last post, new blog

I haven't blogged in a bit - but this time I actually have a reason other than "nothing going on" or "lazy".

I got "called onto the carpet" about some of my recent posts. It was suggested that I wasn't presenting people in a good light.

My first thought was... well... duh. If you do something stupid or annoying (frequently the same thing) either to me or in my presence, you're going in the blog. In a way, I was also using the blog as a bit of therapy - working through some issues and getting things off my chest. And thereby calming down a bit.

And though I stand by everything I've said in this blog over the years - maybe ranting and writing therapy isn't really doing me any good. There's been a lot of humor here as well, but the perhaps a fresh start is the way to go. A new blog, maybe more focused on the projects I do and the positive things in going on, is the better way to go. I may even try to use this for my website and will eventually move the content over from there.

I recently saw a post on another blog that talked about some WWII posters that said, "Keep Calm and Carry On" and compared it to some newer sayings of "Breathe Deep and Let Go of Things" and "Get Excited and Make Things".

I like all of those sayings - I've even printed them out and stuck them up in my cubicle - and I think that's the collective philosophy of where I want to go.

So.

Approximately Equal To is closing up shop. Join me over on my new blog: Thunder of Wade

http://thunderofwade.blogspot.com/

later...

calmed, costume, car, clear

Well, my inability to sustain a particular mood for any significant length of time seems to be serving me well - I'm already in a slightly better mood.

I've helped a few people, got out on campus for a short walk, and hey! I'm getting a free lunch today. So, not all bad.

I've still got some underlying cranky to deal with - but I'm used to that.

So.

The costume construction went very well over the weekend. I applied a new skill set and some new tools - and even the prototyping went well the first time around. I'll work on it more tonight - and I'm even documenting it as I go along. Not obsessively, but since this is new stuff for me I'll want to show off a bit.

I also got to go for another ride in my room-mate's 1970 Caddy. It's... interesting. For one thing, it's freaking huge. There's no comparing it to modern cars - the scale it entirely different. The seat belts are a little strange - they have two separate buckles that make you feel like you're getting ready to blasted into orbit. The ride... my room-mate says it's like riding on a cloud, but I would describe it more like a mostly calm lake. There is a slight bouncing motion that is akin to gentle waves. Not unpleasant, but different.

Finally, I've got a piece of transparent plastic with me today - prefolded into a traditional crane and then unfolded. I'm going to take this with me when I swim today and refold it underwater. Not for any particular reason other than that I'm pretty sure I can. The prefolding is necessary because of the material. I could easy fold a crane from paper while holding my breath - but the plastic is too difficult to crease and will need a head-start.

Okay... back to work...

awake

I had a pretty good weekend - read some books, worked on my costume, played some games, watched a movie. Last night I decided to end on a good note and put myself to bed early (8:45) so I'd be rested and ready for the week.

HA!

At midnight, my room-mate woke me up - needing to talk. A few months ago, a friend of his was on trial for the murder of his own uncle and ending up hanging himself in his jail cell before the trial ended. We've talked about this before and I've suggested a variety of ways of dealing with how this is affecting him. Apparently, it's still bothering him and he decided that it couldn't wait until this afternoon to discuss - he needed to discuss it right then.

Now, if you were to approach someone that knows me and ask - "is it a good idea to try and engage Anthony in a deep conversation at midnight - on a freaking school night after he's already been asleep for 3 hours?!" Their answer should be "no"

And my room-mate knows this - but we still had a discussion for an hour.

Finally, exhausted from covering the same ground and from generally still being tired, I tell him that I've got nothing left. No insights or deeper truths.

And then he's cranky and dismissive at me! Because I wasn't willing to help. (grrrrrr)

Strangely enough, I'm wide awake. So, I go downstairs, check my email and do a little work - then use the bath room and do a little reading. I also find out what I'm pretty sure prompted the discussion and you can bet I'll be bringing that shit up with him. It's now almost 2 am when I head back upstairs. I can hear him snoring and I resist the urge to wake him up and make him do algebra problems.

It takes me a while to fall asleep and when I do, I have a horrific nightmare. Think "The Shining" + "The Grudge" + "The Ring" + "Poltergeist".... staring Dakota Fanning.

So, this morning - surprisingly enough - I'm seriously cranky. Woe be it to anyone that pesters me today. The vampire stake is at hand and I've got a list of cleverly written insults that I'm itching to try out. I promise to try and not be mean to people today - but I make no guarantees.

For the record - the only time it's appropriate to ever wake me up in the middle of the night is if something or someone is currently on fire. And only if I'm in a position to do something about it.

Otherwise, please, just let me sleep.

Wish the people that I work with today good luck - they'll need it to deal with me.

later...

law

On my way past the student union today I saw 4 police cars parked near the building and several officers standing around. In a few moments, 2 more officers came out escorting a guy carrying a skateboard. The officers opened the back door of one of the cars and the guy got in. No cuffs, no fuss, no resistance, no commentary. Seemed a little over-kill given that it was just one very calm guy. Not sure if it was even an arrest. Weird.

We had a slightly closer encounter with the UAPD yesterday. One of the officers escorted one of my colleagues in to clean out his desk before escorting him back out. A little while later our boss called us into his office for an update. Pretty much all we know is that he won't be back and that we are not allowed to let him in the building. Everything else is pure speculation. Dunno if we'll ever get the real story on this one.

Hmmm... think I should change this to a "not-quite-a-crime" blotter?

Three more hours to go today - really really looking forward to getting out of here today. Not that I have a big weekend planned, but still...

later...

chase, lunch

On the ride back from the awesome lunch burritos - we saw a high speed car chase on Market street. A police car was following a clearly out-matched van - and was in turn followed by a number of other verticals. No idea what was going on with that, but we kept an ear out in case they looped around. Also, not sure if I've mentioned this, but I no longer have to place my order at Chipotle. As I walk up to the counter, the highly efficient and friendly staff begins to prepare my order. Without any prompting from me, they complete the burrito and I only need to give a heartfelt thank-you before paying for my food. Yeah, if someone wanted to poison me it would be pretty easy to figure out what I'm eating in advance, but there are benefits to being predictable.

Also in the news... lunch is on again, this time for Monday. We'll see how this goes - I'm hoping it doesn't get canceled again. Though I personally think that would be pretty funny and wildly ironic.

Got a meeting in a few... later...

lunch, lane

Yesterday afternoon, I got an invite for lunch today as a thank-you for helping on a project. It was going to be at the student center where I usually have lunch anyway - but at least someone else was buying. That was the plan, anyway.

Instead, I got a note in my outlook this morning that the invite to lunch was canceled. No info, no phone call. Just canceled.

Now, I would still help out as much as I can with the project without a lunch invite. And if we did have lunch, I wouldn't have been able to do more for their group. In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter much either way. But to invite someone to lunch as a thank-you and then cancel with no explanation - well, does that negate the thank-you as well? I'm not really upset about it since it meant I could do my regular swim (27 laps, thank-you-very-much) - but it was a little odd.

Speaking of odd, I ran into someone in the pool today. I was doing the backstroke and getting close to the end of the lane when I literally ran into a guy in my lane. I've seen him before and I know he's visually impaired - but it was still a surprise. Apparently for both of us - though I'm not a quiet swimmer generally speaking.

The lifeguards helped sort things out - which meant sort of kicking me out of my lane to a non-demarcated area of the pool. Which is okay, but it makes it more difficult to do the backstroke since I'm usually all over the lane. Eh, pretty much how the day has been going.

later...

phrase, lazy

On my hurried walk up to the pool for my mid-day swim (only 18 laps, I was in a hurry - as I may have mentioned) I heard the following fragment of a conversation. Spoken as clear as the day is long - and keep in mind it's Monday, the longest day of the week - I quote the phrase exactly and in its entirety:

"He pooped on Amanda"

I have no idea what that exactly that refers to. If it was a baby or a puppy, well, it's almost cute. Anything else, and well, gross. In any case, poor Amanda.

On the way back from my swim, I saw the most lazy thing I've ever seen. Even more lazy than in that Jumper movie where the guy teleports to the other side of the couch because the remote is out of reach.

