Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Beach Week

Yes yes, I finally got to take my long-anticipated vacation to Nags Head, NC. The whole family got a house right on the beach for a week. And since this was my first real vacation in years, I enjoyed it very freakin' much. But since there was over a week worth of events to process and remember, I'm not even gonna try to write a narrative with a sequential plot or character development or anything - time for another list! Here we go...

-Sometimes you can microwave staples (accidentally) and get away with it.
-Scoping out our house for the first time was like walking into one of the Real World houses.
-There were lots of sand crabs running around to watch... or fish out of the pool... twice.
-We had a pool table downstairs. I still suck beyond measure.
-Some gas stations have Red Bull in 16 oz. cans, others have Monster in 32 oz. cans. Are 40's and kegs soon to follow?
-I was the first to the house. Thankfully others arrived before too long because I locked myself outside on the 3rd floor front balcony.
-If I have to fall asleep to background noise, I will always choose the Atlantic over Rt. 100 traffic.
-We ate lots of good homemade meals, but Stack 'Em High and Duneburger both got multiple visits.
-Leah's memory is getting really good; if she drops a pretty shell, she'll remind you later without prompting.
-If your beer gets cold enough to turn slushy, don't try to drink it - it's gross. Let it warm up, but not in the hot tub.
-I like mini-golfing better than shooting pool, especially when there are pirates or dinosaurs involved.
-Storm damage probably wrecked every other house-to-beach pier we saw. So glad ours was intact.
-I tried boogie boarding for the first time in years. The Atlantic won and celebrated by permeating me with salt water.
-For whatever reason (lotsa stairs?) I got a touch of plantar fasciitis here and there. And my left hip decided to go sore/retarded for a while. Both have mostly calmed down now, but weird.

INTERMISSION... (check your e-mail, go pee, grab some popcorn, etc.)

-This dude is obviously disturbed, but I couldn't stop watching...
-Near 700 miles of roadtime with zero speeding tickets = awesome!
-The night skies get pretty dark down there, so the stars really come out. I can't remember seeing so many stars before.
-I can build a fajita or a panini like nobody's business.
-Even when I retired to my room for the night, late night Scrubs episodes kept me company. I even caught myself watching the Dog Whisperer, and Iron Chef was killer.
-Had a migraine the first night and crashed early - glad to get it out of the way.
-There's something oddly peaceful about sitting on the pier bench at 3 am with a box of strawberry Pocky.
-Driving home was sucktastic. Even aside from just having to leave, traffic was horrible and I came across some real assholes.
-We had a slow-as-frick elevator, but it amused Leah to no end, so it was fun times.
-I needneedneed to take more vacations like that.
-I passed a wedding on the beach, but just kept walking - the temptation to do something dumb was immense, but I didn't want it coming back to bite me.
-Our mantra for packing/leaving day: "Fuck it."
-There's still some undeniable appeal to digging a big hole in the sand, though we never got around to burying anyone.
-If we acted silly enough in the ocean, Leah forgot her fear. It also helped for all of us to shake our fists and yell, "I'll get you water! Go away!"
-I won $10 for a sudden leap into the freezing pool. *Ka-ching!*

That's all I got for now. I'm sure I'll remember more as I am telling stories to people, but pictures will follow soon. Now... do I post them on MySpace, Facebook or both?

Saturday, September 20, 2008

EDIT!!

It struck me at work that I had forgotten one of the most important points from last week's game:

Some of the Terp fans know to 'Stick it In!" too, though it's not as good as VT's people. I tried to help them do it proper, but there was no changing them. Meh.

Today should be an interesting football day.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

UMD vs. Cal Observations

I spent the majority of my past Saturday around Maryland campus for tailgating and footbally goodness. There were several lessons and observations worth noting, so they are listed below for your amusement and development of better judgement. Here goes...

1. Noon kickoffs mean you will need sunscreen.
2. Scoring first AND second is awesome.
3. Shaking hands with the university president = kinda neat.
4. Officiating is always gonna be a flawed aspect of the game. Horrible calls.
5. Playing for 3 quarters and relaxing means you might still lose.
6. According to Phil, if you were in the marching band, the chants and inside-jokes stick with you forever... kinda like herpes.
7. Some officials probably get paid to say the words "time out." So they say it lots.
8. Shotgunning beer is obviously not for me. I'm okay with that.
9. Maryland campus... still fucking huge.
10. Blisters, sunburn and a hoarse throat still can't take away all the joy of football, especially when upsetting a ranked team. OVERRATED!! *clap clap clapclapclap*
11. When they have a good QB, decent pass coverage is a must.
12. Mascot costumes with big heads and smiles aren't always cute - sometimes they're creepy.

