why it's a good thing I can't blow people up with my mind

It's been a rough day - things keep breaking and landing on my desk. And at lunch today - everyone was in my way. Everyone.

1. The girl that had to get 8 little cups of catsup for her small order of fries.
2. The nimrod who couldn't find the napkins and made a huge deal of it.
3. The twit on her cell phone - standing on the stairs.
4. The...well, just the random collection of clueless idiots who couldn't see beyond their own small and dim view of the world.

While standing in line I actually had some serious thoughts over whether it would be better to make their heads explode or to just set them on fire. It's messy either way, but I figured that the burning alive would be more painful and I really didn't think that anyone of them deserved an easy way out.

Clearly, I have issues.

And now it's time to get back to work... Oh, the joy is neverending...

good deed and preying mantis

I had a message on my answering machine from my ex-roommates grandmother yesterday when I got home from work. Rather than call her back the nan0-second I walked in the door, I spent some quality time in the bathroom with my new comics. By the time I was done - and yes, I did wash my hands - her currently out of town daughter had called as well. Same topic - could you take grandma to bingo tonight?

Well, as it turns out, I could. So, I called her back and made arrangments. I picked her up from her house and dropped her off at the bingo location with a hearty "good luck". The plan was that she would get a ride home from one of her friends - but she asked if I would be home that evening in case that fell through.

Now where, in all of this, is my ex-roommate? Apparently working, as was "that woman" as the grandmother refered to his girlfriend.

As predicted - she called again later that evening and would be needing a ride. So, I put my shoes back on and hopped in the car. Halfway to the bingo palace - terror struck.

Something huge flew past the front and side of my car before slamming into the open window frame on the driver's side of the car. It was a preying mantis and it was huge. Huge, I tell you!

The impact broke at least a couple of legs and the force of wind kept him from getting back underway. So, he was essentially stuck on the ledge of my window.

Now, I like bugs - because in most cases I can do my thing and they do their thing and we're all cool and stuff. Here, I was trying to do my thing and this particular bug was clearly up in my business.

I finally escorted him out of the car with a bit of scrap paper when I reached a red stoplight - no, I didn't touch it directly. We'd both been through enough. And it was huge.

I rolled up my window a bit once he was gone and then completed my appointment with the lucky bingo lady - who had picked up 50 bucks and a stuffed dog.

Good deed complete.

Well, that's it for now - time to get back to work...

Did I mention it was a huge bug? Huge!

catching up a bit

I haven't blogged in a few days - been real busy with work, including working a couple of late nights. Big projects mostly, but also just a lot of random stuff.

I another cluster headache over the weekend - this one hit me while I was a passenger in a car on a trip. The "normal" sequence for this is: distorted vision, headache, throwing up, sleeping, recovery. Being in a car threw that out of wack and it was touch and go for a while. Feeling much better now.

Watched some of the Firefly DVD - great show! Real story driven sci-fi, which is usually rare in the face of fancy special effects.

I also watched the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy on DVD. Pretty good, but I wonder how much a non-fan of the book would have gotten out of it. It was more than I expected, but not as much as I would have hoped for.

The DVD included a trailer for the Chronicles of Narnia - which looked really good in a Harry Potter sort of way. There's a shot of when they first open the wardrobe - amazing...

Talked to my sister last night - she's recovering from a huge quiz and was doing battle with a giant bug while we talked on the phone. I think she eventually won - but it was still twitching when we finished our conversation.

Well, I guess I should get back to work - or maybe go grab an early lunch. In any case, that's it for now...

I see a beige phone and I want it painted red

(apologies to the Rolling Stones)

We need a red phone for the video that I'm going to be in about Computer Security - so, that was job last night. Went fairly well, though my attempts to preserve it as a working phone failed when I forgot to cover the handset jack before spray painting it. Oh, well. It was most likely a lost cause anyway.

Otherwise, it was an evening of video games and paying bills.

