Stealing a Sunday
Day 2843
Went to see Lady Antebellum last (Sunday) night along with Thompson Square and Darius Rucker . For some reason I originally thought the show was on a Saturday. It’s unfortunate that it turned out to be on a Sunday because Saturday nights weather was better (the kids had lawn seats) and Sunday is a school night. The concert venue was 40 miles from home, there were at least 15,000 people there and traffic leaving was a zoo. Finally got home at 1am with a 6am wake up call coming. Ugh.
On the plus side? Great show. Highly recommended, and I’m not really a country fan.
Because of the late night, this is what I have for you on my lunch hour today:
Stealing Sunday
1. Have you ever peed your pants as an adult?
I have a dangling participle, working zippers and abundant trees. I’d have to TRY to Pee my pants.
2. Who do you have a celebrity crush on now?
Oh man, this changes every few months. Lately? No one really.
3. Would you date someone you met online?
Been there, done that.
4. Do you wear underwear always?
Nah
5. Do you hate yourself at times?
What I’ve done? Sure, but hate my self as a person? No.
7. Do you like dirty movies?
If this means mainstream porn – I can take it or leave it. Usually leave it.
8. Could you believe Josha Ledet was voted off Idol?
Who got voted off what?
9. When was the last time that you bought a car?
August 2009
10. Have you ever been camping?
Dozens of times
11. How many times a day do you go on facebook?
Too many. Damn Battleship Pirates.
12. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Alice in Wonderland? Snow White & the Huntsman is next provided it gets decent reviews.
13. Have you ever worried that you’d cut off a limb?
That I HAVE – no. That I could? Definitely. If you’re not aware of that when operating a chainsaw, you MIGHT take off a foot very easily.
14. Where did you get your last email from?
Client worried about his risk management. RM is a tough task.
15. Favorite website?
No clear cut winner.
16. Are you down with ghetto?
Oh sure – that and Ebonics.
17. Will the world end in fire or ice?
Ultimately it will end as it passes the event horizon of the nearest black hole. We should throw a party!
18. Do you believe in the afterlife?
As worm food, yes.
19. Would you be upset if facebook stopped working?
No – I might get more stuff done.
20. How did you start your blog? As a journal about quitting smoking.
This is day 2843 smoke free (see the top line on this page? That’s what it’s for. 7 years, 9 months, 12 days and counting)
21. Have you felt that life is like being on a roller coaster?
Always. Good thing I like ‘em!
22. Favorite year so far?
The last year has been pretty good.
23. Do you consider yourself religious?
Nope. I can’t buy faith in the face of scientific proof.
24. How do you dress to impress?
I dress for comfort in attire appropriate for the occasion. Every now & then that involves nothing at all!!
25. Have you ever been to Connecticut?
Three times- all family related trips.
26. Do you eat sushi?
I love sushi. I hate chopsticks.
27. Would you smoke pot providing there was no risk or driving involved?
Any time I smoked pot it felt like my IQ dropped about 40 points. My world shrinks and I tend to stay inside my head. Not a big fan of that any more.
28. What do you think of Idol Winner Phillip Phillips??
Who won what?
29. Do you believe that animals have souls?
No – but I do believe they have every right to live and not be pestered by us. Unless they’re deer that I’m hunting.
30. Who did you last talk to?
Share, if you dare. Co-worker, “Buddy”
31. What is one thing that always annoys you?
Anyone in front of me in a car not going the speed limit, not using their turn signals or braking for no reason at all. Like the idiots in front of me last night on the way home from the concert. Braking down to 35mph in a bend in the road when the speed limit is 55 and the cars in front of you just motored right along? Wish I had headlight mounted machine guns. Then when I passed the twit, they turn their high beams on. It was really annoying until I put them way behind me. To sum up – if you’re a bad driver, get off my road.
32. Do you believe in a higher being?
No – told you I’m not a big fan of pot anymore.
33. Have you ever fallen in love with a neighbor?
Love? No. Seriously lust after? Yup. Growing up the neighbor girls all had great bods.
34. Any plans for this weekend?
Re-wire all my outdoor stereo speakers, drain & clean the pond.
35. Would you like to rule your country, if you could?
Sure – if I could have absolute power for about a year. First thing to go would be PACS and those super PACS.
36. Do you like watching films about the nature of animals?
Love ‘em.
37. What’s the difference between lust and/or lust?
I’ll assume you meant love and lust. Lust is below the waist, love is above the shoulders.
38. Do you have a soul?
See religious beliefs and the afterlilfe. Or, NO.
39. One best friend or many good friends?
Yes.
40. Do you believe in spontaneous combustion?
Spontaneous human combustion? No. Spontaneous combustion of hay & straw that’s been baled & put up too soon? Yes. Spontaneous combustion of horse/cow manure that’s been bulldozed into huge piles instead of widely scattered in a field? Absolutely. Ask how I know!! (It all goes back to bacteria, really!)
Back to work.
Geeks Unite!
Stardate 2838
Looky what entered the local star system yesterday:
The Last Frontier
Can’t you almost imaging that you’re looking at it actually flying through space? Well, on that counter top, I can. Here’s some perspective:
Yes, it’s a pizza cutter built to resemble one of the more famous star ships of all time. It may never get used for it’s intended purpose. Who knows what pepperoni grease and cheese will do to it? Truth be told – I ran across an ad for it when looking up information on the solar eclipse that happened on the 20th. You can get one too – check out the store at Space.com
In other news, I am so far behind at work I may need to use some time travel magic to catch back up. So I’m headed beck to the kind of typing that pays the bills. Then I’m leaving work ON TIME to go play in my golf league.
If Cindy is incapacitated again when I get home, I will have to break one of my cardinal rules – never start an argument with a person that’s under the influence. But man oh man, this one needs to be nipped in the bud.
Secretly, I think that’s why she was so keen to book the next trip to NOLA – it’s a defuser (IS TOO a word! – my spell checker disagrees, for now). Why would I raise a stink when there is that fun trip hanging in the balance? Time to tip the scales
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Sunday Stolen
Day 2829
1. Have you ever peed your pants as an adult?
Nope. Always been able to find a tree to pee on.
2. Who do you have a celebrity crush on now?
Completely inappropriate, but Sarah Shahi just turns my crank.
3. Would you date someone you met online?
Would and did. Go back & read about Ms. CL
4. Do you wear underwear always?
No. Sometimes I go without, but never at work.
5. Do you hate yourself at times?
Hate? No. I can admit that I’ve done some dumb things (#3 for example), but I couldn’t hate me.
7. Do you like dirty movies?
Sure. Can’t say I’ve watched one end to end in a couple of decades though.