That's all for now, folks. This has, of course, made me want to go to more games, so there should be more to tell later. "Time out."

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Re: Tyrod Taylor back in

Really...? I mean, really?! Sonuvabitch...

*Sigh* Go figure they reverse their plan and that article comes out no less than 2 hrs from my rant of dedication to the Hokies' long-term planning. Maybe this means we'll have a more productive season. Either way, we'll just see.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

In Beamer we trust.

This last weekend was a tough one for loyal Hokie fans. They surprisingly lost to ECU in the last few minutes on account of a blocked punt turned into a TD. We all knew this season would be a difficult one, but nobody really expected to lose the very first one. At first I was nothing but disappointed, looking for quick solutions to get the team back on the road to glory. But then I remembered that it's not my call, and Hokies have more faith than that.

I think what has drawn me to this team, aside from sheer amusement and talent, is their character. We win like Hokies and we lose like Hokies - with class and character. The easy thing to do would be blame coaches, question decisions and make the quick fix. Pull the redshirt off of Tyrod Taylor and trade shifts with Glennon. But they still have a whole season to find their rhythm and cohere. I'm sure Beamer put plenty of thought into his decisions, so I'll just shut up and support the team. Then. Now. To come. GO HOKIES!

Monday, August 4, 2008

As the dust settles

Today was my lazy day. I hardly did anything at all, much less leave my apartment all day, but it balances out with the rest of the crazy weekend I had going on. How better to cap it all off than tell the story?

I've got a brand new baby nephew now, Laurence Ryan Sexton. It's an amazing reminder of how small they start since it's been 2 years and change since I held a baby that size. And he's a totally clean slate right now, a whole story ahead to write.

I spent lots of my time wrangling Leah and trying to keep her entertained/distracted so other things would go smoothly. But she did get to spend some time with her little brother and is already very protective of him. I think it's gonna be especially interesting seeing a similar little-brother-big-sister pairing from the outside.

I also forgot how little we make home-cooked meals when a baby comes. Nearly 100% of eatings were bought elsewhere. Let's see if I can remember them all: 5 Guys, Chevy's, Panda Express, Wendy's, Uno's, Dunkin Donuts, Blimpie, Chipotle... I forget what else, but I'm surely 10# heavier.

I guess bad timing and seniority came into play a few times because I wasn't getting much arm-time with the kid. Some people only had one day there, then feedings and check-ups and other stuff was postponing me. But things settled enough that I got the time I was waiting for. Not sure if I'm the first to sing to him, but I'm surely the first to sing him a Skynyrd song. Actually, I played him the Shinedown cover of "Simple Man," but it's still very moving.

Homecoming was yesterday and all were very happy to be there, including Chris' spine on account of the craptastic chair-bed. I stuck around to make sure things were settled, then left the family to themselves for some peace and quiet. Of course further peace and quiet will come on the whim of their two children now. God help them. I am very happy to be back at my own home and working on my own schedule.

Blogger is being retarded about posting these pictures, but here's one for warm-up, and there will be hundreds more to follow. Ciao.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Blogger, meet Twitter. Twitter, Blogger.

I have recently been reeled in by the strange charm of Twitter and its microblogging ways. All thru the weekend I kept thinking of things I wanted to put on there, but haven't figured out the texting avenue just yet. So what follows are the short versions that would otherwise appear here:

Just because the Wii is kid-friendly doesn't mean it doesn't cheat - it just cheats and smiles.

I do not need to go out west to find a nice farm girl.

There's no nap quite like a Foof-nap.

Leah can kinda do figure-8s if you give her a bo staff... or retired curtain rod. Watch the crap out.

If dinner includes Buffalo Wings University, I'm in.

Saw the new Batman flick - it rocked. Leftover wings sat in my car - it smells great in there!

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2?! Seriously....?

Bookbaaaaag? C'mere!........ please? (Frick!)

Thursday, July 17, 2008

It's getting hot in here...

So shut the hell up now!

