I've never been sufficiently able to explain to my parents why I like Boston, but this essay takes a good shot at it. Note that the section about overhearing conversations is one of the reasons why I like IRC so much (it's the only way I've ever been able to experience that).

Wired also has a nifty article on open hardware - it's neat to recognize some names in there (hello, Alicia!) and I'm reminded that I should go back to NYC and visit TOPP and Resistor and Cool People sometime before the winter gets too bad.

I spent this weekend visiting my friend Andrew in Nashville, and learned the South has

  1. really, really friendly people - they... they wave and talk with you! For no apparent reason! Just... everyone!
  2. fantastic weather
  3. Food Of Glory (oh my gosh fried okra)
  4. walnuts

On a related note, I learned that walnut stain is made from walnuts, and that if you try to open a walnut shell with your fingers, your fingers become walnut stained. Also, cows actually make a "moo" sound, and feeding horses tickles. And I need to go to grad school somewhere with a large and gorgeous library because wow. Wow.

I need... to spend more time in libraries. I've tried (successfully) to use them as a coworking space before - maybe I'll try that again when I need to be more focused than the office will allow me to be during normal work hours. I'm going to go and walk and sit down and try to clearly define the problems that I'm trying to tackle; that should take the edge off some of the antsiness, and let me settle more (I'm coming to a much more painfully clear understanding over the past ~2 years just how all over the place my mind can get, as evidenced by many of my posts during this time).

Another item that's been especially prominent on my "working on it" list the last few months: becoming a good speaker. By the start of next month, I should begin looking for ways to practice this in places other than my shower. I'm really self-conscious about my speech. I need strategies other than "become ridiculously excited about everything!!! and forget that you're afraid of talking" because boundless enthusiasm is not always the way to go.

It's walking time.