Well, that's about it for now - back to work...

car saga concluded and a call from mom

Well, I was able to pick up my car yesterday - though it was a near thing. I called early on in the day and was told it was the thermostat that was sticking and some contaminents in the anti-freeze. They suggested a new thermostat and a "flush and fill". So, I okayed that and they got to work. Before I headed to my meeting in the afternoon I called again to check the status and they said they were having trouble with air in the radiator - but they would call back soon and leave a message if I was gone.

They called back and left a message - the air was a real problem and they would need to keep it an extra day. The second message was them saying it was resolved and done and ready to go.

So, I got a ride over to the dealership, handed over my arm and my leg, then they drove my car around and handed me the keys.

I'm poorer than I was, but at least that light is off of my dashboard.


I called my folks last night and found out that my dad had won his age group in a 5k run - which was very cool. Mom was out, but called me back when she returned. She's back in Ohio and doing fine - though still a little tired. She's planning on heading back in a few weeks as they ERV drivers - and she's an expert on those. The shelter she worked at was considered a model for how it's supposed to be done and one of the directors said they couldn't have run it without her - so, high praise indeed.

Otherwise, not much to report except that I'm busy again today at work. The only reason I had time to write this much is that my 9:00 appointment is late. Well, I guess I should start on some projects until he gets here.

That's it for now...time to get back to work...

car saga continued

Directions gathered, route planned and I'm off to see the dealer - dealership, that is. Or more accurately, drop my ailing car off at the service department. To my surprise, they are still open and not that busy. I give the guy my keys and he pulls my car in and we proceed to "Fill Out The Paperwork" - a ritual that I really dread. He tries to make some small talk and I politely respond - but really I had planned on dropping the keys in a slot with a note and going to dinner, so he's on borrowed time as it is. Nice enough guy - right up until the point where he says its going to be $100 just to run a diagnostic on my car.

Wanker.

Well, good luck, buddy. 'Cause Monroe couldn't even get the socket to work to make a connection. You're going to have to earn that $100.

And if they can't figure out what it is...well, I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Then I'll set fire to the bridge and storm the castle. And then I'll go get my swords.

Oh, and they are also going to cover a couple of recall issues that I've been neglecting. Well, one I've been neglecting since it didn't refer to "a screaming fireball of painful death and massive destruction" - which is my criteria for having someone waste my time while pretending to do me a favor. The other notice I hadn't heard about yet.

They aren't going to charge me for those, fortunatly.

It was a busy day yesterday and today looks to be about the same. I hope I don't get stuck here late again as I've got stuff to do this evening.

That's it for me - back to work...

the drums

I was in the student union today to drop off a disk and get some lunch when I heard the sound of drums. Loud drums. Hurt your ears kinda loud drums. There was a parade going through the student union as a group of guys in full tribal robes pounded on their drums as they marched through the building. It was almost painfully loud.

Now, while I applude the way they embraced their culture and the skill at which they played - I have to wonder if they realized that these drums are traditionally play Outside?

I have no idea why they did it or what they were all about, but it was loud. Very very loud.

Back to work...

car issues, parking permit, quiet weekend

So, I'm heading out to visit one of my friends on Friday and my check engine light comes on. So, I pull over into a nearby park and pop the hood. Which is foolish, since if it's not shooting out flames I'm not going to know what to do with it. I'm not a car guy.

No fire, but the light is still on. I drive directly back home and notice that the car is running just a little bit hot. Not much, not in the red zone, but just a little hotter than usual.

I took it over to a Monroe service station and they told me that they could look at it first thing Saturday morning - so I left it there and walked home. They said it would be $50 just to look at it. And somehow I knew:

a) They won't be able to figure out what the problem is and
b) They'll still charge me.

Well, I was half right. They couldn't get their diagnostic computer to make a connection - they suspected a bad socket or something. But, when I went to pick it up, they just handed me the keys and didn't charge me. Which was nice - though it would have been nicer if they had been able to actually fix it. They suggested that I take it to a dealership.

I took the car home, checked the phonebook and called the two dealerships listed to work on Chevys. The service area of the first one was closed and wouldn't be open until Monday morning and the second took all my info and gave me an appointment - for tuesday morning.

