More pictures of my community pool, part 2

Posted on June 7, 2010 by amarez

This set of pictures takes you from January through June, right before the pool is set to open. Walking by this pool and taking pictures is a thing with me. It’s a solitary pursuit.

Pool, January 2010. Sunny day, now snow.

Pool, February 2010. Snow.

Pool landing, February 2010. My footprints.

Pool, February 2010. So very much snow.

Pool, March 2010. Dreary day.

Pool, March 2010. Dreary day with ducks!

Pool, April 2010. The trees are green.

Pool, May 2010. Drained, scrubbed, ready to fill. The cartoon characters are back.

Pool, June 2010. Dusk. The empty pool reflects the sky.

Many, many pictures of my community pool, part 1

Posted on June 6, 2010 by amarez

This is my local community pool. I know, it’s not a natural body of water, like a creek or a spring, but I like to see how it looks over the seasons. I’ve taken many pictures in the course of my walks. It’s a thing with me – walking by this pool. I’ve made a path through the snow in the winter, to get up the stairs to the landing so I can look at the pool and take pictures. What does this say about me?

Pool, August 2009. Swimming is wonderful.

Pool, August 2009. Mistly. The clown is a little creepy.

Pool, September 2009. No more swimming. The cartoon characters are gone.

Pool, November 2009. A few autumn leave remain.

Pool, November 2009. No more leaves.

Pool, December 2009. Sprinkling of snow.

Pool, December 2009. Snow and reflections.

Pool, December 2009. Pool at dusk.

Pool, January 2010. Cold. Snow and ice.

On being optimistic, tech, the quality of the light, good weather

Posted on October 18, 2009 by amarez

I had lunch with a friend from high school, someone I had not talked to in years, except for a few brief words when I was back in town visiting my family. We ended up talking about whether we were optimistic about the future.

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 – https://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

Where I live now – the Creek and the Pool

Posted on August 23, 2009 by amarez

Eastern Pennsylvania is pretty, particularly in summer, lots of trees, hills, green. But – the landscape as a whole does not resonate with me. I have to find something in the landscape that does resonate with me.

I found something. I love the little creek in my hometown. I love the play of the light, how it sparkles in the sun. I love the musical sounds, the water. The part of the creek I like is narrow and not deep. Oddly enough, it makes me think of Thumbelina, from the Hans Christian Anderson story, a person the size of a thumb. For her the creek would be a river. I looked at the creek and I thought the “rapids” might be too much for her, but perhaps not if she was in a little leaf boat!

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

Leaving My California

Posted on July 19, 2009 by amarez

I’ve lived in California since 1989. I’ve lived in Palo Alto, a town on the peninsula south of San Francisco (Silicon Valley) for fifteen years. I came here because I took a job at my former company’s corporate headquarters. Now I’m leaving.

Leaving is the right thing to do, for my family and my work. But still.

I know that a place, a land, cannot love you, but I think that one of my greatest loves has been my California. I love the place. I love the look of coastal California. I love the rocky cliffs next to the seashore, the seasons of dry and wet, the mountains in the distance. My world is Northern California, the area around San Francisco, but I also love the California central coast and the southern coastal area. I love the San Francisco Bay. My town, Palo Alto, is one of the towns ringing the bay.

I love the weather. Coastal California is one of only five Mediterranean climates in the world. I love how the climate where I live is moderate, temperate, rarely hot or cold. The air is dry, not humid or muggy. I love how it cools down at night in summer, due to the blessed cold Pacific Ocean. I love the Pacific Ocean. I love how, when it’s not raining, the sky is overcast in the morning, and then the sky is blue. I love how it rains only in the winter, and the rain just comes down, no thunderstorms. I love how even in the winter there are days of sunshine. I love how it doesn’t snow or freeze where I live, at my elevation, ever. I love the look of the light. I love how, even in the winter, something is always blooming.

I love something that’s hard to describe, a casual acceptance. Sometimes that can translate to indifference, but it still works for me. You make friends here, good friends – it just takes longer than you would think. I’ve felt free here. That freedom will go with me, wherever I live.

I love being in the hi-tech business in Silicon Valley, but that’s not why I moved here. I moved for California.