Our AC at the office is busted, at least the unit that blows over the larger, busier half of the gym. I personally called the mechanic and saw him come out to scope things. He told me our compressor (which is apparently 15 years old or something) is shot, and they won't have it around until next Wednesday. This is awesome... and by "awesome" I mean sucktastic. Not only does it mean I get to sit at my desk in the hot corner of the gym, staring at the rising thermostat in bitterness... BUT I also get to answer the same stupid questions from all the gym members!

"It's kinda warm in here today. Can we turn the AC up a little?"
"Do those ceiling fans over there work?"
"What's wrong with the AC?"
"When will you guys get things fixed for us?"
"Why is it taking so long to fix the AC?"

I had originally posted a note on our dry-erase board that was polite and apologetic, asking for patience while we sorted things out. Now the note has been edited into, "HOT? Broken part is coming next week. -CMR" Doesn't that say it all? It's not our fault, we're no more comfortable than you, it's not like we just haven't noticed, and we're not actively trying to screw you over! I was ecstatic today when one of the patients empathized for us employees, realizing we had to be here 8+ hrs. So I'm not crying for any fitness members that come in for 45 mins, whine half the time, then get to go home. Fuck off.

Here's how bad it is: Mike and I are wearing shorts until this gets fixed. Now if only we could sip pina coladas too...

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Little things

I've been pretty behind on blogging lately, plus Nikki's last post has me trying to focus on some of the good things I've seen lately. For me, it really doesn't take too much, but I'm happy to find those moments of joy regardless. For example, my yogurt this morning... was fantastic. Usually it's just yogurt - y'know, whatever. But today the stars aligned and I tasted the best cup of cherry yogurt I'd ever had. It was still nice and cool, not warmed up from sitting in my backpack during my drive. It had the perfect consistency, nothing messy, chunky, drippy or anything unpleasant - friggin' sweet!

My old Physio-phriend Renee has been back in town, so I'm very happy to get time to hang with her. Monday night had several of us meeting in Fells Point at a cool little tavern called Duda's. Many drinks and laughs were had. Last night she stopped by the office, got the VIP tour, cooed over our boss' nearly 1-yr old son, then the 3 of us (son went home with Mama Schiller) went out for a little dinner. Nothing really fancy - just some good eats, a couple adult beverages and playing catch up.

That reminds me: with Independence Day coming up, everyone asks what my plans are, and it's become really simple. I decided that I only need 3 ingredients: a hot grill, a cold drink and good company. But in addition to holiday fun-ness, this weekend is also where it's at for Leah's 2nd birthday party, so that's gonna be rockin' times! I'm still shocked that it's been 2 years, and she's learned so much become so much fun and such a target of pride. I already know a post-party nap will be in store.

Renee might swing thru town again on Sunday before heading to NY. I still owe her a home-cooked dinner to prove my (non-)practiced kitchen skills, so maybe that'll happen then. That also means I need to clean my place up like crazy. Now.... who do I know... that likes to clean? :P

Later, y'all. Everyone have a safe, healthy and enjoyable holiday weekend. To end with a Simpsons quote, “Celebrate the birth of your country by blowing up a small part of it." Amen!

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Lord, beer me strength...

I'm not typically one to complain... except that I totally am. Whatever. Lots been going on at work, some frustrating, some crazy, some just hilarious. I feel like Capt. Reynolds on a Firefly episode, claiming that I could use a little more boredom. Perhaps I'd just complain just as much. Anywho...

Mike has started up an early-morning class for the summer, so that means I get to show up at 7:00 to open the gym up. This means I also have to wake up at 5:30 in order to make a timely arrival. Even worse are the fitness members demanding that I show up at 6:45 for them to get an early start. I have the key and you don't - you lose. Nikki has a wiener-punching approach that sounds good in theory, but.....

Aside from grossly adjusting my sleep schedule, my body hasn't exactly been kind to me in my attempts to exercise. I've had a couple dizzy-spells of varying severity, and prolonged muscle cramping. This is strange since I've worked out several times before and felt nothing but great. Plus, how frustrating is it that I'm an EXERCISE SPECIALIST and I can't even get my act together. But I'm trying. And if I reach strike 3, I will consult a doctor. I've already got one of my patients calling me a retard for not having done so yet. Thanks, Pam.

