In what I can only describe as unabashed geekery, V and I went to the Apple Store to partake in the OS X 10.4 release party. Extra bonus points because I’d already pre-orded and received 10.4 — we were just there for the experience.

The line was much longer than last time, and was strange in that, like Ourorboros, the line both started and ended at the entrance to the store; this decision caused much confusion , and I can’t recommend this style of queue as something worthy of Apple.

I’m starting up a new project at work. This is one of my favorite points in the work cycle (another being the opposite place, where minutiae rule); ideas that have been sloshing around for a few weeks now are starting to crystallize, and the skeleton of the final application is beginning to take shape in my mind.

In this mode of working, it’s important for me to have everything in my life together. If I’ve got distractions pulling at me, I can’t reach the mental space to do the required architecture.

Fortunately it’s a good time for it. Spring seems to have brought myriad new possibilities and opportunities to me, and I feel confident enough in where I am that I can both grow into these new spaces, and let the projects that I’m involved in grow along the way.

For those of you who don’t read Cat & Girl, you might have missed the announcement of the one and only Time Traveler Convention, May 7 at MIT. Because technically, you’d only need one.

Today I’m interested in the role of intuition in everyday life. I’m not going to claim that I have good intuition, only that I use it a lot, and I wonder how much more or less a role it plays for me than for others.

It’s not (usually) blind intuition, by any means. It’s the consequence of past experiences, the successes and the failures, and over time they blend and mix enough that I can make decisions without thinking too much about them beforehand. This is mostly a good thing, but troubles can arise when I’m questioned as to why I made or didn’t make a particular choice. Many times I honestly don’t know, and have to scramble in attempts to reconstruct a plausible thought process.

Does a decision reached via intuitive process have less merit than one reached through a more conservative method?

I took another crack at Contact Improvisation last night, going dancing with Sue. The second try was a lot better than the first (if only inasmuch as I stayed on my feet for the entire session), though I’m clearly no dancer. Still, it was a fantastic experience.

Leaving the dance studio in Central Square, we saw the moon, large and low in the sky, commingling with the skyscrapers of far-off downtown Boston.

I’ve been thinking about community today; where my community is, what it means to me, and whether or not that is different from other’s perspectives. No answers, but lots of questions.

Varia and I attended Sue’s housewarming party last night to official welcome her to her new place, which proved to be a good time. She’s got a lot of friends that I haven’t yet met, so it was good to finally match some faces to names.

Taking our leave from the party we were taken in by the loveliness of the cool evening air opted to walk the two and a half miles back to our place.

I can’t seem to get enough of being outside right now. I’ve gone running or riding or hiking (or all three) every day for a week now, and the minute I get inside I’m ready to go back out. So far my body is playing nice, but I’m aware that eventually it will break if I push it too far.

Travelog has been printed and is in the mail; once I get it back I send it off to CD Baby, and then it’s ready for sale. This is truly a good time for independent music publishing.

At times it happens that my mind dredge up a piece of music heard years ago which, ghost-like, haunts me until I find it and listen to it. Generally this isn’t much of a problem, as it’s likely in my collection, but at times it requires some searching. For a few months now I’ve been itching under the collar to hear “Clear Skin” by Insides. A copy, long since lost, was lent me almost five years ago, and it was time to hear it again.

When I heard it first I was sure it was a work of Steve Reich from his Music for 18 Musicians period, so right was it. Under a constant pulse, lines weave in and out, and the 38 minutes of the track slide by in both an eternity and an instant; time is spectacularly bent and warped. I was smitten, and spent a good month or two listening to it; if it would have been an LP, I would have worn it out.*

The CD is over 10 years old and long out of print, but Amazon to the rescue, revealing a used copy for sale. Money trades hands and a few days later “Clear Skin” is washing over me, feeling the spirits of proscriptive listening seep out of the brain.

Slamming into my soundscape along with Insides is new (to me) music by The Free Association. Not since Sigur Rós’s Agaetis Byrjun have I heard such keening guitar work as is featured in the Code 46 soundtrack. It is sublime.

*I have it on authority that this used to happen in the good old days of analog records.

Sleeping has been a problem lately. It’s not a problem with too little sleep, but rather too much. Most nights I’m ready to crash at 9 and it takes great effort to stay up until 10. I’m all for letting my body do what it needs to do, but I’m also interested in why I’m so fatigued.

The prime suspect seems to be lack of food. I haven’t gained or lost any weight — still a stout 130 — but I have reverted to my pre-running eating habits. Since I’m much more active than I have been, it’s likely that I’m not eating enough. Time to add another meal to the day.

I wish I were hungry more often, it would make things easier. As it is, I have to eat even if I’m not hungry, something I’ve never been good at.

I ran by myself for the first time in many many months. The weather was so lovely, and my feet practically carried the rest of my body out the door. It was a wonderful experience, and reminded me why I adore running so much. It sharpens my mind and invigorates my body.

I decided to run an old route, one of the very first I discovered, which winds for a few miles on a greenbelt next to a small stream. On a sunny and slightly breezy day like today, it would have been perfect — had the greenbelt still been there. When I arrived, I found the entire area fenced off and crawling with bulldozers.

Professionally, it’s one of those weeks where there’s a lot to be done, and the order of operations is not entirely clear. I’m still scrambling after various loose ends dropped during last week’s dip into illness, which isn’t helping in understanding the big picture. A moment of clarity would be most helpful.

I’m noticing that right now my mood seems intricately linked to the weather. Today it is gorgeous, and consequently I’m feeling both fine and dandy. Riding down to Davis Square I wore a t-shirt. Unthinkable.

Probably due to the onset of good weather, construction at the site of the old Genoa has started in earnest. The foundation has been there for a while, but walls are going up at a dizzying pace. I still have no idea what it’s going to be.

It’s Patriot’s Day (or Patriot Act Day, as has been seen around town), known for the anniversary of Paul Revere’s ride and the running of the Boston Marathon. Coincidentally it happens to be a beautiful day outside.

This morning I put together the images for the CD, liner notes, cover, etc. After mailing in the master tomorrow the duplication run will start in a few days. Very exciting! Once that’s off to the printers, however, I can hardly rest and enjoy a job well done, as work on Orlando’s piece starts in earnest.

I’m putting out a CD.

It’s called Travelog, and features some remixed and mastered songs that I’ve released on this site over the past few years along with a few new things. It’s a solid album. I mixed down the master this afternoon, and am going to spend the next few days with the business side of things; getting the packaging prepared and so forth. With luck it’ll be ready to ship in a month.

I’m interested in how many people would buy a disc for $12, as it will help me estimate the size of the initial manufacturing run. That price gives me a few dollars profit per unit, and I see a possibility of breaking even at some point in the distant future. If you might be interested in buying, please drop me a line.

I’m not entirely sure what to make of Cisalpine, but it catches my ear, so up it goes. Enjoy.

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