Blog Master G

As part of its New York State Summer Writers Institute, Skidmore brought Joyce Carol Oates to Palamountain Hall last night. Jen and I got seats in the second row of the packed auditorium, only a few seats removed from author and fellow attendee Russell Banks, whom we’d last seen speak along with Michael Ondaatje a few years ago in San Rafael.

With editing pen in hand, Oates read her as-of-yet unpublished short story High Lonesome, a narrative by a 50-something tough yet sensitive burly man in the small farm town of Herkimer, NY. A tall, slender woman, Oates invited us to imagine someone very unlike herself, though she told us later that many of the ideas for and the setting of the story, including the pungent dairy farm smells, were derived from her own past, having grown up north of Buffalo.

For someone known for her dark and often violent stories, the real-life Oates is cheerful and funny. I had seen her speak once before in the Villard Room at Vassar.

It was great to give my brain a workout last night. One of the many benefits of living in Saratoga Springs is having such easy access to so many great events like this at Skidmore.

Two years ago today: Marriage License.

House-rattling thunder is exciting!

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ALBANY NY
341 PM EDT THU JUL 14 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR…
SARATOGA COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK

* UNTIL 445 PM EDT

* AT 337 PM EDT…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING PENNY SIZE HAIL…AND
DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. THIS STORM WAS LOCATED 6 MILES
NORTHEAST OF ROCK CITY FALLS…OR ABOUT 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF
SARATOGA SPRINGS…AND MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 5 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR…
ROCK CITY FALLS BY 400 PM EDT
MILTON BY 440 PM EDT
SARATOGA SPRINGS AND 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF BALLSTON SPA BY 445 PM
EDT

LAT…LON 4326 7387 4313 7404 4289 7379 4308 7353

This marks the 3rd big thunderstorm of the summer.

A Technorati search for Saratoga Springs gives a good feel for what bloggers around the world are saying about our little town. If you can ignore all the deliberately-placed advertising that makes its way into the search via other blogs, it’s pretty cool.

Some blogs I’ve found via Technorati with Saratoga mentions:

• New Urban Progress
  
• Heart Harbor
• A Ianqui in the Village: Technical raingear
• naked cartwheels
  

Saratoga apparently holds the record for the most snowfall in New York:

Saratoga Springs, NY greatest snowfall: 58 inches (1888, March 11-14)

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Two years ago today: Wedding Approacheth.

With temperatures lately in the high 80s to low 90s and humidity just as high (it’s currently 94%) and it’s not even 9am, air conditioning is a wonderful thing. Unlike most homes in which I grew up in Sacramento, East Coast homes tend not to have central air, especially older homes like ours. Most people tend to have those small window units. We were fortunate enough when we bought the house — though we didn’t really appreciate it until this summer — to have it come with a kick-ass 12,000 BTU wall-mounted ductless Samsung unit that silently cools the entire downstairs in no time (original documentation left with the house shows it was installed in 2002). The unit’s fan is out in the yard (I’m sure there’s a technical name for it, but I don’t know it). I try to make it through most of the day without turning on the AC — thanks to the giant spruce trees it stays pretty cool in our house most of the time — but eventually reach a point where I just can’t think.

When we had the first heat wave hit a few weeks back, our Samsung unit wasn’t cooling and the window unit (also left with the house) was just blowing air. I rushed to BJ’s to buy a new 6,000 BTU Amana window unit and got one of the few that were left ($149.99 minus $20 rebate). We had the Samsung unit serviced the next day and it’s worked wonders ever since (it was out of freon).

With my Dad en route to Saratoga Springs and planning to crash with us until we find him an apartment, I really can’t subject him to the heat and humidity cloud that forms upstairs. The time has come for a new window AC. The plan is to transfer the Amana from our bedroom into the guest room and buy another for our room. Best Buy has a Frigidaire 8,000 BTU unit on sale for $139.99, and Consumer Reports rates it a “CR Best Buy” at the top of its category. I think we have a winner.

Keeping cool is a wonderful thing.

From moveon.org:

On Sunday, Newsweek magazine revealed that Karl Rove – as you know, the President’s closest political advisor — was responsible for disclosing the identity of undercover CIA agent Valerie Plame.

The agent, Valerie Plame, worked on weapons of mass destruction for the agency and by exposing her identity, the leaker could have jeopardized the lives of other covert agents in the field. At best, it was recklessly irresponsible; at worst, it was malicious; and either way, the leaker undermined our national security.

President Bush has pledged to fire anyone who helped leak Plame’s name to the press. Now we know that the person responsible was Karl Rove. Please take a moment to sign the petition telling the President to keep his promise now at:

http://www.moveonpac.org/firerove/

Thanks.

“Best poster in the history of posters.”

“I think you are fab.”

“I love Gabe’s dogs. And his wife. And, now that I think about it, him too. But in totally different ways.”

“I love reading your blog everyday. It’s part of my morning routine – keep it up! :)”

“Blah. I keep hoping for something interesting but it’s just not there. Sorry to be so blunt. I imagine it’s pretty cool if you’re a friend or relative, but it’s pretty bland if you’re not.”

The results of the first gabeanderson.com reader survey are in! Whether you were just stopping by or are a longtime reader, thanks to all 31 of you who took the survey. I know most of you (25.8%) from San Francisco, followed closely by my Vassar friends (22.6%) and those of you who know me only via my site (22.6%). Only 2 Saratoga Springs friends (6.5%) took the survey, so my local posse is slacking!

The majority of you (60%) are a friend, 23.3% of you are newcomers, and 6.7% of you are family. There was 1 professional colleague who took the survey. Most of you (67.7%) are in the 25-34 age bracket, 16.1% are 19-24, 12.9% are 35-44, and 3.2% are 45+.