And one of our cardiac patients surely topped himself today. I've already mentioned JP before about having some entertaining moments of mumbled honesty. He doubled us over with laughter a few weeks ago when explaining why he couldn't eat or drink whatever he wanted: his wife. We reminded him that he's a grown man and can do what he wants, but he replied with a hint of fear, "But she weighs more than me!" Ooooooh JP.... So yeah, today he couldn't find his car keys. I tell him I'll go look around outside a little later. Then I soon find out they're still in the ignition... engine running.... doors locked. All got fixed in the end, but I still worry about him, who can't even keep his days and visits straight.

To balance out my expressed woes and all with some joy, I'll simply post a new picture. My niece makes me incredibly happy and I'm pretty sure I do the same for her. This should serve as proof. Later, y'all.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Brinner is served!

I think everyone has had brinner at one point or another. Y'know, breakfast for dinner... brinner! There's something oddly appealing about breaking those meal boundaries, and I made the most of it tonight. Check this menu out:

Scrambled eggs mixed with bites of honey ham, topped with a melty slice of provolone cheese
Perfectly browned sausage links
Toasted cinnamon raisin English muffin with apricot preserves
Tall glass of smooth Sunny D

Man. Oh. Man. My kitchen skills aren't very extensive, but I do pull off a few impressive dishes. Now tell me you read all that and didn't suddenly want some brinner of your own.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Words I kept to myself

It was just over a week ago that I attended the memorial service for a clinic patient that recently passed. Mike and I were the clinic reps in attendance, and we'd also visited Steady Eddy a few weeks before while he was in another rehab facility. Anywho, it got to the point of saying a "few" words about Ed, but I passed up the chance to speak. Things were already running kinda long and I probably knew Ed less than everyone else in the room. But here's what I would've said.

I didn't plan to say anything, but listening to everyone else speak of him reminded me of a quote I heard somewhere. I dunno the true wording or source, but it goes something like, "What's the point of getting to Heaven able-bodied and well-rested?" Ed was truly an example of really filling your life with LIFE, not just passing along. You have to appreciate that, and I'm glad I knew him what little time I did.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Tonight, I touched a little Heaven

It seems like it has been forever in coming, but warm weather is finally starting to show up consistently. Today was a strangely productive day for me, mostly on account of me crashing early last night. I woke up with lots to do, so I got up and got to it - laundry, shopping, some mail projects, etc. Still got more to take care of, but I did a lot today.

But the best part came about an hour ago. Most know that I find joy in fairly simple things, and this is no exception. Imagine this: sitting on a breeze-cooled balcony, some hot pizza, a cold beer and a good book. I lounged outside in only my shorts, vaguely listening to the ambient highway traffic and overpassing planes. And better yet, no bugs! I suggest you try it. Need help? Come over.

PS - I cannot think of anyone who should not read How Doctors Think by Jerome Groopman. It's encouraging and insightful whether you're reading as a clinician or a patient. Please please PLEASE check it out.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

It's official:

I'm blogging more often than Laurel now. What's that you say? Citation needed? Take a good look at THIS! I know - I was shocked too. And while this page as a whole still lacks the aesthetic appeal with which my butt-twin has beefed up her blog, I appreciate that my efforts are being recognized and supported. Thanks to all.... both of you!

Monday, March 31, 2008

That's the new thing?

I don't know where this came from, but I've got this new thing that I'm doing. I call it not-sneezing. Truthfully, it's a little annoying. I've spent 25 years getting very used to and comfortable with my standard double-sneeze. But now I can feel one coming on, then it just goes away... into nowhere! Not only do I miss the double, but I sometimes get cheated out of even the single!

Weird, huh?

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Old people swearing = instant comedy!

Last week might have had THE funniest patient encounter I've ever experienced anywhere. Mike and I were seriously fighting back the tears from laughing so hard. It revolves around one of our cardiac patients, whom I'll call JP. He's a pretty quiet, kinda bumbly old man. Even makes those weird old-man-gasps when getting up or exerting himself much. Always seems a little spacey, especially when he shows up on the wrong day. Anywho... he has become a whole new character to us lately.

So JP finished up his workout and was coming over to Mike and me to check out. As he's sitting down we both here a little mutter that ended in "bullshit!" We... were... floored. We look at him, both going, "What was that, JP?!" And he looked up kinda like, "Huh? Nothing..." Again, "C'mon JP, what did you say there?" And we get, "Umm... hellooooo!" His avoidance just makes it that much more hilarious. It's like he's 5 and getting busted for saying "damn!"

