side effects, costume, frost

I was watching a bit of TV recently - which I've been trying to avoid until the election is over and the ads are stopped - and while I usually tune out the increasingly strident commercials in general, my attention was drawn to a new migraine medicine. It promised to offer relief - and then went on to list the dozens of potentially serious side effects. The side effects sounded terrible - and what about the poor people who helped test this stuff? I think I'd rather have a migraine.

My room-mate went in for allergy tests - the doctors thought there might be an allergy that is causing his occasional wheezing. According to the allergy clinic, he's allergic to a ton of different things. And the recommended "treatment" is 5 allergy shots every week for a year. And then five more every month for another year. He said the doctor has to be in the room when they give him the shot since it's essentially a dose of allergen and the the reaction could kill him. Potentially. The end results - after a couple years and thousands of dollars - will most likely be a lessening of the allergy. Maybe.

Sounds like the doctors and drug companies need to learn how to "help" and not hinder. Granted, hindering is more fun, but it's also kinda mean if you're serious about it.

I'm wrapping up my costume - just a couple more details to go. Also, I'm helping my room-mate with his costume again this year. It's more work, but I can make better use of the 'dry-times' by going back and forth. I'm really starting to get into the spirit of Halloween again - bought some candy last night and I think some pumpkin carving is in my near future.

Finally, I left my car out last night and this morning I had to scrape off the windshield. Winter is on the way...

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

swim, work

I swam 45 laps (1.25 miles) today. And I seemed to have gotten some kind of second wind or something because I got faster as I went along. I'm pretty tired, but it was good.

The reason for this longer swim? I had a work issue. I generally try not to talk about work in this blog because that's one of the many delightful ways to get yourself fired. So, I'm going to be very vague about this.

I had a user that I worked with on a huge project. It's been well over a year since we started it and our team has put a lot of time and effort into getting the work down. The user seemed to be right there and right on track with us - but things got delayed in an approvals process. I sent a note today to check on the progress and found that they thought the tools we were using were in adequate for what they needed. And were essentially abandoning all the work we had done.

I was really fired up by this - at the massive waste of time. And I figured I could use this to set some new records in the pool. But as the bubbles rushed past my head and the laps added up - I realized that it was a little pointless to be upset by all this.

I didn't do anything wrong in the whole project, nor did I drop the ball or hinder the user at all. In every case, I worked to make things easier and faster and offered to help at every turn. That the user decided - at something beyond the last moment - to do something entirely different, well, nothing I can do about that. I stand by the work that the team did and I think the user is missing out on a great new site and a new tool to update things. I'm also a little curious as to how they will explain that to their bosses - 'cause this was very much not the plan.

I guess that's it for now - looking forward to getting out of here and relaxing at home - and maybe working on my costume a bit.

later...

shoes, swim

I try, frequently, to not 'want' things. A casual association with material possessions seems to suit me better - and it's got a Buddhist feel to it. That's not to say that I don't purchase things that I enjoy, I just try to not get wrapped up in the ownership of them.

There are two exceptions to this - and one of those was completed this weekend. Converse shoes. I've long wanted a pair of converse shoes - just because they look so damn cool. But, every time I looked at them and looked at the prices, the sheer impracticality of spending that much money on shoes put me off. This weekend, however, I found that Target had them for $30. And in brown - which I think, as a geek, I can wear with my kaki's to work.

The other item is a truck. I think at some point in my life I should own a truck. Not really sure why - and that's a main reason I haven't bought one yet. What, exactly, does one need a truck for? Hauling stuff. And I don't do that very often. Even the times where I've purchased some lumber or something - well, the back seats of my car fold down and I can put a lot in there.

So, the impracticality of it seems to have stopped me. Along with the price, the fact I don't know how to drive a stick shift, and lack of fuel economy, size vs. parking issues, and the lessor passenger space.

In other news... I did a mile in the pool last Friday. Not a big deal, I've done that before. I think I was a little faster than usual and I felt stronger in the water than I usually do. The interesting part was how I felt after the swim. I felt... rested. Like I'd just had a really comfortable nap. A sort of "slightly groggy happy". Not what I would have expected after a long swim, but a good feeling.

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

happening, costume, true, game

I watched "the happening" last night. Mark Walberg... not a great actor. The movie was okay, but a little heavy handed at times. And the ending was a little predictable and a little flat. The effects were okay, so overall it was an okay movie.

Worked on my costume today - made some good progress. I'm helping my room-mate with his costume as well, we got some of the supplies today.

Reading a bit more of a book called "True Enough - Living in a Post Fact Society" - a study on media and information and how pretty much everything gets distorted. Very appropriate for an election time. I'm getting really tired of the ads on TV and the endless signs posted everywhere.

My video game set-up has taken a turn for the worse. The TV is no longer reliable and the picture keeps cutting out on the "more off" side of randomly on and off. And now it seems that the stereo has bought the farm as well. Not sure what my next step is here - I'm considering splurging and getting a new TV and a PS3 all at once. Not very likely for me though.

That's it for now - time for another coat of paint. later...

time, ticket

I had a dream the night before last that a time machine appeared in front of me. I opened it up and got a good look at the workings of it with my suddenly photographic memory - and then it vanished. With a little help, I managed to build one myself from memory, but I hadn't seen the wiring or how the software worked. Fortunately, a version of me from the future showed up in a working time machine and fixed the wiring for me - and loaded a copy of the software from his machine into mine before he headed back to the future. So, I now had a working time machine - built pretty much on paradox.

My room-mate is head to Columbus today after work so that he can get up early, make it to the court house on time, and fight the speeding ticket he got. He read the prepared statement to me last night and I suggested he cut about 95% of it. I think he was a bit offended by that - but what I lack in legal experience I make up for in bullshit. I am well versed in that medium and have a talent for separating it out from actual valid content. Not that I always choose to do that, but I can at least recognize it. So, I wished him luck and reminded him to go to the ATM before he left. :)

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

atomic, wedding, life

I had a dream the other night that pretty much lasted all night. Now, I know that dreams only last a few moments and our brains try to fill in the gaps to make a story, but this time I kept waking up to go to the bathroom and falling right back into the same dream.

I was working at and giving a tour of a massive research facility powered by something we called "the atomic pile". Apparently, during one of the tours I was doing, the atomic pile went critical and was about to release a radiation cloud on the ground floor and out in the surrounding area. The group I was with was -at the time - on the basement level. I tried to keep order and suggested that we head down into the sub-sub-sub-basement levels that I knew had once been designated as a fall-out shelter. The group grew as we went along until there were a hundred of us or so. As we reached the entrance to the sub-basements, about half the group split off and decided they would risk staying at the basement level. I cautioned them that we didn't know how bad the radiation would be - but they angrily refused. The rest of us headed deeper into the facility and safety. However, we didn't have enough supplies for the size of the group. So, for the next few weeks, I led what I hoped were peaceful missions to the basement level for more supplies - since that group has more than enough. Each time, though, they got more and aggressive and the radiation started to affect them mentally. Finally, it degenerated into a series of attacks and counter-attacks - with me at the lead since I was the only one that knew the access codes to the lower levels. In our last mission before I woke up, I had lead a team for supplies and we were ambushed. I had what I thought was a flare gun with me and fired it - hoping to startle the crazed basement level group. Instead, it was a gas gun and I ended up incapacitating one of my own crew.

When it was finally time to get up in the morning, I was relieved and exhausted from my night's sleep. I think it was a combination of the "Time Machine" (crazed morlocks?) - and "Lost" (with me as Dr. Jack Shepard.)

I went to a wedding over the weekend and ended up helping with much of the decorations. I was one of the few designated "tall dudes" and helped with hanging lights and tule. I did a lot of the work on this - but balked at the decorations that needed to be hung from the rafters of the lodge where the reception was being held. If there was a child up there, trapped and in danger, then I would easily brave the heights. For lights and tule? No freaking way.

The wedding itself was okay - though it was held outdoors and started almost 45 mintues late. We were sitting in the sun - fending off heatstroke and bees - and when it finally started, the minister did not make any friends in the crowd with his long winded and frankly fairly negative commentary. "through the good and bad" leaning toward the bad. I dunno what was up with that.

I helped again with moving the chairs in and dinner started pretty late since the photographer got lost. I ended up with a headache and didn't do much partying. Plus, the DJ played the same music you hear at every wedding. I mean, really, there's like a billion songs out there - something other than the "Electric slide" would have been awesome.

Finally, I hung out with my room-mate's niece and nephew for a bit this weekend. There was some family strife going on and I did my best to keep them distracted. We did a little origami and play the "Game of Life". The rules were a bit different than I remembered. For one, there were more stops on the board to do things like draw a career card and decide on family paths. One of the kids drew the "Doctor" card and it looked like he would have the clear advantage. I got the Lawyer card and did pretty well though the game. The other player - despite having a lower paying career at the start and switching jobs several times - ended up landing on a lot of the "Life" spaces - gaining a stack of Life cards for things like taking a trip or meeting famous people. When all was said and done, the Doctor came in last - his salary wasn't enough to beat my middle of the road. His sister - with her stack of life cards - won the game by a landslide once the cards were translated into a monitary value.

The doctor and the lawyer lost the game to someone who had a far more interesting life. It was interesting to me and I tried to convey that to the kids - almost a life lesson that the most money didn't always mean the most sucessful life.

