237 mornings

[jfb]

As you guys know, I got into the habit of taking photographs from the freeway during my travels this past year. When I started a new job in February, I knew I was going to get restless being stuck in one place for the duration of the nine-week contract. But I did have a freeway to drive on.

So now:



I have photographs, one for every morning I commuted on California State Route 237. They're not as beautiful as New Mexico at twilight or as ominous as the Bakersfield oil fields or as weird as the Texas panhandle, but, well, they're where I live, and I'm okay with that.

Comments

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I always found 237 to be depressing for some reason. Too bad your commute didn't involve I-280 north of Palo Alto (or the Dumbarton Bridge).

[jfb.livejournal.com]

I did take the Dumbarton on Friday nights, to get to an open mike in Palo Alto. But, 280? If a commute involves getting from my place to 280 and Page Mill, it had better not go farther than that.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

I don't know what traffic patterns are like these days, but I used to commute down 280 from San Bruno to Sunnyvale and it was a very pleasant half hour each way (with KFJC on the radio). Often after work I'd just take 280 all the way into the city to see a show, e.g. at the Bottom of the Hill, which was easy to get to from 280. Even when there was traffic on 280, the hills were amazingly pretty to look at, especially when the fog would creep over the tops. And crossing over the linear accelerator was fun too once I learned it was there.

[jfb.livejournal.com]

Where in Sunnyvale? I like the hills and the accelerator, it's the drive from near 101 over to 280 that would drive me nuts.

I love the Bottom of the Hill, not least because the drive is so easy.

[dougo.livejournal.com]

Pure Software was (roughly) at the corner of Fremont Ave. & S.Mary Ave. so it was (a) south of El Camino, i.e. closer to 280 than 101, and (b) very close to 85. It was a pretty nice location, all things considered. (It was still office park & strip mall hell, but at least it was easy to get away from quickly.)

Where do you live?

[dougo.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant "logical west of El Camino". Ahh, good old El Camino Real: as confusing as the Charles River, except FIVE HUNDRED MILES LONG.

[jfb.livejournal.com]

Over around 101 and Moffett. Close to downtown Mountain View, which is nice, but far from 280, which is a shame.

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

Say... nice thumbnails.

My photos on the road never turn out well.

[jfb.livejournal.com]

The thumbnails are courtesy of Singleshot (http://www.singleshot.org/).

Most of my road photos don't turn out well, but I take a lot of them, so I get a few good ones. And I'm (obviously) willing to post some of the bad ones too.

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

Figure out how to install Python and Singleshot vs. build/refine my own application.

Decisions, decisions.

[jfb.livejournal.com]

Python's easy to install and the installation instructions for Singleshot are actually quite good. Also, knowing the developers can help clear up any problems.

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've just never gotten the hang of installing Unix stuff. It's been over a year now, and I still haven't gotten MySQL properly configured. I do what's in the instructions, but it doesn't like that. Alas.

cool

[talking-sock.livejournal.com]

That is really cool. The presentation especially, and the concept.

I kind of liked 237, maybe because it led to TiVo and didn't ever feel much like a serious highway unlike 101 or 280.