I saw a person in a power wheelchair crusing down the walkway at a pretty good clip - with a person seated on the back of the chair between the handles. Now, I have no way of knowing if this second person was able to walk on their own, but I strongly suspect that they were perfectly capable of walking or even pushing the chair if it came down to it. Lazy.

Almost meeting time... back to work...

darko, game

I watched Donnie Darko and S. Darko (the sequel) over the weekend - back to back. The first was excellent, the second was pretty good - time travel, alternate universes, the end of the world, teen-age psychopathic activity - but watching them both in one day may have been a mistake. I had some seriously f*cked-up dreams this morning. Like it was personally my fault that reality was falling apart. I was never so happy to have to get up and go to work.

I played a bit more of "Folklore" for the PS3. Had to fight a big sea monster - it involved electrocuting him, cutting off his tail when he was thus stunned, and finally shooting rockets at his head and then ripping his "id" out. Oh, and cowering in a corner in between attacks. With a force-field.

Better get back to work - going to be a busy day.

later...

costume, law

I went looking for supplies yesterday for my Halloween costume and was very successful. Got a few items that I'll be able to use next year as well - if I'm careful. While I was out and about though, I had the opportunity to see several cases of "the Law in action"

In one busy and crowded store, as I was about to check out, a customer in line reported that his daughter was missing. A nearby customer reported seeing her in the children's section reading a book. So, off he went to find her while the clerks called in a very disorganized "code ADAM". There were several calls back and forth across the loud speakers before finally got her description and name - important things especially for the ones standing at the door. The father found her in short order and the code was cancelled - though a few people were still looking for her until they too got the update. Good that they had a plan - but it wasn't well executed.

On the way home, I saw two cars pulled over. Not that unusual in itself, but maybe a little odd for the location and the time of day.

Went out to Burger King for dinner and saw a police office's car - with lights going - almost, but not entirely blocking the entrance. The car in front of me edged on past him and I did the same. When I got my car parked I turned and saw that the officer had a teen-aged guy up against a minivan with all the doors open. The officer quickly frisked the guy and then marched him around to the back of the police car. There was a guy in another mini-van talking animatedly on his phone. He didn't have any food in there that I could see and I'm guessing he was part of the "incident". I went in, got my food, and left.

Very early this morning, I woke up to hear what sounded like dog barking in the house. I half thought it was somehow the neighbors dog had gotten out of there place and into ours. When I investigated it turned out that my room-mate was awake and had been blowing his nose.

Yes, it sounded like dogs barking. He reported that he heard a gunshot and that was what woke him up. I'm inclined to believe that he was dreaming, but we do have some wooded areas near the apartment and some neighbors - if the local walmart can be used as an indicator - that are not very refined.

I'll concede that not all the events was directly related to law enforcement - but they could be connected without much effort. I'll wrap up this post with one more not-quite-connected thing - tomorrow we relaunch the School of Law's website. Coincidence? Ummm...yeah, most likely.

later...

paddle

There were only two lanes open in the pool today - the rest of the pool was taken up by a kayak class. There were quite a few out there paddling around and it occurred to me that the phrase, "Up the creek without a paddle" isn't really accurate. If you're up the creek - that is, upstream from your starting point, you can at least drift back with the help of the current even if you don't have a paddle. However, if you're down the creek, well, the problem is only going to get worse as you get further and further away from where you started with no way of controlling or reversing your movement.

Just something that occurred to me.

nerd

I've crossed a line recently, falling from the safe haven of geek-dom to full blown nerd. Not physically, I don't have tape on my glasses or a pocket protector. But my mental state is on shaky ground. Evidence...

1. Getting ready to leave the Chipotle parking lot yesterday, I started my car only to have it fail. The steering wheel locked up, some - but not all - of the warning lights came on, and the car wouldn't go. I was still in the space so I quickly turned off the car, then started it again. It behaved normally from then on. I referred to this later as "rebooting" my car.

2. We were discussing "under construction" webpage and how much we don't like them. We compared them to newspapers with blank pages, or movies with missing sections. One of my co-workers said it was like going to see Up! in 3-d only to find that the movie was actually Hannah Montana. I said it was like the movie was "redirected"

3. Finally, my car has recently crossed the 100,000 mile mark and I've been noticing and noting every time the number are binary - and how I'll be sad when 111,112 comes around and it will never be binary again.

I'm considering professional help.

later...

lunch, swim, fraud, shirt, game

We had a celebration luncheon yesterday for a project that I was only marginally involved in and which really isn't done - but the food was good and the dessert was excellent. So, my swim was a bit disrupted and I couldn't go until after work. I got in 30 laps and felt pretty strong, so that was okay.

I've been running a couple of online elections here on campus and we had a small incident of attempted voter fraud. I found it and reported it - ironically, I don't think it was enough to have made a difference in the elections. I dunno what the consequences will be for the parties involved, but it should be interesting.

Catalog season appears to be in full swing and I've gotten a few in the mail recently. One had a t-shirt that said:

"Non sequiturs are like Bicycles. They don't bathe."

FYI - ("Non sequitur" is Latin for "it does not follow.") And no, I didn't know that, but I was pretty close to the correct meaning when I've had the rare occasion to use the phrase in the past.

I fired up the playstation again last night and played some Little Big Planet. There are certain parts of the game that can only be solved by two players and though I've got a second controller and a room-mate that promised to play, I was on my own last night. So, with a little care, I was able to play as two characters and get a few more items. I felt pretty clever to have been able to pull that off - and a little sad that I was on my own. I suppose I could connect online and find someone that way on the playstation network -but most people I've encountered in online games were idiots.

I was supposed to go to a football game this evening, but my FRM's mom called and canceled. She's got bronchitis and decided against going. Which means she doesn't need a driver - letting me off the hook as well.

So, I've got a few errands to run after work - then it's a hopefully relaxing evening at home with a strong cup of tea and a good book. I might even try meditating a bit.

later...

growl

My morning has turned cranky. I'm not going to go into details cause it's all work related, but when my work phone rang and I noted the caller-ID, I let out a quiet and deep growl as I reached for it.

Before my hand could touch the phone, it stopped ringing. No voicemail, no nothing - it just stopped.

Out of fear.

And that, friends, is how it's done. I'm already in a better mood.

later...

computer, party, movies, costume

I helped my room-mate buy a new computer this weekend. I had suggested a desktop - since he needs it for work and almost never travels - but he had his eye on a laptop. A very shiny one. I finally gave up and shifted my function from "real practical advice" to "explanation of terminology"

The set up went fairly well - though I was surprised to find there wasn't any office products on there. Just a 60-day trial and then purchase. So, I set him up with Open Office. He had one eye on the football game while I was explaining it to him, so we'll see how that goes.

I went to a party over the weekend - my boss's wife and sister both turned 50 so there was a combined party for them. The food was good, the music was good but way too loud, and the only people I knew there were those that I worked with. I stayed for a bit, did quite a bit of folding, then headed out.

Watched a couple of movies over the weekend - Midnight Movie and The Unborn. Maybe I've seen too many movies, but these were both pretty predictable. There were a couple of "jump out at you" moments, but pretty tame.

I picked up a few more elements for my costume this weekend - still got quite a bit of work to do.

Guess that's it for now - later...

nerd, movie, melt, game

I had a bunch of files to move from my work computer to my home computer yesterday and it was really too much for email. And too much for the flash drive I usually use. Then I remembered that I had another flash drive - an officially licensed Star Trek flash drive wristband that I'd gotten for 5 dollars and 2 box tops from some cereal. And it had nearly a gig of free space. Sweet! So, I loaded it up, put it on, and wore it home. Well, I wore it to target first while I ran some errands. I got my data transfered and was able to work from home. Ummm... yea? Anyway, the fact that I was finally able to make use of my star trek flash drive wristband was a moment of pure nerd-vana for me. It was great.

I started watching Wolverine last night on DVD. I think it started a little slow - sort of - but despite some issues I had with the characters, it was pretty good. I didn't get to watch all of it - my room-mate was having it out on the phone with his sister while sitting out in the garage in his car. I tried to help him get settled down after that - it was very nearly a melt down - and by then it was too late to keep watching the show. I'll pick it up again today after work.