I was reminded a bit of one of my co-workers - who, despite being my age almost exactly, has had this far more hugely intersting life - filled with adventure and world travel and a collection of friends that would be too implausible for even a sitcom. I think I envy that a bit. Not that my life sucks or anything, but it is far more low key. Of course, I am then reminded of Mr. Adventure in Star Trek 3 who complains to Uhura that his life as a transporter technician is far too low key - right before she pulls a phaser on him and locks him in the closet. Adventure can be fun - but not always.

Not looking forward to work tomorrow - I think I will have far more than my usual level of disasters to repair tomorrow.

that's it for now...

RF, debate, music

Well, I replaced the RF Modulator on my video game/TV set up - thinking it would fix the problem with the screen going blank while playing a game and then randomly coming back up either on it's own or after I jiggled the wires. It worked, for about a minute, before the problem returned. I tried a couple more things, then plugged the cable right from the wall into the TV. This failed - leading me to believe the TV is going bad. Then it started working - and refused to fail after that.

I have the computer set up opposite the TV and while playing a computer game I was able to watch the screen with a carefully placed reflective CD. I had the sound turned down so I didn't actually have to pay attention.

The reason? The debate was on last night. And if it wasnt' the debate, it was the endless and truly vile political commercials. I'm to the point where, unless they have authenticated footage of a candidate eating a baby, I'm really not going to be moved to change any of my political decisions. I'm amazed when I see the polls that a lot of people are still on the fence about the big election. Weird.

So, once I was done with my testing for the evening, I switched to the room with the better stereo and listened to the cable tv music stations and worked on a project. Far better than the debate.

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

sign, pants

I decided not to take down the signs for McCain/Palin for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it would defeat the purpose of a free election - that we are all entitled to our opinions and ideas and allowed to vote for whomever we choose. No matter how wrong that choice might be. Plus, the signs are essentially meaningless - I mean, does the presence of a sign in someone's yard influence another person's vote? It's the yard-based equivalent of a bumper sticker, except that most people take down the signs after the election. I still see bumper stickers for Bush/Cheney on cars all the time.

I've been listening to a song called - "I'd start a revolution if I could get up in the morning" by Aimee Allen. It's a good tune and I can relate to it - especially this morning. I overslept and woke up tired anyway. While getting dressed, I for some reason started with my shirt. After exhaustively doing up all the buttons, I looked at my pants laying on the bed and contemplated the zipper, button, and belt - and half-seriously wondered if I could skip the pants today since it seemed like far too much work. Rational thought won out - as it usually does with me - and I put on my pants.

Dunno what's up with me - but I think I could use some coffee or something...

Later...

mana, ticket

I recently bought some Mana: Magic Potions from Think Geek. Unlike the video game equivalent - these were supposed to be energy drinks. They came in cool bottles and I thought they might help with my swimming at lunch time. The website had a warning though - those with a niacin deficiency might experience a "niacin flush" - red, itchy skin for 20 minutes as a result of capillary action and a histamine response. Undaunted, I drank half the potion in one gulp.

1/2 an hour later, no effect. So, at least I'm not niacin deficient. A bit later and I finish off the potion. It smells funny and tastes like an undefined citrus that is very sour.

Still nothing. I go for my swim and notice a very very slight boost in energy - which I attribute to a placebo effect and a very very slight dizziness - which could have been caused by my lack of oatmeal that I usually have.

Nothing really bad - but not really anything good. Whatever performance boost I got was minor at best. Disappointing, but at least my skin didn't turn red.

In other news... my room-mate has been traveling for business. In one week, he's gotten not one, but two speeding tickets. He hasn't had one in ten years - partly because of his radar detector and partly because he knows the areas locally where the cops hide. He's already plead guilty to one, but plans to fight the second one based on some inconsistencies on the ticket. I've wished him luck, but I think his chances are slim. He's mostly worried about his insurance going up - and the points on his liscence. And the fines... well, I guess he's worried about the whole thing.

Got a meeting in a few. I'm still hoping for some kind of magical powers to surface, but I think it's unlikely at this point.

later...

sign, cold, tv, errands

The neighbors in the other half of the duplex put up a McCain Palin sign. Or it was put in their yard for them - I dunno which is the case. Anyway, it annoys me to the point where I'm going to sneak outside sometime this weekend and steal/destroy it. Sneak because I like this people and really don't want to get into a political debate with them. Destroy because if I have to look at that thing every time I look outside my front window from now until election day, I will lose it. I think I may have to take down the only other one on the street as well, just so it doesn't look too obvious. I've considered taking it to the Republican headquarters to see if I can trade it in for an Obama one, but I suspect the humor would be lost on them.

It was chilly last evening - I closed the windows before I went to bed last night. Looks like summer is fading...

The RF adapter for my video game tv is going bad. Meaning, in the middle of the game, the picture may just vanish. I can usually fiddle with the wires to restore it, but it's only temporary. Annoying? You bet.

I ran a bunch of errands last night - got a lot done, but didn't get home until nearly 7:00. Spent a lot of time waiting in lines...

Not much else to report... later...

fractal

I had a dream last night that I was back in high school, except that technology to exploit fractals and multi-dimensional space was commonplace. So, location was influenced by the motion used to access that space and things could be vastly larger on the inside than on the outside. So, my entire high school was in a small area of a small office building. I got in the elevator with a girl from one of my classes and we both laughed when the elevator had flip over twice to get the correct orientation to access the high school.

We were early and went to the cafeteria - which looked the size of a closet on the outside but was big enough to seat 300 on the inside. I got a small box of cereal that replenished itself from a storage area, some juice, and a cup of hot water. Rotating my wrist a certain way allowed me to pluck a tea bag from a personal storage area and we sat down. We were joined another classmate who pulled on the fractal edge of the table to stretch it out and make room. He was complaining about how he couldn't get things papers out of his notebook. I asked if it was broken or if he had forgotten the hand gestures needed access the various spaces inside.

He angrily replied he had forgotten the gestures for the correct areas and I suggested he just try all the common ones to get all the papers out, and then refile them. His vague refusal to do that then earned a shared glance from the girl and I - it was rumored at the school that he was selling drugs and that the paperwork he couldn't find was related to the sales. We then went to class.

After school, the girl offered me a ride home. On the way, we stopped to rescue a guy who had fallen in a fractal hole "filled" with water. He had managed to find an infinite supply of air so he wouldn't drown, but still needed help getting out. I invited the girl in for a snack and she was amazed at how nice the house was. The guy on the first floor in the living room was my father (though nothing like my real dad) was on some kind of holo-phone talking to someone for business and ignored us.

I mentioned that it was an older house, built not long after the fractal tech had been developed and that the builders had shown off by only making one door on the second floor. Depending on how you turned the knob, you would access different room. I explained to her that later homes had multiple doors to access the rooms since in that house, you couldn't ever leave the door open and it tended to isolate. I then told her that my parents kept forgetting how old I was and kept assuming that I had already moved out and was in college - to the point where they kept moving all my stuff in my bedroom down to the basement storage area. We shared a small laugh - but she could tell it really bothered me.

It was time for her to go so her own parents wouldn't worry and I settled in to do some homework. I woke up when I heard her car start up to leave.

Very weird, very detailed, and very consistent within it's own parameters. I was a little disappointed to wake up.

20, usb, swim

One of the staff members in my optometrist's office recommended following the 20/20/20 rule: After 20 minutes of looking at a computer screen, look 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Since I seem to be getting more headaches than usual, I have decided to give it a try with a little timer on my desktop that goes off every 20 minutes. A few things I've noticed since I started doing this:

1. Working here in the cube farm it's difficult to find anything interesting to look at 20 feet away. Even standing up, it's still damn boring. I need to put up some Hello Kitty stickers or something near the ceiling in some key areas that I can look at every 20 minutes.

2. Even though it's a short break, it still feels like the day is broken down into 20 minute chunks - which is not a bad thing. Makes the time seem to go faster.

3. The chime on the timer is not the most annoying sound I know - but it's pretty close.

In other news... I tried to help my room-mate get some new vechicle icons downloaded onto his Garmin - except the darn thing has a non-standard USB connector that the cables we have don't fit. What the hell are they doing re-inventing a USB cable? And why? So, I'm on a quest to find a cable that will work - and I'm really hoping that it won't require some kind of custom and therefore really expensive cable. Wankers.

My swim today was a good one - I tried a little freestyle (which is really draining for some reason) and a little Butterfly. I can do the arm motion okay on the butterfly, but the kick is without any power. I'm used to a surge of motion with the breaststroke kick and the kick with the butterfly does nothing for me. I must be doing it wrong.

Almost time to go home for the day. Looking forward to working on the costume and playing some video games - especially Lego Batman.

later...

soccer

I went to a UA men's soccer match yesterday. One of my co-workers had suggested it and decided not to go, but since the only soccer match I've seen before involved 5 year olds, I figured I should see how it's really done.

The match was - kinda dull. Both sides were so evenly matched that it was feint and counter-feint for most of the time. Overall, I think Akron had better technique and the other team may have been slightly faster. Or at least one of their guys was - every time he would come tearing down the field he looked like an out of control locomotive. I wouldn't have gotten in his way.

The AK Rowdies were out in full force - taunting the other teams goalie. They did this thing where they shouted out "left" and "right" whenever he took a step. It was pretty funny - but if he was paying any attention, he didn't let on.

I think I saw our student assistant at the half-time, but I wasn't sure.