The next two questions were very telling: The vast majority of you are longtime, regular readers of gabeanderson.com, so thank you all for sticking with me for so long and so often! It’s a good feeling to know that my site is, as a Community Director in the dot-com days might have said, “sticky.” 18 of you (58.1%) have been reading my blog for 1-3 years, 8 of you (25.8%) have been around for 6-12 months, 2 of you (9.7%) for 1-6 months, and 2 of you (6.5%) for 3-5 years. 15 of you (48.4%) are weekly readers, 12 of you (38.7%) come by daily, and 3 of you (9.7%) stop by monthly.

By a longshot, the favorite topics on gabeanderson.com are personal anecdotes (71%) and photos (54.8%). The least favorite topic semes to be technology, with only 9.7% of you indicating it as such. Other favorite topics include:

“Sexy Women! Esp. Jen!”
“Vassar Thoughts”
“pop culture”
“Weekend Updates (are these anecdotes?)”

Most of you say my rate of posting is just fine (76.7%), while 4 of you (13.3%) agree that I’m “insane (and) have no idea how (I’ve) been doing this for so long.”

Thanks again to all, and I hope you enjoy gabeanderson.com for years to come!

In other news, my Dad began his journey East yesterday, venturing out of the Bay Area in what would be a courageous move for anyone. He’s decided to relocate to Saratoga Springs and I’m thrilled about it. I’m very excited that he’s chosen to move his life here. Godspeed to you, Dad, and see you soon!

Although I realize that I already lead a pretty busy life, I always want to do more. My whole life, I’ve had more energy than I know what to do with. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely put in my fair share of lazy TV time, but living on this coast where summer time is outside time, I feel like I want to pack as much as possible into every weekend. There are so many things I want to do that we haven’t yet done: Swim at the Victoria Pool in Spa State Park, hike and camp in the Adirondacks, attend the NYC ballet (we went a couple times last year).

Saturday we headed to Northampton with Jen’s parents for cousin Maria and Dan’s wedding. It was a morning wedding with an afternoon reception, so we got all the benefits of a fun wedding celebration and still had the rest of the evening to relax. It’s always good seeing Jen’s extended family, including many folks we hadn’t seen in years.

Yesterday we spent most of the day cleaning the house, and also managed to wash Stella (Happy got a free bath last weekend at the B&B), depsite her trying to escape her fate, put on five more screen windows around the house, and even clocked in some sun time in the front yard.

Last night my mother-in-law joined us for a creekside picnic in the state park and some spring water tastings. I really love living in a place as special as Saratoga, where so many beautiful resources are at our fingertips.

Here’s to the continuance of this action-packed summer!

Although it happens every day in places like Iraq, the bombings yesterday in London struck a chord closer to home. Baghdad is a war zone; London is not. It’s shocking and horrifying and my heart goes out to the families of the more than 50 people killed and to those injured in the attacks. Here’s hoping for a better, more peaceful world in future generations.

“The final death toll for the London bombs will be at least 50, the head of the Metropolitan Police says. Sir Ian Blair said there were a number of bodies still in the Tube train at Russell Square but that the final figure was unlikely to top 100.”

Reader survey.

At Vassar, Jonty and I were The Guys Who Rollerbladed Everywhere. Whether down the hill from the Town Houses and across Raymond Ave. and directly into the classroom, or simply to run an on-campus or in-town errand, we sped around Poughkeepsie with the greatest of ease. It was exhilarating and a great way to stay in shape. Rollerblading is like off-season skiing, so from the time I first strapped on a pair of blades, it’s been like second nature to me. As with other exercise routines or recreational activities of late, though, blading has fallen off my radar in favor of things like blogging, watching TV, enjoying wine on the porch. You know, things that are good for the heart and really get the blood flowing.

This morning I woke up at 6:30 and felt the need to go blading. I’ve forgotten how invigorating exercise is. How could I have let it escape from my life for so long? It’s not even 8am and I already feel so focused and energized for the day.

I strapped on the ol’ K2 Flight 76 blades, saddled up the dogs, and took them out for the usual mile-long morning stroll. Happy loved the increased speed; Stella was suspicious of my blades and lagged behind. I dropped off the dogs, skated to the local rec field, and did a couple laps around the track. There’s even a skate park, so I may have to return at some point to hit the ramps with the other kids.

Even if blading isn’t as hip as it was in the ’90s, I don’t care. I love it. Now where did I put my spandex shorts?

Reporters handcuffed in new era
They fear jailing of journalist will prompt sources to clam up

“There are times when the greater good of our democracy demands an act of conscience. Judy has chosen such an act in honoring her promise of confidentiality to her sources. She believes, as do we, that the free flow of information is critical to an informed citizenry.”

— Arthur Sulzberger Jr., publisher of the New York Times

Good for New York Times reporter Judith Miller for standing her ground and protecting her source. Shame on U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan for punishing Ms. Miller for keeping her word, something not many people do these days.

Have you taken the gabeanderson.com survey yet?

A round of congrats are in order.

Congrats to Joe and Jenny on the birth of their first baby, Sylvia, who was born right around the time we were supposed to visit with them over the weekend. Congrats, you guys! We look forward to meeting the Alien Peanut in the flesh.

Congrats to my bro, Pete, on starting work soon with an L.A. ambulance company as an EMT, on the path to fire fighting-dom. There’s no one I can imagine more competent in doing that job than you, Pete. L.A. is lucky to have you.

Congrats to London for winning the bid to host the 2012 Olympics. There’s little that would have made sense about bringing the games to New York City.

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