I'm also going to get back into the gaming mode. I've been avoiding the playstation 3 and the Wii for the past month to prove a point and that time has now passed. I've been a bit more productive, I guess, but not that much.

Work has been more crazy than usual these past few days. I'm not going to go into it, but I'll be glad when the week is done. My swim is going to be disrupted today - I'll have to go later this afternoon.

Guess that's it for now... later...

mood, clay, push, dream, chipotle

I'm in a much better mood today- and I'm sure everyone around me is happy about that as well. I did some work on a couple of projects last evening - including trying to make a TRON version of Gumby out of polymer clay. It didn't work out very well, but it was fun to try and I learned from my mistakes.

I'm also working on a project involving ash and rust - both of which are taking longer to acquire than I expected. The ash is currently coming from incense sticks - and is really too potent to be used indoors. The rust is from a piece of metal that I found, but it's not breaking down as quickly as I wanted it to. I may burn some paper - maybe even some damaged origami - for more ash. And apparently my room-mate's "new" antique car has some underside rust issues that may contribute. Eventually, when I acquire enough, I'm going to mix the items with a diluted glue/water combo and use them to paint on a small canvas.

Watched the movie Push last night. It was okay as far as the acting went, but really good in the "telekinetic ass-kicking" fights.

I had a disturbing nightmare this morning about a sub-basement where "something horrible" dwelled. Even after I woke up, I kept trying to get back into the dream to confront what was down there - which is odd since I know better. If there's potentially something evil in the basement - don't freaking go down there!

Just got back from Chipotle - the burrito was awesome. As to be expected.

back to work...

beams

People that drive at night are jerks. I know that's a sweeping statement - so maybe it's just people that drive near me at night that are jerks.

1. Xenon headlights. Thank you. I'm legally blind now. Why do you need headlights like that? Did you lose a contact lens while on the highway last time and now you're looking for it at 75 miles an hour - hoping that the magical headlights will make it twinkle on the pavement so you can slam on the brakes and pick it up? Jerks.

2. Trucks. Great, you've got a big-ass truck that could drive over a school bus. How awesome for you. Are you aware that the ground clearance also elevates your headlights? And that when you drive behind my normal, human sized, car - you flood the interior with enough light to make the dessert at noon look like the bottom of the freaking ocean? Thanks. I'm blind again. It would be even more awesome if you could please tailgate me for the next 50 miles. Jerks.

3. High breams. Take this quick quiz: "Am I using my high beams when:"

a). There's a car directly in front of me?

b). There's a car coming towards me?

c). There's a car anywhere near me?

If you answered yes to any of those questions, congratulations! You're a jerk. And I'm blind. Again.

I had this a lot on the drive back on Sunday. And as the winter months approach, my morning commute is darker and darker.

In other news... my default mood the past couple days has switched to "irritable". It's usually "slightly annoyed", so, a bit of a downgrade on that. Not sure what's going on and I'm hoping I get over it.

Back to work... later...

sign, shirts

Funny thing I forgot to mention about the trip. When we were going to lunch in Peoria we kept seeing signs for a Crash Inspection Area. We wondered if crashes were brought to the area, if there was an unusually high number of crashes, or if it was about alien crashes. It seemed close to the river, so it might have been something with the coast guard. But I also saw a sign that seemed to indicate car crashes. We were in a hurry and didn't check it in more detail.

Other news... two funny t-shirts from a catalog:

What would Yoda do? Your Ass, KICK IT he would!

I like poetry, long walks on the beach, and poking dead things with a stick.

later...

trip - Sunday and summary

Sunday morning we met up with my parents again for a quick visit with grandma. As before, she had some difficulty with conversations and kept falling asleep. We were outside a bit, but she got cold and we brought her back in to the dining room. We were just in time for the 'special guests' - a couple of miniature horses that visit every Sunday morning. Grandma didn't remember seeing them before, but apparently she had told the guy that her grand-daughter would love them. My sister wasn't the person she had been talking about, but went along with it. Right up until the horse sneezed on her. And there were chunks. She got it cleaned up and we headed into a lounge area to sit for a little while. Grandma drank some green tea that my aunt had brought - which was a good sign since for a while she wasn't able to swallow. She kept dozing off though and it was time for us to leave. She told my sister that she "couldn't wait to meet that new little baby of hers" - which was really good to hear. My sister isn't due until January and isn't showing that much - so, grandma had to have remembered on her own.

We headed out and when to my cousin's again - this time everyone was home and burgers were being grilled. It was a crazy loud house-full of people, but it was a lot of fun too. We couldn't stay long since we had a long drive ahead of us - but we did get some snacks for the road.

6 and a 1/2 hours later - we were back at my sister's. I drove most of the way back and then she took over for the last leg. It was nearly 9 before I headed north and after midnight before I finally got home.

So.

1. I spent a lot of time lost - which I don't enjoy.

2. The trip didn't seem as long with my sister there - she's fun to talk to. Though apparently we have very different political views that we managed to avoid discussing.

3. The wedding was very nice and I'm glad I went.

4. Grandma is getting good care - but even the best of care doesn't seem to have brought her all the way back. It'll just take time - though it remains to see how much better she can get.

5. Dad drives slow.

I was back to work today at 7 am sharp and even got in my usually (though a little shorter) swim between my meetings. I'm very tired now and I think I may hit the sack pretty soon after dinner.

trip - Saturday afternoon and evening

Saturday afternoon was the wedding so after a quick trip to my aunt and uncle's to get ready, we headed to the church. We got there early and did our best to stay out of the way of the photography. My cousin looked beautiful and happy - though maybe a little dazed. I saw a bunch of relatives that I don't normally get to see. Oh, and with my green shirt and my sister's blue dress and scarf - I decided that we looked like algae.

The wedding was nice - and the pastor clearly knew them and spoke to them. Everything went smoothly - although a copy of the marriage license got lost for a bit. It was an autumn themed wedding, so, we threw leaves on the couple as they left the church.

We went back to my aunt and uncle's to relax for a bit before heading out again to the reception. We had the printed directions, but were following out parents with their GPS. They went the wrong way and we stuck to the directions. :)

We sat with my dad's cousin and his family - and got to see his daughter's baby twins and her husband. The twins were a riot - and were really packing away the snacks and then a lot of the dinner when it was served. I had the chicken.

There was a lot of dancing going on, but we mostly hung out and got caught up. My parents left early and my sister and I stayed a bit longer before heading out as well. We took my 14 year old cousin back - he'd already gotten in trouble for having champagne and decided to cut his losses.

It was late when we got back and we all crashed again. The long drive Friday and the long day on Saturday really caught up with me.

trip - Saturday morning

On Saturday, my sister fixed shredded wheats for breakfast. Turns out I'm not much of a fan. From there, we headed out to meet up with my parents and go to visit my grandma in her nursing home. I think we were a little nervous as to what condition we'd find her in. Grandma was in her room and needed help getting into her chair. She looked and acted better than we had expected but not as good as we could have hoped. We wheeled her out to the courtyard and talked to her for a bit. She could follow some of the conversations, but had trouble starting her own. Mom and Dad helped her get up an walk a little bit - and that hit my sister and I pretty hard that she was struggling so much and that she tired out so easily. We brought her chair back over to her and helped her back inside. It was getting close to lunch time at that point so we took her to the dining room. We gave grandma a hug before we left and she said to me "You look so much like Wade" - we laughed a little at that, but it was still disconcerting.

The place was nice enough, I guess, but it was disturbing to see so many of the residents that were so far gone. I think we were all a little troubled by what we saw in grandma, but she's getting good care and my aunt and uncle are on the ball with her care.

Also, apparently, Mom had ticked off one of the other residents. The lady kept wandering up and down the halls and when she got to us she told us that we were assholes and she hoped we would all die. So, yeah, that was fun.

