Heavy Riffs and Driving Rain

Bread so crazy, it's in the name!

2010-02-24T20:03:00.000-08:00

This was long overdue. I have even admitted this to Nikkilooch, who has been urging for years that I was truly missing out from not eating Crazy Bread from Little Caesars. But I took care of that this past weekend.

First off, it's been years since I've even tasted anything from LC's. But I was willing to explore this new culinary foray. And it totally lived up to it's name! This is especially important after ordering Amazing Lamb from a Chinese joint and finding out it was Just Alright Lamb. Just grabbed a single order with a cup of Crazy Sauce (of course!) and bolted home with every intent of it being a side-item to my leftover Chipotle lunch. That's not quite how things went.

So I was driving home when it became quite clear that my car was smelling better by the minute. Guess why? Crazy Bread! I tossed everything on a plate and was initially dismayed. I guess my brain expected kinda cheesy bread, but this is not CB's style. I started dipping, chomping, enjoying, eating more. Pretty soon I had eaten all but 3 sticks and forced myself to stop there, temptation be damned. I now empathize completely with Nikki's urges to just eat the whole thing in one sitting. Oh - and Chipotle never even made it out of the fridge until much, much later.

My mind was blown. This bread was indeed very crazy.

Even made good use of the leftovers by throwing them in the toaster for a minute to crisp things up. I also learned that it's good to alternate bites with and without dipping sauce. The bread is so good on its own that you gotta let it shine solo... in your mouth. So yeah, overall a very satisfying food experience. It's not fine dining in any sense - it's actually pretty disgraceful. But it's clearly going to be a guilty pleasure in the future. Go get some. Seriously.

Pictured above: my undoing, Crazy Bread/Sauce

Gah...

2010-01-15T20:05:00.000-08:00

Sooo.... apparently I need this game like my life depends on it. I'm getting pressured from pretty much everyone that's ever seen it, hearing that I must buy it. I'm certain it's awesome - I've wanted it from day 1. I have only hesitated because I'm trying to spend on needs before wants. But that might be a losing battle. Anywho, who wants to donate $5 to the cause?

Anyone?

Hello...? *tap tap tap* Is this thing on?

The Adventures of Uncle Lucy

2009-11-29T09:41:00.000-08:00

It's Sunday, the last day of rest on a greatly needed long holiday weekend. Work has been intensely frustrating ever since Queen Lauren got tapped on the shoulder, so I am definitely taking delight in any time spend enjoying the little things. And while this extended weekend might've had some bumps here and there, it was overall quite refreshing and interesting. Thanksgiving was good - nothing very notable there. Just good dinner with the family and lots of football. But the day after...

I don't shop on Black Friday - I avoid going out like the plague, but I did find good reason to at least leave the house. I drove down to Hughesville (yes - on purpose!) to visit my awesome friend from school and TKD, Hayley. She also had her adorable daughter around, so that made for good fun. I walked in, doled out hugs to all the Heaths, then joined Hayley and Misha in the living room... to watch Diego. Now, Diego isn't quite as bad as his female equivalent, Dora, but it's the same style. Anywho, this episode, "Underwater Mystery," featured a spotted whale named Lucy. And since I never introduced myself to Miss Misha, her brain went to the "recent new names" catalog and pulled out... Lucy. And with her mother reinforcing this (at great amusement), I am likely going to be remembered as Uncle Lucy, despite my efforts otherwise.

We get to a stopping point in Diego and decide to stop out and pick up Ledo's for lunch. So Hayley, Misha and I load up and head over to put in our order. Since we passed a Wal-Mart on the way, we decide to double back and do some quick browsing while lunch gets made. Apparently, the power in the entire store had crashed not 2 mins before we pulled in. We're talking BLACK. The only light is from scattered emergency lights and the sunlight up front. And there are lots of people, all with confused expressions, some bordering on anger and panic. In an attempt to go out the way we came in we are halted by a very ill-tempered employee in a motorized wheelchair. She was old and cranky... and needed to have chocks thrown in front of her wheels. But we got out okay and headed back to Ledo's.

