About
Hi, I’m Ulysses Ronquillo. This is my personal blog where I write mostly about Linux and Web Development. I began writing my online journal back in January 2003 while traveling down in Central and South America. It became a personal blog when I converted from PHP-Nuke to WordPress back in March 2005. I recently narrowed my writing to focus more about Linux and Web Development. Below, you’ll read some background information about me, the sports I enjoy, the musical instrument I play, and snippets of my travels. If you wish to contact me, you can reach me via my contact page. Thanks for dropping in.
The name
The name Ulysses is Latin for Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s epic the Odyssey. The name is also associated with Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States. It’s also a 1922 novel by James Joyce, a 1967 movie based on that novel, a poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson. There is an anime television program called Ulysses 31 and Ulysses is also an indie rock band, a software for creative writing, and a psychedelic rock song from the British band called Cream. It’s a solar probe, the largest vehicle ferry in the world, an international club for older motorcyclists, and a metallic blue butterfly of coastal north Queensland. Finally, there are two small towns named Ulysses. One in New York and another in Kansas. I’ve never been to both.
Sports Music Travel
Sports
Surfing: Since August 1994
Surfboards: I own several surfboards…
- 6′4 Flyer Channel Islands - my favorite board
- 6′6 MBB Channel Islands
- 6′6 M10 Geoff Rasche
- 7′8 Freeline
- 9′0 Banana Harbour
- 9′4 Pope Bisect - Banana Harbour
Surfspots:
Favorite Destinations:
- Costa Rica
- Nicaragua
- Ecuador
- Hawaii
Highlights:
- Biggest waves:
- 10 ft Pleasure Point, Santa Cruz
- 8 ft Playa Avellanes, Costa Rica
- 8 ft Basura, Ecuador
- Smallest wave: 1/2 ft wave at Cowells - lol
- Favorite Spots:
- Witches Rock
- Playa Madera
- The Hook
- Biggest wipeout:
- 10 ft Witches Rock, Costa Rica
- 8 ft Playa Madera, Nicaragua
- Injuries
- 8 stitches on chest
- 4 stitches back of head
- many nicks and bruises
- Surf Limits: anything over 12 feet
- Turnoffs: localism, agro attitude, snaking, bragging
- Being a kook: I dropped my board once while crossing the road
- Stupidity: surfing without a leash at Witches Rock
Soccer: Since age 10
Teams:
- Fremont Blue Streaks (CA) 2000-02, 2005
- FC United San Jose (CA) 1999
- Catchorros SFO League (CA) 95-98
- Ambassador University NAIA (Texas) 92-94
- South San Francisco High School (CA) 81-83
- USA High School (Phil) 77-80
Highlights:
- Most goals: 3 goals, SSF vs Terra Nova 1983
- Longest goal: near halfline, USA vs WVU, 1979
- Red card: 2 yellow cards, FC United, 1999
- Hitting the woodwork: 3 times, Ambassador, 1993
- Injuries: dislocated elbow, hairline foot fracture,
separated shoulder, concussion, sprained ankles.
Favorite Teams:
Favorite Players:
- Pele
- Zinedine Zidane
- Javier Riquelme
- Ronaldinho
- Michael Ballack
- Didier Drogba
- Clint Dempsey
Gear:
Anything Adidas; jackets, bags, shorts, shirts, socks and caps.
Pumas shoes. It fits me better.
Snowboarding: Since Winter 2000
Equipment
- Snowboard: Static 153
- Bindings: Clickers, no one uses clickers anymore.
- Boots: I don’t know, but it works with the clicker bindings.
Highlights
- Favorite runs: Intermediate or Blues
- Most difficult run: The Wall at Kirkwood - double black
- Most challenging: The Dipper at Heavenly
- Favorite Resort: Squaw Valley, Heavenly
Music
Saxopohone: Since 1985
Saxes:
Yamaha YAS-62:
My current horn. My baby! A beautiful horn in both appearance and sound. In my opinion, the best saxophone from Yamaha. It offers a rich vibrant sound with naturally easy keys to play. It sounds good both in the lower and higher registers. It also features a high F# key.
Selmer Bundy:
Rusty was my first horn. I called it Rusty for obvious reasons — it was old and rusty. After many years of abuse (leaving it in the car on a hot day, dropping it from a bicycle) the horn had to go. When I bought my new Yamaha saxophone, I had to part with Rusty. I must admit, it was a touchy moment. I exchanged old Rusty for a purple guitar, a guitar bag and a couple of saxophone reeds. Why a purple guitar? It just sounded good at that time! I’m actually afraid to take it out in public.
Reeds:
3.0 Plastic-coated Rico Reeds
Mouthpieces:
Yamaha 3C, Otto-link Metal
Favorite music to play: Jazz standards, Classical, Blues
Favorite songs:
- Take 5 by Dave Brubeck
- Confirmation by Charlie Parker
- When Sunny Gets Blue
- My One and Only Love
- Sonata #3 by G. F. Handel
- Adagio and Giga by Archengelo Corelli
- Misty by Errol Garner
- used to be a lot more, then work and surfing took precedence.
Most challenging pieces:
- Confirmation by Charlie Parker
- Giants Steps by John Coltrane
- Allegro by Wolfgang Mozart
Highlights:
- College of San Mateo Jazz Band - 1 semester
- Chabot College Jazz Band - 1 semester
- Ambassador University Jazz Band - 3 years
- A few solo acts
Favorite Sax Players:
- Charlie Parker
- John Coltrane
- Stan Getz
- Dexter Gordon
- Gerry Mulligan
- Grover Washington Jr
- Phil Woods
- Dave Koz
- David Sanborn
Guitar: Since age 12
I own a purple guitar. I can read chords and strum mindlessly.
List of songs:
Travel
Countries Visited (25)
I love to travel. My odyssey so far has taken me to 25 countries. Additional travel pictures are available at my Gallery and Postcards. Here’s the current list of countries I have visited:
Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Panama, Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Mexico, Canada, Hong Kong, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Monaco, Belgium, United Kingdom, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Turkey.
States Visited (19)
Here’s a list of states I have visited:
Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nevada, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Hawaii, Florida, Virginia, District of Columbia, New York, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Arkansas, Louisiana
Lived: California and Texas (4 years)
Stopovers: North Carolina and Colorado