While there were a few yellow cards in the first half - the second half was where they really came out. All on the other team - and then a couple of red cards as well. Looked like we were going to have a fight on our hands a couple of times, but the rest of the teams got the potential combatants separated.

It was still scoreless with a minute to go in the second half and I was debating if I would stay for the overtime - but decided that I'd been there that long, I should stick it out. Still no score at 30 seconds.

Finally, with nine seconds to go - Akron scored a goal and won the game. The crowd went wild. Pretty much made the whole evening worthwhile.

The next home game is in October - and I might go. Might be a new soccer fan in the making.

later...

500, flowers, lost

This is post #500. Which is somewhat amazing since I'm usually the quiet one without a lot to say. Apparently, I have a lot to write.

Today, while walking back from my swim, I saw a group of people working on one of the flower beds in the shape of the UA logo. They had tarps set up and were carefully working on the white flowers - spray painting them blue. UA blue - to be exact. This would be a nice contrast to the naturally occurring UA yellow flowers under the tarps. I'm hoping this was some environmentally friendly organic paint - but it didn't smell like it. It was like something out of a chuck Palahniuk novel.

I forgot to mention earlier that my room-mate bought a Garmin last night - with a little technical help from me. Ironically, it sent us the wrong direction of the first place we tried and it listed a Pizza Hut that closed a while ago. The rest of the directional requests went well and he has it talking in a crisp British accent. I think the next step will try to get it to speak Italian.

later...

sneeze, state, batman

I went to Ruby Tuesdays for dinner last night and had an excellent meal. The only downside, once again, was the sneeze shield over the salad bar. I'm 6 foot tall and my shoulders are fairly high off the ground as a result. The sneeze is set much lower than that to protect the food, which is fine, except that to reach the items in the back, I need to hunker down to almost comical levels. I got what I wanted, but it was more of an adventure than I needed. I'm not sure what the solution is though, a raised shield would let short people sneeze on the food. And that would not be good.

I've been thinking, for some reason, that the idea of state laws is a little comical. Given the proximity of states to each other and the relative homogeneity of Americans - or for that matter, human beings - having different sets of rules for people that might live only a few feet from each other seems really odd. There's nothing to be done about it - I mean, we've got people that are so state-centric that they would consider leaving the US, so me with my complete lack of state identity is likely to be ignored. But it still seems weird to me.

Finally, I picked up the Batman Lego game last night. It plays pretty much like the Star Wars and Indiana Jones versions, but it's pretty cool.

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

on campus, swim

I was headed up campus to swim recently and went past what looked like a mini-skate park set up on the tennis courts. Seemed a little odd to me - but what was odder was the sponsor of the event - the national guard. I'm sure there are skate boarders that are also in the national guard, but it doesn't seem like there would be that large of an overlap. More troubling were the two attractive girls I saw walk into the student center with cheaply made back packs with the National Guard logo on them - with the intent to give these out. I think the term for this kind of behavior is a "shill". In any case, it bothers me that the national guard is able to recruit on a college campus. I'm not entirely sure why it bothers me, but it does. Especially with the skate park and the pretty girls as recruiting tools.

Also, the College Republicans had a table set up in the student center that same day. Seemed an odd coincidence.

In other news... I've been keeping up with my swimming, though today was very tiring - more so than usual. Still got in my 30 laps, but I didn't enjoy it.

Only about an hour or so to go for the day - later...

staples, mouse

I headed to Staples last night to pick up a few things and as I walked in the door I knew something was amiss. The inner doors slowed as I walked through them and stopped so that I had to turn sideways to get in. The interior lights also went off for a moment - then came back on as someone shouted "sorry!". Some of the lights went out again, but I was still able to find what I was looking for. I went to the registers at the front and got in line - unusual for staples as they usually get people through the checkout quickly. After a few moments, it became clear there was a problem with their computers - as a guy came to the line and asked who was paying by cash or check. After a wait, I got called over to the other register where the clerk started to write down the SKU numbers so he could go and look up the prices in the store. While he was gone, I asked another clerk if they could run a credit or debit card manually. They said no and walked away. I was about to go find the clerk that was helping me to point out he was wasting his time if I couldn't use some kind of plastic - when he then came back with the prices. I asked about the plastic option again and he went to go find out the process - then discovered that the registers were working again. He rang up the purchases and I paid with my debit card and left.

Things that they did wrong:

A) no sign on the door. If they really couldn't run plastic, they should have posted a sign or made a general announcement.

B) no backup plan? It was pretty chaotic when they tried to find the prices and get people checked out.

C) poor communication between the staff members. The clerk that was helping me was out of the loop and not prepared for having the system go down.

It all worked out, but it was a near thing.

In other news... I heard about someone who uses their mouse upside down - that is, with the cord pointing towards them. And, apparently, they do this on purpose. I can only imagine the problems this would cause. How could they get anything done? How would they train themselves away from the intuitive motion of the mouse? How would they use the buttons? (poorly, as it turns out) and what the hell would they do with the touch pad of a laptop?

I mean, seriously, give it a try. I had a bad enough time when I switched the mouse to the left hand side of my keyboard as a show of support for my left-handed co-workers. It was the longest day of my computing career.

Madness.

Anyway, that's it for now. later...

blimp, parking, walk, paper

Living in Akron, the sight of the blimp is not really that big of a deal. However, just a few days ago, the blimp flew over my backyard. It executed a not very tight turn - flying very low - and then flew off again. I shouted up at them to throw down some candy or snacks - but they didn't here me. Or, since it isn't a parade float, maybe they didn't have any on board.

And working on a college campus means that talking about parking is a little pointless. In this case, after a return from lunch, I ended up parking a significant distance from the building where I work. And then realized, when I went to leave for the day, that I'd parked in a lot that I shouldn't have based on my parking permit. Fortunately, I didn't get a ticket.

Last evening I was in a bad mood - so I went for a walk to figure things out. It was pretty late and very dark - and my route was poorly lit. I was a little sensible about my gear - comfortable shoes, long pants, white shirt for visibility. And a knife - just in case. Not that the area where I walked is dangerous in that way, but you never know. Traffic was a bigger issue since sidewalks or even a level shoulder by the road were not always available. So, I got my head cleared a bit, came home, showered, and went to bed.

In the school news paper this week was a story about a guy who killed 2 of our students back in 1986 and was sentenced to be executed. However, he's too obese for the lethal ejection - they can't find his veins. His attorney is arguing that it's now cruel and unusual and he should be spared. Because he's too fat.

Now, I'm not going to debate the relative merits of a death-penalty for this case - but human beings have been finding interesting and clever ways of killing each other for thousands of years. And the needle stick is too cruel? Please. I've had some rough needle sticks giving blood and I didn't cry about it.

Anyway, that's it for now. Going to a party this evening and I've got some errands to do. The costume is coming along fine - just about ready for the next phase. I mentioned to someone recently that I was working on my costume and they remarked. "So, getting an early start?"

"Early?!" I replied, "No, I'm way behind schedule,"

Hey, I've got a reputation to uphold - and these things don't build themselves.

later...

Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure

I headed up to the student center for lunch in a bad mood - which is never an ideal state of mind to be having when facing crowds of randomly moving college students. The noise, the chaos... it was nearly overwhelming. And in the middle of all of that and with a headache forming, I had a weird sensation come over me. For just an instant, I felt as though my physical being was just barely holding onto reality. As though, if I lost just a tiny bit more focus, I would get swept away in a burst of non-reality and cease to exist.

It was disconcerting to say the least. And a firm indication that I need to get more sleep at night.

Reminds me a bit of a few quotes from Douglas Adams:

From the Long, Dark, Tea-time of the Soul: "nonlinear, catastrophic structural exasperation" and "fundamentally fed up with being where it was."

From the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Spontaneous Massive Existence Failure

That last one seems to fit best. The feeling that we've got to - at least on some level - put forth some effort to simply exist. And if we stop doing - for even the smallest of instants - we suffer a spontaneous massive existence failure.

And perhaps there's something deeper here. More psychology than physics. Can we get so lost in the chaos around us that we lose that essential element that makes us who we are? Is our grip on our own fundamental essence so tenuous? Can our "spark" flare up and go out?

I got my pizza and bottle of green tea with honey - which has, so far, failed completely in granting me any degree of calmness. I'm still cranky and now wary that my own atoms may get distracted and betray me into non-existence. It's been a strange day and I'd really like to go home...

morning, music

The big windstorm that took out power to a number of areas recently also shut down one of our satellite campuses. And since their web people were without power at home, I got tapped to be "on-call" to make updates to their website this morning. With the call coming in - potentially - between 4 and 6 am.

I woke up at 3:30 to use the bathroom and couldn't really go back to sleep all the way - anticipating a phone call. That didn't come until 6:45 - when I was told that the power was back on and no update was needed.

I'm glad I could be there to help out - but mildly cranky that I wasn't needed and my sleep got hosed for sort of nothing. Eh, at least it doesn't happen much.

I heard a new song last night on the cable music and I've been listening to it today. Amie Miriello: I Came Around Good stuff.

that's it for now. Time to get back to it.

errands, fuel, light

I ran some errands today - and I was ready for the rain. Flip-flops and a jacket with a hood. My feet got wet, but they dried much faster than if I'd been wearing shoes and socks. Not going to work in the winter-time - obviously - but while the temperature holds...

I got a lot done, even had time to drop $20 in my gas tank. And it went a lot further than if I'd waited a couple of hours - the price jumped $.20 in a couple of hours. Greedy gas companies.

