games and taxes and a horrible dream

Picked up a couple of used games recently...

Star Ocean - I pretty cool Role-playing game with some nice elements and story-line. On the downside, assigning stats is a bit of a pain and a little confusing.

And then there's the puzzle with the turtle. You've got to steer a giant turtle through an abandoned mine shaft. I've tried it dozens of times and I either end up back at the start - or I die. Somehow, not so much fun...

The other game is TombRaider:Legend. I'd been burned on the last few in this series, but I'm happy to say that Laura Croft is back and better than ever. Easy to use controls, target lock, and amazing graphics. I'm ready to take on a super-complicated puzzle and I can't wait.

In less fun news... I got a letter from the city about unpaid taxes for 2004. Which is insane since I've already taken care of this twice. So, I'm headed over there after work - wish me luck.

Over the weekend I had one of the worst zombie dreams of my life. Armies of alien zombies that moved fast and were able to learn. I lead a small band of survivors and held off them off for what felt like weeks from the night of the invasion. It was terrible. And I kept slipping back into the same dream when I managed to wake up. Feel like I should just start carrying around a sword all the time now - seems like the armies of the undead should be showing up any day now.

Hmmm...that might make the taxes thing go a little easier as well.

Anyway, back to work...

two things that made me swear

So, I had a support bracket on my muffler break. It was hanging down and though the muffler was still in place, it was only a matter of time. So I head to my local Midas shop to get the bracket replaced. Only the bracket, mind you. This will be an important factoid later.

I sit in the waiting room after handing over my keys and after taking their own sweet time, they raise the car and take a look. I've read both the newsweeks and the TV is set to sesame street. This does not bode well

The tech comes to the door and invites me into the work area - which seems odd with safetly concerns and all, but what the hell. He explains the bracket is broken - which I knew - and also pointed out that I've got the makings of a hole in the muffler. It's not there yet - but only a matter of time.

We go back to the waiting room and he sits down to tell me what all he's got - along with an estimate. I'm due for an oil change and the right rear and center lights are out. Replacing the muffler is the big one - over $250. I point to the number and tell him that I wasn't prepared to spend that much money today - can they just fix the bracket now and I can come back later for the muffler?

No, they can't. See, the manufacturer puts on a "special magic super nifty" NON-STANDARD muffler. So, no one else carries those and no one carries the brackets. Except the dealerships.

But I didn't request a special muffler - I just wanted the most ordinary one they can put on a car. Sorry, package deal.

So, to replace the bracket and keep the muffler from falling off, they need to replace the bracket, the muffler and an extra pipe that connects it to the rest of the exaust system.

The tech at least "pretended" to sympathize at my indignation - but there was nothing to be done but sign the form and hand him my debit card. I was also a little cranky at the labor costs per hour. I wish I could change people that much. Maybe there should be some kind of sliding scale. If you change $70 an hour to fix to my car - I'll charge you $70 to fix your computer. Instead of just getting cookies or something.

So, I go for a walk while they do the work and have a disappointing experience at Kaybee toys.

Finally on my way and I get home - and the phone rings. It's the red cross, telling me about a blood drive. I listen as the women, in the occasionally halted tones of someone nervous, tells me about the location and times - as well as a drawing for a new car. I make the standard vaguely interested noises and at the end - she tells me to press one to repeat the message.

It was a f*@%}^& recording! I was so pissed. 9 times out of 10 I can tell, but this time I couldn't and actually tried to have a conversation with a recording.

I got a surge of white-hot fury that even this last bastion of human contact had been stolen from me - angry enough that blanked on all the information as I hung up the phone. So, I checked the website today and it doesn't list any blood drives in my area for tomorrow - which is when I thought it was supposed to be. I think I remember the location, so I'll drive past to see if they have a sign out.

All I'm saying is that there had better be a Flash comic #2 waiting for me at the comic book store today or there's going to be hell to pay. They were sold out last week and I was promised that this weeks shipment would have one.

back to work...

bravo & origami, shoes, and work stress

I went out to eat with a friend to Bravo - which was a little difficult to plan since their reservation system is complicated and usually full. But, we got in and while I was waiting for various things to happen, I got out some paper and did a little folding. The server was deeply impressed - and thrilled that I gave the model to her. I also impressed the manager that came around - and he did origami too! So, we talked shop for a bit and shared a moment about the first squash fold we had accomplished - it was magical. :) Anyway, I impressed the crowd with a micro-crane and we went on our way. Incidentally, the food was pretty good, but I think I could have gotten the same meal at Bennegan's for less money - except for the chrispy potatoes - I'd have to go to Bob Evan's for those.

I also did a little shoe shopping over the weekend - my tennis shows go ruined by the kitty litter. Two hand scrubbings with a wire brush and a huge amount of Febreeze couldn't save them. I found some cheap tennis shoes and then some short boots for work. Kinda cool, fairly comfortable, and 80% off - can't beat that. Yeah, not really the most exciting weekend I've had.

