The economy is in terrible shape, jobs are hard to get if you don’t have one, and there’s a lot of scary stuff in the world. Even though my situation is less stable than before (looking for work will do that to you) – I realized that I am somewhat optimistic about the future – not as optimistic as some people I know (Hi Miki!) but reasonably optimistic. I see the same world as other people, but I think that my life, and the lives of the people around me, even the economy, will get better. I kind of see the glass as half full rather than half empty.

This isn’t a discussion about whether this is a correct or incorrect view, but in how we see the world. Sometimes I think that being optimistic has to do with the fields we are in, the work we do. Working for a tech company (like I did in the past) – it makes you optimistic.

There’s something about being in the tech world that makes you think that the future is full of possibilities, and you can do your part to figure it all out. Not only will you be happy, but, whatever you are working on, it’s going to make the world a better place, and even the non glamorous tech stuff is just so darn great! For some idea of what this is like, read the latest copy of PC World, quickly. Skim through it. Focus on the mood, the vibe, the feeling. Even when the writers at PC World are, understandably, complaining about the latest tech thing that isn’t working, you get the feeling that tech is swell! Tech is swell, and so the rest of the world must be swell too, because tech is in it! There’s a sense of optimism, a belief that the world is a good place.

Sometimes you see this happening in B-School – MBA land, though less often, recently. Perhaps it has to do with the idea of control, that you can do something to make things better and you can make a good living too. I enjoy the belief that you can make things good in the world and not suffer.

Then there’s the quality of the light, and good weather. In my admittedly limited experience the people from my life in California were more optimistic than not about the future. Since tech (and at the time a better economy) is threaded all through my time in California, I can’t separate out the tech optimism and the better economy from the optimism that comes with the wonderfulness of California. I like to think that being in the land of amazing natural light, low humidity, outdoor natural beauty and outdoor comfort – it makes you a happier and more optimistic person. I like to think that the Pacific Ocean and a Mediterranean climate make a person happy. I have absolutely no idea if this is so. Perhaps I would like it to be so, or perhaps that’s just how it was with me. California brought me a life of promise and a life of wonder, though of course there was also the not great stuff that we all have in our lives. You can read my blog post to see what I thought about California – http://amarez.com/2009/07/19/leaving-my-california/

The challenge is to keep that wonder and promise in my new life, not because it’s good or right, but because I want to do so. Can I still feel wonder and promise while living in eastern Pennsylvania (for now, might end up in New Jersey or Delaware). I think so. We’ll see.

Here are some photos on the quality of light.

A sparkling creek in Pennsylvania, near where I live now.   What an interesting reflection.

Creek, Pennsylvania, September 2009

 


Sunset in the Palo Alto Baylands.  

Palo Alto Baylands, California, November 2008





Went for the day to Ocean City, New Jersey, with a family member. I love the ocean!

Seagulls at Ocean City, New Jersey, September 2009

The Creek, August 2009

I also like the local swimming pool, the best community pool I’ve ever been to, ever.   Swimming (when it’s not raining) in the summer weather of heat and humidity – great fun!  Don’t let the clown trash container fool you.  Look at that lap lane – this is a wonderful pool!

Hometown Pool, August 2009

In March I visited my parents in Pennsylvania, the northeast part of the US.   It wasn’t spring yet, but you could tell that spring was, as they say “just around the corner”!

For Christmas I got my parents an indoor/outdoor thermometer.   The outdoor thermometer makes a wireless connection to the indoor device, and the indoor device displays both the indoor and outdoor temperature.  This is both practical and, if you are into weather, fun!

I would have simply hung the outdoor thermometer outside, on a nail.  My father wanted to make a home for it, to protect it from the elements.  So the outdoor thermometer is nestled in its own little house.  Isn’t it cute?

The picture has some glare from the blinds, because I shot it from inside the house, and I didn’t open the window.

A Home for the Outdoor Thermometer

Winter can be cold and dreary in the northeast, where my parents live.  Sure, there are some sunny days, but much of the time the weather is cold and cloudy.  I’m not much of a winter person – I love the California coastal weather.  As the years pass, my parents are, less and less, winter people.  They love the weather in California.

Decades ago my parents closed in their back porch.   The room is not large, but it’s wonderfully cosy,  There  is space for a small dining area, comfortable couches, stereo speakers, and many plants filling the large windows.  It’s like a solarium.  They spent a lot of time there, particularly in winter.   It makes you remember that there are still growing things in the world – memories of California, Italy and Hawaii.

Here are three plants, nestled comfortably against the window, getting some sun.  The left one is a rosemary bush (I think ) with a few purple oxalis that managed to sneak their way into the pot.  The center plant is a miniature rose.  The right plant is unknown.  It was blooming outside in the snow and my mother dug it up – she thought it deserved to live.  My mother can grown anything.

Christmas 2008 - Plants in Winter

amarez-mszv

My Pool in the Fall

Some trees change colors, and some don’t.  Some deciduous trees keep their leaves.   Most of the trees and plants are not native to California (just like me!), so the effect can be a little strange.  It’s so wonderful, but at the same time you look around and ask yourself “where the heck am I”?

Fall - Trees and Plants

Weather Station

 Here is a picture of the weather station.  As you can see, the inside and outside pieces don’t register exactly the same temperature.

I put the outside device outside, near my door, hidden by one of the containers of my container garden.  The outside device will run a little warm because it’s next to a wall, protected from the elements.  I get no end of pleasure looking at the inside and outside temperative!

You might wonder – why do I bother?  I can open my door and see what the weather feels like.  I’m in and out all the time.  I know that, but I love looking at something that reinforces my addiction to the wonderful and magical weather where I live, the San Franciscso Bay area (not SF itself), northern coastal California.  The temperature doesn’t vary all that much, which makes it so  comfortable.  I love seeing how it cools down at night, even during the warm season.   The weather station doesn’t report humidity, but if it did, I’d see that the humidity is generally low.  I love California.

amarez – mszv