It got even better when he started explaining. He nodded towards another cardiac patient (Petey) and started venting about how he just starts talking and doesn't really stop, then does the flapping-mouth motion with his hand, going "blah blah blah!" Mike and I are pretty much dying at this point because of how true it is. That's why it's funny... because it's so true! Petey has (unasked) started telling us WWII stories, railroad histories and how he used the Heimlich on his step-mother at dinner. I actually had Mike page me to the front desk just to get away from a 20-min rambling.

The end? We doubt it. Because we love amusement like that, we told Petey to make sure he catches up with JP whenever he can. In Mike's own words, which he says a lot between us, "...straight to hell..." Yeah, probably. :P

Thursday, March 13, 2008

Part II: I Dunno...

I previously alluded to there being a second part to the story of my NY trip. I also asked Nikki earlier today, "What should I blog about?" Her response: "I dunno." So there you have it. Maybe that sums up my overall feeling better than any other clever phrasing. So what's the deal? A while back, my butt-twin expressed concern over a romantic couple in which the guy saw his girl's usually endearing traits as annoying. My problem seems to be the opposite: guy has several asshole-ish traits that should totally turn girl off, but they're still together.

So yeah, I felt like Renee and I both caught some dumbass behavior from her live-in boyfriend, OD. Let me count the things for which I hate thee:
1. You spent more time playing on my Wii than you did interacting with your real-life girlfriend.
2. You made gaming about "perfection", not fun.
3. You hogged games, then snapped at Renee for doing things wrong. Or you tried to console her over the littlest things. She's not a baby.
4. You went to work.... once. She went to at least 4 shifts while I was there.
5. When we walked home at 11 PM in the fuckin' cold, you didn't offer her your coat. I did.
6. I had to remind you the next day about going to change your tire.
7. I had to SHOW you how the crank and tire iron fit together, then you got snappy with me for not wanting to hold the cold metal while I had no gloves.
8. You thanked me for none of my help.
9. You did not help me navigated properly at all.
10. You changed my stereo without even asking. All control privileges are strictly those of the pilot UNLESS you are invited to take over. You were not.
11. You did not remember to get the meds Renee needed, even after I mentioned it a few times.
12. You nearly had us buy lots of shitty beer.

Before this trip, I liked OD. I thought he and Renee were good for each other. I didn't want to punch him. But things change. I realize that I don't like him anymore, and that I don't think he's good enough for her. He is merely hanging onto her coattails and providing a slight financial relief in the rent. He is more burden than reward and he can't even listen to her warnings about how serious the situation is. I guess there's been some fighting lately, and she's not sure they're gonna make it thru this as a couple. He's not the anchor that holds her steady, but the one that holds her back. I'm not wishing things to go bad between them, but.... I dunno.
I guess the right thing to do would be to pray.

Sunday, March 9, 2008

My Freshman Y- zzzzzz...

Wait - did you click on the right link? Maybe punch in the URL a little too hastily and got the wrong page? Weird... why is there a book review on here?! Because it's Sunday night and I'm mixing things the hell up! But pay attention to what follows - it might save you.

It's been a few weeks since I finished a book. It got to the point where I was juggling 3 at a time to keep myself entertained, but I just finished one of them up tonight. It's called My Freshman Year* with some extended subtitle I'm not looking up... by Rebekah Nathan. Let's cut to the chase: 2 out of 5 stars.

It's a true book written by an anthropologist at NAU after she spends a year enrolled there as a freshman. Her motivation for this was to understand students and the American college culture a little better, as she admittedly didn't lately. In reading the premise, I thought this had great potential, but it really fell flat for me. The real problem was that it really didn't tell me anything I didn't already know from firsthand experience. This feeling was conveyed by several of the Amazon reviews I read prior to finishing it up, and not all of them from people like me with not-so-distant memories of college.

Want some mind-benders? Behold:
-Lots of underage students still drink at college.
-Various degrees of cheating go on all the time.
-Having class on Friday is frowned upon.
-Some students are so rushed that they sleep in class.
-Despite university initiatives to encourage (ethnic/international) diversity, many students hang out with others just like them.
-Students learn to tailor their opinions so that it pleases the teacher even if it's not what they genuinely believe or assert.

No.... shit. Again, maybe it's obvious to me, but lots of other people think she could've found the same results way faster by conducting direct interviews instead of adopting this "undercover" method of immersion. I do credit her with designing a research experiment that allowed her to naturally experience the field in question, but it also brings on questions of ethics in hiding her identity as a faculty member.