It's been confirmed - another of my co-workers is leaving. This makes three within the last year. We spent some time last week trying to do a little knowledge transfer, but since he's our graphics guy, I'm not sure how much I'll really be able to do. I'm also going to try and organize some kind of going-away party for him - and I'm running out of time.

I guess that's it for now...back to work...

web comic started - green human figure

I'm putting my web comic online - you can get a sample here:

http://gozips.uakron.edu/~aws/comic.html

Got a few bugs to work out and a long way to go in the story - but it's a start.

Also, figured out how to make a human figure with Origami. I found a diagram in a book and it's wildly complicated. But it works and it even stands up!

http://gozips.uakron.edu/~aws/moreOrigami.html

(scroll down)

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

the flash, stage is set

I checked on-line yesterday to confirm that the latest issue of The Flash should be out and ready for me to purchase at my local comic book store. But, to my horror, my local comic book store....

was

sold

out.

I told the manager who then said, "crap, I'll try to get more in next week" - and then wrote something down. It might have been, "screw this guy, I'm ordering more superman," but I think it was just a note to remind himself to order more.

In other news, the stage is done for my web comic and I'll work on getting some photos done today at lunch time.

Not much to report, so I'll get back to work...

DVD's menus and toilet paper dispensers - website update

I was watching X-men 1 last night on DVD and I was having trouble getting the slightly lower quality branching scenes to stop playing. The menu was needlessly cryptic - but the worst bit was that it was animated. So, everytime I tried to make a change, I had to sit through some stupid and tedious animation. It's not too bad once, but even twice is annoying. Never did get it working quite right.

My internal gastrointestional clock has somehow gotten off-track and I've had to avail myself of the restroom faclities at work instead of waiting till I get home where I can read a comic or a magazine in peace. The toilet paper dispensers are now added to my "banes of existance".

1. Giant, difficult to turn rolls.
2. 1 ply paper. No, more like 1/2 ply. Or maybe .4 ply
3. Difficult to tear against the plastic teeth.
4. No shelf for a book, magazine, or newspaper.

And finally - 2 rolls? Which do we use first? That's too much pressure when I've got other things to focus on.

In other news, I converted my site to a template format. Should be vastly easier to update from here on out. Still got a few things to fix and I'm not sure I like the "sand", but I'll work on it.

http://gozips.uakron.edu/~aws/

Finally, got some bad news at work - but I can't really talk about it yet. It's messed with my mood quite a bit this afternoon.

Well, back to work...

kitty litter, new friends, apple "chips", and Saving Jane

I went to a community festival over the weekend - one of those smallish town kinda things. The day I went was after several days of the festival being rained out, so the ground was saturated. The parks department used an absorbant material to help with the water and mud - kitty litter. Unfortunatly, there's only so much that kitty litter can do - and after a while, even that got saturated and started to smell. I thought it smelled like rotten grain, and it was decided that was better that what other people thought it smelled like.

The area in front of the stage was filling up fast, so I staked out some turf in the beer area at a picnic table. I had my bottle of soda and a book with me and was settled in for the concert about 40 mintues before it started. Unfortuntaly, I made a new friend. A guy staggered over and asked what time it was. I told him, and he then sat down. Which is fine, I was more than happy to share the picnic table. He then, however, proceeded to tell me is life story. I tried to toss a couple comments out there and then go back to my book, but he kept going on. So, I put my book away and tried to listen. Why? Because people that are really drunk tend to be more than a little crazy. And Anthony's rule #1 - Don't F#@% with crazy people. I didn't want to talk to him, but I also didn't want to end up on his bad side.

Eventually, I chugged the rest of my soda, told him the time, and left with an excuse to get something to drink. When I eventually came back around to that area, I saw that he'd trapped a couple more people and manged to avoid him.

During the rounds through the carnival area while looking for some bottled water, I saw a sign for Carmel Apple Chips - which sounded pretty good to me. Now, I was thinking that this would be dried apple with some kind of carmel coating or a dipping cup of caramel. Not the case. In this instance, Apple Chips refered to Apple Slices in a small bowl filled with caramel, whipped cream, and a cherry. Totally not what I expected. It was difficult to eat since you couldn't really scoop up enough caramel to make it worthwhile. So, I just ate the apples and found some bottled water.

Finally, back at the beer tent area - I staked out a claim on some standing room and waited. I did a little folding - 'cause that's what I do - and gave away my creations to a toddler, much to the surprise and amusement of her parents.