8. Could you believe Josha Ledet was voted off Idol?
Sure I could believe it. Of course, I never watch, so I don’t really care either.
9. When was the last time that you bought a car?
August 2009
10. Have you ever been camping?
As a kid, with the Army and dozens of times with my own family.
11. How many times a day do you go on facebook?
Once or twice.
12. What was the last movie you saw in a theater?
Ummmmm – I’m not really sure. Alice in Wonderland?
13. Have you ever worried that you’d cut off a limb? At least do severe damage?
Sure. I have a chainsaw and I’m not afraid to use it. Matter of fact I have 29 Douglas Firs to cut down this summer. Need wood?
14. Where did you get your last email from?
Work colleague. Boring (to you) technical stuff.
15. Favorite website?
Oh, there are so many to choose from . . .
16. Are you down with ghetto?
Probably not. What’s the implication?
17. Will the world end in fire or ice?
Think it through – ultimately ice, although that brief period of the sun going nova will be pretty warm.
18. Do you believe in the afterlife?
Not especially. I think much of that life after death stuff is invented by/believed in people who are afraid to accept their mortality. Not saying I’ve fully come to grips with it, but where is the evidence that there is anything there? I take very, very, very little on faith.
19. Would you be upset if facebook stopped working?
Not really.
20. How did you start your blog?
Started as a way to track the crazies when I quit smoking in 2004. Then it morphed into a way to track the crazies while my spouse tried to lose herself in a bottle (or a hundred) of Canadian Club. Now? I just can’t stop.
As I was pasting this here, it occurred to me there was no #6. Anyone want to ask a question for #6? You can ask anything, I reserve the right to not answer.
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Wednesday Hodge Podge
Day 2558
Something new to try out to keep my head in the game here . . .
It’s time for Joyce’s Wednesday Hodgepodge! Interesting questions this week. They’re not too deep but a lot of fun!
You know the drill…post the answers on your own blog, link up on Joyce‘s page and make new bloggy friends by perusing the links on her post.
Here we go…
1. What is something that bothers you if it’s not done perfectly?
Wrapping up extension cords or lengths of rope. Gotta be in a neat coil – no figure 8’s allowed. Makes it easier to unroll them next time you use them.
Also – dishwasher loading. Don’t put stuff in so it takes up the most space possible!
Yes, I am a wee bit anal.
2. Do you think a sixth sense exists? Explain.
It can’t be coincidence ALL the time. I do believe in some sort of ‘gut’ feeling. Whether people ferret it out from other external clues or it’s just a hunch, it’s right too often to ignore.
3. Do you say your goodbyes slowly, quickly, or not at all?
Sloooooowwwwly. It’s a curse famous trait from my mother’s mother’s side. Trying to work on it.
4. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being hot, hot, hot, what level of spice do you like in your food? What’s your favorite spicy dish?
I like my food to be at about a 12. In a restaurant, I’ll take the cover off the crushed red pepper shaker and shake some onto my pizza or pasta. I can drink Franks Red Hot by the glass (but why bother? It’s not hot at all.) Jalapenos are mild. What I really like are my homegrown, mesquite smoked habaneros. A tablespoon or two in a bow of chili is just about right. Wanna try some? Send me your address, I’ll mail you a sample. DO NOT sniff them – you will regret it.
5. What is one of your all-time favorite commercial jingles?
Where’s the beef!?!
Oh, wait, that’s not a jingle. How about “Plop plop, fizz, fizz, oh what a relief it is!”
6. Plane, train, boat, or auto…what is your preferred means of travel?
I don’t mind traveling by car if I’m driving (you’re too slow and hang out behind things that block my view) but I like the immediacy of plane travel. Wake up on a February morning where it’s 10 degrees & snowing, by lunch time you can be sipping a Hurricane and enjoying a bowl of gumbo (wearing shorts!!) at Pat O’Briens in Nola. What’s not to like?
7. What is something you take for granted?
Used to be my job . . .
8. My Random Thought
Squirrel!
Yes, I saw UP! What a great movie. I even got a little teary (ok – more than a little) in all the right spots.
Oh – on that TUV interview from last week – won’t know more for 2 – 3 weeks. Unfortunate because I’ll have tons of free time in just under two weeks now . . .
One odd event happened on our trip to Carlisle last week. It was early in the trip – we were maybe on the road for 40 minutes or so – when my phone rang. Now, in my truck, the phone is Bluetooth linked to the stereo (Ford Synch). So when the phone rings it interrupts what ever music was playing (bluetoothed in from my phone no less) and rings EXTREMELY shrilly, scaring the shit out of you. Assuming you have managed to maintain control of the vehicle, you can hit a button on the steering wheel to answer the phone.
Anyhow. Phone rang, Cindy might have peed a little, I steered us back into the right lane after recovering from the initial shock. On the phone was a dude from a recruiting agency that had gotten hold of an old, old resume of mine that was posted on Monster about 10 – 12 years ago. How it had my current cell phone number on it I’ll never know, but the email address was an ancient one. I told the guy he had an ancient resume, but I was still very interested in finding new employment. We did a bit of a phone interview right there on the spot (well, we covered 10 – 12 miles of I-390) and was to email me his contact info so I could forward him a current resume complete with references.
Nice thing abut this smart phone stuff was that I was able confirm receipt of that email about 5 minutes after we terminated the call. (Trust issue with recruiters? Why would you think that?) And no – getting an email on the phone doesn’t set off any klaxons or sirens in the truck. Thank heavens! And thanks to modern technology I was able to receive an important call when say 10 – 12 years ago (there are those numbers again!) I would have missed that opportunity. Or not. Talking on your cell phone wasn’t illegal in New York back then. (I was legal because I had a hands free set up. Thank you Ford!)
Got a call from another recruiter yesterday, but I don’t have high hopes for this particular job. They were looking for experience with very specific CAD packages. While I can use (am using? Was using?) CAD for everything this job entailed, I am using a couple of different programs. Nor much of a learning curve, but employers want you to hit the ground running. The other downside to this job? 45 minute drive in good weather. In the winter, when the lake squalls hit, it might be 2 hours. Wouldn’t want to do that for the next 15 years. Plus? It’s too far to ride my bike regularly.
I must be off. I hear a golf course calling my name . . .
The End Days
Day 2550
One more reason why I’ll be glad to get the hell out of here – my supervisor is an ass. Want to know who I met today? My replacement. The poor, reckless project manager I am currently working with stumbled into introducing us today. My supervisor scheduled a meeting with me Friday (which I declined but offered up some time on Thursday, which HE declined and settled on Wednesday) where I presume he intended to fill me in on the details. Oops – he was only a week late. This is the bozo that supposedly went to bat for me in the ranking process earlier this year.