Gee, good thing it's not important or anything.

So, I drove it to work today - windows down and heat turned up - and again it got slightly hotter than it usually does. And of course I hit every single freaking red light on the way here.

I'm got tranportation lined up to leave the car at the dealership tonight and I'm really hoping it's something simple and cheap.

Because the cost of my parking permit just got taken out of my most recent paycheck. But wait, Anthony, don't you work there? Yes I do. And you have to pay to park on campus? Yep.
Isn't that wrong? Well, I think so. Do you kinda wish you could charge the parking office for helping with their web pages. A little, yes.

So, my finances are a little tighter than usual. Great. And I was planning on getting my Halloween supplies soon. Looks like I'm going to have to wait a bit.

Otherwise, a quiet weekend. I worked on my stained glass and a couple other little projects. Did some reading and played video games and watched movies.

I'm hoping the week is quiet - the boss is out of town at a conference and I've got plenty to keep me busy.

Well, that's it for now. Back to work...

broken mirror, solder, and a rough week

Just about to wrap up the week, so I thought I'd take a few and drop a quick post.

1. I broke a mirror last week. It was the mirror I use to help put my contacts in (not that I really need it, but it's part of my "putting in my contacts ritual" - i.e. force of habit). A little square mirror and I dropped it on the vanity around the sink. It really bothered me, not because of the whole 7 years bad luck thing, but because I don't break things. I'm always really careful with the stuff no matter what I'm doing, but the mirror slipped out of my fingers and broke. Weird.

2. The soldering went well last night, but I decided not finish it since I was getting tired and was already up too late. In any case, once I get my own soldering iron, I should be able to wrap it up in no time.

3. It's been a rough week here at work - and we had some server issues today that put a few of us in panic mode until there were fixed. I'm a little drained from the incident, but since it's almost time to go home I think I can last through the last few minutes and the drive home.

Well, that's it for me - I'm outta here...

headboard and a weird dream

I worked on the headboard yesterday when I got home and got all the pieces put together. Things went pretty smoothly, though I've got one screw that my drill kept slipping in that I'll never be able to get out. Otherwise, it went just as I had hoped and I was able to attach it to my bedframe yesterday without any problems. I'll still need to take it down and do some sanding and staining, but it was a very productive afternoon. I think the project costs on this one are about $38 so far. The stain won't be too much more, so all in all it's been very cost effective compared to buying one in a store.

So, is there a footboard in my future? Not likely. The attachment point for the foot of the bed is a hook-like shape and that would take some construction beyond my ability. Plus, I tend to flail around quite a bit when I sleep and smacking into a foot board wouldn't be fun.

I had a dream last night that I was pregnant on the beach and went into labor - which apparently was a snap. I was instructed to cut the cord myself - which seemed a little much to ask of me after that ordel - but I did it anyway. Not a lot of detail in this dream, but even this little bit was weird enough to note - though it's not the first time I've dreamed about being pregnant.

Tonight's projects involve a trip to the comic store (it is wednesday after all), a trip to home depot for paint and stain, and maybe the grocery store if I have time. I want to try and do a little more stained glass before I return the soldering gun.

Well, that's it for now, time to get back to work...

lumber, solder, update from mom, and vampires

A quick stop at Home depot for wood screws and I was ready to begin my headboard project in earnst. Though, as it turns out, I didn't get to that part. Took me a while to get everything set up in the front of my apartment and just as I was ready to fire up the circular saw and cut my lumber, my neighbors cames out and started talking two doors down from me. I went back in and started my laundry, then watered my plant, but they were still there. So, I just picked up the circular saw and turned to them until I got their attention. I apolgised for the noise in advance and they said it wouldn't bother. 10 seconds later they had all gone back into their apartment. Hey, I warned them. The sawing when pretty smoothly, but I thought that the sound of one power tool in the evening would be more than enough, so I packed that project up and started on the soldering project while I still had light.