Then we realized the extent of the outage since Ledo's and other nearby stops had lost power as well. Fortunately, they lost power after our meals had finished. So we grab it and go. It took us about 10 mins to get thru one intersection when a state trooper couldn't figure out that his parked cruiser was actually causing more of a blockage. Brilliant.

We get home, we eat, Misha goes up for a nap. So we throw on a movie, which frequently upset the very temperamental DVD player (which is why we stopped at Wal-Mart in the first place). We get thru half of the movie and the kid comes back down, needing a snack. So Hayley grabs her a pack or two of fruit snacks and she chows down. But she leaves all the purple and orange and yellow ones. "Clearly," I think, "we have the same taste, and she's weeding out what she doesn't want." Not wanting them to get sat on or go to waste, I finish off the unwanteds while a bathroom break is being taken. I was wrong. They were wanted. I ate a little girl's fruit snacks. Yup - now I'm THAT guy. So, of course, Uncle Lucy gets teased and ribbed again for a while, but I guess I had it coming.

It was a very pleasant visit, and I'm so happy that I got to spend time with my friends. And Misha must have forgiven me because she gave me a big hug and waved me goodbye. She might have addressed her farewell to Lucy, but she's cute enough to let it slide. It was quite an adventurous day.

Survivor: Nags Head

2009-10-08T19:13:00.000-07:00

It came so slow and has gone by so quickly, but it definitely happened - Beach Week 2009. As Leah had been appropriately trained to say, Beach Week was "legendary." I'd been aching for this one way more than last year for various reasons. First, prior to driving down to NC, my most recent trip and break from was was to TX for a funeral. That doesn't count as a break at all. Also, work has been pretty stressful over the last few quarters. I needed this one. I needed it BAD!

That being said, this legendary entry will sum up our legendary trip in the same fashion as last year's. No real plot or sequence of events, but rather a shot-gunning of random happenings, observations and maybe a gripe or two. But rest assured: we still came out in the positive this year, and I'm so happy we went. Game on!

-You can chalk it up to whatever excuse you like, but I was first to the house. Yelling "FIRST!" kinda solidified that.
-I DID NOT LOCK MYSELF OUT ON THE BALCONY THIS YEAR! (I know you all wondered/hoped...)
-Eating lunch at Pierce's Pitt BBQ (in Jamestown, VA) does not suck at all. It sucks so little, I made sure to do it on the way back.
-I'm still awful at shooting pool, but I've gotten slightly more tactical about my approach. I found it also takes me about 30 games to finish a round without scratching once.
-Lars' head and the glass-topped tables did battle numerous times. I believe the tables dominated.
-Dad and I hit up the Wright Bros. Museum, listened to a story-telling and saw lots of killer historical spots.
-I found that you can still get blisters from walking on just sand. Seriously. I also thought my calves were gonna rupture for several days.
-Our new lottery system for assigning dinner duties worked very well. I see no reason to change that in years to come.
-If one person in the family gets sick, then we ALL get sick. Of course, some people gotta 1-up everyone with sinus infections and intestinal whammy (not naming names).
-Weather was amazing every day. Some humidity and clouds here and there, but c'mon. Also got footage of some SERIOUS lightning storm action.
-I believe it is worth $100 to run and jump in the ocean in the dark, windy night. Chris does not share that belief, though he was willing to ponder it for a while.
-I believe we made a record number of trips to Duneburger this year. I personally experimented with their shakes. Cherry: fantastic; butterscotch: pretty good; pineapple: meh.
-Sleeping in (past 8:30) was not an option.
-I love the movies Horton Hears a Who! and Finding Nemo... but after this trip, I need some time away from them. They'll understand.

INTERMISSION (Just linked the first thing YouTube gave me - go figure it's by the "My spoon is too big" guy... Honestly, it was either this or the Monty Python segment. I apologize.)