From there we headed out to lunch so that grandma could get her lunch before splitting up to get ready for the wedding.

trip - Friday

I took Friday off to go to Illinois for my cousin's wedding. My sister had to work a half-day, so I was going to meet up with her at her house at 12:30 and we'd go from there. I had directions and did pretty well - until I missed a critical turn. I ended up way far out of my way and had to back track. I was looking for a South street and found the North version instead. It quickly turned into a dead end - and I've never been so happy to fail since it meant that a quick turn around would finally put me on the right track.

I finally got to my sister's house and we had a quick lunch before heading out. She did the first part of the drive and then we switched off after going through Indy. We had a good trip for the most part and the drive - though long - went pretty quickly. One funny bit was when I took over the driving. We were in the Wendy's parking lot and I had trouble with the non-standard gear shift. In finally got it into drive and my sister said - "yeah, except that you should start with reverse".

I drove the rest of the way and when we got there we were going to stay with the sister of the bride. I got lost several times in the sub-division where she lived and when we got there she wasn't home. We called her and when she called back she suggested we stay with her parents - so, we headed there and made ourselves at home. When they got back, I gave my aunt the flowers I'd made for her and we hung out for a bit before we all crashed since it would be a long day on Saturday. The bed they had for me was too short, but any port in the storm...

deadline, swim, SMEF, debate

We've got a project here at work with a launch deadline of Monday - and the folks supplying the information didn't get anything to us until yesterday afternoon. I'm going to be out of the office on Friday, so things got pretty rough. I worked from home last night to get caught up with what they did send and I've got more to do today. We won't be at 100% by Monday, but we'll be at least ready to launch. Makes me cranky - but not much I can do about it.

I had a good swim yesterday. I usually mix up the strokes - 3 crawl, 3 back, 3 breast, repeat. But this time I kept going with the crawl and did 18 laps of that in a row. Then I switched to back for 3 and breast for 3 more - finishing up with 3 crawl to give me 3/4 of a mile. The crawl is my weak stroke, I still don't have the breathing right and it wears me out. So, that many in a row was a big deal for me.

I nearly had a Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure moment last night - a moment where, if my concentration had lagged, I might have ceased to exist. I was taking an early shower, trying to get rid of a headache and I just got so weary with reality that I almost fell out of this dimension. Those usually hit me when I'm walking across campus to a meeting - it was a little unusual to have one strike when I'm actually trying to relax.

My room-mate and I have been having a series of debates recently. On his side - Christianity and extraterrestrials. On mine - beginning Buddhism and decades of reading about science fiction and fact. We were doing okay until he started to question my explanation of wormholes. It got a little ugly at that point until I got out the silly putty and made a model of the functionality. I guess my take on extraterrestrials is that I believe that they may be out there and may have the advanced technology to travel the vast reaches of space. But if all they are doing when they get here is mutilating cattle and probing people - well, what's the point?

Well, time for me to get back to work. later...

fold, walk, metal, 9, appreciate, driving

I worked on a couple of projects this weekend, both origami. A few years ago, I made a shadow box with a multi-layer set of Mette rings - in orange and yellow with a blue background - that looked like the sun. I gave this to my grandmother for christmas and she really liked it. About a year ago, my aunt asked if I would make one for her and I said I would - but I was a bit hesitant about it since I don't like to duplicate gifts like that. Plus, not long after she asked, my grandmother moved in with her and my uncle and took the sun shadow box with her. I figured that would be the end of it, but then I saw some sun flower scrapbook paper and figured that the sunflowers, done in the same style of origami, would be an excellent replacement. I cut down the paper so I could fit 4 of them in the shadow box - since she has 4 kids - and finished it up this morning. Photos to follow.

My cousin is getting married next weekend and though I've already purchased the gifts from the registry and wrapped them, I wanted to do a little more. So, I glued some white paper to foil - to match the wrapping paper - and folded a bunch of snowbell flowers. Again, photos to follow.

Yesterday, I lay out in the sun for a bit while I worked on the paper flowers, then took myself for a walk. I walked down to a nearby forested park and hiked the trails for a bit. On path took me near the lake and I sat there for a few minutes and wrote a tweet - in Haiku format, of course.

On my way, I picked up a piece of rusty metal. I'm thinking about doing a painting-type project with rust and ash. I've already been gathering the ash from a few sticks on incense - which I'm burning outside since it's too strong in the apartment. The neighbors haven't complained - I guess it's no worse than the occasional smell of pot that comes from down the street on a quiet summer night.

Finally, I went to see the movie "9" with some friends on Friday night. Good flick, a lot of depth to it. The ending was ever so slightly cheesy, but they meant well and that counts. It actually reminded me a bit of the Matrix movies in a way. I'd like to try and build my own little number "9" but I'm having difficulty finding good pictures.

Oh, almost forgot. I helped with the student appreciation day last week. We gave out a great honking pile of t-shirts in no time at all. It helped that we had a system - one guy would scan their card and then they would step over to me and tell me their size. I would turn and repeat the size to the three guys in the back - if they hadn't heard -and they would hand me a shirt that I would then hand to the student along with a food coupon. My boss was in charge of the large shirts at one point and I had to call for a large twice before he responded. I then joked with him - "Dude, you've got one job!' - and he laughed and said, "I know! Sorry!"

Well, it'll be a short work week - thankfully - but I'll have a lot of driving to do. 3 hours to my sister's, then 7 hours to Illinois on Friday. Wedding on Saturday, then 7 hours back to my sister's and three hours back home on Sunday. And I've got a football game to go to on Tuesday - busy week over all.

Speaking of football - the Zips won in their brand new stadium. Go ZIPS!

later...

namor, weekend

After a really rough morning on Friday, I turned it around with a swim. The pool was configured with the lanes "longways" - twice as long as I'm used to doing - but I stuck it out and did a mile. Three crawl, three backstroke, three breaststroke - then repeat. When I got done, I still felt great - like I could just keep going. But I had a meeting and I needed to get back.

Still, it was awesome.

The weekend has been something of a dud so far. Not really much going on - though I did watch a couple of cool episodes of Dexter. I finished up typing a story I wrote longhand a couple years ago and I'm heading into "edit mode". I've also done a great honking pile of reading. So, not a total waste, but not the top of excitement either.

I'm thinking about a trip to Panara Bread for dinner this evening and maybe over to target for the next season of Dexter. I'm also thinking about putting on some good music and just doing some more writing. Sometimes a story captures me when I read it - sometimes I get captured by writing it.

I've also been working on my Halloween costume - with not much to show for it yet. I'd better get a move on.

later...

stress

By the end of today, I will have had 11 meetings this week. It's also the second week of classes, which is a busy time anyway. Throw in family and room-mate stress, shake well, and I have turned into one really agitated dude. So, I took myself for a walk yesterday to try and calm down and clear my head. I also got a chipotle burrito - which helped a little. But the bugs started to bother me, my knee started to hurt, and I began to run out of daylight.

I got home, took a shower, and did some reading. The cool breeze through the open window did as much good for me as anything else and I finally settled down. It wasn't to last and I was keyed up again before I went to bed, but I'm grateful that I can put myself to sleep even under trying circumstances.

So, three day weekend coming up. If the weather is good, I'm going to try and get some sunshine. If not, well, I'll clean the basement. I think I need to be really relaxed and disconnected - or really thoroughly occupied.

Oh, and the height of irony? I'd like to start some kind of zen meditation - but I'm worried that I don't have the right set up, that my left knee won't be able to handle the position, and that I haven't found the right mantra.

Ack! Okay, enough of that. Back to work...

game

I went to a football game of 6-7 year olds for my FRM's youngest son. He was there, along with his wife (and her parents) and their new daughter. Also there was his former girlfriend, her mom and brother. And his older sons - and the oldest's wife and son. And then his grandmother and me. The game itself wasn't great to watch - very disorganized flag football - but seeing the whole extended crew together again was good.

I didn't get home under after 7:00 and then ate a quick dinner and did a bunch of reading for most of the evening.

May be headed for a movie this evening after work - we'll see how that goes.

later...

drive, swell, sing, drive

I drove down to my parents for the weekend - it took the usual time to make the drive, and as usual, it felt like forever. My dad's hand had swelled up as the result of an infection. He was on some antibiotics and some meds for the pain and was somewhat subdued for his birthday weekend.

