David Moore

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Buendia and I have just scored some great office space downtown in Santa Fe.

This means we both have a place to go to work (as does Buendia’s first employee, starting in a couple of weeks).

It also frees up the room at home for its new role in the summer, and will keep our work lives separate from the home existence.

We’ll also be handy for drop-ins and lunch dates – quite a few friends work in the heart of town.

The space is in a cool 50s building on East Palace Ave – a high-falutin’ address in Santa Fe, and we’ll be moving in next week. My jobs will include setting up the wireless network, so there’s a need for a funky Airport Express yoke.

Maybe some pictures to follow of us in the new crib – which looks out onto a little grassy courtyard.

Monday, January 24, 2005

Back from a weekend ski trip to Red River – up there in northern New Mexico near the Colorado border.

We weren’t doing the yo-yo ski-ing, otherwise known as downhill. Instead we were going cross country, which means you can go up and along as well as down.

It’s no accident that you can get those nordic ski indoor trainer things, because it’s hard work – the perfect winter sport for masochistic cyclists.

But the real challenge is keeping under control on the way down.

Without metal edges, and on light narrow skis, it’s very hard to stop yourself or steer when gravity begins to take over. Especially if you’re not very good, like me.

Buendia’s been doing this for twelve years, so she made it all look as easy as falling off a log. My performance was more based around avoiding crashing into a tree.

But the lesson I took was a great help, and it was good to get out in the snowy woods under your own steam. Another couple of trips and maybe I’ll be able to stop when I want to.

Back to Santa Fe yesterday with sore muscles.

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

The generous and wise Buendia bought me a Playstation2 for Christmas – partly to replace the one we had to leave behind in Ireland when we moved, and partly as a gentle suggestion that I had become a little too serious of late, and wasn’t giving myself permission to play.

Her plan may have been a little too successful. After many hours of playing FIFA Football, my left thumb is sore, but under my management Everton won the League, the League Cup and the FA Cup last season. I turned down a move to Inter Milan for the chance of playing in the Champions League. With luck I’ll get hired by Arsenal at the end of the season, and then there’ll be real fireworks.

The game is great, but now whenever I watch real football on TV, I want to move the players around.

Interestingly, too, the game is actually called FIFA Soccer over here, and all the players on the box cover are Spanish – no prizes for identifying the one ethnic community in the US (excluding Anglo-Irish expats like me) that might be interested in a footie game.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Taking a week off while my Mum is visiting us here in New Mexico.

The Christmas Eve farolito walk up a freezing and snowy Canyon Road was beautiful. Everyone had paper lanterns (ingredients: brown paper bag, sand, candle) in ranks on roofs and walls and all over:

And the bright sun throughout Christmas was such a change from Britain and Ireland, where you may as well keep the curtains closed this time of year.

More later, when I’m back to work next Monday. Hope everyone has a great time over this great time.

(Photo credit: Bill Belknap)

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

I caught part of a strange interview with Brian Williams, the journalist who’s taking over from Tom Brokaw as anchor for NBC’s evening news show. It was just a puff piece on an entertainment news show.

Ditsy interviewer: ‘That’s some big shoes you’re filling.’

Williams: ‘Oh absolutely.’

Dits: ‘And do you try and wear those shoes?’

Williams (looking surprised at such a ridiculously stretched metaphor): ‘Er, well, I think you just wear the ones you bring.’

A good save from Brian, but bizarre nonetheless.

Wednesday, December 08, 2004

A while ago I mentioned I was working on a business site for myself, to promote the web consultancy and development I’ve been doing.

I forgot to put a link in from here, to let folks know about it. I’m still working out a few of its kinks, but it’s more or less presentable.

The Moore Consulting site is at www.moore-consulting.net, so feel free to swing by for a look, and to check up on some of what I’ve been up to when I’ve not been writing about cycling down the Mississippi.

And of course, feel free to get in touch if you think I can help you with some web work.

Tuesday, December 07, 2004

Standing in the queue at the busy supermarket the other day, I noticed a curious thing (aside from the weird stuff that everyone else seemed to be buying – it was like they were in a different shop).

The shopping trolleys here (or ‘carts’ as they call them) have cupholders. Right behind the handle are two wire receptacles for the beverage of your choice.

This is getting ridiculous.

German automotive engineers have been known to weep like babies when they get the feedback from testing their new ultimate driving machines in the US: ‘handling, safety, engine management, transmission . . . all that stuff is fine. But there’s nowhere to put my 50-ounce Big Gulp cup of Dr Pepper.’

But now it seems some Americans can’t be driving any sort of wheeled vehicle without access to a sugary soda or a grande double decaf soy mocha latte.

The supermarkets often have juice and coffee counters, so you can get smoothies or your cup of joe. I thought it was mainly for takeaway, but now I see that people refuel while they’re shopping.

Not exactly cafe society.