This afternoon, I replaced the light fixture in my basement with one that has an outlet. This let me put in another light where I needed it. Didn't take long either - though I had to stop and knock out the extra tabs to make it fit and then had to reverse it to get the outlet on the correct side. Still, I was pleased with the result.

I'm going to spend much of tomorrow working on my costume - I think I got all the supplies I needed today. Wish me luck.

That's it for now... later.

shared lane

So, I'm in the pool today and I'm doing my laps and there's a guy getting ready to get in the lane next to mine. And by getting ready, I mean he was folding up his red-tipped white cane. He's visually impaired. Which is not a big deal in the pool - I've seen him before and while he's not fast, he does okay. Except he didn't get in the lane next to mine - he got in my lane. I realized this on my way back and just floated there, facing him for a moment while I figured out what to do. I thought I might be able to share the lane, but he does tend to wander and I didn't think I could avoid him. So, I ducked under the water and moved outside the lanes. I don't think he realized what was going on at all.

Being outside the lanes meant that, for my last lap, I decided to go diagonally across the rest of the pool. It ended up being about a lap and a half and while I felt like I was breaking some kind of rule or something, I was completely ignored.

that's about it for now... I'm glad the week is just about done. later...

on campus, doctor's office, injury, registration

I noticed on campus today that there were people handing out bibles to passersby. I politely declined to the two people standing about 10 feet away from each other. A little further on my way, I was asked if I was registered to vote. No connection between the two groups, just a little interesting that they were both on campus at the same time. (separation of church and state?)

My doctor's office has been trying to get a hold of me - they've left a couple of messages. I called them today and they said it was about my high blood pressure medicine that my wife Robin called in about. When I expressed some confusion, they figured it must have been put in the wrong chart. It's a little ironic that I've been meaning to schedule an appointment to see my doctor about my migraines, but I didn't have my calendar available and I'll need to look at my schedule before I set something up.

While I was running some errands this afternoon, I noticed a guy next to his bike in a grassy area near the road. His bike was laying on it's side and he had his arm under his head - apparently enjoying the shade on a warm day and resting. I drove on past, thinking he had the right idea. When I came back through, the area was surrounded by ambulances - the sleeping guy had apparently been injured - maybe by a hit and run - and was now being cared for by the paramedics. I felt bad - I should have stopped. But at the same time, he looked like he was sleeping in the shade next to his bike - something I might have done in that same position.

Finally, I got a notice in the that I'd been randomly selected to provide my proof of insurance. Sort of like winning a contest. Except I don't get anything, it costs me a stamp, and if I don't do it, my registration is revoked.

that's it for now - later...

fireworks, hike, donation

I went to visit my folks for the weekend to celebrate my dad's birthday and their anniversary. I got them a red coffee pot - which they've been looking for - and scored major points. We played some dominoes and hung out a bit. On Sunday afternoon we headed out and went to Jungle Jim's - a sort of international food mart. In this one store you can buy wasabi crackers, a pig's head, and every kind of kitchen appliance you could imagine. I found an ice cream scoop that will work great for ice cream cones.

From there, we headed further south to Cincinati for the Riverfest fireworks show. We faced closed roads, distant parking, confused GPS, and 50 degree angle concrete seating. While a bit uncomfortable, the view was pretty good and the fireworks show was excellent. When it was over, we stood up - along with 20,000 other people - and headed for the cars. The group managed to stay together somehow and we made it out of there without too much trouble. It was a long drive home though.

On Monday, my parents and I - along with their dog - headed to Slate Run park for a bit of hiking. We didn't go to far since the dog was getting tired, but still had a good trip.

I headed back Monday afternoon and was back at work today - and I didn't enjoy it. Really crazy day. I left a bit early so I could go give blood - which went very smoothly except that the needle site kept bleeding. The tech finally got it under control and I went to Border's - then Chic-fil-et.

It's been a pretty quiet evening around here and I'm looking forward to an early bedtime. The weekend has caught up with me and the blood donation has made me tired.

That's it for me... later.

in line, game, lunch

I was going a little stir crazy last night after a difficult day at work, so, I headed out to target to pick up a few things - nothing critical, just something to get me out of the apartment for a few. As I was getting ready to check out, I discovered something of a truth:

"There's no such thing as a good line"

As I stood there, patiently waiting my turn, I watched several people attempt to jockey for position. In every case, they ended up in no better position than before.

It's the human element. Unless you are first in line and actually at the register, there's a significant chance that a human will do something to disrupt the flow of the system. Check writing with a non functional pen or missing ID. Spills. Forgotten items or price disputes.

In my opinion, the best way through these is to just pick a line and wait it out.

Now, while I believe there is no such thing as a good line - I've convinced there is such a thing as a bad line.

And yesterday, I was in one.

The woman in front of me had an "aroma". And while I could avoid looking at the mass of flesh on the backs of her upper arms after the initial glance, I could not "un-smell" her. She was trying to make small talk with the cashier while being passive aggressive with the bagger about how he was loading her cart incorrectly - something about the heavy items being actually in the cart as opposed to balanced in the child seat area so that she wouldn't have to lift it out.

I waited quietly. She had to purchase a gift card as well and was chatting with the cashier about how good the orange flavored chocolate was that she was buying.

And then, the problem. She put in the wrong pin number. Completely flustered and helpless she became. It was, clearly, the very end of the world. The cashier had to lean over and walk her through the steps to undo her mistake - all the while she went on and on about how she used the pin from another card.

She looked at me for support, as though expecting I would chime in about a similar incident in my life where I too had entered the wrong pin number.

Instead, I looked through her, then through her very soul and on out the other side. Utterly dismissing her very existence. Because there was no way I was going to get dragged into her life in any way, shape or form.

Pin number correctly entered, she collected her receipt with something akin to reluctance. As she carefully folded it and worked her way through her purse for the correct location to place it, I realized that she was upset that her performance was ending so soon and that the audience - namely me - did not appreciate the show.

When she finally cleared the way and headed for the exit, I moved into position and placed my items on the belt - rotating them so that bar codes were easily accessible. Card swipe, pin entered, receipt gathered, bags collected and out the door. Moments later I was passing her in the parking lot.

Is there a deeper lesson to be learned here? Not really, except that people annoy me. I think even the Buddha would have sworn under his breath.

In other news... I'm still playing through Okami on the second time around. Kicking some butt and finding new areas. I'm going to try and get all of the ultimate weapons this time around.

Finally, I'm a little dressed up today. The team is having a luncheon with the UA president and the boss has asked us to wear the shirts we got for a division-wide award. So, we're all going to be dressed alike and, perhaps, all looking like complete tools. Should be fun - at least lunch is free.

back to work... later...

visit, day one, keyboard

My sister and brother-in-law stopped by for a quick visit and some snacks on their way back from a camping trip. They couldn't stay long, but it was still nice they stopped. I'll see them again this coming weekend.

Today is the first day of classes for the fall. I expect campus will be very busy - I got here early to secure a parking space and I also brought my lunch. It'll settle down soon.

I got a new keyboard over the weekend. It only cost me $10 and it's flexible! I couldn't pass it up.
I'm using it now and it takes a little getting used to. Expect more typos than usual.

I've got a student coming in for an interview in a few minutes - guess I'd better get ready for that.

later...

migraine

It started when I when to the kitchen at work to fix my cup of pre-swim oatmeal.
(note, I've learned from experience that it's not wise to try and chug hot oatmeal)
I had a weird sort of dizziness - like I was going to have an out-of-body experience or something. It wasn't enough to impair my movements - but it was quite weird. I ate my oatmeal and hoped it would pass.

Not long after I got back to my desk - the visual distortion began. Apparently, some people refer to this as an aura - but I've read far too many new-agey books to call it that. To me, an aura should be a series of colors of energy surrounding a person that tell you what they are feeling. I've never been able to see those. What I experience when a migraine is coming on is a visual distortion. Can't really describe it any other way.

I took an ibuprofen - and crossed my fingers. The distortion got worse and then the light sensitivity kicked in, followed shortly by the headache. It started to quickly ramp up and I held out hope that the ibuprofen would kick in and put an end to it. At a suggestion from a friend, I tried a bottle of Pepsi - thinking that the jolt of caffeinee would help since I've pretty much given up on the stuff. It tasted terrible - which was good, in a way. No falling off the wagon for me.

No luck. The next step was nausea and while I'm willing to put up with a lot of at work - nausea is not one of those things.

I wrapped up a couple of tasks - all the while, trying to shield my eyes from the light and with headphones in (no music) to try and dampen the sound. I checked in with the boss and began the drive home. I knew I could endure it, but also that I wouldn't enjoy it.

I finally got home and went to bed - earplugs in, nightmask in place. As close to sensory deprivation I could manage without a tank of salt-water.

But it wasn't enough - the nausea ramped up again and I headed for the bathroom where I tossed my oatmeal and Pepsi.

It was terrible, as it always is to throw up. But it was also a relief. I knew that when this wave passed it would take the nausea with it. And, eventually, I'd be able to sleep and that would take the headache.

But first, I had to stop throwing up. I did that by simply emptying the contents of my stomach. Unfortuantly, the force I employed in doing that caused some damage to my throat and I somehow managed to get some bile up my nose - which, I can tell you, is not pleasant.

So - mouthwash, water, and blowing my nose - then ready to go back to bed and sleep this off.