We did get out on Saturday and went pretty much all over the region trying to buy some gifts for my cousin's wedding. We also stopped at a 1/2 priced books and I of course went right for the papercrafts section. And was followed by a woman with headphones on - singing some kind of gospel music. Very loudly. I was determined not to react or be driven out - because that level of volume is either insanely rude or asking for a confrontation. She left first, but kept singing around the store at a lower volume before she finally left.

I spent the rest of the weekend with them, mostly just hanging out and watching movies. I brought my old Playstation 2 with me to donate to their pastor's adopted son from the Ukraine - we dropped it off to him so he could arrange to have it shipped back to the orphanage where he used to live.

On Sunday, I drove back. Again, it took pretty much forever to make the drive. Last night, I dreamed that I was a substitute art teacher for an elementary school. Once I finally found the room, it turned into the nicest dream I've had in a long time.

That's about it... back to a busy week at work. later...

cookie

My fortune cookie had no fortune today. It was empty.

Discuss.

(and no, I didn't eat it by mistake)

lost, meetings, website

This is the first week of classes and there are always a few freshmen that get lost on campus. I always try to help when asked, but this year I got stopped by a guy that was "looking for the place where he could enroll for fall semester". This, on the first day of classes for the fall semester. So, I gave him directions to the admissions building and wished him luck. He was going to need it.

I've got 4 meetings today. Count 'em - 4. That ain't right. I think I need another note from my mom.

Finally, I made a few updates to my website. No real big changes, just a little re-org and some minor design tweaks. http://gozips.uakron.edu/~aws/

grandma, song

I got some good news about my grandmother yesterday - she had a colonoscopy that tracked the location of a secondary infection - which they were able to treat successfully within 24 hours. She talking again and more coherent. So, they're going forward with a feeding tube in her stomach and from there she'll head to a nursing home for rehab on her leg. It was a nice change from the flurry of bad news we've been getting recently.

In other news... there's a sign in a neighbors yard on my street that says "Christie Croce for Clerk of Courts" - and every time I drive past I get a Jim Croce song in my head. It's usually Don't Mess Around With Jim, but occasionally Operator pops up. I'll be glad when the election is over so I don't get this compulsion to sing in my car.

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

tea, chipotle, day

I ordered my tea properly at Starbucks today - and the staff were impressed. I didn't get a discount or anything, but I'm still pleased with myself.

In other food-based adventures - the Chipotle burrito was awesome today. As usual. And it was gigantic. Which is also awesome.

Almost done with work for today - looking forward to getting into more comfortable clothes and playing some video games.

That's about it - not much to report. later...

appointment, call

I was up early this morning to take my room-mate to the doctor's for the "real" appointment. His aunt wasn't able to take him and one of his friend's didn't get the message in time. So, a little cranky I had to take more time off of work, we headed up to the doctor's office.

We were about 30 minutes early and three other people that arrived after he did got seen before him. Finally, 45 minutes after the appointment time, he got seen. I had a book with me, so I was sort of okay, but it was irksome. Apparently, one of the technicians that was going to help him with a "bone growth stimulation device" was running late and that threw everything off.

I took my room-mate back home and went on into work. No problems with taking the time off as far as the boss is concerned, but it still troubled me a bit. I've got a reputation for not taking time off - which I guess is why the boss wasn't phased by it. Still, you know, grumble.

I talked to my sister last night, she was very upset about an email she'd gotten from my aunt about my grandmother's condition. Grandma just doesn't seem to be getting better and there's a general idea that perhaps she's giving up. My sister and I counter that maybe she needs more things to look forward to and some positive reinforcement. We're going to start sending her lots of get well cards - maybe a little smile from her Ohio grandkids will help.

Well, back to work...

commencement, doctor, swim

I attended the commencement ceremony on Saturday for one of our former student assistants. The ceremony was a little on the dull side, but it went a little quicker than I expected. They didn't use the ceremonial mace - much to my disappointment. Afterwards, pictures were taken and cookies were eaten, and presents were given. I headed out soon afterwards and got changed into much cooler clothes.

I took off work this morning to take my room-mate to the doctor for his 10 day follow up after his surgery. We were early to the doctor's office - a full day early. His appointment is actually tomorrow - but we didn't find this out until we were already at the office. His aunt will take him tomorrow, I think. Kind of a waste of time and the verdict is still out on where the confusion was - but at least I wasn't at work.

Finally, the ONAT pool reopened today. Nice wide lanes, clean, and uncrowded. And hot water in the showers afterwards. Heaven...

Well, just got a big project - better get to it.

later...

i.g.s.g.t. , word, pool

Since they don't seem to stock the Tazo Tea I like at the local starbucks, I've been getting the shaken iced tea. Apparently, I keep asking for it "wrong" and they always change the order of what I say into the Starbuck's lingo. This time, I paid attention and should be able to order "correctly" next time - and maybe save just a little of the collective brainpower of the universe.

Iced Grande Sweetened Green Tea

Please make a note of that.

Back on the job, I've been trying to unlock a Word 2003 document. And we don't have the password to go in there and make change. It's not going well - we may have to recreate the form from scratch. Annoying.

That's about it, just another day at work - though it's Friday which is cool. Oh, and the pool is still closed. Color me slightly cranky about that. Mainly because I don't like being teased and that's what they are doing with the ever changing "tentative re-open dates".

later...

tweet, shoulder, graduation, game

I finally set up my phone to send updates to twitter. I'm still using this as a haiku poetry archive so I won't get updates from other people sent to my phone - this should help me keep a handle on my charges. I'm still not using it enough to justify paying for a full texting plan.

My shoulder is still bothering me and though it hurts a little less, it's now wrapped all around my back and somehow up to my jaw on the right side. I'm not sure how to do a stretching exercise to cover all those areas.

The summer graduation for the campus is on this Saturday. I had been invited by a former student assistant to attend and she's arranging for a meet-up for her friends beforehand. The meeting place she's chosen is the only good land mark in the area - I'm guessing it will be pretty crazy there. I'm going to make a big sign to hold up and help gather the group.

I've been playing Mirror's Edge a bit recently - and I find myself lunging at the screen to try and help the character make a difficult jump. I'm glad no one watches me play video games.

Time to get back to work...

back, slow, grandma

My back and left shoulder are bothering me today - I must have slept on it weird. Reallllly didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but I had to go to work. At least it's quiet here - the boss is out today and I don't have any big projects on fire at the moment. And I think I got an extra piece of bacon on my subway sandwich today - so, that's cool.

My sister wrote a really nice post about grandma on her blog - even if she did diss me a bit about me being in a photo. :) I added a link to her site on my blog.

I thought about writing about grandma a bit and some of the good times we've had over the years, but I find myself starting to tear up - just the thought that those times may be done troubles me enough that I don't want to even think about the good times now.

I'm sure there's a pile of psychology to sort out from that run-on sentence above, but I'm going to let it go for now. I can write about the clinical issues she's going through, but really thinking about what it means really hits me.

I think I need to take a break, maybe get out of the office and get a few minutes of sunshine.

later...

better, doctor, pool

My room-mate is doing better. He's pretty mobile around the apartment but is still taking it easy. His aunt stopped over yesterday and visited for a bit. I also picked up a prescription for him - I think that helped too.

I also helped change the dressing on the incision on his neck and I gotta say - that was worse than helping him move the dead bodies the week before. The bodies were... well... they were "done". Whatever happened, they wouldn't get any worse from my actions if I made a mistake.

If I had pulled the wrong way in removing the bandages, then glue holding the wound shut might have come loose and he would have started bleeding. And bleeding from a surgical incision in ones neck is never good. I don't think direct pressure would have done much good - so, I was very nervous.

But it went well and he's on the mend. May be a few weeks before he's back to work, but his aunt and friends promised to check on him through the day just in case.

I also got some better news about my grandmother. Dad told me yesterday that they've got the feeding tube back in and that the infection is being beaten back by better nutrition and the antibiotics. She still can't swallow and will eventually need a tube in her stomach, but at least she's still fighting. I'm a bit more hopeful, but we're all still worried.

