Hmm

Winning the lottery at Starbucks

Look at the change they were going to give me for a $10. The employee was new to working the cash register and couldn't seem to figure out how to deal with the register. You'll notice that there wasn't even space on the screen for the "c" in "change" I was getting so much money back. I thought it was unlikely I would ever get that much change from Starbuck's again so I had to take a picture of it!

How to fold a fitted sheet

This is something that has always stumped me and Target has some good step by step instructions about.







The basics:

1. Hold the sheet inside out, by its two adjacent corners on one of the shorter ends. Position your hands inside each of these two corners.
2. Fold the corner in your right hand over to the corner in your left, enveloping it. With your right hand, pick up the corner that is hanging down in front and fold it over the two corners in your left hand.
3. Pick up the last corner and fold it over the other three corners. The sheet should now be right side out.
4. Place your folded sheet on a table and straighten it, tucking in the elastic edges as you go.
5. Fold the sheet into a rectangle and then again until it is the size you require.

ADD in high tech

I ran across an interesting article by Pete Quily talking about the advantages of ADD in high tech that I found quite interesting and thought I'd pass along.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Top Ten ADD Advantages in a Hi Tech Career.

1. The Ability to Hyperfocus.

Hours of full engagement and concentration in a task, IF you find it interesting. You can get into the zone and be totally immersed in what you’re doing while the outside world disappears. When I went on the net for the first time in 1993 at an Internet cafe I got on the machine at 8 pm and around 4 am decided it was time to go home.

2. Rapid Fire Mind.

Your brain processes information at hyperspeed. You can do things in 30 minutes on a computer that might take other people hours. Downside if you’re stuck with an old machine and not enough RAM you’ll be frustrated cause it can’t keep up with the speed of your brain.

3. Multitasking at Will.

Able to run 14 apps at a time and effortlessly switch between each without breaking a sweat. Able to do several projects at a time with ease.

4. High Energy Level.

You’re able to keep going on a project (if it’s interesting, ADDers are more into creative and entrepreneurial activities than clerical and repetitive ones). 14-hour days? No problem. Adrenaline is my fuel source:)

5. Highly Creative.

Able to think beyond the idea of a box. This comes naturally for ADDers, while others pay thousands of dollars to try and learn this. Since you take in more information than the average person, and you’re easily distractible, you’re more likely to view a problem from many different angles than vanilla people (non ADDers), and therefore come up with more possible solutions to a problem. Need an idea generator? Find an ADDer.

6. Quick Learner.

IF it’s something you’re interested in. ADD is mainly a condition of boredom; you have no trouble paying attention to something if it’s interesting. Most people find it difficult to do boring or repetitive things but these can often totally shut an ADDer down. Your rapid fire brain + highly creative mind + the ability to hyperfocus equals fast absorption of new information quickly. Dr Ed Hallowell, who has ADD and has written several Delivered from Distraction : Getting the Most out of Life with Attention Deficit Disorder, said he stopped teaching Psychiatry at Harvard University because the non-ADDers brains were just to slow and they took so long to get it. He got tired of being continually frustrated waiting for them to catch up to the ADD students.

7. Stimulus Seeking Brain.

A perfect match for the wired world, an under stimulated brain and an over stimulated virtual environment. Being an info junkie can be a good thing. Well, not always:)

8. Constantly Scanning your Environment.

Allows you to notice more and find information and resource that others miss. Also allows you to see possible problems before they arise, and opportunities that others may not see because they have tunnel vision vs. multiplex vision. An ADDer invented the electronic ticket.

9. Great in a Crisis.

High energy intense situation? Lots of chaos and change? Sign me up; I thrive on stimulation, change and chaos. We can create order from chaos effortlessly. We can also create such an environment as well if needed.

10. Risk Taker.

Impulsivity means you’re more willing to take risks and have a bias for action, act now while the opportunity is hot instead of getting into analysis paralysis. Many entrepreneurs have ADD i.e. Paul Orfalea who founded Kinko’s, JetBlue Founder and CEO David Neeleman who attributes his creativity to ADD. Both are Billionaires. Imagine how successful a high tech CEO would be if they didn’t take many risks.

These are just a start of the advantages of ADD, for more go to the list of 151 positive characteristics of people with ADD at my ADD Resource website.

