It's been a few days since I got back from Richmond, VA. Still have TMBG songs stuck in my head, though a little Massive Attack and some Oingo Boingo have popped up, so I think the effects of the concert are wearing off. I may be 'normal' soon.
After I checked out of the hotel I made my way to Short Pump, VA, and the mall there. Nice two-story open-air place. There was still a lingering dampness in the air from the rain the night before, the air was cool, but not cold. Was a nice afternoon. Hit up a Coldstone Creamery, and enjoyed a little sweet cream. I don't do fancy for ice cream, simple makes me happy.
After I left I started thinking about something a friend said to me. I've been dealing with a fair amount of neck pain lately. More than usual. Mostly the hazards of being a tall person in a 'normal' person's world. Well, I've been lamenting the lack of anyone to rub my neck or shoulders... of course, it's not like people ever really have done that for me with any regularity. Makes me wonder why I did it for others for so long with no reciprocation. I was sitting in my car in the parking lot of the mall and decided on a whim to run the word massage through Google on my phone and see if there was anything close by.
I have never had a professional massage before, or one at all in a very long time. I've been on a 'go with it' thing for a while, seeing where the world takes me when I just let it all happen... well after a few dead ends, I found a place a few minutes away with a very low first-time customer rate and an opening in a few hours. So I arrange for that and then take a little drive. Found my way to the local cemetery, because that's where I end up when I don't know where I'm going. Totally not intentional, but it never is.
So I spend some time walking the grounds and took a few pictures. Lovely place, calm. Never have been sure why I end up at burial sites when I go wandering, I think if I should ever understand that I'll know far more about the me I'm told I don't see.
Making my way back to keep my appointment it sinks in that for the first time in two years someone will touch me intentionally. Sure I've had a few hugs and such over the years, but I'm talking about direct skin-to-skin. Furthermore, it will be more than just my hands; it will be the majority of my body. I shake it off, and try to not think about how after two years the first person to touch me will be a total stranger; someone I'll likely never see again. Head in, fill out some 'new customer' questionnaire, and meet the person who'll be in charge of how I feel for the next hour.
The whole thing went more or less how I expected it to. Was weird, but relaxing. Found it interesting that with only minor exceptions the motions she made were the same as those I've always used when massaging other people. Not sure what to make of it, if anything, just think it's interesting how I with no training came to using the same techniques as someone who does it for a living.
Still feel a little strange that the only person to intentionally touch my skin, touch my body, in the last two years was a total stranger. Otherwise, it wasn't a bad experience. I may try to find someplace locally that I can go to every so often. I try to keep my muscles happy, but most of what I know to do I can't do to myself as it just causes strain on other parts of me because of the way I have to contort myself to do it.
Other than that, nothing much to comment on at the moment. Something is coming, something important. Just not sure what it is yet.
My birdhouse has a nightlight
Last night I attended the They Might Be Giants show in Richmond, VA. The first thing that comes to mind is wow!
Got into town at 15:00, checked in, and as anyone that knows me would expect, I set up my laptop and got to seeing what I'd missed in the two hours I was on the road. Well, o'kay I was keeping up with 'life' via my phone, but whatever.
Caught up with old friends for dinner, then made my way in and up to the stage, because that's just how I roll, yo! ;) I don't see either of them often; it's always a trip back to my teenage years when I do.
The opening act was Jonathan Coulton, which alone was enough reason to make the trip up. Sure he didn't perform my two favorite songs (Code Monkey, and I'm Your Moon) but his performance of Mr. Fancy Pants was awesome. The set was way too short for my liking, but as an opening act, it's about what I expected.
TMBG took the stage in grand fashion. Played for about 10 minutes or more before even talking to the crowd. Then a few more songs from various albums before getting to the meat of the event. It was a Flood show after all, and Flood is what we were there to hear, and hear it we did. Backward. Well in reverse order that is. A great amount of energy, and the confetti, oh my gawd the confetti, I think I may still have some in my coat... perhaps even in my pants.
Wonderful show, best concert I've seen since the first time I saw Fighting Gravity play at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Great time, really worth the trip. I should do this more often.
Got into town at 15:00, checked in, and as anyone that knows me would expect, I set up my laptop and got to seeing what I'd missed in the two hours I was on the road. Well, o'kay I was keeping up with 'life' via my phone, but whatever.