Now they want me to do the equivalent of the Vulcan mind meld with this guy so he can get up to speed on what I do. Good fucking luck. Fire me instead. I’ve had several people tell me they are impressed with how well I’m holding up given the circumstances. I tell those same people they can’t believe how incredibly bad my internal attitude is. The new guy – well hell, I can’t take it out on him, but he isn’t going to get a lot of help from me. I have 2 ½ weeks left to work. That’s a little more than one paycheck and a couple day of earned vacation (that I get paid for). They could walk me out tomorrow and it wouldn’t make a whole lot of difference.
On a lighter note, check out the disappearing car video:
Love the peoples reactions! So gullible.
Now. Here is an interesting list. It’s the top 100 banned or challenged books
Looking through this list, I’ve read these:
1. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
14. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain
19. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
36. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
46. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
49. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, by Ken Kesey (actually saw the movie, didn’t read the book)
69. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
90. A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeline L’Engle
Some of these are childrens (or young adults) books fer crying out loud! The remainder makes a great list of books that I probably ought to try and read.
Now this list is a list of challenged classics. This particular version of the lost only includes titles for which the reason for the change of ban are known & published. You can see those reasons down below the list.
What I’ve managed to read off that list:
2. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
4. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
8. The Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
9. 1984, by George Orwell
15. Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
16. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
29. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut
33. The Call of the Wild, by Jack London
40. The Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien
45. The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair
I wonder about the ones they didn’t list. Also think that the ones they did list that I haven’t read yet ought to be on that list of things I should read. Looks like I’ll have some free time coming up soon(ish)
Update on the TUV job is on hold. The recruiter I was dealing with has been out the last couple of days and hasn’t gotten me scheduled for that group screening. I’m trying to be earnest in asking for updates without becoming a pest. I’ve held off replying to her “I’ve been out” email so I can use that as an additional reminder Wednesday morning. This is a difficult balance to achieve. The job is critically important to me, but I don’t want to piss her off. Perhaps I’ll find a tactful way to mention that in my response. Any ideas?
Heck, it’s 4:15, only 15 minutes before my official end of the day. Guess I’ll post & scoot. What are they gonna do, fire me?
(Updated because I hit “Publish” instead of “Preview” and I apparently forgot how to add references to other schtuph! But it’s better now. I’m not, but my tags are.)
Me, A to Z
Day 2536
Meme stealing time
Shamelessly stolen from m who stole it from the charming Aurore who also swiped it. This will at least get me blogging when I’d otherwise be working on the bathroom or thinking about biking. (Or heaven forbid, work!)
A – Age: 52 2/3
B – Bed size: Queen
C – Chore you hate: Dusting. I’m doing drywall. Know how much dust that makes?
D – Dad’s name: Walt
E – Essential start your day item: Coffee
F – Favorite color: Something auburny
G – Gold or Silver: Gold
H – Height: Was 6’ 1/2” at my peak. Closer to 5’11 ½ these days
I – Instruments you play(ed): Trombone. Could putz around on the baritone
J – Job title: Soon to be “Former Product Development Engineer”
K – Kids: 2
L – Living arrangements: Married, working on the happily part.
M – Mom’s name: Nancy
N – Nicknames: Bri, Reuben (from the kids)
O – Overnight hospital stay other than births: 1 – the one that made the lovely sharkbite scar on my right shin. That was one big owie!
P – Pet Peeve: Shitty, ignorant, slow drivers.
R – Right or left handed: I’m a rightie except when it comes to hockey.
S – Siblings: 3 brothers, all younger (51, 48, 43)
T – Time you wake up: 6:30 AM, no alarm.
U- Underwear: Usually. Learned it’s best to go commando when going for longer bike rides. No seams or hems to chafe tender areas. Weird, but it works.
V – Vegetable you dislike: Sweet Bell peppers. If it isn’t at LEAST as warm as a jalapeno, I don’t want to bother with it. Brussels Sprouts? Love ‘em. Lima beans? Bring ‘em on. Cucumbers and melons? Best used as archery targets.
W – Ways you run late: trying to fit in just one more thing before leaving
X – X-rays you’ve had: finger, hand, chest, right shin, right ankle, right foot (those right side shots were all separate incidents). X-rays I’ve shot? Dozens & dozens. All sorts of phantoms (fake body parts), circuit boards, disk drives, perf stock (great for image analysis), I’ll put anything on a plate to have something in the image for analysis.
Y – Yummy food you make: GUMBO!
Z – Zoo favorite: My cousins – the monkeys.
Since this thing has been stolen umpteen times over, feel free to steal it for yourself. Just let me know so I can go check you out.
In the Mood…
Day 2480
(I borrowed this from Chapter Two who originally borrowed it from the Friday 5 meme)
1. What puts you in a creative mood?
Usually a deadline or desperation. Barring those, just dropping all preconceptions of what can or can’t be done.
2. What puts you in a silly mood?
I’m a funny guy inside. But unless I know & trust the people I’m around, the fun stuff gets held inside.
3. What puts you in a contemplative mood?
Trying to plot out the best course for my future.
4. What puts you in a competitive mood?
Participating in anything where a score is kept. Football, gin rummy, darts . . . That includes keeping track of my own biking times on my regular routes.
5. If you consider yourself a talkative person, what puts you in a quiet mood? If you consider yourself a quiet person, what puts you in a talkative mood?
I consider myself talkative. What’ll shut me up is pressure whether it be from external sources (the need to perform) or internal (suppressing anger). Especially anger. I don’t trust myself to be polite when I’m pissed, and I don’t like the reaction I expect to get in return. Clamming up is often the best way to avoid that reaction.
6. What can a person do that will instantly put you in a sexy mood?
Blow in my ear? Not a fair question for a guy. Except for extreme anger, there isn’t much that will keep me from accepting sekshual advances. (Except if you’re drunk.) Not that anything in particular puts me in a sexy mood, it’s just that well, why not? I have no problem separating sex & love.
Bonus: What song puts you in a sexy mood? If possible post a link to the song so that we can listen to it.
We have a local band called “The Mambo Kings”. (Nothing at all to do with the Antonio Banderas movie) They play Latin style salsa, rumba, mambo. Very sensuous music, almost NO lyrics (their version of “Oye como va” has one word – “Uuh”. If you know hte song, you know where it is. If that stuff doesn’t get your libido tweaked you might want to see your local EMT to jump start your heart.
Try Blue Rondo
A question for the gallery: Does not complaining about a situation imply tacit approval?