And it did - mostly. I slept for a few hours and woke up feeling a bit better. Which, is an indication of how much I was hurting - I generally don't nap well. The headache was still lurking - that the best way to describe it. Waiting in my head to strike again. I was careful the rest of the day - keeping my computer time to a minimum and avoiding bright lights and loud noises. I was fearful of coughs and sneezes - any sudden move would cause a flare of pain in my head.

A quiet evening and I went to bed early and slept through the night. This morning - the headache tried to come back. I was up early, but ended up going back to bed for a while. Not sure if I really slept, though I must have based on the time that passed.

I took things easy today and the headache - while still lurking - didn't stop me from running some errands and enjoying a bit of sunshine this afternoon.

So - what have we learned here?

1. The respite I had from these migraines has passed. I've had a few near misses and this has been the first full blown one in a while.

2. I need to head back to the doctor to get my prescription re-filled.

3. I apparently am now having pre-aura auras - the out-of-body feeling seemed like a signal.

4. Throwing up hurts - but it seems like it's also helping again.

5. I hate being sick.

grill, sleep

I don't know how to speak or read Spanish. But, I think I still would have been better off using the Spanish version of the instructions when I put the grill together last night. Or perhaps I should have thrown out the instructions entirely and just winged it. Took me about an hour and a half to do - might have taken half that time if I hadn't had to undo and redo several steps. Finally got it done and we fired it up for the "heat-clean" 15 minutes last evening. It looks good and it's sturdy - I just wish the instructions were clearer.

The cooler evenings have created a slight problem for me - it's too cool to sleep with just a sheet, but not cool enough to sleep with a comforter. After lying in bed for a while, trying to get comfortable, I hit on a solution. So, I headed down to my car and got a fleece blanket out of my trunk. This is part of the emergency kit that my mom put together for me for Christmas one year - but I've gotten other fleece blankets and have keep adding them to my trunk for lack of something better to do with them. So, this extra one was just right weight to keep me just warm enough. I discovered that it wasn't quite long enough - so the next night I added a second fleece to the mix to keep me covered. I slept pretty well last night once I got things configured. Once it gets cold enough, I'll put the fleeces back in the trunk and switch to the comforter.

busy day today - better get back to it.

bucket, grill, game

I had a dream last night that I was in home depot and bought an orange bucket. Unlike the regular orange buckets, this one had wheels and I thought it would they would be useful to repurpose to make a scooter. On closer examination, I realized the bucket was really heavy duty and the wheels were independently swiveling and all terrain. So, instead of making taking the wheels off to use as a scooter, I decided to use it as is - a skateboard bucket. The bucket was wide enough to put both feet in and low enough that I could step in and out.

This all apparently took place in Miami, Florida and I headed out into the streets of the city in my bucket. A few kids in skateboards mocked me, then shut up in astonishment when I skimmed through standing water and then took it off-roading across the grass - not losing any speed with either maneuver. If I pressed my feet against the inside of the bucket I could "hang on" and used this technique to pull off some really impressive stunts.

But I got lost. So, I crusied around town for a bit in my bucket, finally stopping at a senior citizen's complex. A friend of mine was there with her mother - both looking older than they currently are. My friend showed me her report card - she was finally finishing up her degreee and as I went to leave, an old woman slapped me on the ass. My friend said not to be offended since that woman wasn't really 'with it' and tended to smack all men on the ass. In a disturbing twist, I was surpised to see it was my own great-grandmother - looking a little crazed, but remarkably spry for someone that passed away a number of years ago.

I headed out - still in my bucket - and went into the office where I worked. One of my current co-workers - who enjoys roller-blading - was really impressed with my skills and fired up ebay to see if he could find out there. He left the room - and his ebay account open - before I could tell him I bought it home depot. When he got back, I joked that he had just bought a bunch of vintage comics on his account and he laughed so loud that the boss made us get back to work. So, I got out of my bucket, settled into my desk and got to work.

And then I woke up and got ready to really go to work.

The home deport bit was ironic - since in reality I went to Lowe's last night. The grill my room-mate brought from his old place was on it's last legs, so we went to Lowe's figuring that based on the season - we could get a good deal. We did and took it back to the apartment - but it was too late to put together last night. I'll work on it this evening, I think.

I beat the game Okami night before last and started the replay mode last evening. It's essentially starting the game over, except you have all the items you finished the game with. So, I walked into what would have been a serious battle the first time around, pulled out a huge-ass sword, and destroyed all the enemies in about 6 seconds. Kinda took a little of the fun out of things fairly quickly. I plowed through big chunks of the game, but the magic wasn't really there. Maybe a break from this and then a fresh start.

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

body, kitty, band, tv, writing

I helped my room-mate a little on Sunday at his job. Not a big deal, perhaps, but he works at a funeral home. There was a "customer" that needed his attention and he needed a little help with the removal and repositioning of some absorbent padding. I asked if I needed to "glove up" and he said yes - I figured I'd be right in the mix of things. Instead, he did the work and I held the plastic bag for the used padding. A bit of a letdown, actually. Still, I did my part and helped a bit. I didn't save the gloves as a souvenir.

While out driving over the weekend, I saw a woman on a motorcycle with a pink leather jacket and a giant stuffed Hello Kitty strapped to the seat behind her. It was freaky.

I was out on campus today and while walking from one area to another I came across two marching band practices on different fields. I despise walking past a marching because - despite never having been in one - I always feel the almost compulsive urge to match my steps to the beat of the drums. I end up looking like a) a complete mindless tool or b) a complete spazz stumbling at every step to try and not match the rhythm.

The TV was on today at the pool - a giant screen normally used during swimming matches but this time set up to show the Olympics. I was busy with the whole swimming/not drowning thing and didn't see much. It wasn't swimming, which is good since I would have felt really outclassed. And I was already feeling that from the girl in the next lane that swam like a freaking dolphin. And that was before she put on the flippers and started hydro-planing.

I've started transcribing my written beach story into a text file. It'll take me a long time, I think, and longer still to do the editing. In a way, it doesn't really matter. I wrote the story because it was one I wanted to tell. If I get it done and others enjoy it - so much the better. But it's mostly for me.

later...

map, dream

I was just about to go to bed last night when my room-mate approached me with something akin to panic. A couple of weeks ago, I had helped him with a show field map for a car show he's involved with. In the past, we've done this using powerpoint and it was relatively easy for him to modify this once I set it up. This time around, we didn't have access to Powerpoint and I used a scanned image of an old event program and modified it using Fireworks. It's a pretty good program, but there's a learning curve.

Well, he got some additional updates last night that he should have gotten days ago. The clock was ticking and he needed to send the changed map via email last night. He asked if I could show him how to make the changes, but I shook my head and told him it would take far longer that way.

So, I sat down at the computer and he refered to his notes and we made the updates. Despite the troubles we had with the file (even getting the dang thing to save properly was a chore) we got things updated and I finally went to bed. I don't know if he got the email out or not - I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Which surprised me a bit - I was putting forth quite a lot of brain-power on the file updates - figured I would have trouble settling down.

But that only lasted a while. I had a terrible nightmare that woke me up and scared the crap out of me.

I dreamed that I was being hunted through a dark neighborhood by a blood-thirsty serial killer. Seemed like I was running forever, but he finally cornered me and pulled out a wicked looking knife. Somehow, I managed to get the knife away from him and I used it against him. As his lifeless body fell to the ground, a bunch of my friends ran up to me and told me that his family was coming home and that I needed to get out of there. In the dream, I was shocked that such a lunatic would have a family, that he would have spent all that time hunting me when his family was due to arrive home - and that I had just killed somebody's dad and husband and left his body on their front yard. I started running again when I saw the headlights of a mini-van start down the street toward the house - the bloody knife still in my hand.

I woke up then, in a panic that I was now a fugitive and they would think that I was the killer. I finally got myself calmed down and went back to sleep.

Still a little out of it this morning, but I'm here at work and it's time to get back to it.
later...

projects, motorcycle, game

Although I played a lot of video games this weekend, I still managed to find some time to do a couple of projects.

The first involved building stands for the tiki torches in the backyard. Apparently, they were knocked down while we were gone and the tiki fuel spilled out and killed the grass. As designated "builder of shit", my room-mate tasked me with coming up with a solution. I opted for building a small crossbar wooden base with a vertical piece to wire the tiki torch to it - then putting the whole thing in a plastic flower pot and filling it with gravel. I did this for three of them, but didn't have quite enough gravel. A "small bag" is only a few bucks - but the small is still 50 pounds. I'm guessing I'll need 10 pounds at the most - not sure what I'll do with the rest.

The second project involved afixing boards to inside walls of the garage so that we can hang things there. My room-mate had tried this at some point, but the stud-finder he was using was either not working right or he wasn't using it right. I had a more high-tech tool and with a little patience I found the studs and affixed two large boards - then added in the hooks and hung up some stuff. It was a little tricky to do by myself, but I managed.

I also wanted to put some peg boards on the back wall - but the stud-finder sensor concluded that the entire wall was a screaming grid of lethal voltage. So, I didn't drill anything into that wall. I think I know how to get the sensor to be more reliable, but I didn't really want to mess with it.