I love Point Reyes National Seashore – my favorite place in the world. I’ve been there so much I know it in a way I’ll never know another outdoor space. I love Seacliff State Beach, the Palo Alto Art Center, various art galleries, museums and events, my coffeehouse, the Palo Alto Baylands Park, the swaths of blue Lily of the Nile (Agapanthus) plants blooming. I love the work of various California artists.

I love where I live, a smaller, older apartment complex built around an inner courtyard. The apartments are big, with a lot of light but not a lot of soundproofing, so the apartment managers try to hire quiet tenants. It’s hard to describe why I like it so much. Something about the place just worked for me. In all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve felt, oddly enough, like I was living in a resort, even though it’s not a fancy place.

I love the apartment pool, which is very California. I love the blue of it, the water, the tile around the edges, the comfortable chairs. There have been many times I was the only person in the pool, swimming a few laps, and then padding slowly back and forth. When I was by myself it was “my pool”. When a family member visited it was “our pool”. It was magical.

I think that you can move forward, as they say, without denying what you had and where you’ve been. There are good places everywhere. I’m looking forward to swimming in my hometown community pool, to autumn in the northeast US, to being there for my family, to going to the Jersey seashore, to new work. I think that my life will be good. But in my heart I will never leave my California.

My California - Pool at Dusk

My California – Seacliff State Beach

Posted on June 22, 2009 by amarez

A little over a week ago, I went to Seacliff State Beach. I’m taking time out from packing to visit the a few favorite places. This is my favorite beach in the Capitola/Santa Cruz area. It has the stone ship – see http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=543 for a description and the history. There are cliffs in the background. It’s lovely and a lovely walking beach. If you go during the week in summer, or anytime in winter you can park in the lots right next to beach, instead of having to park in the lot at the top of the cliff and walk a zillion steps down.

Around here I don’t go to the beach that much in summer. The water in this part of California is very cold. Most adults don’t get in without a wetsuit, though you see a few braving the surf and the cold water. I had to learn that you go to a beach for reasons other than getting in the water. It’s still wonderful. During winter it was easy to make a quick trip down Highway 17 to catch the sunset.

I’m going to miss the place.

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, The Stone Ship

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, Cliffs in the Distance

Seacliff State Beach, June 2009, Goodbye

Christmas 2008 – Winter Plants

Posted on March 1, 2009 by amarez

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

Fall – where I live

Posted on November 9, 2008 by amarez

This is Fall, where I live. It rained yesterday, but it’s sunny today. It’s not warm enough for swimming – well, maybe if the pool was heated!

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

Even now, in Fall, something is blooming – the bush, below the trees, has little blue flowers.

I love where I live – San Francisco Bay Area, south of San Francisco, coastal California.

mszv – Amarez

My Weather Station

Posted on October 25, 2008 by amarez

I wanted to get myself a treat, so when I was in my local Longs Drug Store (sells way more than drugs) I ran across an inexpensive portable weather station. The weather station consists of two parts: a wireless thermometer that you leave outside, and an inside unit. The inside unit displays inside and outside temperature, the date and time, and min and max temperature. There is a backlight and an alarm feature, which I don’t use. The inside and outside pieces can be separated by a maximum of 100 feet, 30.48 meters.

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

Night Swimming

Posted on September 7, 2008 by amarez

I live in the land of perfect weather, here in coastal California – a town on the peninsula south of San Francisco, to be exact! It almost never freezes. It’s mild in winter, warm in summer but with cool nights. Did I also say it wasn’t humid? The weather is perfect.

Once in awhile the weather changes and it’s hot. Hot as in high 90s (F) and warm even at night. That’s when I run my portable air conditioner in my bedroom, and that’s when we all complain about the heat.

But – there is night swimming!

Yes, the first photo, below, looks a bit mysterious, even spooky. There used to be lights in our pool, but there aren’t lights anymore. But – there is light all around, so it’s fine. I’m not the only person who enjoys that rare wonderful night swim.

California Pool at Night

For those of you who thought the first photo was spooky, how about twilight swimming?

California Pool at Twilight

All for now,

mszv – amarez

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Amarez – feels like home

The US Pacific Coast, some Atlantic Coast. Tech and Work. Computer games. Culture. Where I live now. Whatever feels like home. And a few memories of business school.

Tag Archives: Weather