What really made it hurt is that it just draaaaaagged in so many places. I honestly had to force myself to sit down and push thru even the last 4 pages of her concluding chapter. It shouldn't be that hard. It also got really annoying that all of her footnotes were pushed to a section in the back. That meant flipping back and forth, sometimes just to find the title of an old study referenced. Well, I said fuck that, and just quit reading them. And really... anyone that throws out "reciprocity" as much as her needs a firm elbow in the sternum.

Really, the only thing that saved this review from 1 star (and me from binge-drinking away the pain) was that this book illustrated how wide the average is in the "average college student." I never thought of myself as the average, but I was much closer than I thought (with regard to her sampling). Many of us learn the shortcuts (geographically, academically, etc.), lose the urge to party all the time, and turn to doing enough work to get by. But we don't look at teachers as the enemy as she hints. I had some great teachers, and this ignorant message of hers only makes me want to e-mail them, catch up, and thank them for being as great as they were.

Meh - could've been a great revelation to future students, current students, parents, anyone... but it just turned out kinda ignorant and sneaky. Approach with caution.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Best. Boss. Ever.

I tend to brag about my boss, Jonathan, from time to time, but it's because he definitely deserves it. He does everything he can as a boss to keep us content, but does a fantastic job of being a good friend, too. I sometimes hear how lucky I am to have a boss with whom I get along, but I realized something new tonight. Jon has been out sick the entire week, and it's definitely not something light. But here it is....

Jon is the only boss that I've had that I would call just to check up on. No emergencies, no questions about the office, just wanted to check up on my buddy. Now THAT is golden.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Ironsomethong

Cliff Notes version: I went to New York. It was cold. I did stuff. I came home.
(Sure - it's all true, but it's not gonna get you thru a test on it!)


Slightly more detailed version:
I took my first real vacation in a long time last week, and I used it to go visit my friend Renee up in Rochester, NY. I got up there around 7ish on Thursday night and we had low goals for the evening. Just ate some dinner, exchanged Christmas gifts and played various Wii games. The drive wasn't too bad, just lonely and long. Sure, I had TomTom and his scattered remarks to keep me company, but we weren't always on good terms considering his unnecessary side-trips that came up for no reason. Don't worry - we talked things out and are doing alright now.

Friday was fairly uneventful thru the day because, even though I had off work, Renee did not and still had two separate shifts to work that day. So her boyfriend, OD, and I mostly lazed around with more Wii-based enjoyment. I opted to go out and take care of some errands, but he insisted we do nothing. Ooooookay. We were responsible for figuring dinner for us all, so we eventually decided on going out to TGI Fridays. OD's car was riding a little funny on the way over, the cause of which (we soon discovered) was a flat tire. Oh joy. We left the car overnight and walked the VERY chilly 1/2 mile back home. But we still got to enjoy a good dinner and a few drinks, not to mention our often-running waiter, whom we suspected to have eaten a big bowl of Heroine-O's for breakfast. Nevertheless, he gave great service and was very nice.


Saturday started earlier than I liked with me getting up and driving OD to his shift (test administering) at some high school 20 mins away. I dropped him off in my car on account of his still-flat tire and said I'd pick him up later. I told TomTom *grumble* to save the location of the school for later reference. OD told me the name was Irondequoit High School, but I was still very sleepy and I tried to type in "Ironsomething", which turned into this blog's title. I blame TomTom and his tiny keypad for jumping around on my sleepy eyes. I go back home and sleep for a while, then hang with Renee for a while. We played Wii tennis to the point that she knocked over a cup of water in a swatting frenzy. To be fair, though, we won the game. We later raced out to pick up OD with little help from TomTom since he didn't really want to save that "thong" location from earlier, plus I could barely remember my route from earlier that morning. Not a morning person at all, remember?

Once we got home, we chilled for a bit (and I learned that Gilmore Girls is kinda good), then Renee had to run off to her shift. OD got obsessive over playing Rayman: Raving Rabbids, so I just kinda sat back and let him geek out a bit. I later reminded him about his flat tire, so we ran out and fixed that up without much trouble. Honestly, I felt like the more competent man between us, and that's just sad. Afterwards, we had some quiet time with our own books, so that was nice. We later made a trip to Wal-Mart, which yielded another Wii controller and ample amounts of beer. OD and I managed to turn Mario Kart 64 into a drinking game. We designed it so that the better driver would have to drink more in order to level the playing field. The result? I kicked his ass up and down, drank more than him, and still dominated. We wound up meeting Renee at a nearby mall, ate dinner at the foodcourt, then just malled around for a bit. Most of our time was spent in the pet store and the Gifts of Asia store with weapons and windchimes and Go stones. Renee did some clothes browsing, so OD and I sat outside and fantasized about sliding under the security gates as stores closed up. (No, we didn't try.) Upon getting home, we changed into comfy clothes, played more games until way-too-late AM, and Renee and I both out drank OD.