While I was working on the garage, enjoying the cool afternoon with the door open, a virtual parade of motorcycles cruised up and down the road. One after another, over and over, all afternoon. It's normally a pretty quiet neighborhood and the sound of the engines was really annoying. I considered putting up a sign out front to try and get them to stop and explain what was going on - or hopefully stop doing it. I mean, if it was some really misguided fundraiser for a sick child, I might understand - but it seemed more like a "look at me, I'm cool" kinda thing. I didn't put up the sign, thinking that if I did anger them, I might be able to hold off a couple of bikers with a sword and some attititude but they clearly had me out-numbered. I've been looking online to see if I can figure out what they were doing, but no luck so far. There's apparently some kind of Angels of Hope ride, but that seems to be for next week and it's further south. I also seem to recall something like this last year around this time. If I can figure it out, I'll see if I can suggest an alternate route. Or invest in some spike strips.

The game that occupied much of my attention was Okami and just when I thought I'd beaten it, the whole thing opened up and the adventure got even bigger. It's really cool and I'm having fun exloring the whole world in the game and kicking some serious butt.

That's it for now - back to work.

ocean swimming

While on vacation, I decided that I would ocean swim every day. In the campus pool I can do a mile in about 40 minutes or so. I figured that if I did at least 45 minutes in the ocean, that would be the equivalent of a mile.

Ocean swimming is a lot different than the pool – for one, it’s much more salty. Add in the waves, variable depth, other swimmers, potential for fish and sharks and it’s a pretty intense experience.

I usually started from the beach in front of the condo, then swam down toward the pier – but not all the way to the pier since the fishermen throw the un-needed fish parts over the side and it attracts sharks.

Though I swam the same stretch of water every day, it was always a unique experience. The currents and the tides were always changing and some days were more difficult than others. I got smacked in the face by the tides many times – but eventually found a rhythm that kept me in the clear.

I mostly swam breaststroke, but occasionally ramped it up a notch and switched to butterfly. I’m not very good at that one, but the tossing motion of the waves actually helped. It didn’t do that too long since it tired me out, but it was pretty cool for a while.

So, I figure I did about 12 miles while I was on vacation, not counting the swimming I did in the pool or the “epic fail” of the boogie board.

Not Olympic level, but not too shabby.

beach trip

I got back Thursday from a 2 week trip to Myrtle beach (Surfside) with my room-mate and his extended family. Here are some highlights from the trip:

1. Day one on the beach and two women approached us with free samples of Pringles SnackStix. We accepted a few packages and they went on their way. A few minutes later, another duo approached with more samples. Then a third group, and finally a fourth. When the 5th group came around, we politely declined. Apparently, they were poorly coordinated and didn’t realize that they were hitting the same part of the beach over and over. Or they didn’t care. In any case, we got a pile of snacks.

2. We met up with some of my room-mates somewhat distant cousins at another condo for a cookout and game night. The odds were somewhat stacked against my team as we were playing Scene It and there were limited TV/Movie/Music fans on our side. Fortunately, I do pretty well with the visual puzzles and we held our own. On the last set of questions, my room-mates 8 year old cousin came up with the answer of Jimmy Newtron before anyone else and I followed up with another cartoon based answer – Princess Monokoe. The rest of the group was stunned when they answer came up on the screen. Thank you, somewhat obscure anime.

3. On a separate occasion, we played Scatagories and for the question of “Things you Replace” I suggested Needles. Which seemed quite responsible and clever. For “Things You Shout”, I used - for different rounds – Kneel before Zod! and Spoon! That being the command of Superman’s enemy in Superman 2 and the battle cry of the Tick, respectively. I was denied both times.

4. In the past, I’ve gotten pretty well burned on these trips. This time, thanks to liberal applications of SPF 30 and 45, my pale geek flesh was only moderately tanned.

5. I bought and tried a boogie board. The only way to describe my experience on that is “Epic Fail”

6. I watched a lot of “shark week” on tv in the evenings and a special on the History Channel on corn.

7. While out to dinner one evening, I split an order of calamari, black olives, and cheese. It was disturbing to look at, but quite good.

8. On the last night we were there, there was a massive lightning storm out to sea. It seemed like the lightning kept hitting the same general area with huge strikes and in many cases, the lighting would branch out in cloud to cloud strikes. Really amazing.

9. While we were down in the area, we also went to see Brookgreen Gardens. It has a bunch of really impressive outdoor sculptures and a sprawling garden – really neat to see. They also had a sort of outdoor zoo – my favorite animals were the huge spiders near the horse barn, the three otters in their own creek, and a giant alligator that moved just enough to show us he was the boss.

10. I didn’t do as much reading as I thought I would, but I did a lot of writing on the beach. I worked mainly on a short story – but I’ll need to type it up so that other people can read it.

I also did a lot of swimming – but I’ll go over that in another post. It was a good trip, but it’s also good to be home.

all-star, head, paint, paint again, swim

On Saturday, I went to my FRM's son's baseball game - and it was the All-Stars. So, we saw some pretty good - and still pretty funny - baseball. The game started very early, but it was still pretty hot out. We also had some wankers going the whole passive-aggressive route when we sat on the bleachers and apparently blocked their view of home plate (they were sitting off to the side). I heard everything they were saying, but wasn't going to move until they grew up and asked politely. They finally did, and I moved a bit. My FRM's mom was overheating and I brought an umbrella for her - but apparently that was in the way as well so we had to put it down. She finally had to move since it was too hot for her.

We went to lunch after the game and I did some running around with some errands. Had a pretty productive day for a weekend and of course, I had to pay for that. That evening, while watching a movie, I got another migraine. Haven't had one for a while and apparently I was overdue. I took some asprin and went to bed early. I still had the remnants on Sunday, but I was perked up enough to finish up a little project - using glass paint on a light bulb.

I'd purchased one of these at Target, but the wattage was too low for what we needed, so I painted my own bulb and finally finished it on Sunday. Looks pretty cool - even better than the store bought one. I also tried a variation on the painting technique based on accident - trying to go for something that looked like jupiter or something. Didn't work as I intended, but I may try again. I was also feeling well enough to watch most of the Shining - still a dang good movie.

Also played a bit mroe Okami - and using the celestial paintbrush in the game to reshape the world. Pretty sweet game.

Then this morning the headache - or a new one of the same flavor came back. I got it stopped with some potent asprine before it went full-blown - but it lingered all day. I swam at lunch time and that helped a bit - but then the sunshine was bright enough to make it worse. It got a little beter as the day went on. I still have it a bit and I'm still here at work - waiting on the relaunch of our website. Better go check and see how things are going - and if the pizza is here yet.

One last thing... while I was at the pool there was some kind of kids swim camp going on. I came out of the locker room in my square-cut speedos and one of the kids said - quite loudly - "that's disgusting!" I ignored him - as I do most childern unless they are directly talking to me - but was thinking to myself a line that Yoda said: "When 900 years old you become, look as good you will not."

And Yoda was a wise little dude. And besides, I do look pretty good in my suit - I've worked for it. And it's way more modest than some of the other suits I've seen guys wear there. If the kids had gone through there half an hour later, they might have been scarred for life at the old guy with the pot belly and a micro-speedo. Hell, I was shaken by the sight and I've watched a lot of horror movies.

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

fortune cookies

I made a page that lists the fortunes I've gotten from cookies - and my comments about them.

Fortune Cookies

later...

lego, chipotle, abs, motivation, traffic, importance

I'm working on a project at home that required some very specific shapes - and I had one from an old Lego set that fit the bill. Needing more, I checked out the Lego site and found I was able to order specific legos - in any quantity I wanted. It was way cool.

Finally convinced my room-mate to go to Chipotle recently. He thought the burrito was okay, but thought they put too much rice in it. I, of course, ate my burrito in it's entirety and enjoyed every morsel.

I bought an "abs ball" a while ago - essentially a weighted ball used to enhance abs strengthening exercises. It's been mocking me for a while in the living room and I haven't had the motivation to try it out yet. On Monday, I fired up the included DVD and tried it out.

I didn't really get a good workout from the ball - but I think that was because I was taking notes from the DVD as I never wanted to watch it again. The fitness dude on the dvd was a complete tool and seriously annoying to listen to. I did the exercises and took notes - I'll run though the exercises again tonight without the DVD. I saved it, though, as the DVD also has an advanced program on it too. I suspect it's the same guy. Update: I just looked at the website for this product and found they won an award for the DVD! Proof positive that people will give other people awards for everything.

Motivation - I lack it. Really tough to get and stay motivated here at work. We've got some big projects, but I'm finding it difficult to stay on track. I'm getting stuff done, but not as much as I should be.

The drive to work this morning saw me going the speed limit and slightly above. And the traffic was flying past me like I was standing still. Normally, I'm a little casual with speed limits but with the cost of gas I'm a little more careful about my speed. Plus, we were all going to work - why would someone be in a hurry to do that?

I got a few "high importance" emails today from people that were wondering what to do with the sudden increase in a particular type of spam. I've never really understood a high important flag on an email - am I suddenly going to drop everything else in favor of that one email? Not likely - especially when I get several at once. The spam had a heading about "urgent fund transfer" and one of the users actually asked if it was legitimate. Sigh.

I guess that's it for now - starting to get busy this morning. Later...

trainee

I tried to leave work a bit early yesterday, but I got delayed a few times. Managed to grab a bit of food (2 breakfast bars and a green tea) on my way to the blood drive - so I didn't have any problems with getting sick afterward. The experience was pretty good and the staff were friendly.

Only one slight downward note was the trainee that took my history. He was very nervous and when he went to take my temperature, he didn't get the plastic sleeve on the metal temperature probe. Neither of us noticed until I bit down on metal. I handed it back to him and explained the problem. He was quite freaked out and I knew it was a simple accident.