Caught up with old friends for dinner, then made my way in and up to the stage, because that's just how I roll, yo! ;) I don't see either of them often; it's always a trip back to my teenage years when I do.
The opening act was Jonathan Coulton, which alone was enough reason to make the trip up. Sure he didn't perform my two favorite songs (Code Monkey, and I'm Your Moon) but his performance of Mr. Fancy Pants was awesome. The set was way too short for my liking, but as an opening act, it's about what I expected.
TMBG took the stage in grand fashion. Played for about 10 minutes or more before even talking to the crowd. Then a few more songs from various albums before getting to the meat of the event. It was a Flood show after all, and Flood is what we were there to hear, and hear it we did. Backward. Well in reverse order that is. A great amount of energy, and the confetti, oh my gawd the confetti, I think I may still have some in my coat... perhaps even in my pants.
Wonderful show, best concert I've seen since the first time I saw Fighting Gravity play at the Virginia Beach oceanfront. Great time, really worth the trip. I should do this more often.
Chew on this
First off I want to give mad props to Google for making Blogger work in lynx. You guys rock my console.
With that out of the way, I thought I'd give a little update as to what I've been doing lately. Most of my 'free time' has been spent helping to bring a hackerspace online in Norfolk, VA. 757 Labs is a project formed from a local technology social group called HRGeeks. I've been hanging out with these guys for a while, and even used to know a few of them when I was in high school. It's been a lot of fun, and as I seem to have become the network admin it's been a great learning experience. My home network just didn't offer the level of complexity that the lab network does. Maintaining a number of VLANs, making sure that visitors have working internet connection while keeping the main network secure with both hardline and wireless access for everything. I've learned that there were things I didn't even know that I didn't know. Of course, that's part of why I'm here, so it's all good.
My own personal projects have mostly been on hold for the time being, partly because this has been much more fun, and partly because once the space is active I'll be able to use it for my projects. Win/Win!
I can't believe I just typed that. I feel so lame. Oh well, it stands.
Now, why did I happen to come to know that Blogger works in lynx? Well, I'm at the lab now, upstairs at the server racks, about to shut down the audio stream I've been running, and got the urge to type this. As for that audio stream, Matt Lestock (former Hak5 host, and all-around spiffy fellow) has restarted his old internet radio show. What, you didn't know? Well carry yourself over to www.jeffandchew.com, and check it out. I'll wait...
Got the skinny? Good. Listen weekly, you'll be glad you did. Just don't listen with small children or people that can't take a joke. You've been warned.
That's about all I have for now. I'm going to try to get back into posting more, now that I'll have more to post about. Until then, keep doing what you do, as no one else can do it better than you.
With that out of the way, I thought I'd give a little update as to what I've been doing lately. Most of my 'free time' has been spent helping to bring a hackerspace online in Norfolk, VA. 757 Labs is a project formed from a local technology social group called HRGeeks. I've been hanging out with these guys for a while, and even used to know a few of them when I was in high school. It's been a lot of fun, and as I seem to have become the network admin it's been a great learning experience. My home network just didn't offer the level of complexity that the lab network does. Maintaining a number of VLANs, making sure that visitors have working internet connection while keeping the main network secure with both hardline and wireless access for everything. I've learned that there were things I didn't even know that I didn't know. Of course, that's part of why I'm here, so it's all good.
My own personal projects have mostly been on hold for the time being, partly because this has been much more fun, and partly because once the space is active I'll be able to use it for my projects. Win/Win!
I can't believe I just typed that. I feel so lame. Oh well, it stands.
Now, why did I happen to come to know that Blogger works in lynx? Well, I'm at the lab now, upstairs at the server racks, about to shut down the audio stream I've been running, and got the urge to type this. As for that audio stream, Matt Lestock (former Hak5 host, and all-around spiffy fellow) has restarted his old internet radio show. What, you didn't know? Well carry yourself over to www.jeffandchew.com, and check it out. I'll wait...
Got the skinny? Good. Listen weekly, you'll be glad you did. Just don't listen with small children or people that can't take a joke. You've been warned.
That's about all I have for now. I'm going to try to get back into posting more, now that I'll have more to post about. Until then, keep doing what you do, as no one else can do it better than you.
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