54 Silly questions
Day 2460
Because I’m sitting here at work and just can’t bring myself to actually get anything done besides search the on-line classifieds for job postings, I thought I’d torment you with this list o’questions.
Before the silly questions, 1 sad note. This is week 4 of my golf league. We’ve been cancelled again tonight for the third time. Too much *&@#$* water on the course. We’re sad to not be playing, the golf course operators are even more sad. We pay for xx weeks in advance. Our league end date keeps getting pushed out so the course operator is losing non-league revenue from the post-season golfers because he has to honor our contract.
With no further ado, the list:
Which song did you last listen to?
Current ear worm is Rusted Roots “On My Way”
What’s the last thing you ate that was red?
A piece of tomato in todays soup @ lunch time. If that doesn’t count, then it has to be an apple for lunch Tuesday. Had that after the bag of red grapes and the sweet peppers in my enchilada.
Have you ever questioned your sexuality?
Lately, considering the lengthy drought that’s happening, yeah. I’m wondering if I’m a eunuch. Oh, wait. They’ve had something surgically removed, haven’t they? So do you still qualify if it just falls off?
Have you ever lost a best friend after a fight?
I may. That dust up isn’t settled yet.
Have you ever washed an iPod or mp3 player in the washing machine?
I washed a thumb drive. It’s the one I still use to archive all my blog & job app stuff. My old mp3 player succumbed to sweat. Gross, I know.
Have you ever screamed / yelled angrily at a teacher?
I pulled rank on a lab TA once. It was at night school at RIT. The TA, 15 – 20 years my junior was being porky and coming up with some really BS requirements for a lab. I told him to zip his lips. In the real world conciseness counts and all the flowery BS he was asking us to do was a waste of precious time and he wouldn’t be seeing it from me. I got an A on that lab. (Our entire class also griped that we spent twice the time on lab homework as lecture homework, but the lab was worth only 1 credit and the lecture 3. We asked for a balance in either work load or credits. Guess how that turned out?)
Have you ever acted like you understood something when you didn’t?
Only inconsequential stuff, usually just to get the other person to shut up.
Have you ever pretended to be older than what you are?
Only when I was too young to buy beer.
Have you ever cried because you were turned down?
No, but I do have an inordinately acute fear of rejection.
Have you ever had a pregnancy scare?
Why yes. I even paid for an abortion when I was a young lad of 21.
Have you ever pretended to like someone when you didn’t?
No. I just do a shitty job of pretending to tolerate them. They usually get the idea.
Have you ever stolen money from one of your parents?
Money, no. Cigarettes, yes.
When did you last see a movie in theaters?
Alice in Wonderland? The tail end of Avatar’s run? Back around then. Sad, I know.
When was the last time you baked / cooked something?
Monday night. NY strips and grilled asparagus. My pee still stinks, but it’s sooooo good.
When was the last time you danced like a crazy person?
Kids wedding, 6/6/09
When was the last time you just wanted to be invisible?
Monday night at spin class. When I had Foot in Mouth disease.
When was the last time you got a gift you absolutely hated?
I was a kid, maybe 8 or 10. My Mom’s extended family had a Christmas gathering at the Grange Hall in Phelps, NY. There was a sort of pot luck gift exchange. I ended up with a roll of toilet paper that had jokes printed on the individual squares. It was apparently brought by some distant Canadian relatives that thought they were supposed to bring gag gifts. Never saw them again. The TP ended up being used precisely how it should.
When was the last time you had to sleep with a nightlight?
Never used one.
When was the last time you were under some serious stress?
Besides now? This impending job loss has got me pretty tweaked.
When was the last time you watched your favorite movie?
I don’t really have a favorite movie and I tend to not watch any movie over & over. What’s the point when the ending isn’t even a surprise?
When was the last time you downloaded a song?
Been a while. Still had Limewire on the home laptop before the drive crashed. Is Limewire still semi-legitimate?
What would you say is your favorite hobby?
My favorite one would be hunting & fishing. The one I see to do the most is remodeling projects.
What is your favorite thing to do when you hang out with friends?
Golf, bowl, play volleyball – almost any sort of physical activity followed by a cold beer.
What would you rather do: shower or bath?
Shower. With a friend.
What do the majority of people think of you?
Friendly, bright, humorous, eternal optimist, decent athlete, procrastinates like a mofo but still dependable.
What is the color if your cell phone, if you have one?
Black. So trendy.
Would you ever donate money to charity?
I do all the time. Want to sponsor me in the Tour de Cure? Hit my TdC button up there on the right side bar. Even $5 helps in the fight against diabetes.
Would you ever dump the person you’re with for someone cuter?
More sober maybe. But I’m over ‘cute’. Is she a good kisser?
Would you ever disown one of your relatives?
No. Limit contact, yes. Declare & uphold boundaries, yes. Deny their existence? Couldn’t do that.
Would you ever cheat on someone if they cheated on you?
If cheating on me consists of drowning your sorrows in a bottle of booze 5 nights a week for 12 years, then yes, I’ve got that one covered. Next time I’ll make a clean break. Cheating really bugged the hell out of me. The sex was great, the guilt was greater.
Would you ever consider becoming a teacher?
Love to.
Would you ever give a hitch-hiker a ride somewhere?
Depends on what she looks like.
Would you ever try to quit one of your addictions?
7:00 PM 8/22/2004I quit smoking. (2,460 days ago, but who’s counting?) (See the number at the top of every post?)
Would you ever die your hair purple?
I’m having enough trouble keeping it on my head. Why add to its stress?
Would you ever try being with a member of the same sex?
Been there, done that, didn’t get a membership card.
Would you ever kill yourself to save someone else?
One of my kids I would, provided it wasn’t because they did something stupid. And by kill myself, I’m not talking putting a bullet in my head. I’m talking stepping in harms way to push them to safety.
Would you ever spend $100 for the best tasting hamburger in the world?
Nope. I’ve heard of some more expensive than that though.
Would you ever consider becoming a nun?
Not a chance. I think my dangling participle excludes me from the club.
Would you rather chew gum off the ground or kill a squirrel?
Kill a squirrel. Check.
Would you rather have a turtle or a frog for a pet?
Had 6 tadpoles. Their propulsion system doesn’t have the poop to stay out of the pond filter. Killed ‘em before their legs were big enough to harvest. Oops.
Would you rather dye your hair green or blue?
See my answer to Purple hair.
Would you rather text or talk on the phone?
Talking on the phone omits enough nuances as it is. Texting can be too damn literal. Omfg, lol. (By the way, if you ever get a text from me, it will NOT contain any of that text speak shit. I refuse.)
Would you rather spend a day with Lady Gaga or Miley Cyrus?