As he cleaned off the probe, the supervisor that was hovering over him said that the metal probe without the plastic would have burned my mouth. So, it was apparently a bigger deal than it seemed. The rest of the process went smoothly and he did a far better job at the finger stick than the last trainee I had. (they had used too much pressure and blood had spurted onto their lab coat - I felt bad about that, but it really wasn't my fault).

The actual donation part went very smoothly and I was out of there 45 minutes after I had walked in. No problems at all - though I am very tired this morning.

back to work before I doze off... later

side, game, dolphin

I had a meeting yesterday - and got a headache. I'm not saying that the meeting gave me the headache, but I'm strongly implying it. This one centered itself on the sign of my head, on the level with my temple on the left side, but further back. I put some pressure on the area and rubbed it - which seemed to help for a bit - but it came back a little later while I was out trading in some video games. I managed to get myself home and sat quietly for a little while, hoping it would fade out. I also took some aspirin, but it ramped up quickly and I had to lay down for a while. I got up and ate dinner, then just lay around for a while - then gave up, took a shower, and went to bed early. I guess I'm over it, but it was annoying. Especially since I just bought new games and was eager to play.

This is the second time I've gone into GameStop - and like last time, they tried to pressure me into getting a discount card. I'm normally a fan of discount cards - but not the kind you have to pay for. In those cases, I always feel pressured to buy more to justify the cost of the card - which kinda bites. The sales guy tried a several times to get me to sign up for the card - and finally pulled a bait and switch on me - which I fell for based mostly on my headache and a desire to get the heck out of there. So, now I've got a discount card that I may only use a few times a year, a magazine subscription that I'll read but wouldn't have chosen, and entry into their mailing list (great). Still, I got some cool-looking games, so that's something.

My swim yesterday was pretty average - I did 32 laps. There was a girl 2 lanes over, though, that was swimming the butterfly stroke like some kind of mer-person. She basically exploded out of the water on each stroke and then plunged back at incredible speed. I was really impressed. I don't know how fast she was, but it would have made a dolphin feel bad.

That's it for now...

tires, cookie

This morning, on the drive to work, a truck hauling a backhoe in a cart passed me on the left. Unfortunately, the back right tire of the cart wasn't up to the challenge and was disintegrating. Chunks of the tire were coming off and flipping up onto the road in front of me. I slowed down and he started to get over in front of me, then managed to get all the way off the road. There was no damage to my car, but I did have the stink of burning tires with me for a few miles.

I frequently get food at the Asian restaurant area of the student union - and when I do, I get a fortune cookie. I like these little auguries and don't read them until I'm done with my lunch and have eaten the cookie. In the past, I've gotten encouraging ones like:

"You will have a long and healthy life" or
"Obstacles can't hold you back"

Yesterday's cookie, however, had this message:

"Do not be afraid of computers. Be afraid of the lack of them."

Ummm... great? What the heck does that mean? I mean, I like computers and I'm not afraid of them - though I've seen The Terminator too many times to really trust them.

But for a fortune cookie? Weird.

At some point, I'm going to have to post all my fortunes - maybe on my web site.

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

restroom

Earlier this afternoon I headed over to the restroom near the vending machines here at work to "do what needed to be done". This is the larger of the men's restrooms in the building and boasts 2 stalls and 2 urinals. I proceeded to one of the stalls and discovered that the previous occupant was apparently not feeling well and left behind some "residue".

But, hey, two stalls. I went into the next stall and found that there was what appeared to be blood on the outside of the toilet bowl. It started at the edge of the bowl and ran down the outside in two areas.

In the men's room? Blood on the outside of a toilet bowl? I've seen this before... in a horror movie.

"what needed to be done" was not that urgent - I'm going to wait until I get home.

(shudder)

hail, driver, guilt, experiment

As I got out on the road today, the sky opened up and started to pelt my car with rain and hail. I almost typed "me" instead of "my car" but that wasn't the literal case. It had been, however, pelting the poor soul on a motorcycle before he got under the cover of an overpass. I slowed down as a I went past, thinking that excessive splashing would only add insult to his injury.

I reached my destination, accomplished the tasks I set out before me, and attempted to leave the parking lot.

Now, I don't like parking lots. Rather, I don't like the other people that use parking lots - as they usually do it wrong.

1) They park as so to take up multiple spaces. I freaking hate. Either learn to park more accurately or don't take your fancy pants car out into the world if you are that scared.

2) Lots are designed so that humans not paying attention to their world are forced directly into the lane of traffic right in front of the store.

3) People that cut across the spaces and don't pay attention.

It's that last one that really torqued me to today. I was traveling down the lane as I was supposed to and this car came screaming diagonally across the spaces - headed right for where my car was going to be. Since I'm not an idiot, I slowed down to a stop and so did the other car. The driver stuck her hand out the car window and I expected that she was doing so to wave me on or perhaps flick away the cigarette ash.

Instead, she flipped me off - then put the accelerator to the floor and took off in front of me - still going diagonally across the lot. Since she was still diagonal, she decided that the stop sign didn't quite apply to her so she ran that as well.

Ironically, I caught up with her at the next stop light. She was one car up and one car over - putting me ironically diagonally from her car. She didn't notice me - or if she did she chose not to acknowledge me. In any case, I thought some unpleasant things about her and considering myself lucky I both saw her in time to stop and that I don't have a baseball bat in my car since I would mostly now be in jail.

Speaking of guilt - there are two things I am guilty of, and they are both internet memes. Now, I am normally disdainful of overly hyped things. Example: I still haven't seen Titanic nor do I care to. So, appreciating anything that is defined as hype should be impossible for me, but there are two memes that I really enjoy.

1. LOLcats. I know, I know. It's terrible. These damn things just crack me up. I mean, there's some really stupid shit here, but there are a few gems in there that sometimes make me LOL. The best I've seen so far is a cat in a box, looking up at the camera. The caption says, "I'm in your Quantum box. Maybe." That's funny on several levels.

2. "Do not want" and "All your base are belong to us". The first is a mistranslation of the ending Darth Vader shout of "Nooooo!" from Star Wars episode 4. The other is another mistranslation - this time from a video game. I really like how they have taken on a life far beyond their orginal forms. Also, the "Do not want" has a decidely Zen quality to it which I'm just really starting to appreciate.

Finally, I tried an experiment today. Over the weekend, I tried something called Cashew Crush - which was a really excellent snack except that I got seriously congested and spent the rest of the afternoon sneezing. I ended up having to take an allergy pill to get it settled down - and I really don't like to take any kind of medicine until it's really serious.

Thinking that I might be developing an allergy to cashews - which would really bite since I enjoy them - I tried a bit more cashews today in the Cashew Crunch to see if I would start sneezing again. I haven't. So, that wasn't it.

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

car, steps, swim, lunch

My room-mate's lease on his car will be expiring soon and so on Saturday he decided to head to Columbus to the dealership where his brother works to return the car and lease a new one. I went along - partly for something to do on a quiet Saturday morning and partly out of relief. For the past several months there has a been an ever increasing debate for my room-mate on exactly which car to get. Make, model, features, color - over and over again. And for me, a non-car kinda guy - it was becoming seriously tedious.

We get to the dealership and I had fortunately brought a book - so I sat quietly in the lounge and tried to tune out the blaring TV. If I could have found a volume control, I would have turned it down.

With the paperwork done, we loaded back in the car, stopped at Long John Silver's for lunch, and then headed back. The car is pretty nice and has some cool features and such - though not enough cup-holders - but I was just glad that the endless debate was done. Oh, and the car comes with XM radio for 3 months free - but we found that XM radio has commercials. I can't believe that anyone would pay for radio and also pay to have commercials - thought I guess cable TV is that way. In any case, my room-mate already has Siruis and he'll be sticking with that.

In other news... the back steps out onto the patio have been starting to bow and pulling the nails up. So, I bought some treated lumber, some outdoor wood-screws and on Saturday afternoon my room-mate and I replaced the steps. We didn't do the railing or the risers, just the steps themselves. And it was a good thing too as a huge thunderstorm rolled in just as we were finishing it up. It was a successful project - no mistakes in the cuts for the wood posts, no injuries, and the steps are sturdy and level - and lined up well.

Last Friday, I was in a meeting most of the morning and then had lunch plans and so missed my window of opportunity for my mid-day swim. I had planned to go for a swim after work, but then remembered that the pool was going to be closed for a special event. So, that kinda sucked.

The good news was that my lunch plans included a former co-worker visiting - a few of us went to lunch with her at the student center and swapped some work stories and just generally had a really nice time.

I guess that's it for now. I'm not really looking forward to this week - but we'll get through it.

later...

fuel, swim, visit, hike, dinner

I usually don't fill up the gas tank in my car - usually just put in about 20 bucks or so at a time which usually lasts quite a while since I'd really drive that much. By avoiding the big fill-up, I don't worry so much about the fluctuating gas prices. This time, since I had a little traveling to do this past weekend, I filled up Thursday morning on the way to work. Grand total: $42.86 It went up that afternoon again, so at least that's something, but it was still quite a shock to see. I think there are ways to fix the gas price problem - but most of them involve getting people to not be greedy. So, not likely.

I got in 96 laps total last week - and did 36 today. Getting off to a good start on the week. I'll have to check my records to see what my per week record is.