On a more humorous note, a story from the waiting room before my room-mate's surgery. I was standing there with two of his co-workers who'd stopped by to visit as well. One of the techs came in to put the monitoring wires on my room-mate - and he made it a point to introduce himself to me and shake my hand. He nodded to the other people in the room and made a comment about how he was going to be working with me later in the day.

We finally figured out that he was responding to the name tag on my shirt with my room-mate's last name on it (since I was keeping track of his stuff and the first point of contact) - and thought I was a doctor that he hadn't met yet - but was scheduled to meet that day.

Now, I wasn't even close to being dressed like a doctor and the name tag was nothing more official than a sticker - the kind that they issued to visitors all the time. So, I don't know how he got that confused, but I chose to take it as a compliment.

Finally, at least part of one of the pools may be opening on Thursday. So, I'll miss a couple of days of swimming, but not the weeks that I had expected.

Looks like I didn't miss much here at work from Friday, but still a little catching up to do.

later...

surgery, scare, waiting, news

Yesterday morning, at 4:00 am, I woke up my room-mate with difficulty and took him to the surgery center of Mercy Hospital for his back surgery. I got him checked in and fired up my PSP to play a game. Before I could really start, one of his colleagues/friends arrived to see him before the surgery and so we chatted for a bit. While my room-mate was getting prepped, we got to go back and wish him well - and a couple of his co-workers arrived too. We had a few good laughs and sent him on his way. I was by myself for a few minutes when his aunt arrived. So, she and I waited and chatted. Ironically, I had packed myself plenty of "anti-boredom" gear - paper, books, games, etc. - and didn't need any of it.

After a while the doctor came out and and said the surgery went well with no complications and that he was recovering from the surgery quickly.

My room-mate's aunt and I headed up to the room where he would be staying overnight for observation. We checked in with him and helped him order lunch - then she left for a bit and I went downstairs to McDonalds for my own lunch. I made the calls to all his siblings to keep them up to date, then headed back up and kept him company. His aunt arrived later and brought him a milkshake.

She left a little after that and I stayed around until 8:00 or so before I headed home.

At 10:00, his sister called. At 11:00, his brother called.

At 3:30 AM - the hospital called and the nurse was calm, polite as one can be at that time of the morning - and told me that he'd been moved to the cardiac floor of the hospital due to a heart scare. I wrote down the info and was fortunately tired enough to go back to sleep.

At 6:30, my room-mate called with the same info - but that he was doing much better. I got up not long after that and headed back to the hospital and his new room.

The prevailing theory was that the auto-inflating leg cuffs and drugs were the cause for alarm. The drugs would drop his heart rate as he got sleepy, and then the cuffs would inflate and startle him and wake him back up. So, no big deal - but it was scary for all involved for a while. I stayed with him through the morning, then got lunch again and did some reading in the afternoon while he waited to be released. I brought him back to the apartment and I'm looking after him this evening. Tomorrow his aunt will visit and bring him at least one meal.

While he was settling back in - I got a call from my dad. Things have gotten worse with my grandmother.

The urinary tract infection continues and she has now lost the ability to swallow. Whether this is from the infection or another mini-stroke - the damage appears to be permanent. The doctors have given her a feeding tube through her nose, but since she's already pulled that out, they need to determine a more permanent solution - in this case, a tube inserted into her stomach.

My aunt, my dad, and one of my uncles are now faced with difficult decisions. They're going to try to find a lucid time with her and see if she can decide if she wants the feeding tube. If not, or if they can't find a lucid time, they may look to the quality of life issues. Things are looking grim.

My sister called a little while later and though we tried to talk - there were a lot of silences. This is hitting us both pretty hard and I think we're both feeling very helpless. I think it's only a matter of time.

So, I'm going to make it a quiet evening and try and get some rest tonight. I'm sure to have a full day tomorrow - and then back to work on Monday.

later...

grandma, purchase, surgery

I got an update from my mom yesterday via email - Grandma is doing worse than dad's recent update suggested. She's got a urinary tract infection that caused a stage 2 renal failure. Which is scary. She's still in the hospital - but thinks she's in prison. She had to be restrained because she keeps pulling her IV out and has kicked a nurse.

I talked to my sister last night and we're really scared for her and at a loss on what we can do - if anything. So, I'm kinda bummed about that.

In other news... I've been having some issues with a recent web-order. I went to the BudK website to order a diving knife and some throwing darts. Not a big purchase or a complicated one - right around $20 - but I had trouble getting logged in. I finally had to request the password and it turned out to not be what I expected. Frustrated and slightly annoyed, I completed the order - and then realized in the confirmation email that the address was wrong - it was my previous address. Now, I'm pretty sure I've ordered stuff since I've lived at my new place so I don't know how that got there - plus, I get the catalog at my new address.

As soon as I saw the incorrect address, I sent an email to their customer support address with the correction. The next day they replied and said the package was "ready to be shipped" and I would need to request an interception - at the cost of $10.

I was a little ticked about that, but if I didn't, the package would go to the wrong place. I wrote back and gave them the go ahead. The replied again and said I would have to call and give my credit card number.

So, I call them and give my credit card number. They said they'll take care of it. In the meantime, I get a friendly note saying the item had been shipped.

I didn't hear anything for several days, so I called yesterday and asked for a status. They told me that the package had already been delivered. I asked if they had charged me the interception fee and they said someone had tried to call to say they couldn't intercept it based on the carrier. I'm guessing they called the old number.

I asked if they had any suggestions and they told me - "you should try and stop by to see if it got delivered".

Great.

So, I wrote up a note including my cell phone number and when to my old address - thinking I could leave the note in case they weren't home. The current resident was just pulling in as I arrived and I introduced myself and explained the situation. He said he hadn't gotten anything and made a show of sorts of looking on the tiny front porch. I asked if I could leave him my number and would he mind calling me if it arrived.

I left then. Could be: 1. He got the package and lied. 2. He didn't get the package and someone else picked it up. 3. BudK never shipped it and has been screwing with me.

I'll give this a few days to see if it shows and if he calls me. Then I'm going to write a note to BudK explaining my concerns and asking to be taken off their mailing list. It's unfortunate since I liked the stuff they sold and the catalogues were always fun - but this time around I really felt like their customer service didn't give a crap. And unless the new resident of my old apartment comes through - I'm out $20. Not the end of the world, but irksome.

Guess I need to find a new edged weapons supplier - or I need to learn the art of forging my own. That would be awesome.

Finally, my room-mate is going in for back surgery tomorrow - he's having some vertebra fused. I'm the driver and caller of his relatives. He's worried, but I think the very busy hours he's been working recently have helped distract him.

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

closing

I got in 30 laps today at the pool - and noticed a couple new signs. The work on the hot water pipes will extend at least until August 15th - so, cold showers will continue. Even worse, though, is that the rec center pool is closing for maintenance starting this Sunday for a month. And the natitorium pool is still closed.

We've got two pools on campus and I won't be able to swim in either of them. Even worse, I paid for a membership for the summer and though there's been talk about extending that because of the hot water issue - I doubt it will cover not being able to use the pool. I'm less concerned about a refund or an extended membership - I just want to swim.

Cranky.

day, grandma

The vending machine suggested that I have a nice day and I guess I have.

No meetings today.

I got in my swim - 3/4 mile

Had a Pretzel-Dog for lunch

I've gotten a few projects done here at work, but it's been pretty quiet. Got a bit of a headache, but that's almost par for the course.

Ack! I just made a golf analogy. Gotta watch that.

In other news... Dad called over the weekend to tell me that Grandma had another stroke. It wasn't a bad one, as far as these things go, but she'll be in the hospital and then rehab for a bit while she tries to regain mobility in her right leg.

They've got her on blood-thinners, but can't increase the dose too much or it will cause other issues. So, kind of a scary/sad time.

Almost time for me to head out of here. The headache is getting slightly worse from staring at the computer screen and I'll be glad to exit the building and get some natural lighting.

drug, help, shoes

There was a comment on my blog - from someone I don't think I know - that talked about my ambien post. I think it was meant as a "if you take it properly under a physician's care then it's totally safe". Ummm... that's not what the post was about, people. This was my personal experience with someone else taking it and how it totally sucked for everyone involved. Thanks for the comment, though.