This is not to say there are no disadvantages or real problems associated with ADDers in a high tech career, there most certainly are, and if you don’t learn to manage them, they can a great deal of trouble and grief to your life (and those around you), but that’s another article.

There's also another page with 151 interesting positives that I ran across which I'll list below as well:

151 Positives.


Ability to find alternate paths to overcome obstacles
Able to take on large situations
Adaptive/collaborative
Adventurous, courageous, lives outside of boundaries
Always finding alternate routes to any given location.
Always willing to help others
Ambitious – you want to be everything when “you grow up”
Artistic
Attractive personality – magnetic due to high energy
Being able to see the big picture
Being able to see the patterns in the chaos.
Being intuitive towards others’ difficulties
Broad focus – can see more, notice things more
Can create order from chaos
Can do many projects at once
Can make people feel they are heard
Can see the big picture
Can talk about several things at one time
Can think on my feet
Career variety
Centre of attention
Comfortable talking in front of groups
Comfortable with change and chaos
Compassion for others and for themselves
Conceptualizes well
Confidence
Constantly evolving
Courageous
Creates connections easily
Creative
Creative writing
Creative – musical, artistic, “dramatic”
Good in a crisis
Good at customer relations
Dedicated
Detail-oriented
Determined to gain more control
Eager to make friends
Eager to try new things
Empathetic, sensitive
Energetic
Entrepreneurial
Excellent organizers using journals and reminders (notes etc.)
Flexible – changes as the situation requires
Fun guy to be around
Goal-oriented
Good at conceptualizing
Good at motivating self and others
Good at multitasking
Good at problem solving
Good at public speaking
Good at understanding others/mind reading – empathetic
Good conversationalist
Good delegator and good at organizing others
Good in emergency situations
Good listener
Good looking and aware of it
Good people skills
Good self esteem, energetic
Great brain-stormer
Great multitasker
Great self-company
Great sense of humour
Great storyteller
Great with kids (central figure around kids)
Hands-on workers
Hard worker
Has friendly relations with their family
Has the gift of gab
Helpful
Helps others who are also in trouble
High energy – go, go, go
Humour, very healthy, quick picking up ideas
Hyper focus !!
Hypersensitive – very empathetic and good at non-verbal communications
Idea generator
Imaginative
Impulsive (in a good way) not afraid to act
Initiators
Intelligent
Intuitive
It’s ok to not finish everything
Learning as much as I can to help children and others with adhd
Less sleep is good (midnight to 6 am)
Like to talk a lot
Likes learning new things
Look at multidimensional sides to a situation
Lots of interests
Loves to cook and be creative
Magnetic
Master idea generator
Mentoring others/helpful
Mentoring people with low self esteem
Modesty
Move on fast – never hold a grudge
Multitasks well
Never bored and rarely boring
Never intimidated to try new things
Non-linear, multi-dimensional/edge of chaos
Not afraid to speak mind
Not contained by boundaries.
On stage and ready
Optimistic
Outgoing
Passionate
Persistent
Philosophical
Holistic thinking
Playful
Pragmatic
Problem solver
Profound
Quick thinking
Quick witted
Relates to people easily
Resistant
Resourceful
Saves money in the short term by forgetting to file tax returns
See and remember details – recount them later
Sees the big picture
Socially adaptive and flexible.
Spontaneous
Stabilizer during difficult situations
Stable
Successful
Takes initiative
Tenacious
Theoretical
Think outside the box
Thinks 2 meters ahead of the world
Thinks big, dreams big
Thorough
Tolerant
Unconventional
Unlimited energy
Unorthodox
Versatile
Very creative, able to generate a lot of ideas
Very hard working to compensate – workaholic
Very intuitive
Very resourceful
Very successful
Visionary
Visual learner
Willing to explore
Willing to take risks
Willingness to help others
Witty
Won’t tolerate boredom
Works well under pressure
Worldly

