17. What was your most memorable birthday?

None in particular come to mind.  I don't like being the center
of attention, so I don't look forward to my birthdays.

18. Favorite sport to watch?

None.  I find sports very dull.

19. Furthest place you are sending this?

I'm not sending it.

20. Who do you expect to send this back to you?

No one.

21. Person you expect to send it back first?

N/A

22. Favorite saying?

None  

23. When is your birthday?

September 13

24. Are you a morning person or a night person?

Morning

25. What is your shoe size?

11

26. Pets?

I don't have any pets, but sometimes think about getting a cat.
I'd enjoy having the cat, but not taking care of it.  That's a
job for someone else.

27. What did you want to be when you were little?

I went through various phases, but archaeologist
and dentist are most prominent in my mind.

28. What are you today?

My title is "category manager".  "Bearer of bad tidings" or
"grim reaper" might be more appropriate titles.

29. What is your favorite candy?

I don't really like candy, but have recently enjoyed
the occasional Lindt truffle or Lindt white
chocolate coconut bar.
 
30. What is your favorite flower?

Roses, I guess.  It's not like I really think about this much.

31. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to?

May 16 - we're flying to Rome that evening and will be boarding
a ship for a cruise (Italy, Greece, Turkey) a couple days
after that.

32. What are you listening to right now?

I'm watching "Guy's Big Bite" on the Food Network

33. What was the last thing you ate?

A wrap with salami, pepperoni, mozzarella, banana peppers
and mayo. 

34. Do you wish on stars?

Totally.  All the time.

35. Do you believe in angels?

No

36. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?

Cornflower

37. Pet peeves?

- Minnesota drivers' inability to merge into traffic without
forcing everyone else to slow down.
- People who can't get to the point.
- Starting and ending meetings late.
- People who are late.

38. Favorite television show?

The various flavors of "Star Trek"

39. Last person you spoke to on the phone?

Other than the wife, some guy in Russia called me about
a job for which he wants me to interview.  Living in Moscow
would be interesting, that's for sure.

40. Do you like the person who sent this to you?

Um, yeah.

41. Favorite soft drink?

Crushed melon (a Jones Soda flavor)

43. Hair Color?  

Dark brown

44. Favorite restaurant?

The Empress Pavilion, Chinatown, Los Angeles

45. Siblings?

Three brothers, one sister.

46. What was your favorite toy as a child?  

Nothing in particular comes to mind, except for maybe that
Cobra hydrofoil I had (GI Joe)

47. Summer or winter?

Winter

48. Hugs or kisses?

Hugs

49. Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla

50. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?

Whatever they want is fine

51. When was the last time you cried?

Probably the last time I watched a Holocaust movie, like
"Schindler's List" or "The Pianist".

52. What is under your bed?

Whatever the little lady has put there.

53. Who is the friend you've had longest?

Probably one of my high school friends, though I don't
talk to any of them much.  I talk more to a couple of
friends I made in Hong Kong in the late 90's more.

54. What did you do last night for dinner?

See the previous question about the last thing I ate.

55. Favorite smell?

I love the smell of two local restaurants, Wildfire
and Don Pablo's.  Both have the smelled of grilled meat.

56. What are you most afraid of?

Heights and falling down.

57. How many keys on your key ring?

Like three or something.  Who comes up with these questions?

58. How many years at your current job?  

Almost seven.

59. Favorite day of the week?

Saturday

60. How many towns have you lived in?

Pomona, CA
Laguna Hills, CA
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Claremont, CA
Provo, UT
Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Kwun Tong, Hong Kong
Tuen Mun, Hong Kong
Central District, Hong Kong
Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong
Wang Tong Tsuen, Hong Kong
Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
Nanjing, China
Eden Prairie, MN
Chaska, MN

61. Do you make friends easily?

No

62. How many folks will you send this to?

Zero

63. Are you happy?

No. I'll be happier when this semester is over.