I'm currently at the funeral home where my room-mate works. He's not been feeling well recently and with the 4 new calls he's had to take in the past 12 hours, I offered to come with him and help in some capacity. This was essentially going to be me keeping an ear out and signing for a casket delivery - which I did. And then he asked if I could... help move a body. A pre-embalmed body.

Oh, nelly!

So, we glove up and head back to the embalming room. The dude to be moved was heavy and my help really was needed. We used some sheets to help pull him into position and then transfer him to a cot for viewing. After the family saw the guy (they were having him cremated later) - we transferred him again to the cremation box. My room-mate does this sort of thing all the time, but I'm a computer geek. I'm not used to that sort of thing, but we got though it.

Surprisingly, I was still hungry for lunch. I got us a couple of sandwiches at Arby's and we ate in the selection room. Which was a little creepy too. I went to run some errands while he did some embalming - since there's not a dang thing I can do to help with that part.

One of my errands was to buy some new shoes. I went to Famous footwear first and they were too expensive. I next when to DSW - and they were too expensive and had no selection. I gave up and went to Target and got a great pair of shoes for $9.99 - 'cause I'm awesome.

I think the rest of the afternoon will be spent playing games and waiting for him to finish up. I'm in the front office of the "house of fun" for the time being - unless I'm called on to move another body. :)

Later...

speed, algae, car

On Friday at the pool, I decided to vary my stoke a bit while doing the crawl. I usually do a circular motion with my arms - which I know is not the way to do it - and this time I tried getting my hands to enter the water at an angle. A sort of stabbing motion into the water instead of slapping the surface and pulling through.

Hmmm... that actually sounded kinda violent. Anyway, it worked really well. I was able to go much faster and had to breath less. I was still fighting the vortex on the return trip so I didn't set any records, but it was still an improvement.

My co-worker needed a starbucks break in the afternoon - so I went along as well. They were out of the regular tea I like so I decided to try the Green Machine flavor of Naked Juice. The list of ingredients are:

Apple juice, Mango Puree, Pineapple Juice, Banana puree, Kiwi puree, Spirulina, Natural flavor, Chlorella (I thought that said cholera when I first looked at it), Broccoli, Spinach, Barley grass, wheat grass, parsley, ginger root, blue green algae, and odorless garlic.

I haven't mutated since I drank it yesterday. Which is kind of a bummer. It tasted okay, but it was a little pricey for the quantity.

I got my car fixed yesterday - more than I wanted to spend, but at least they were quick. (muffler and tailpipe were rusted through).

that's it for now... later

watchtower, site, repair

I stopped for fuel a few days ago on my way into work. I was just finishing up pumping the gas when a woman pulled around around my car to park at a somewhat strange angle near another pump. She got and approached me with a booklet in her hand.

"Would you be interested in reading...?" she started to ask and I saw it was a copy of watchtower and I began my polite but firm:

"No thank you..." and she had already turned and was headed back to her van.

I guess we both already had our lines memorized. She was gone moments later. I don't think she even talked to anyone else there - and I'm not even sure she got fuel. Maybe she had a quota?

In other news, I added a minor update to my website about my swimming - with a few photos of me at the ocean. No links on the main page yet, but you can get there here:

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

Finally, I'm taking my car into the shop this afternoon. The muffler sounds bad and although I don't think anything is going to fall off yet - there was a pile of rust under my car so I'm guessing it's only a matter of time.

This week has been busy, but productive. I've got a few projects to work on today before the weekend kicks in.

later...

(I just did a spell check on the page - and for what may be the first time, no spelling or typing errors. Hoorey!)

ambien

My room-mate has trouble sleeping after the long drive back. So, he decided to take an Ambien.

Now, I don't know if you've heard about the side effects of this stuff - but it is seriously dangerous.

from wikipedia

He took a dose last night and fell asleep in the tub. I managed to wake him up about 1:20 AM since I had to use the bathroom and it took me a while to convince him that he was actually in the tub and needed to get out of the tub, get dressed, and go to bed.

Then things got weird. He didn't recognize me, had no sense of balance, and was increasingly irrational. At one point he tried to choke me, but his lack of balance worked in my favor and I fought him off with a body slam into the closet door. I tried to keep him from going downstairs - afraid that he would fall - but his paranioa kicked in and he fought me on that as well. I gave up and helped him downstairs and then back up - with him fighting me most of the way. I finally got him settled and went to bed myself - with a sword at my side and a locked door. At this point, I didn't realize he'd taken anything and figured he's just gone insane.

This morning, I woke him up at 11:45 and asked him to explain what had happened. He had no memory of anything that had happened after he got in the tub after taking the now admitted ambien. I detailed everything that had happened and he apologized. I also made him throw out the ambien.

So, welcome back from your vacation - right into a drug fueled nightmare.

To the "Committee for the Most Understanding Roommate award" - don't bother with a plaque, just send cash.

I forgot to ask him if he slept well - I sure didn't.

beach trip - summary

I did a lot of swimming on this trip - more than I've done in the past. I think the total was around 14 miles - not too shabby. Someone asked me what I thought about out in the ocean and the answer is - not much. I mostly just paid attention to the stokes I was using and my breathing and trying to time the waves.

I did a lot of reading - I think I got through 7 books while I was there. Spent a lot of time in the sun and got a kick-ass tan. No burn this year, I was careful.

I wore my square-cut speedos while I was swimming and while I was working on my tan. I was a little self-conscious, but only a little. The swimming over the years has paid off and I felt okay about how I looked. I've swum in the ocean in board shorts and it does make a difference.

In the evenings, I played a bit of PSP and enjoyed the games I brought.

Overall - I did very little on my vacation. As it should be.

beach trip - part 3

7/19/2009

Went to Trip's for dinner - the Crab Cake this time around had peppers in it. I spent the rest of the evening burping the taste and it was not pleasant. We headed to the Ripley's Aquarium - which was one part lame and one part totally awesome. The had a viewing area with a saltwater tank full of sting-rays - really amazing. There were also aquariums with jelly fish and moray eels. The best, though, was the tunnel under the aquarium that was full of fish - and sharks. Amazing to see them swim overhead. And a little scary too.

One strange note - there was a sign outside about homeland security level at "elevated". Dunno why Ripley's Aquarium would be a target. They also had a uniformed security guard taking the tickets at the door.

45 minute ocean swim

7/20/2009

I swam twice again - the regular mile and then another 22 minutes for catch up. We went back to Drunken Jack's again - this time with a bit shorter wait. The sever recognised us from our earlier visit. :)

45 minute ocean swim

22 minute ocean swim

7/21/2009

We had been told that the buoys just off the beach were part of the EPA study. So, after my regular swim and after the lifeguard was done for the day, I swam out to take a look. They were labeled "hazard area" - so, I still don't know what they were all about. It also rained again while I was swimming.

45 minute ocean swim

7/22/2009

We were planning on coming back, but instead decided to stay an extra day. I swam for about 22 minutes before my left knee and hip started to bother me. I took a break for a bit and then swam again. Also, I had two people within 10 minutes of each other shout "shark" and point near me. I don't know if they thought I was a shark or if they were trying to scare me - but it pissed me off something fierce.

22 minute ocean swim

22 minute ocean swim

7/23/2009

Return home. The drive was even longer coming back. Lots of traffic and accidents - including a pre-fab home that fell off a truck and crash on the highway. There was also a huge thunderstorm while I was driving. My room-mate was nervous, but I just kept focused on the road and we did okay. Coming back when we did will give us both a few days to recover before heading back to work.

beach trip - part 2

7/14/2009

Went to Drunken Jack's for dinner - there was an over 2 hour wait. We've been to this place before and the food - while okay - isn't really worth the wait time. But, it's tradition, so we waited.

45 minute ocean swim

7/15/2009

Took a trip to the Piggly Wiggly for food and supplies. We didn't have a "pig card" and so were denied the benefits of the "greenbacks". Whatever that means. The crew played a round of "scene it" - I was the MC and tried to keep things on track.