Sewing patterns

I've recently been taking some sewing classes (more on that later) and was looking for a good list of pattern companies. Here's a pretty big list taken from:

http://www.lindrix.com/textilelinks/pattlinks.html

Pattern Instructions
Leena's
Round Earth Patterns and Kits

Pattern Companies
Akasha Clothing Patterns
American Girl Doll Sewing Patterns
Back Porch Patterns
Bette Gant Designs
Betsy Ross
Birch Street Clothing
Bonfit
Butterick
Burda
Brown Paper Patterns
Carol Lane-Saber Designs
Christine Johnson
CNT Patterns
Coni - Fashion Patterns for the Full Figure
Cutting Corners by Louise Cutting
Decades of Style
Design and Sew by Lois Ericson
Dos de Tejas
Elan Patterns
Elizabeth Lee, for breastfeeding moms
Encore Designs
EvaDress
Favorite Things Patterns
Folkwear Patterns
Ghee's
Grainline Gear
Great Copy Patterns
Green Pepper Patterns
Islander Sewing Systems
Jalie Patterns
Johanna Design Studio
Judy Bishop Pattern
Hot Patterns
Kayla Kennington
Kimura Patterns
KWIK SEW
La Fred
LJ Designs
Loes Hinse Design
Lorraine Torrence Designs
Maggie Walker Design
McCall's Patterns
Modest Sewing Patterns
MyEpattenrnsite.com
Neue Mode at Sullivan's
Onion
Ottobre
Paragon Patterns
Park Bench Patterns
Past Patterns
Pavelka Design
Paw Prints Pattern Co.
Peggy Sagers Silhouette Patterns
Petite Plus Patterns
Puppen Schnittmuster, German site for Barbie Doll Patterns
Purse Patterns
Ragstock Patterns
Retro/fit Pattern Company
Revisions by Diane Ericson
Round Earth Publishing
SAF-T-POCKETS Patterns
Sewgrand Patterns
The Sewing Workshop
Simplicity and New Look Catalogs
Stretch and Sew Inc.
Specialty Sportswear
Sure-Fit Designs
Textile Studio Patterns
Threadbare Pattern Company
Unique Patterns Design Limited
Vogue Patterns
Your Personal Fit

Pattern Vendors
Alter Years for the Costumer
Amazon Drygoods
The Blue Gardenia, vintage patterns
Buckaroo Bobbins, cowboy patterns
The Calico Cat
Design to Fit
The Dressmaker's Shop
Eastwind Art
Five Rivers Chapmanry
Laughing Moon Mercantile
Lola Gentry Originals
Long Ago, vintage patterns
Milieux
Modest Patterns
Mudcat Patterns
Oz Crafts has Lutterloh and more
Patterns from the Past
Patterns of Time
Pattern Studio, hats & gloves
Perfect Notion, trims and sewing patterns
Rusty Zipper
Sandra Betzina Online
Sew Be It, has Lutterloh and more
Sewing Central
Sew Natural
Sewing Bird
Sewing Patterns
Sewingpatterns-online
Sewing Studio
Sew Thankful
Silk Poppy
Smoke & Fire
Sullivans
White Fox Trading

Toe buggery

Thanksgiving Engrish

I took this picture at a Japanese restaraunt on the top of the hill from my house. I found the Engrish appropriate given what happens to turkeys on Thanksgiving.

Pocket pets

Mullets in Monterey

Monkeying around

Caffeine

It was a late night at work and I wanted to know which free soft drinks in the fridge had the most caffeine. You'll see what I found. Here's a list of some popular drinks and the caffeine you'll find in them. I got this from this site.

12-ounce drinks in milligrams:
Red Bull (8.2 oz) 80.0
Jolt 71.2
Pepsi One 55.5
Mountain Dew 55.0
Mountain Dew Code Red 55.0
Diet Mountain Dew 55.0
Kick Citrus 54.0
Mellow Yellow 52.8
Surge 51.0
Tab 46.8
Diet Coke 45.6
Diet Coke with Lemon 45.6
Diet Coke with Lime 45.6
Diet Vanilla Coke 45.6
Shasta Cola 44.4
Shasta Cherry Cola 44.4
Shasta Diet Cola 44.4
RC Cola 43.0
Diet RC 43.0
Dr. Pepper 41.0
Diet Dr. Pepper 41.0
Diet Sunkist Orange 41.0
Mr. Pibb 40.0
Sugar-Free Mr. Pibb 40.0
Red Flash 40.0
Sunkist Orange 40.0
Slim-Fast Cappuccino Delight Shake 40.0
Ruby Red 39.0
Storm 38.0
Big Red 38.0
Pepsi-Cola 37.5
Pepsi Twist 37.5
Diet Pepsi 36.0
Wild Cherry Pepsi 38.0
Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi 36.0
Diet Pepsi Twist 36.0
Aspen 36.0
Coca-Cola Classic 34.0
Coke C2 34.0
Cherry Coke 34.0
Lemon Coke 34.0
Vanilla Coke 34.0
Diet Cherry Coke 34.0
Snapple Flavored Teas (Reg. or Diet) 31.5
Canada Dry Cola 30.0
A&W Creme Soda 29.0
Nestea Sweet Iced Tea 26.5
Nestea Unsweetened Iced Tea 26.0
Barq's Root Beer 23.0
A&W Diet Creme Soda 22.0
Slim-Fast Chocolate Flavors 20.0
Snapple Sweet Tea 12.0
Lipton Brisk, All Varieties 9
Canada Dry Diet Cola 1.2
Diet Rite Cola 0
Sprite 0
7-Up 0
Mug Root Beer 0
Diet Barq's Root Beer 0
Sundrop Orange 0
Minute Maid Orange 0
A&W Root Beer 0
Slice 0
Sierra Mist 0
Fresca 0