Really? How about someone my age?
Would you rather learn to play piano or guitar?
Guitar. It’s easier to carry.
Would you rather have a stomach-ache or headache?
I have more experience with headaches. My stomach is partially cast iron and can tolerate heavy doses of habaneros.
Would you rather be overly interesting or overly dull?
Interesting.
Ever told someone that your fake jewelery was really real?
Jewelry? I don’t even wear a watch.
Did you ever watch The Adventures of Alex Mack?
Who?
Who has the worst public restrooms?
Asia
Would you eat cat food for $500?
Canned or dry?
Who is the last person you smelled?
Sadly, Cindy’s fruity booze breath last night.
Name a song that got overplayed really fast.
I tend to listen to Classic Rock stations. 15 – 40 year old songs are kind of hard to over play. There’s SO MANY of them. HOWEVER – we do have a local station that thinks every other song has to be either Zepplin, The Beatles or The Stones. That gets old fast.
Do you shop at Payless?
Nope.
When’s the last time you had a popsicle?
It’s been years.
Mouth? Meet Foot.
Day 2459
Oh what a night. Someone around here recently wrote about sticking ones foot in ones mouth. I managed to pull off a gem Monday night that still has me shaking my head.
I was in spin class, sweating & grinding to what the instructor, Lori, generously calls music. I have my own internal gripes about her music selections. They include Lady Gagger, Pink Eye, Split Green Peas, Ludicrous, Snoopy Dog just to name a few. Thing is, Lori is 40-something, the vast majority of her class is 45+ (shut up) and she’s somehow thinking that the above artists are going to appeal to her demographic. I guess some feedback has trickled back to her because she’s added a few new to her tunes to the mix that don’t suck quite as hard. (One is horrible. A version of Janis Joplin’s “take a Little Piece” that had been remixed for a step aerobics class. I’m going to go to iTunes and buy her the real version and ask her to permanently erase that other abomination)
Here are some of my other grievances with her:
A – Her pedaling cadence never matches the song that’s playing.
B – She doesn’t actually DO the resistance changes she tells us to do and sometimes gets lost.
C – She uses a “4 zone” resistance system. 1 = no resistance. 2 = flat road 3 – medium or large hill (an improper reference itself – even a BIG hill can have a mild incline – it’s the incline angle that determines load) (Sorry for geeking out there) and 4 = all the resistance you can tolerate. She loves to bounce back and forth between 3 & 4 or 2 & 4.
D – She uses the term “full turn” but I’m not really sure how she’s defining that (see “B”)
E – She does standing sprints all the time. On a real bike? No one I know stays out of the saddle for very long on a sprint.
F – She does way too many out of the saddle exercises compared to out of the saddle time on a real bike.
G – We do this exercise called ‘Drills’. Pedal left leg only, pedal both, pedal right leg only, pedal both. Most instructors have us increase resistance after a full cycle. Keeps the left/right balance in tune. Lori increases basically at every comma, which produces an imbalance in leg conditioning. The right leg always operates at a higher load.
H – Her taste in music sucks.
And I still go every Monday evening. Why? Because the $^*&@#*< rain around here never $^*&@#*< stops and I can’t ride outside!
Still, Lori is a sweet gal, she means well and if I close my ears I can modify everything else she says so that it’s more like what the other instructors are doing. She even says “Do what you can, modify to suit your needs.” With that disclaimer A thru G pretty much go away.
Last night seemed particularly bad though. Might have been me. And keep in mind we’ve had cold, rainy weather something like 10 of the last 14 days. At the end of class we were doing our cool down and Lori was reminding us about future classes, etc. and she said “and next week Summer will be here” to which I loudly replied “Promise?”. Of course, 3.8 milliseconds after the words flew out of my mouth I realized she was referring not to the season, but to Summer, one of the substitute instructors that we all LOVE and would like to see get a permanent class. (Summer also plays a ton of music out of my wheelhouse, but she stays on rhythm and her tunes don’t suck out loud. They’re just new to me.)
When I heard a giggle or two from the class (3.9 milliseconds after the words left my mouth) I tried to back pedal and make it clear that I was referring to “Summer, the season” as opposed to the craptastic weather we’ve endured this spring. I also went up to Lori after class and apologized privately, but I think she hates me now. I may have to go to her Saturday morning class to try and kiss & make up. (No – not really kiss her. She’s not my type.) I was going to ride my 50 mile Batavia loop, but I might just have to incorporate the Y into it somehow.
Shit.
It’s the END!!!
Day 2440 It’s the End of the World as We Know It
Just for fun:
(click \/ to go to end of world)
End of the World Notification Service
http://www.rowdydow.co.uk/eotw/
“Your alert will tell you when the world will end and who has prophesied it, giving you time to find shelter in a network of caves or say goodbye to your loved ones.”
(Unashamedly stolen from The Whoa. Dude posts some neat images. Warning – not always 100% safe for work, but not porno by any means.
Get to go bowling today. Probably the last time before the end of the world. We’re having a tournament for work. My team, “The Spin Doctors” is the defending champs. It’s a win, win, win situation. Get out of work early, get in a little exercise, get in some socializing with the work folks in a normal human being situation AND!!!! This bowling alley has <a href=”http://www.saranac.com/page/black-forest#>Saranac Black Forest Beer</a>. Yum.
Taking a half day tomorrow and I WILL RIDE MY BIKE to work and back. Maybe I’ll take the long way back. Saturday I am getting in a 35 miler, no matter the temps.
But I also intend to get in 4 – 6 hours of work on the bathroom Friday and another 8 or so on Saturday. Sunday we’re off to Syracuse to help Eric move into his new apartment.
Oh – and today @ 4pm (ssshhhhh, it’s a seekrit) Zach & Jill have an appointment with the Ob/Gyn ultrasound where they will hopefully hear their little eggs heartbeat. When that happens, we can officially announce that we are 6 months shy of being grandparents.
Exciting to be sure, but why do I suddenly feel old?
Personality Quiz
Day 2398
Saw this on a private blog the other day (Hi G.G.) and thought that considering my current circumstances, a little insight into my inner workings might not hurt. I had a little trouble trying to decide whether to focus on work or home life. But after thinking about it for 1.8 micro-seconds (or the amount of time the quake in Japan shortened our day) (which is COMPLETELY separate from what was “lost” in Daylight Savings time), I realized that my work and home personas aren’t really all that different. So off I went.
Here are the results:
Master Archer
Brian, as the “Master Archer”, there is rarely a task you undertake without thoughtful planning and careful execution. You are even-tempered, competent, and hold high standards for yourself and others. With your level of diligence, steadiness, and talent for both creating and maintaining systems, you have the ability to rise to expert status. You tend to evaluate decisions slowly, based upon logic and facts, remaining sensitive to the needs of those around you. Using a rational and systematic approach, you like to do things right the first time and follow projects through to the end.
