myWhidbey because we don't live under the rock.

Red UkuleleI bought a Ukulele!

I got it a couple of weeks ago, totally on the spur of the moment. I don't know if this photo does the instrument justice, but it's very small; the perfect size for a child. I paid about $30, which seems like a bargain to me, but I have no clue about these things; I just know that my son and daughter are going to dig it very much.

I mention the ukulele today because it's October 25, exactly two months before Christmas. The "uke" will be a gift from Santa, along with an accordion that my son has been salivating over.

My children love music; there's no question about it. Gabriel (3 1/2) loves to "rock" with his guitar, and Ekaterina (1 1/2) is enthralled with the technique of holding and playing her violin. Right now it's all about making noise and having fun, but we figure they have to start somewhere; no pain, no gain, right? At the very least, it's encouraging [and fun] to see my children fight over who gets to apply the rosin on the hairs of the violin bow.

Helen can take all the credit for this, by the way. She's the one playing her flute for them, singing them songs, taking them to music class, cultivating their love of music day in and day out. I just buy the instruments and pretend to know how to play them. I make just as much noise with the instruments as my children; in fact, my noise can be embarrassingly atrocious at times.

And what a shame that is! Here I am, surrounded by a family that is very musically inclined, and I don't even know the lyrics to Three Blind Mice, let alone the name of all of my children's instruments. Like that thing that has round metal discs around a wooden circle and you hit it with your hands.... what's it called... I think it's some sort of hippie instrument...

So, with two months to go, I have decided to take matters into my own hands and learn to play the ukulele in time for Christmas. I want Gabriel and Katya to see that their papa has at least an ounce of musical talent, even if the only song I learn to play is Three Blind Mice.

Speaking of Three Blind Mice, I bought a book that claims I can teach myself how to play the ukulele. The very first song the book teaches is Three Blind Mice; so if you see me strumming a ukulele in my car on the ferry, now you know what tune I'll be playing.

Did you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice?

As dependable as a Swiss watch, jaws drop every time I reveal to a mainlander that I live on Whidbey Island.

I know the reaction full well. I still have flashbacks to my days at Apple, when my commute was around ten minutes; a leisurely ten minute walk, that is. Back then, any distance longer than 45 minutes was for the birds, and I was going to have nothing to do with it. I would listen dumbfounded to the tales of co-workers and their long and tiring commutes; fighting traffic, spending endless hours trapped in metal cages on wheels. I remember one co-worker in particular who had a three hour train ride, each way!.

"How ridiculous!" I thought. "Not me. Not in my lifetime!"

Well, here's a toast to my new lifetime. I commute now, and unlike my days at Apple, it's is no walk in the park anymore. I am an islander, and I work at Google.

Let me repeat. I work for Google, the second most awesome company in the world, and I live on an island. Yeah, yeah, there's a commute tucked somewhere in between, but who cares about a commute when when one destination is Google and the other is an island. Really, life can't get any better.

I know most people don't see it this way though; and it's not just mainlanders that freak out either. Some islanders who work on Whidbey can't fathom a commute off the island, let alone a 90+ minute trek each way. I'm sure many people think I'm nuts, but I guess one needs to appreciate how lucky I am to work for a terrific company, and have such a paradisiacal place to call home.

Consequently, and by way of an introduction, I would like to present my new blog:

"round trip" -- demystifying an islander's commute to Google

For my first post, I'll tell you about Supertramp.

There are three things I generally do in the course of my commute to and from work:

I listen to music on my iPhone,
I listen to podcasts on my iPhone,
and I talk to people... on my iPhone.

When I am not using my iPhone, I take time to reflect on my day, or to think about my beautiful children and my amazing wife. Sometimes, I even look at photos of them... on my iPhone.

This morning was a Supertramp kinda music day. Until very recently, I thought Supertramp meant something radically different. Then, while flipping through some music that I... uh... "borrowed" from some friends, I came across "Breakfast in America" and "The Logical Song". I was immediately hooked.

So, on my way to work this morning, I had a Supertramp bash in my car; loud, head bopping, and singing all the way:

I'm a winner, I'm a sinner
Do you want my autograph
I'm a loser, what a joker
I'm playing my jokes upon you
While theres nothing better to do


When was the last time you had 90+ minutes of uninterrupted Supertramp bash?

I like music. Kudos to whoever invented it.