In between there, I called my mom since I hadn't been able to get a hold of her yesterday. She was happy to hear from me, but couldn't talk as they were getting ready for a wedding at the shelter where she has been volunteering. So, I told her I'd call her later and I went back to my soldering.

The new soldering iron I got worked great! I think I might actually be able to produce something worthwhile - though I had a little trouble with the outer edges. Still, not bad for my second attempt. I worked on that until it got too dark to see, then I went inside to have dinner while everything cooled off enough to put away.

Mom called me back after dinner and said that the wedding went really well - and all the "gear" (dresses, cake, tuxes, etc) had been donated. So, she was helping get stuff returned - and apparently trying to chase down the flower girls who were having too much fun.

She's doing well, but she's tired and ready to come home. I gues the scheduleing has been weird - alternatly shorthanded and then overflow. She sounded like she's in good spirits and in her element - helping people and organizing things. :)

After talking to mom, I fired up the playstation and made some progress on castlevania: Lament of Innocence. For a vampire hunting game, there really aren't many vampires so far. I would have also liked to see more selection in the weapons - but the whip will just have to do for now.

Well, I think it's going to be a busy day for me - better get to it...

travel, car, lumber, headache

Did a little traveling this weekend - went with a friend down to columbus so that he could buy a car from his brother at the dealership where he works. The dealership is about 20 minutes away from where my family lives, so after picking up the car we headed further south and visited my dad and my sister for the afternoon. Spent most of the time out on Dad's deck and enjoyed the weather and the conversations. Had to head back on Saturday since everyone had plans for Sunday, but it was still a good, if rather short, visit.

On Sunday, I headed to Home Depot to get the lumber for my headboard that I want to build. Had a little trouble with the in-store traffic. Loaded up the car (good thing I have a fold-down back seat) and headed home. I started to get a headache and some distored vision, so I took some Aleave and tried to sleep for a while. Got up, had some dinner and did a little reading before I went to bed. Didn't get anything done on the headboard, but I think thing should go smoothly this afternoon when I get home from work.

Also, a big thank you to my friend who loaned me a higher powered soldering gun. I'm going to give that a try this evening as well and if it helps, I may get one of my own.

Well, that's it for me - time to get back to work...

psychonauts

Picked up a new game recently called Psychonauts for the Playstation 2. The main character is a kid named Raz who's at a Psychic Summer camp to learn psychic powers and earn merit badges. The game play is pretty good - though alternately too easy and too difficult. The best parts are the levels when he has to go into someone's mind. He has to track down luggage (emotional baggage) and figments of imagination, do battle with mental censors, and explore terrain ranging from Lungfishoplois to a surreal Milkman conspiracy.

Raz learns levitation, pyrokinesis, and a psi-blast - and he uses little clumps of anger for ammo.

All in all, a fun and slightly addictive game. And strangely enough, it hasn't resulted in any really weird dreams.

It's been a busy week and the weekend should be fairly busy too. Lots of driving to do. I think, if I've got time on Sunday, that I'm going to get some lumber and do a little building. I've been thinking about making a headboard for my bed and I'm running out of good weather to work on it outside.

Got a meeting coming up in a few, so I'd best get back to work...

dream of school and update on mom

I had a dream last night that I was back in college - though my first class was held in an elementry school. It was an art class and the first project the teacher showed us was a bit of origami. Which would be excellent, since I've had a lot of practice in that, and as luck would furhter have it - I knew how make the model the teacher was demonstrating. Materials were passed out and disaster struck. For some reason, everyone else got normal squares of copy paper - and I got a lopsided rectangle with rough edges. And it wasn't paper, it was a weird mix of velum and a plastic foil. So, it was difficult to make a crease since it tended to unfold and it tore really easily. When everyone else was done with their perfect (and very simple) models - mine was still a hideous work in progress. Everyone was stareing at me when I woke up.

In other news...Mom has been checking in and is doing fine helping at a shelter in Florida. She's working long shifts, but she's okay.

Work has been busy this week - so I guess I'd better get back to it....