joely's blog

The Duchess

I bought a car Wednesday, and will be saying goodbye to the Porsche after 26 years. I’m really glad to have the newer vehicle; it solves a lot of problems for me!

It’s an ‘87 BMW with many miles, but it’s been very well maintained, and I won’t have to deal with Porsche mechanics anymore. They made my life way too “interesting” at times.

The BMW has one feature which the Porsche didn’t have that I can’t live without: The ability to block all outside air. So, now, I won’t get a headache if I’m stuck behind a diesel. Also the anti-lock brakes seem like a “must have.” I didn’t know it had them when I bought it - neither did the former owner. So that was a nice surprise. Plus it drives well; the Porsche has problems and I’m glad not to have to deal with them this time.

The BMW’s differential makes a bit of noise when going over 45, but I just turn up the stereo. The former owner is an amateur musician. It has a very nice stereo and speakers.

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My software obsession.

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Free tax software for Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger and 10.5 Leopard

Welcome back Daddy!

Buster snoozed through my return from COJ today. I guess he finally feels “at home” here :-)

A Candle for Mookie

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
Through the unknown, unremembered gate
When the last of earth left to discover
Is that which was the beginning;
At the source of the longest river
The voice of the hidden waterfall
And the children in the apple-tree
Not known, because not looked for
But heard, half-heard, in the stillness
Between two waves of the sea.
Quick now, here, now, always—
A condition of complete simplicity
(Costing not less than everything)
And all shall be well and
All manner of thing shall be well
When the tongues of flame are in-folded
Into the crowned knot of fire
And the fire and the rose are one.

-Little Gidding

A Late Dessert

I attended a talk describing the recent discovery, reconstruction and translation of the Gandhara Scrolls, the oldest surviving Buddhist texts. While ruminating on their temporal scope and import, this began to form in my mind. I waited to harvest it, hoping that it would ripen, but finally picked it anyway, knowing that further verse wouldn’t grow until I did. When a friend stipulated that a fragment can be seen as finished, I had a strong sense of what she meant. Perhaps it is an appropriate parallel that this verse is fragmentary, as are the texts themselves.

Buster on "Lap Cam"

I took this picture of Buster while he was on my lap this morning. (My camera’s view-finder swivels.) He was pretty oblivious to it all :-)

Roger & me

I wanted to honor Roger’s memory in this small way; he was such a treasure. My deepest condolences go out to his close friends and family.

Olga and Roger

This reflection on my friend and colleague, Roger O’Neill, doesn’t have much to do with me, except that it’s written from my perspective. But I liked the title and thought Roger would have too. Correct me if I’m wrong. Oops, comments not enabled? Well, you know where I live :-)

My earliest memory of Roger, was as a runner. I’d go out along the same trail every day - at Applied Biosystems where I started working in 1994 - and invariably see a pack of guys running much faster than I ever did. Roger was one of them. Steve Menchen and Peter Fisher were others. These guys were racers! I both envied and admired them. The envy part was that I’d never had their ability; the admiration was based on their grace and the camaraderie apparent in their interplay.

The first time I spoke with Roger at any length, was several years after that, when I interviewed with him at Guava. I don’t remember the specifics of our conversation, but I distinctly recall having met someone really interesting!

Accomplished but never arrogant, my sense of Roger could be encapsulated in the phrase “Noblesse Oblige.” That’s, roughly, the classical Greek equivalent of the Buddhist term “Namaste.” He treated me with trust and respect and I felt a responsibility to honor that. I’m at a total loss to level any criticism at Roger; an actuality I find a bit unnerving.

He once asked me to work over Thanksgiving. I really didn’t want to, but we were in a startup and I was on the critical path, so I did. In retrospect, I’m really glad about that; I’d hate to think that I let him down.

I’m deeply saddened by Roger’s passing, but grateful for the gift of having known him.