You excel at building solid relationships and maintaining a stable and peaceful environment. While generally reserved, you are most sociable in personal, low-pressure situations where you feel comfortable and connected to those around you. Once you form a bond with another person, you have no problem talking about personal subjects and extending trust. You will take the time to build solid relationships slowly, choosing your friends wisely.
Others experience you as organized, neighborly, and rationally minded. With a keen eye for detail, you may be quite creative or philosophical. You tend to avoid conflict and confrontation, and try to maintain positive and peaceful environments. You are likely a good listener and a stable friend, doing exemplary work, while diligently nourishing your relationships.
Food for Thought
Your communication style in general, especially in times of pressure or conflict, can be overly tolerant. Your need to maintain positive relationships, may lead you to undervalue your own needs, time, and personal goals. This can create additional stress in your life.
• You likely fear and avoid conflict, which may prevent you from setting appropriate boundaries and expressing your own needs and wants. If you don’t express your own needs, you may feel resentment. At times, you may need to make a concerted effort to stand your ground.
• You feel most comfortable when your world feels steady, stable, and orderly. This can lead to a resistance to change and a feeling of discomfort or loss of control in moments of change or chaos.
• Because you are able to multitask well, you often take on too much. Be aware of your limits and learn to delegate responsibility. Trusting others and seeking out their strengths may relieve a lot of pressure in your life. Sometimes it’s even okay to say no.
• You will take your time to gather all the information to make decisions. If you are unable to gather this information, you may struggle with decision-making. At times, you may have to push yourself to be more spontaneous or go with your “gut” instincts.
• You may show love, affection, and dedication through tasks, precision, and quality of work and want to be acknowledged for it as such. Likely, you also want to be shown love in a similar way that you show it. You may be frustrated around a more emotive style, as they will show and need to be shown love through affections and personal attention.
If you’re interested, I got it here . I did the free version. If you have a spare $25 lying around you can get the full blown version. Or you could donate that $25 to the Japanese Red Cross instead. I’m sure they’d appreciate it.
Now I have to show this to Cindy & see what she thinks. Maybe I’ll show Janine too and get her input. “Is this me?” For YOUR purposes, this IS me, except maybe for that 4th bullet in the ‘Food for Thought’ section. I’m more a ‘gather all the information you can and make the best decision based on what you know right now’ kinda guy. Make a choice, commit & go. If you need to adjust later on, feel free to do so, but don’t just sit there floundering.
Bullet number 5 is freakishly scary in it’s accuracy. That part about being frustrated around someone with a more emotive style? Oy! Ditto for having to talk something through 18,000 times before making a decision (see my rebuttal of bullet 4).
Also? There’s a position open locally for an installation team manager. It’s a project manager type position with revenue & inventory responsibilities. The job is with a competitor of my current firm, but it sounds like the installation projects aren’t for products that I am currently in competition with i.e. – no imaging devices. My personality profile seems to fit the job description, except for that whole procrastination part. I’ll be submitting an application anyhow. It’s entirely possible that the worst thing they can say is “when can you start?” A little stretch can be good.
Does the Master Archer part bode well for this fall’s hunting season? Hope so, I may need the protein source.
How did THAT Happen?
Day 2276
So, I go to work Friday. Have just a wonderful day at the zoo. Went to a concert (pics to follow, because we were that close), came home, hung out in the hot tub for a bit and then went to bed.
Somehow, when I woke up Saturday morning, the heavens decided I was old enough to be the parent of a 25 year old. I apparently did not get a vote on the matter.
How do these things happen? There I was, hanging out in my recliner, nursing a monster headache – because even though you are so close to the stage you are actually UNDER the speakers they are still really loud. We called Eric kinda out of the blue because even though we’d gone out to see him last week to celebrate, Saturday WAS his real birthday. Turns out the little shit actually got the day off of work. Hmmph. But still – he had the audacity to actually turn 25, obviously violating several laws of nature because like I claimed earlier – I am NO WAY old enough to be the aren’t of a 25 year old.
At least I can act like I’m not mature enough to be the parent of a 25 year old.
The worst part is that Eric is the youngest of our two kids. With Eric & Kelly getting married next year, it’s inevitable that sooner or later either Zach & Jill or Eric & Kelly are going to try and make us grandparents. You can imagine what my reaction to that will be. I DO have it on good word that any impending grandparent hood is a ways off. Jill says there is no way she wants to be preggers at Eric & Kelly’s wedding. Doing the math, that means no grandkids till May of 2012.
Of course, I’ll still be too young to be a grandparent by then, so I really don’t know what they’re going to do. I’m sure they really don’t care. Do you think being 39 with 13 years experience is too young to be a grampa?
Friday evening was interesting. We planned on getting to dinner around 5:30, figuring we’d have maybe an hour wait for a table on a Friday night. We picked a place near downtown (that Beale St. joint), maybe a mile from the arena where the concert was.
Turns out that 5:30 on a Friday evening is a great time to get a table there. We were ushered right in, sat down and got started. We took our time and managed to stretch dinner out till just past 7pm, at which point we made the while mile long drive downtown to the arena. (Sadly just two blocks from the Dinosaur, but we knew there was no way on earth we’d have been able to get a table there)
Having trouble remembering what I had for dinner. Cup of gumbo to start, there was a pomegranate mojito, (maybe that’s the source of the memory problem!) and I know I had red beans & rice, Cajun corn and corn bread for sides. For the life of me, I can’t – ahh yes – Cajun meatloaf! Not horrible, not spectacular. Gooped a few dollops of some nice smoked habanero hot sauce on it and things improved mightily. Cindy had a Cajun fried chicken which was really lightly battered and spiced up just right. I think she STILL has a piece in the fridge. Until I get to it for lunch tomorrow.
The show was excellent. This is the third time we’ve seen them and each show has been a little different. They of course covered their really hits (Mad Russians Christmas, Wizards in Winter, Christmas Cannon, Requiem (a take on Beethoven’s Fifth) to name a few. We were much closer to the stage than I thought. I really thought there was an entire section in front of us, but as it turned out, we were all of 7 rows from the stage. (Row G actually). We were in range for the random guitar picks when they tossed them out at the end, but the folks in front of us had pretty good hands. Here’s a couple of shots of the action:
Guitar solo, early in the show
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Just wasn’t quite the same without Anna Phoebe shredding her guts (or her bow string) up on the stage. It’s really like I mentioned last week, in a mans eye, Roddy Chong is not a reasonable substitute for Anna Phoebe. Ahh well, life goes on.