I went and visited my parents this past weekend for Father's day. My sister and brother-in-law came over too and we watched some movies, played some dominoes, and went for a hike. My sister didn't have the right shoes so she had to borrow a too small pair from mom. A substantial blister was the result. I just had my flip flops and while they were a little uncomfortable and loud, they didn't cause me any injury. Also, we saw a small toad on the trail - so, that was cool.

We weren't sure where to go for dinner for father's day that wouldn't have huge lines - so, we went to CiCi's pizza in a nearby town. The food was pretty good, the service was okay - but some of the other customers were a little disturbing to see. Let's just say they could have benefited from more trips to the salad bar and fewer trips to the dessert area.

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

karma, 122b, party

After a mostly unproductive and still cranky afternoon on Friday, I headed to a craft store and then on to get a CD. The CD was in stock, but the craft store didn't have exactly what I wanted. After my futile search, I got on the highway to go home and suddenly found myself stuck in traffic.

It felt a little like karma - that my pointless anger had traffic based repercussions. In retrospect, I feel a little guilty about things for the rest of the drivers on the road. We were all creeping along when I heard a "pop" and looked over to the side. A guy in a suddenly not-so-nice car was trying to pull off the road with a sluggish success since the traffic was tight. There was smoke coming out of his hood and something leaking from under his car. I didn't feel karmicly upset about this one - clearly, he's been having a far worse day than I could be blamed for. He got off the road and a glance showed him to be neither surprised or really upset. I didn't go try to help him, assuming he had a cell phone.

Of course, had it be a reversed situation - I would have needed some help since I don't yet have a cell phone. Another reason, I suppose, that I should reconsider getting one. Even well intentioned people will assume that should I break down, I would be okay since I could just call on my non-existent cell phone for help.

Anyway, back to the traffic. We were still creeping along when I came upon an exit - though it was not the one I wanted. There may have been more detailed signs that I didn't notice before, but all this one said was Exit 122b. I don't know where it went, only that it was within a few miles of my home, but maybe not the direction I wanted to travel. I tend to find a route and then stick with it until there's some kind of extreme situation and I wasn't sure if stuck in traffic warranted getting lost and maybe wasting even more time trying to find an alternative way home.

A car in front of me - really mostly past the road - decided that they would give old 122b a try. They executed a tight, almost U, turn and took the exit. They rounded the curve and disappeared behind the trees. I remained in my car, with the windows rolled down and my heat turned to try and keep my engine cooler. I wondered if they knew where they were going. If they had a plan and a route in mind. Or maybe they just decided moving - in any direction - was better than just sitting there.

The "horrible" accident that had traffic backed up in both directions for miles turned out to be a fender bender that had been pulled off the side of the road and the only thing blocking and slowing traffic was, well, traffic.

In other news... yesterday evening I went to a party with some friends to see the latest addition to an outdoor train set in one of the friends backyard. The train itself was having some issues, but the setup was amazing. It included some new buildings since I was last there - a new house and more cars and an amazingly detailed greenhouse in miniature.

The snacks were good and the conversation lively. I overheard a discussion in the kitchen that seemed to mix religion, politics, and alcohol in equal parts. Curiously, everyone in the conversation seemed to be on the same very loud side. Not an argument, then - but a general complaint session on the sorry state of the world. I stayed out of...

Wait. I need to pause for a moment and un-recommend a snack food. Early this morning, I had some "bold" flavored chex party mix working off the assumption that the chex mix was almost like cereal and counted as a breakfast food. It's good and has a nice and appropriately bold flavor, but even teeth brushing and mouthwash have failed to remove the taste. While I was typing I burped a little bit and the flavor came right back. It is NOT good the second time around and I feel the need to just go ahead and drink the mouth wash this time. I'll be back....

(please wait)

Less intense mouthwash? Don't believe everything you read. Anyway...

I stayed out the discussion and had a really nice conversation with a few other people - one of whom is allergic to alcohol. He had one beer that he really enjoyed - and then spent the rest of the night sneezing and blowing his nose. I both started and stopped my drinking while in college - but I could still sympathize.

Anyway, it was late when my room-mate and I got back - turned out he'd been one of the debaters in the kitchen so I drove his car back.

I've been enjoying the quiet Sunday at home - did a little reading outside and now I'm listening to the new Aimee Mann CD while I write this unusually long blog. I guess that's it for now.

later...

54 laps, meeting, aftermath

I swam 54 lap today - that's one and a half miles. I was fast and intense - hardly even slowing down on the turns. I outlasted everyone else in the pool.

I feel pretty good physically afterward - caught my breath in less than a minute and was composed before I hit the locker room. I swam through my lunch hour and just got a couple of healthy snacks instead.

The reason for this personal record-setting swim, however, was not a good thing. I generally try not to talk about work here - and when I do I'm impossibly vague - since that sort of thing tends to get people fired. So, I'm going to vent a little here, but I'm still going to be vague.

I got called into a meeting this morning and got dragged over the coals for things that were not my fault by someone outside our department. I took it personally - which was a mistake, I know. I think I'm good at my job because I care about what I'm doing with the big picture - but that same commitment was attacked today. This guy was belligerent, condescending, arrogant, argumentative, and a whole slew of unpleasant big words. Even worse, my boss got the meeting started and then left for most of it - returning only at the end.

I felt thrown to the wolves. We've done extraordinary work in very little time and this guy had only bad things to say about what we'd accomplished. I stayed polite, quiet, and civil - and managed, just barely, to keep my cool. Should have gotten some kind of award for not smacking the shit out of him.

I think the swim made use of "rage-propulsion" and most of that has burned off. I'm back down to my standard "slightly cranky" - and I can live with that. In the grand scheme of things, this guy was just an ass and with that kind of an attitude, life is going to punish him far better than I could. I'd still like to help punish him - I've even started a list - but we've got too much to do.

So, time to get back to it. I think I may go buy a CD after work or maybe some flower stems for an origami project. I think some good music and a little folding will do me wonders.


later

visit, game, work, news

Earlier this week, my sister and brother in law stopped by for a quick visit on their way back from buying a car. She had sent me an email earlier in the day to let me know they would be in the area - I replied back with a "Yes" for a visit, but they were already on the road. The rain and traffic made them a little later than they expected, but they got to the apartment safely and then my room-mate joined us for a dinner at CiCi's pizza. After dinner they stayed only for a short while before getting on the road. The weather didn't look good, but the weather channel said the worst would be over before they got home. Dad called my sister while they were at my place to warn them about the tornado warnings at their home, but he was neither surprised or really that interested that they were in akron. He called me a couple days later to apologize for not talking to me when he called my sister - even though she was in my living room at the time. I told him it was no big deal since I figured he was heading for shelter in the basement anyway and shouldn't have been on the phone.

I picked up a new game recently - Patapon. I'd heard good things about it, but wasn't sure if I could get into it. It's a rhythm game - you tap the appropriate buttons following the beat to play. In this case, you are commanding an army of primitives by pounding the war drums to get them to march or attack. I was a little worried since I don't have much natural rhythm, but I got the hang of it and I'm inspiring my little warriors onto battle and victory. The missions aren't too long (there's no pause feature), but just long enough to really get into the adventure. I don't play too long in one sitting because the PSP isn't comfortable to hold - but I'm enjoying it.

Finally, work has been crazy busy - I'm double booked for meetings today and considering a workers comp claim for my copy|paste pinky on my left hand. Been doing a lot of that.

Oh, almost forgot - I called my FRM's mom last night to see how she was doing. Apparently, my FMR's wife had a baby girl and his oldest son just moved into an apartment about 6 doors down from where FMR and I used to live. Small world...

Okay, gotta go - later...

bookstore, no swim

I went to a bookstore this weekend in Wheeling, WV called Books-A-Million. Based on the store name alone, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, I had a bit of a headache when we got there. I couldn't find a Horror Fiction section, so I headed over to SciFi and began to peruse the selection. I noticed two things right off:

1. The staff was doing some kind of inventory with those bar-code scanner guns that required them scanning every single book one at a time. The scanner gun beeped every time they did this. I was instantly homicidal, but didn't act on my impulse.

2. They were completely missing several of my favorite and prolific authors. Irksome.

I tried another section, only to have another staffer begin beeping. My headache getting worse, I finally gave up and headed for the checkout. Before they clerk began checking out the items, she asked if I had a rewards card. I told her no and she began to explain the stickers on the hardback books and how I could get a discount if I signed up. I politely declined and she continued with her pitch. I declined again, still politely, but with a slight increase in tone.

Still, she continued with the great features of the reward card. I interrupted her and told her I was not from the area and that I had never heard of this store before. Undaunted, she asked where I was from and I finally trumped her by saying Akron, Ohio. She tried to come back by staying that they were expanding up north, but really had nothing to go on - if I'm unlikely to come back, why would I "need" a rewards card? I thought it was done, but just before giving me the total, she hauled out a sheet of paper and suggested that I could sign up for a magazine subscription. I declined again, polite in words, but not in look or tone. Transaction complete, I headed for the door and freedom.

As a coda to the story, my room-mate was behind me in line and tried to get her stopped by telling her he was from Akron as well, but she essentially ignored him in favor of her "speech".

Rude behavior in the name of customer service. Annoying and disturbing.

I've got a headache again this afternoon - though I think this is work related and comes from staring at a computer screen too long. I also forgot my swim trunks today and so missed my swim.

Almost time to go home - later...