8-ounce drinks in milligrams:
Coffee, Drip 115-175
Coffee, Brewed 80-135
Coffee, Espresso (2 ounces) 100
Coffee, Instant 65-100
Tea, iced 47
Tea, brewed, imported brands (avg.) 60
Tea, brewed, U.S. brands (avg.) 40
Tea, instant 30
Tea, green 15
Hot cocoa 14
Coffee, Decaf, brewed 3-4
Coffee, Decaf, instant 2-3

Aflac

Blooming in Redwood City

Saturday Carnitas

Tarboosh

I'm just waiting for lunch at a restaurant in Redwood City and liked the custom engraved table. As always I'm keeping my phone posting messages short.

Mesa

Gotcha

We went to Half Moon bay on my last day of freedom before I started my new job. The weather was beautiful as I tried my killer toe crushing move seen here. I'm currently waiting in the Phoenix airport so I will keep this short and end it now.

Seven Up

As I mentioned previously, I left my job at Swan Labs last Friday without any real job plans and ended up at the end of my first day of unemployment with two job offers. I didn't really mean to get the job offers that quickly as I thought I might take a bit of time off first, but it's nice to be wanted and nice to know that you actually do have a job to go to eventually. I'm going to take a week off and start the following week at a company called Seven Networks.

Choosing between both of my offers was one of the most difficult job decisions I have ever made. The offer I didn't take was at a great and growing company with a great product and great team that is doing very well financially and is a place that I would have been virtually guaranteed to make a very significant amount of money in a very short period of time through options, etc. I chose not to join the company because what it does is very similar to what I've been doing for a while now and I really felt that it was time for a change. However, the money I'm most likely leaving behind could have been quite a nice boost to the bank account and probably covered a cash home purchase in this very overpriced Bay Area.

In the end I chose Seven and there is of course always the potential to make money there, but it is nowhere near as emminent and nowhere near as guaranteed. I probably changed my mind a dozen times over the course of the week and talked to quite a few folks at each of the companies trying to gain better insight into their companies and what working there would be like.

Swan Song

Well, after over 5.5 years with Pivia (Swan Labs for the past 4 months following the acquisition of Pivia in November) I have decided to leave to try something new. My last day at Swan was Friday February 25th. It was a difficult decision for me and I will definitely miss the people at Swan, but for me it was the right time to leave all of that behind and move on to something else.

I haven't looked very hard for jobs yet and I am planning on taking a week or so off before I look around much. I did already receive a good job offer from a pretty exciting company in the mobile phone space that I found through a recruiter which may force that process to speed up a bit. I wasn't really trying to get a job offer that quickly but at the same time it feels good to know that I have a job if I want one. They want me to accept the offer really soon, but I feel like I need to wait a tiny bit (1 to 2 weeks) and talk to a few other places before I settle, just for my own peace of mind. I feel like I owe that to myself at a minimum when choosing the place I'll be spending a large chunk life for possibly quite some time. Hopefully they will understand.

If anyone has an exciting job they think I might be interested in, feel free to send me a message at (obfuscated to avoid spamming) my first initial followed by my last name (no spaces or punctuation between them) at mail dot com.

Mirror Image

I'm currently at Red Robin waiting for lunch (a Banzai burger) and thought I'd post a picture I took in Nordstrom's in downtown Portland this past Christmas while we were out shopping. I know, Christmas has long since passed, but I really just did this to entertain myself while eating lunch and waiting for my burger to arrive. Hopefully I'll have something more exciting to post here soon!