The concert started and Saving Jane rocked. The sound could have been a little better, but it was still good. The crowd, however, didn't really get it. I was pretty much the only person jumping around and shouting, like you're supposed to do at a rock concert. Even the people who seemed interested, taking photos and the like, weren't even tapping their feet. I think the crowd was mostly people who were at the festival and noticed - "hey, look, I think there's going to be music, let's get the stroller and some chairs and go on over".

Chairs? At a rock concert? You see what I'm working with here, don't you? Anyway, the band was cool and one of my friends got to hang with them after the show, so that was cool too.

So, my shoes are still a mess, my calves hurt from jumping around, and I'm tired from not nearly enough sleep over the weekend, but I still had fun.

And now, back to work...

things that are odd

A few odd things I've noticed recently:

1. My right turn signal is now 3 times as fast as my left turn signal. No idea why.

2. My forehead is clammy. All the time - but only my forehead.

3. Chewie at the beach

He needs nair and sunblock - in that order.

later...

Update:

4. Northeast Ohio weather. It looked like it was going to rain all freaking day - and then suddenly we've got sunshine and light puffy clouds.

5. The song: "Ridin" by Chamillionaire. He uses the phrase: "Tryin to catch me ridin dirty" 50 times in his song. Does it refer to the gun in his car, the fact that it's a stolen car, or that it needs to be washed? I just don't know.

maddness

Last evening I was struck with an insanity so deep and profound as to leave an endless stain upon my very soul. I felt it coming, felt it slide about me - seeking an entrance into my vulnerable psyche. The haze of doom and bleek despair obscured my gaze and I was tricked into traveling a road I knew would only destroy me. And so, and so I did the only thing I could - I embraced the maddness and followed the siren song of horror and terror to my destination and my terrible fate.

I went to McDonald's for dinner.

Oh, I knew that the meaty fate could not continue to be cheated forever as it had been so recently. Reasonably good service, enjoyable food presented in a tidy fashion - such things are possible only with the proper alignment of the stars and planets. Some small sliver of hope - perhaps fostered by a successful visit to the post office to mail a package earlier in the day - lead me to believe that today would continue the - dare I say it? Yes, I shall - trend of quality food at the golden arches.

Sadly, it was not meant to be.

Though the restuarnt was not busy in any way, it took several minutes before the counter staff would acknowledge that I even exisited. While I waited, they engaged in a serious discussion of the new shorts that the guy had purchased and how the color scheme matched Michael Jordon's school colors. The shorts were refered to as "crispy" - and though I am fairly well versed in popular slang for a 30+ year old white guy, I was at something of a loss. The conversation moved on to how tall a person should be before they make that critial move from low top to high top shoes.

This discussion concluded, the girl called the guy by name and directed him to the counter to wait on me - clearly demarking the pecking order of the resturant.

While they had debated the fate of the universe - I had been intently studying the menu. Though I thought I had decryped the needlessly complicated menu system - I could not seem to locate the Spicy Chicken sandwich. Undaunted, I attempted to order that anyway. The guy at the register regarded me with a look I'm sure he reserved for the stupid people of the universe - then told me that they don't have that anymore.

"oh," I thought "you'll bring back the freaking McRib every two years but you can't keep something that actually tastes good on the menu?"

Aloud, I hemmed and hawwed for a moment - then decided on my standard. Two hamburgers, lettuce only and a large fry. I would have gotten a small fry, but I'm familier with their hamburger patties and knew better than to assumed that even two of them would be enough to sate me.

Getting hamburger plain + lettuce involves a lot of button pressing, but eventually he finished and took my money, then handed me change and a receipt.

Now, I may have mentioned that business was slow that night, so I was able to watch as the sandwiches were made and know they were mine since they were the only ones being fixed. From my location at the counter I could see the .... I was going to call him a cook, but he did no actual cooking. Let's just call him the Sandwich Prep Dude or SPD for short. The SPD carefully and intently focused on the task at hand with the concentration of a blind whale perfoming brain surgery on a hamster while using chopsticks. And, get this sports fans, it was under the watchful eye and assistance of his supervisor. I suspect it may have been the first sandwich he had ever made in his entire life. Perhaps, due to the strangeness of time itself in my presence, it made have been the first sandwich ever made in the history of the universe.

Once his task was completed, he launched each sandwich into a chute with enough force that, if there had not been a solid metal barrier there, they would have flown across the resturant, through a window, and from there possibly into earth orbit.

My two friends at the counter then engaged in a brief scuffle to determine who would have the honor of presenting the sandwiches to me along with the fries. The guy with the new shorts won, and he carefully folded down the top of the bag while at the same time totally ignoring once again that I existed. He placed the bag in my general vicinity without a word and wandered away - perhaps feeling the shame of handing me a bag containing what we could only hope contained food, but knowing all the while it was terrible lie.

As I exited the ... I was almost going to call it a resturant, ha! As I exited the chamber of horrors, the frier alarm went off to cap off my visit. I checked the bag to verify that my order contained 2 sandwiches and some fries and made my way home to eat.