-Stack 'Em High now has pancakes with both chocolate chips and shredded coconut. "Dear Diary... JACKPOT!"
-Again, driving home was terrible. Just felt so much longer with nothing but a work week to look forward to. And I-64 jammed up like a mother.
-Some people don't yet grasp the internet. Some people sound a little like George W. Bush. Coincidence?
-I felt personally offended when I fell asleep to Family Guy, then woke up to Seinfeld.
-I managed to go the entire trip without shaving... kinda liberating.
-The ocean did not kick my ass this time around when I went boogie-boarding. I win.
-I don't EVER want to watch Dora or Diego again. Swear I got dumber...
-Some dogs are just too ugly to live. I learned that "brachycephalic" translates to either "Nature kicked your dog's face in" or "will likely die from breathing complications." No thanks.
-This book is farkin' amazing. I couldn't read anything else the whole time!
-Sometimes the hot tub isn't exactly hot, thus effectively making it a tepid tub. Temperature fail!
-There was something incredibly funny about getting my parents to drink shots.
-The Cheat is a super-finicky car passenger. He started fussing and grumbling at random nothings. He also doesn't like the roadside rumble strips.
-700+ miles and zero speeding tickets. Same as last year, but still worth noting.
-I may not be her all-time favorite, but I don't mind at all when Leah shares snuggles.
-We caught a couple more crabs that were "sleeping" at the bottom of the pool. Seeing Leah pick one up and pantomime with it = teh hilarious!
-Terry Anderson wins the first annual I Went to the Beach and All I Got was This Tan from the Computer award.

That's all for this year. Can't wait to do it again. People should be getting jealous enough to want to join in. Honestly, it wouldn't be such a bad thing if I had to make another trip before I went with the family. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Oh - and if I can trick my cameras into working/editing, pics and video will follow soon.

PS - I know I still need to post pics from Warped. They're coming.

Canadians, Trannies and Brits - Oh My!

2009-07-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

I said it was coming and now it's here: the awesome story of my third Warped Tour experience... from, like... 5 weeks ago. *ahem* Moving on!

Warped Tour '09 almost didn't happen for me... because I'm an idiot. Mike knew I was going, so we were planning for me to be out of the office that entire day. Then Mike's little brother mentions that he was going to the show the next day, the 14th. I had previously thought it was the 21st (like an idiot). So Mike calls me up, makes me double check my ticket and he's right (and I'm an idiot). So this drastically changes things, like having to get a REAL amount of sleep for the next day.

I get up extra early so I can pack up for the concert and jet to work early. I figured I'd skip all the potential backup to the Columbia venue by already being there. Got to the office around 5:30 AM, let myself in, locked up, then went right to the massage room with no windows and the most-padded semblance of a bed, to sleep until I knocked a few hours out on an early shift. Then... the Mexicans showed up... to clean the place, of course. I locked the doors to keep them out rather than going out and explaining why I was there already. Little sleep was had. Knocked out a few hours on the job, then zipped over to Merriweather.

First and foremost, I will say that the weather was amazing all day long. I remember there being the constant threat of rain or whatever thinking about falling, but it never did. I chilled at the mall to let the entry lines fade, then ducked inside after about 30 mins. Made my trip to the giant inflatable wall to scope out the schedule, jotted down who I needed to see where... and then it began.

Never have I gone to a Warped Tour and known so few bands on the bill, so that made it an incredible opportunity to discover some new blood or some old blood that had previously missed my ears. I didn't get to see every group I wanted, but definitely got to see my share of good and bad acts. Here's the breakdown...

Senses Fail - the only band I made mandatory since I've come to discover their entire discography in the last year or so. Kind of a short set, but I'll hit them again in October when they visit Towson. But they played the fav's, like "Can't Be Saved" and "Rum is for Drinking, Not for Burning." Buddy does a lot of mic swinging... like, a LOT. Might need to tone that down and focus on having the mic in-hand when it's time for the vox, but hey, who's the rockstar here? Not me.

I also had the pleasure of collecting autographs and handshakes from each one of the guys at their signing. I even ran into Buddy again after their show and talked him up a little bit. Certainly glad to have dedicated, authentic bands like them on the tour. I got some pics with the guys, but I'll save them all for when I have every shot I wanna share. (Stupid phone!)

TAT - the award for Surprise Awesomeness goes to this punk/rock trio from England. I just happened to be walking by their stage as thing were ramping up and got sucked in. In the interviews I've seen, they agreed when someone characterized their sound as "Joan Jett meets Green Day." And my God, are they addictive! Their frontlady is crude, hilarious, smokin' hot and a phenomenal guitarist! Every guy would try to nail her if she wasn't capable of kicking our each and every ass. I didn't know any of the songs then, but I remember lots of catchy riffs, enticing lyrics and several spots prime for audience participation.