Sunday = all driving back to MD. Not much more to say, 'cept I was bitter about never finding a Quizno's despite TomTom saying there was one around where I stopped AND a giant sign I saw from the highway. Drat monkeys...

In conclusion, the evidence suggests that pants are indeed necessary in the workplace, no matter what liberal interpretations might be taken from "Casual Fridays." No, wait - wrong conclusion.... Oh yeah! Overall, it was a fun trip and I was very happy to see Renee again.

Part II to follow shortly...

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Midnight meme

Alright - for reasons of blogger-audience confidentiality, I can't tell you who exactly I stole this meme from, but his/her name rhymes with Bikki DeFlarco. Having said that, here we go!

A - Age: 25
B - Band listening to right now: Atreyu
C - Career future: physical therapist or rockstar - it's honestly a toss-up at this point
D - Dad's name: Richard
E - Easiest person to talk to: Nikki or Laura
F - Favorite type of shoe: eh - whatever's comfy
G - Grapes or Grapefruit: "grapes, grapefruit are gross." (You said it, Bikki!)
H - Hometown: Waldorf, MD
I - Instrumental talent: electric guitar... that's about it
J - Juice of choice: orange
K - Koala Bear or Panda Bear: Koala, but only because of fond memories of some old Nickelodeon cartoon that featured them.
L - Longest car ride ever: probably Waldorf, MD to Nashville, TN
M - Middle name: Neal!
N - Number of jobs you've had: 6, but only if you count my old babysitting days
O - OCD traits: Hardly OCD, but I prefer the open side of my pillowcase to be to my back.
P - Phobia[s]: being forgotten
Q - Quote: "There is not enough time to do all the nothing we want to do." -Bill Watterson
R - Reason to smile: New books, visiting friends, upcoming date!
S - Song you sang last: "My Heart" by Paramore
T - Time you wake up: 8:00ish
U - Unknown fact about me: I have the worst case of delayed reaction ever. It involves a joke from a Calvin and Hobbes strip and an "ant-elope" pun. Then it hit me nearly 10 years later.
V - Vegetable you hate: Brussel sprouts taste like condensed evil.
W - Worst habit: going to bed without brushing my teeth
X - X-rays you've had: teeth, chest
Y - Yummiest food your belly likes: cheese toast, meaty pizza, Mom's pot pie, 5 Guys burgers
Z - Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Sometimes work is really funny.

Well, crap. I've been thinking about posting another blog lately, mostly just a self-addressed letter telling me that I needed to get back in the habit. But leave it to Laurel to post something new and now make ME look like the laziest blogger. Game on, Sutton!

It's weird and kinda silly how I'm always waiting for something deep or profound to blog about and not just semi-normal funniness or oddities. Today was actually marked by a couple of those funnoddities. (Neat word, huh? You know you wanna use it!) Fortunately, both of them came thru work, so that made for a more enjoyable shift.

#1 - The other guy I work with had a guy coming to get a strength test for a job application. This test involves maximum exertion for a few quick rounds, so Mike and I try to keep pushing them and shouting encouragement. But when Mike walked back to our desk with his "no friggin' way..." expression, he explained that this heavily Hispanic guy knew barely enough English. So as a joke of a bet, I offered $20 for Mike to start yelling, "Arriba, arriba! Andale, senor!" The result? I kept my $20 and we avoided legal complications. :P

#2 - The washing machine is on its last legs, which is why Mike and I also got to drive around Columbia to drop off 100 lbs of dirty towels and pillowcases. It got semi-fixed this afternoon, but Jonathan asked me to make a sign so that the other employees would know to be gentle with it. I got creative and made this....

"Me fail laundry? That's unpossible!"
Please wash only small loads since this machine is almost shot.
Do it for Ralph.

This gave me great enjoyment! Plus I've just learned how easy it is to embed images into blogs. Time to start taking more pics for everyone! Woot!