ilili I was here alone. You can see my laptop there on the table... I like to take a long time to eat while editing photos and listening to music with my earphones on. Every other patron looks at me kind of like a freak. That's quite okay!Luckily, while I was waiting for the food, they let me run around the restaurant with my tripod. This is yet another thing that makes people look at me strangely. They can't imagine why anyone would bring such a monster setup to do such a thing. Most people assume that the restaurant pays me to do it, but the staff knows that is not the case. At one point, the manager came over to talk to me -- not to get mad... just to chat about art and food and life and these sorts of things. And then I ate some amazing food! I had some sort of Lebanese marinated lamb on saffron rice. I need more saffron in my life...- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.

The River Through Petaluma A few days after the talk at Google (I think the Authors@Google *LINK to video are adding subtitles now, for those of you that have trouble hearing), I went up to Napa to visit my mom and my grandmother. Besides getting a bunch of homemade fudge (which I brought to the Stanford photowalk), I also stopped on the way back south in Petaluma at Leo Laporte's "cottage".I've always been a big fan of Leo's! Beside just seeing out of one eye (a strange bond I feel with him), I've really gotten a kick out of the way he approaches and discusses technology. In fact, I listen to his podcasts so much that my wife often says, "If I have to hear that Leo ONE MORE TIME, before jamming the radio to get off AUX to FM."Leo was in the middle of a podcast when I walked in to watch his operation in person. We didn't really get a chance to talk, but he was gracious and said hello quickly while in the middle of the broadcast. I think he's very clever with his media powerhouse there. I was fascinated seeing the operation -- everything from the logistics to the electronics - smart.His whole team was out in the front part of the college, and, while there, I also met Dr. Kiki (Dr. Kirsten Sanford is probably what it says on her degree). She was as nice as I expected as well - her show is called "Dr. Kiki's Science Hour" -- another nice podcast for your lineup!After leaving, I stopped in downtown Petaluma to grab some lunch and some internet. Whilst there, I went over one of the bridges to grab this shot. I don't know if the water is always this brown and muddy, but it certainly was this day!- Trey RatcliffClick here to read the rest of this post at the Stuck in Customs blog.