This little dialogue sums up the thrill of getting to see them:
Tatiana: How many of you all have heard of us before?
Crowd: *about half of everyone woo's and cheers*
Tatiana: Well, how many of you motherfuckers have heard of us now?!
Crowd: *EVERYONE goes off like mad*

Their bassist, Nick Kent... solid. Dude is loud and lively. It's rare a bassist catches my eye/ear, but he's just that good. Check out their album, Soho Lights. It's freakin' gold!

Alexisonfire - this is another group I just happened upon near the end of the day. Their music seemed like something I might wanna check out later, but that's not what hooked me (though it isn't without merit). A song or two in, a "that guy" near the front chucks a cup of ice and it spills on the lead guitarist (who was kicking lots of musical ass). Half of the band plays on while the other half drops gear and goes after this dude! You don't fuck with the band - they're Canadian, but they'll still beat your ass for being so audacious. Lucky for that guy, security got their hands on him before the band did. Had that not been the case...? Yikes. I took a break from them for about 60 seconds to see the big headliner across the field everyone was talking about, 3OH!3. They blew chunks - that is all. Went back to the rockin' Canucks. Didn't stay for the whole set... last group of the day, tired, gave up and called it a success. Lots of dynamic sound, good use of all the members on vocals and instrumental layering... need to check them out more on album-quality stuff.

Anti-Flag - these guys remind me of Rise Against in their style and anti-authority theme. They even chastised the elevated VIP stands for not coming down and joining the rest of the crowd in the mix. But they were't all "fuck you"s and yelling - they played some good songs, none of which I knew before, but they drew me in faster than anything else I'd seen that day. Again, definitely need to see more. But also credit them for riling the crowd up into one of the most vigorous mosh cyclones ever. I just ran and bumped and picked people back up until my lungs were dust-coated from the frenzy. Another good pic to come of that.

Neat little PS from those guys... I'm walking back to my car and I pass Justin Sane as he's biking around. Couldn't navigate him to a hotel like he needed, but I thanked him sincerely for coming out and he took his praise graciously. Very cool guy.

Those are all the highlights... time for some lesser events.

Escape the Fate was good.

Behold the Flood was surprisingly good for a little local group.

Millionaires made me want to hurt someone - they sang poppy songs about being divas and they danced. You're at an underground punk-rock show. We don't have room for circus acts.

Jeffree Star epitomizes "circus act" like nothing else I saw that day. This flamingly gay transvestite vocalist did nothing but strip off his clothes, sing raunchy, faddy songs and call everyone bitches in every way he could. They made me want to rethink freedom of speech. I know music is a very subjective topic, but they have no substance or heart. I can't wait for these fakes to fizzle out and get min. wage jobs.

Westbound Train was... out of place. This was a very enthusiastic jazz ensemble that was playing the other half of the pavillion stage before Senses Fail came on. So the crowd was kinda loaded in the exact opposite way they wanted. They were decent, but need to find a new channel that suits them better. They started playing "Shout!" and everyone just wanted them to keep getting "a little bit softer now..." until they left. They win the ever-depressing Participation Ribbon.

And then, while I was waiting in line for the Senses Fail signing, I got to watch this one spastic dude in action. All he had with him was his sign pointing towards "Free Stuff" and a whole lot of sexual frustration. This was made evident by his ever-expanding variety of suggestive dance moves involving the large sign-on-a-stick. One of those random things that will always stick with me... sadly.

So that's about it. Some highs, some lows, some starvation, and lots of exhaustion. Got home, showered off the multilayered crud on my skin and called it a solid win. Viva la Warped! (Pics to follow - harrass me if I stall too long.)

Another Weekend Top 5

2009-05-17T19:45:00.000-07:00

This was one of those kinda busy, blurry, already-gone weekends. Yet it was well-spent and productive.