Saturday was spent recovering. Had a lovely headache which I am blaming on our proximity to the speakers. Namely, they were 15 feet directly over our heads. So to recover, I never once changed from my flannel pj pants all day long. What a glorious, lazy day it was. Spent Sunday having a brunch at my mom’s, made a quick grocery trip and listened to the radio as the Bills FINALLY won their first game of the year. The irony of the situation was that the Bills were playing the Detroit Lions at home. The game was far from a sellout, so home TV was blacked out. Doesn’t it figure that’s the game they would finally win?
Had a monster concept review this morning at work. I was reasonably well prepped for it, but it still acted as the catalyst in renewing my headache. In the no good deed goes unpunished category, I have 8 unplanned for action items to take care of as a direct result of this review, in addition to the umpteen thousand things I already knew needed doing. So, without further ado, I must end my lunchtime respite and get the old nose back to the grindstone, headache & all. Maybe the ibuprofen will kick in soon.
Hot Time in the Old Town Tonite!
Day 2273
Looks like we’re starting the Christmas season a little early around these parts. One of our favorite all time concert events is tonight.
These guys:
Who last put out this album:
Are playing in beautiful downtown Rochester tonight.
Unfortunately, Ms. Anna Phoebe
Is no longer touring with the Orchestra. We’ve heard Roddy Chong play with them in past concerts. He’s a fine, fine violinist, but from a male point of view? He’s no Anna Phoebe.
Aaaaaannnyhow. Before the show we’ll be trying out this place:
for dinner. (Go ahead, check out the link & their menu, I’ll wait . . . . . . .)
I think they may be having a little identity crisis, don’t you?. They claim to do Cajun cuisine, but isn’t Beale St. a famous BBQ strip in Memphis?
Maybe I shouldn’t be so picky and just shut up and eat my Jambalaya or Etoufee, or maybe even just a shrimp po’ boy.
Before all of that though, I really have to stop by the sporting goods store and get my hunting license for this year. Opening day is the 20th. I have that weekend and Thanksgiving morning as guaranteed hunting days, but it would be VERY prudent to be legal first.
I gotta cut lunch short so I can get some pesky work stuff out of the way. I’d love to sneak out a little early tonight.
If I manage to grab some decent shots of the show I’ll post them over the weekend. Say a prayer for my ears!
Itemized
Day 2223
After posting Linda’s Random Dozen yesterday, I got to thinking about all the guys in my extended family that have served in the military. Here’s a list of those I know:
Me – Army – Ft. Lewis, Wa. 47th Combat Support Hospital
Dad – Army – Korea, Engineering Battalion
Brother J – Navy, Submariner (USS Snook)
BiL W – Navy, Guided Missile Frigate (USS Nicholson)
Cousin Ike – Air Force – Germany
FiL (The Bob) – Air Force, Korea & Okinawa, photographer
Uncle Jere – Army Lifer, Viet Nam
Uncle Jim – Marines, Viet Nam
Cousin Corey – Marines
Those are the ones I know for sure. I think my Aunt Barb’s second husband was an ex-Marine too. By good timing, world peace initiatives or just plain luck, most of the people that served in my generation missed out on any of the big conflicts (‘Nam, Iraq I or II, Afghanistan or others). The generations before & after? Smack in the middle of all the dangerous stuff. Your country thanks you all.
Ok. On to less serious stuff. Here’s a rendition of Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” that will bring tears to your eyes. Seriously.
For the record – I could only tolerate 56 seconds worth. Wasn’t sure if I should laugh or cry. Not sure what bothered me more, the lack of teeth or the lack of a singing voice.
For REAL entertainment, check out the next video. Nothing naughty, just a cool idea executed very well. You’ll watch ALL of this one.
http://player.vimeo.com/video/13362364
Pixels from Patrick JEAN on Vimeo.
In a weird coincidence that I only just noticed, yesterday the 22nd was day 2222 since I quit smoking. Neat. But not quite as neat (or freaky) as my younger brother (the Submariner) who turned 6 on 6/6/66. THAT’s freaky. Maybe that’s why he’s a JW these days. Hmmmm.
Had to go to calling hours last night for my SiL’s grandmother. Two weeks ago she was hauled into the ER for one reason or another. Don’t remember the initial complaint. While there, the ER attending approached her and said he’d like to admit her and run some tests to figure out what was wrong. Her response? “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. I’m 96! That’s what’s wrong!” and she walked out of the ER & went home. She passed away less than 2 weeks later.
She was a great lady too. Playing cards, she’d kick your ass at Euchre and you’d love every minute of it. Always a story to tell, wasn’t afraid to tell you what she thought, but she had a sense of humor and just enough tact that you weren’t hurt by what she said. She’ll be missed.
Bowling tonight. Woo-hoo! After Sunday’s exceptional golf outing, I have high hopes for bowling tonight. The critical swing thought will be – ‘keep your head steady’. By keeping my head steady I will accomplish two things – not over swinging and maintaining alignment with the target. Those are keys to success in both sports. I hope.
Triple Treat
Day 2192
First up is Meet me on Monday
1. What is your favorite kind of doughnut?
The old fashioned fry cake. Goes double if it’s lightly glazed and has a peanut crust.
2. How often do you pray?
Taken in the context of the traditional American Christian church, very rarely. Taken in the spiritual context of asking my higher power for a little guidance, pretty regularly.
3. What is your favorite kind of music?
REO Speedwagon is REAL high on my list right now. I’m creating an iTunes iWant list right now.
4. What do you order when you eat Chinese food?
One of everything. But really, I stick with Schezuan or Hunan style dishes. I like the heat.
5. Would you rather snowboard in the winter or swim in the summer?
I’d love to get back to skiing. We have the weather for it around here. Not right NOW, but in 4 months? The slopes will be open. (Oh man, that thought sucks out loud!)
Number two on todays’ hit parade hit me last night. Just as Tyler Bryant’s drummer cranked things up to get our attention last night (it worked) I officially celebrated 6 years of smoke free life. That also means that 6 years ago I started a little blog thingy on Diaryland. The purpose behind that was to keep track of how the quitting smoking thing was doing. From there, it’s morphed into whatevertheheckitis I’m doing here now.
And finally, number three. That little concert last night at what we USED to call the flea-pac (Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center) which is now CMAC (Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center. I guess the B, S & P are silent & invisible)
Anyhow. For all those folks out there around my age (I’ll claim 49 with some experience), last night was the REO Speedwagon/Pat Benetar “Love on the Run Tour” concert. Outside, in the drizzle. But we splurged, spent an extra $6 per ticket and got seats under the roof. You can bet we’ll be doing that again.