The fries were okay - a little too salty, but still a food item and not a salt lick for woodland creatures. The first burger was bland and tasteless even by my standards and the second...

The second burger, the second burger. Halfway through this pseudo-meat unit I bit into an onion. Apparently, the SPD did need every bit of concentration and supervision that could be thrust upon him - he hadn't cleared his work surface and had mixed an onion into the lettuce.

The shock, surprise, and foul taste made me retch - I could not finish even that bite. The untainted fries went into my gullet - the rest of the burger went into the trash.

Though my hunger was mostly sated, I felt hollow inside. As with Casey and the Bat, there was no joy in mudville that day. All I wanted was a spicy chicken sandwich to burn my lips and fill my belly. Instead, I had my heart and hopes shattered upon the cold tiles of the floor of the golden arches.

I should have just fixed some ramen.

back to work...

tux fitting and a small attempt at humor

I got measured yesterday for my tux for my sister's wedding. I wasn't in the system properly since they forgot the "r" in my last name, but they eventually tracked the info down and got started. Things went pretty smoothly until they were ringing up the order and I asked if any of the cuff-links shot darts. The salesgirl was a little puzzled. I explained, "like in James Bond" - she dribbled out a nervous laugh and said, "oh no, we'd get in trouble".

Ummm...that was humor. I'm almost sure of it.

So, I concluded the transaction and got the heck out of there.

In other news...I think I left a window open at home when I left for work. And the thunder in my headsets from the Weather Channel icon on my desktop means that I'm most likely to have a damp apartment when I get home.

Back to work...

big cube, back to work, invisible fence, tux

With a little help from my boss and the use of his station wagon, I got the cube into work. We went at lunch time and when I brought the cube out of my apartment, his reaction was "whoa!" It just barely fit in the back of the wagon, in fact, we has to "force" it a litle to make it fit. The unloading went easier, though it was a little tricky to get it in the building. I put it on top of my cubicle and got back to work - that is, until the crowds started to gather. I mean, you can't really help but notice it and people wanted to talk about it. I printed out some details on the menger sponge and explained about the number of pieces of paper, showed the smaller versions and how they would fit in, and generally enjoyed myself. It was pretty cool to have worked on a project like this for as long as I did and really get to share it with people. A few people suggested I enter it in a design contest - though the one they are talking about is looking for outdoor items - and the paper really wouldn't hold up.

Last week was also me getting back to work. Mostly putting out fires and such - though I did find that my boss was overwhelmed by having to cover what I usually handle - I think it made him appreciate me even more. I don't think there's a big fat raise in my future because of that, but it was still nice to learn.

Yesterday, I took one of my long walks. I decided to go a differnt route and walked along a sidewalk next to a big yard. Then the barking started and two small dogs charged out at me. They were some kind of beagle/ dachuand mix - though I'm sure they thought they were part werewolf as well from the barking they did. While neither were a threat to anything except my shins (and that only with a running jump) they were moving pretty fast, clearly upset, and not tied down at all. The more agressive of the two slammed to a stop a couple feet from the sidewalk, then ran parallel to the sidewalk for a few feet and turned and barked some more. I realised that they were both wearing collarswith oversized objects on them and deduced it was an imvisible fence stopping them. And it worked too - they treated that "line" as a real fence - it was visible in their behavior and their movements as they paced me. Kinda lke a force field they kept bouncing off of. I got clear of them without incident, but had to go past them again on the way back. Personally, I think a sign notifying pedestrians about the fence would have been appropiate, but maybe the owners thought it would be funny to watch.

This afternoon, I'm headed to David's Bridal to get measured for my tux for my sister's wedding. I supposed I could tell them I'm getting measured for a bridemaid's dress, just to see their reaction, but I suspect they've heard that one before.

That's about it for now...later...

vacation

I spent a week in Myrtle Beach with some friends for a vacation. The drive down wasn't too bad since we broke it up with an overnight hotel stay. We finally got down to the condo and ate lunch, unpacked, got groceries and went down to the beach. Not wanting a repeat of last year, I slathered on the sunblock and was careful about too much sun.

And that was the lion-share of the week. Most of the time was spent sitting or walking on the beach or swimming in the ocean or pool. We ate out a few time - I usually had the salmon - and I had some awesome tasting salad. Though on the third trip some lady got dressing on my shirt.

While on the beach I did a lot of reading and I also wrote a comic strip. Since I don't draw very well, I'm going to use some photos of a couple of action figures. Should be pretty funny, I'll update the blog and post links as I work on it.

I got a pretty good tan and only some mild sun-burn on my feet and my back. Otherwise, I'm a-okay and ready to get back to life in Ohio. I'll post more as other stories come back to me.

That's it for now. later...