45 minute ocean swim

7/16/2009

I tried my first Crab Cake today - it was quite good to my surprise. I also finished up the 4th of my vampire books I brought. Hey, if all you do all day is swim and sit in the sun, the books go by pretty fast. I swam twice again today - and got called in from the water by the lifeguard. Apparently, the water I was in was too deep and I had to go to "waist deep". Let me tell you, it's tough to swim in waist deep water in the ocean.

45 minute ocean swim

45 minute ocean swim

7/17/2009

I hung out with my room-mate's niece and nephew and we threw "toy-pedoes" at each other in the pool for a couple hours. I think they wore me out. It also might have been the short swim in the ocean - the waves and the wind were so rough that I ended up about a 1/2 mile behind where I started. I cut the swim short since I was tired and didn't want to get hurt. Later that evening, my room-mate wanted to send a note to a message board he's on for people that meet up while on vacation. So, reluctantly, I set up my PSP to connect to the free Internet. He wrote up a note, I showed him how to input text - and then he realized the "novel" he'd written would take forever to enter. He re-wrote it and I put the text in. Technically speaking, this wasn't "my" Internet usage, but I still felt a little dirty.

22 minute ocean swim

7/18/2009

The rest of the crew left early in the morning, but my room-mate and I packed up to wait for the new condo to be available. (we couldn't get the same place for 2 weeks). While we were waiting, we head to Books-A-Million to restock (I was almost out of books) and when we got back we unpacked again and I hit the ocean again - this time, I had to dodge surfers.

45 minute ocean swim

beach trip - part 1

Just got back from the annual beach trip with my room-mate and his family to Surfside Beach in South Carolina. I took some notes, so... here it goes.

7/10/2009 - the drive down. Took 10 hours straight through and we stayed at the Day's Inn the first night since we couldn't get into the condo yet. I drove about 2/3 of the way and was tired and cranky when we finally arrived - and even more so with the stupid slow elevators.

7/11/2009 - I woke up in time to witness a very slow and boring car accident from the balcony. Two cars, pulling out at the same time, slowly backed into each other. There was minimal damage and no one was hurt, so it was pretty funny.

We got moved into the condo and I noted that the owners had free wireless set up. I vowed to resist the urge to set it up and connect to the 'net.

I also hit the ocean for my first swim of the trip. It's hard to gauge the distance, but I know in the pool I can do a lap in just over a minute at my normal speed. 36 laps equals a mile, so I decided that if I can do 45 minutes in the ocean, I'm pretty confident that I'm doing at least a mile. So:

45 minute ocean swim

That night, I woke up at 3:30 in the morning and snuck out to the beach to do some streaking. Hey, it was very late and no one else was around. When else am I going to do it?

7/12/2009

The EPA was conducting a survey on the beach about water quality - and with the lure of a free tote bag and a check for $25 - how could I say no? Actually, I would have done it for free, but they had a grant and a process. I hit the water twice - and was very tired out when I was done. So:

45 minute ocean swim

45 minute ocean swim

7/13/2009

The whole group when to Angelo's for dinner. Later, we played a card game called "screw your neighbor". There's some strategy and luck involved - and I managed to win $9. Yea!

Earlier in the day I hit the ocean for a swim and got rained on. I didn't stop of course - I was already wet.

45 minute ocean swim

pelham, fireworks, pillow, vibrate

I went and saw The Taking of Pelham 123 last night. It was a pretty good flick with plenty of suspense and action, but plot was a little thin and I figured it out pretty early on. Denzel and Travolta were both good - I'd give the movie a solid thumbs up. I generally like my movies with a little less realism, but it was enjoyable.

When I got home, the neighbor kids on the other side of the trees in the backyard were setting off fireworks. At 10:15 PM. Now, I know it's almost the 4th of July, but it wasn't yet there and was really annoying - especially since I was getting ready to go to sleep.

So, I got a flashlight and a substantial pocket knife (just in case there was a fireworks luvin mob of zombies over there 'cause you never know) and walked across the backyard and through the trees to the cul-de-sac. I saw the teen-ager that was setting off the fireworks and I approached him. I asked if he was about done and he asked why. I responded that I had an early day at work the tomorrow and that I lived right over there. I told him to wrap it up and save them for the 4th. I turned to walk away and he responded with "whatever" - but either he was really out of fireworks or he actually listened to me because the fireworks stopped.

So, yea me. I did feel really old with the "hey, you kids. Hold it down," - but not everyone is on summer vacation, dang-it.

I needed the help with the sleeping environment since I've switched to a new pillow. Apparently, my snoring can be heard from the street and causes a seismic event that knocks cars off the road. The new pillow apparently stops this entirely, but it very difficult to adapt too. It's been a couple of nights now and I'm having trouble falling asleep and then waking up in the night. I'm also having seriously screwed up dreams. They are too disjointed to remember, but the general impression is that I need some professional counseling.

Finally, our building is shaking ("Regan, why aren't you in your room? My bed was shaking")

They are doing construction work to put in a ramp right next to the building and the machinery is making the whole building vibrate. I think they're finally done now, but it was pretty intense for a while.

Well, got a bunch of stuff to catch up on from my two days of usability testing - better get back to it. After a trip to chipotle, of course.

later...

cake, minion, cold, testing

My room-mate's birthday was this past Sunday. He's usually at the beach with his family on vacation, so I decided to do something a little different. Since I'm not really much of a baker or a cook, I found a no-bake cheesecake mix. I also grated some Heath bars to put in the mix. The crust didn't work as well as I hoped, but it turned out pretty good - we ate some while sitting outside enjoying the weather on Sunday evening.

I also got him a DVD set for when he's stuck at home after his neck surgery. And a fake lemon tree plant and some real lemonade mix. He's been feeling a little picked on at work recently and I thought a friendly reminder on attitude might help. I didn't make any "age" jokes - I already get letters from AARP wanting me to sign up - so, I didn't want to go down that road.

In other news... I picked up the Overlord game for the PS3. I have this for the PC, but could never get it to run. It's a blast to play and really funny. I'm making good progress and really enjoying it.

Yesterday, I headed up to the rec center for my swim. And though I was pre-warned about the lack of hot water - it was still rough taking a shower afterwards. I was still damp from the pool so I soaped up first - then turned on the cold water and rinsed as fast as I could. I suppose I could have skipped the shower, but I figured a little cold in the short term was better than somewhat itchy for the rest of the day.

Finally, I'm working with the crew on some usability testing again. My roll is mostly "keep track of the tech and render the video" - so, I'm keeping up with my emails and waiting quietly.

Better get back to the email and check in... later...

flush, pool

Yesterday afternoon, I headed to the restroom here at work. It was the kind of trip that, had I been at home, I would have had a book with me. But I was at work and bookless and proceeded to do my business without any reading material. Before I sat down, however, I noted that the toilet now had an automatic flush device installed. It looked like this.

Now, I'm not generally fond of auto-flushing toilet and urinals since I either can't get them to acknowledge that I exist or I can't get them to stop.

But, my needs were urgent and I was at the mercy of the technology. When I was done, I stood up and the auto-flush device made it's usual noise - but then nothing else happened.

No flush.

I sat back down for a moment - then stood back up. I will also admit to feeling a little stupid about this. Same noise - no flush.

I check the device and notice that there was a manual button. Relieved, I tried that. Same noise, but still no flush.

I tried a couple more times with the same result.

So, now what?

I washed my hands at the sink and left - then called the building coordinator to report the problem and got his voice mail. Next, I called the Facilities dispatch office and reported it to them. The building coordinator called me back and I confirmed what I'd done.

Then I made up an out of order sign, posted that on the door to the stall, and went back to work. I mean, what else could I do?

I got the update today that it's been resolved, so I guess things are back to normal. Or as close as we can expect.

In other news... I hit the pool today and it was once again filled with screaming children. And I mean screaming. Like some kind of sonic weapon - really intense. The lifeguard cleared a lane and I did my laps. They had cleared out before I was done, so at least the last bit was more calm. On a related note, a little more digging on the Swim for Diabetes site revealed some contradictions on length vs. lap - I may have earned the ribbon after all.

Work has really sucked this afternoon. I'll be really glad to get out of here today.

later...