During the REO portion of the show, I was constantly amazed by just how many really, really good songs they have done. Here’s their set list:
1. Don’t Let Him Go
2. Keep On Loving You
3. In Your Letter
4. Take It On The Run
5. Keep Pushin’
6. Golden Country
7. Can’t Fight This Feeling
8. Like You Do
9. Time for Me to Fly
10. Back On The Road Again
11. Roll With The Changes
12. Ridin’ The Storm Out
To the crowd’s credit, everytime the lead singer (Kevin Cronin) pointed his mike at the audience, we were right there singing back up for him. Cronin’s voice overall has held up pretty well. He has lost some of the high end of his range, but he recognizes that and doesn’t try to do what he (nor many guys in the audience either) can’t do any longer. Overall, their show was very well done. It took the mixer board guys a bit (like a minute, literally) to get the guitar levels up to where we could hear them over the drums, but once that was resolved, things were. I was also surprised to learn that ‘Back on the Road Again’ is sung by the bass player (Bruce Hall I think), NOT Cronin. All these years and I never knew that.
Here’s the part where I get to date myself. In the parking lot, we pulled up next to some younger folks that were just starting to tailgate a wee bit. They were going over some trivia on REO when one of them said “When their first album came out (1971) I was -12 years old!” That’s NEGATIVE 12 years old. Which means he was born in ’83 (I’m a whiz with the math). Which makes him roughly the same age as my kids. WTF is he (or his friends for that matter) doing listening to his parents music? For the record, I was NOT -12 in 1971. I was actually +12 for most of that year, having turned 13 in December. But at least I actually remember when their album came out!
The other nasty dating thing? The first time I saw REO was in 1978. I was stationed at Ft. Lewis and caught their “You Can Tune a Piano But You Can’t Tunafish” tour at the Seattle Center Coliseum. Just can’t remember who opened for them.
REO gets a solid two thumbs up from our reviewers.
Now for the Pat Benatar part of the show. Maybe it was because it was a school night, but I noticed folks leaving during the intermission. She also did a fair amount of just talking with the audience and threw in some of her lesser known songs as well. To her credit, she said she’d be doing some of the less familiar material, but knowing that didn’t keep people from leaving. I will say this though – for a little teeny thang, she can really belt out the tunes. She’s also lost some of her upper range and adjusts for it. But in the mid and mid-hi range she can hang with the best of them. Very strong, excellent pitch. Here’s her set list from the show:
1. All Fired Up
2. Shadows of The Night
3. If You Think You Know How To Love Me
4. Promises In The Dark
5. Invincible
6. You Better Run (Acoustic)
7. I Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend (I Wanna Be Your Lover)
8. We Belong
9. Hell Is For Children
10. Hit Me With Your Best Shot
11. Love Is A Battlefield
12. Heartbreaker
#’s 3 and 7 I am least familiar with. She still put on a good show, but the crowd starting to filter out – for what ever reason – was a minor distraction.
In the end, I wonder why REO took the stage before Benatar. Just seemed to me that REO would have been a better finishing act.
One interesting little tidbit from after the show. As we filed out of the venue, we made a little pit stop to make our bladders gladder before the 45 minute ride home. As is typical for anyplace there’s a large crowd, the wait to get into the ladies room was lengthy. But if you went to the back side of the building, the ladies room line was much shorter.
One gal had a VERY short wait. I was walking into the men’s room (no line), eying the urinals to my left, waiting for one to open up. I didn’t get 15 feet into the room when a 40-something gal popped out of a stall to my right, eyes looking every which way to see if she was going to get busted. Apparently the particular group of guys in the rest room at the time really didn’t give a hoot. We all just let her go on her way. I was actually kind of surprised that no one got stupid and started waving his johnson around for the benefit of a gal so desperate to pee she’d dare to use the mens room. Maybe there’s hope for this country after all.
Typing, typing . . .
Day 1964
I am kinda writing my little speech thingy for Al Anon Friday night, but needed a little break. Here you go:
Seen/read recently (Hardly new stuff, but I get to things slowly)
Up The Pixar animated movie. Very cute. Nice way to be entertained for 90 minutes or so. No huge moral message, just a nice story.
Star Trek As a trekkie, I should be ashamed that it took me so long to see this. But Star Trek franchise movies DO have a somewhat spotty track record. This one however, was really, really good. Details the maiden voyage of The Enterprise, how Kirk and his crew came to be, a little history of Vulcan. We finally, finally get to see how Kirk beat the simulation of the Kobayashi Maru. If you’re watched Star Trek since the 60’s (or seen re-runs of the original shows) you’ll know Kirk was the only person to ever beat the simulation. Now, we can suspect how. (No – it’s never fully revealed, but you’re provided enough information to make an educated guess)
The book Failure is not an Option (or however that should be capitalized) Basically the story of Gene Kranz at NASA. How he became a flight controller, the 4 inch launch, all the Mercury, Gemini & Apollo Launches. We had no idea how many times they came close to losing crews. Apollo 1 was a terrible loss, but there were so many close calls through out the race to the moon & beyond. If you like factual, biographical history and are a fan of the space program, this is a must read.
Bowling tonight was totally blah. Felt something in my left mid-back tighten up. Made it tough to feel limber & loose, could never really relax. Parts of the night, it even hurt a bit just to bend over & pick up my ball. Of course, possession of that lone XY chromosome renders me incapable of ceasing the activity causing the pain. So I bowled anyhow. Not as well as I’d have liked, but the team did well. There’s always next week.
We’re sort of anticipating a little snow here Friday. Couple inches tonight, 2 – 4 Friday. Other parts of the country are certainly getting it much worse than we are. Especially in the south where they just aren’t used to it. Wish there was a 15 second crash course (wait – maybe that’s a poor choice of phrasing . . .) in winter driving I could point to, but you just gotta rack up the experience.
Tuesday it was snowing here pretty good. I had a 15 mile drive to our counselors office. Did fine on 4 lane road, was able to get to open space and at least drive the speed limit. Roads were slushy, but the tire tracks were clear. 40 – 45mph was reasonable. What sucked was running into the (s)lowest common denominator on the 2 lane sections. Some poor scared puppies doing 25 in a 55 because there was a snow flake in the air. 15 – 20 cars stacked up behind them. It’s frustrating. Crazy as we are up here, we recognize that it IS tough to pass on a 2 lane road, in the snow, at night. But, crazy as we are, we do it anyhow. Was still 10 minutes late after allowing 10 extra minutes for the drive. Just can’t win.
Better go get back to my soliloquy . . .