1. For all the time Jonathan has been there for me, I got to be there for him once.

2. Aprehension be damned -turkey burgers still kick ass.

3. Read two whole books in less than a day's span.

4. Sidewalk chalk and short walk to the lake with Leah.

5. Managed to snag the last remains of Mom's Day ribs.

Back to the craziness of work and more work...

Top Cinco de Anoche

2009-05-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

1. Boss picked up dinner and drinks tab at Diamondbacks.

2. Thai chili wings and free taco buffet.

3. Some girls thought I looked like Michael Cera (in a good way).

4. Rainbow shots are awesome to watch being poured.

5. Only did one shot of tequila... odd stuff that is.

(Not pictured: remembering exactly what shade stomach bile is.)

Weekend Top 5

2009-03-29T19:32:00.000-07:00

1. Awesome weather outside today, good enough to change my oil.
2. Good eats from Austin Grill, Boston's and Rita's.
3. Niece and nephew entertained with the simplest of things. Hope that lasts a while.
4. Never ever ever felt rushed for anything.
5. GUITAR HERO: METALLICA!!!

Weekend Ups and Downs

2009-03-01T20:55:00.000-08:00

I know I'm long overdue for a new post, especially to follow up on the most recent ones. Whatever - I'll get around to them eventually. But I thought I'd write about some recent events, mostly taking place on the weekends since my weekdays are almost entirely consumed by work. Freakin' new 12-8 shift...

This last weekend really wasn't anything special. I caught up on laundry, did some necessary shopping, picked up some new books for whenever and failed at napping. Oh - I also got to drive back to my place in crappy, snowy weather. Bah.

But last weekend? Almost pure awesomeness, let me tell you. I missed a family gathering for a small concert, but made up for it by crashing with Katie for movies and videogames. I don't trust the Wii Fit, but I gotta admit that it's kinda fun. Then I got up Saturday morning to go on my first Urban Exploration (urbex) adventure in Savage, MD. It's basically wandering around abandoned and decaying buildings just to see what's to find. Most of the group had a photographic interest as well, but some things were just nice to look at, as well as hiking around. I'll post some pics later, but that was a great time outside.

After that, I drove to Burke to see the VA family and relax with some weird dvr'd shows. Dinnertime came shortly after my arrival, at which point I learned something new: brinner (breakfast for dinner) and tacos aren't mutually exclusive food items. We had soft tacos with eggs, cheese and Canadian bacon... and they were fantastic! I also found out that Leah has a special song just for me, the NeNe Song - that rocked my face off. I crashed kinda early and kinda hard since I had a migraine, but that cleared up the next morning after some caffeine. Eventually, I drove my way home and just chilled in wait for the impending week of work.

So here I am again, work week just looming over my shoulder. Maybe I should get to bed early tonight so I'm not feeling totally bent in the morning. Plus, I gotta account for weather atrocities that may or may not be a problem. Bah - have I mentioned how I'd much rather stay in and just read? So it goes.

20,173 Herniated Cervical Vertebrae (post-Metallica thoughts)

2009-01-15T21:50:00.000-08:00

*Deep breath in... then out* Damn.

I have not been in the front door more than 20 mins from the Metallica concert, so I'm gonna try to log some memories and observations before they are clouded by a relaxing shower and double-digit hours of sleep.

1. If your new wife will join you on the floor level of a Metallica show, you know she's special. Good to meet you, Chris.
2. T-shirts should never cost $32 apiece... but some do... and they still sell.
3. Bad seat doesn't necessarily mean bad show. Thank God for that!
4. Just because you are assigned a seat, it doesn't mean you ever have to sit down. In fact, you probably shouldn't.
5. I saw a couple sharing a sweet kiss during "Wherever I May Roam." Whatever works.
6. Lars was lit from behind and at a low angle, so you could see his shadow just booming up on the ceiling - pretty damn pimp.
7. James has cut pretty much all the swearing out of his stage banter, and it only sneaks up in a few choice songs. I wonder if that's intentional or what.
8. I was unusually amped up when "Master of Puppets" started up, one that doesn't usually grip me, but that's probably what started my whiplash.
9. I don't remember what song it was that had just started, but I will swear until my grave that the moment James Hetfield struck his guitar, it played the note thunder.
10. I was teased all night with the possibility of hearing "The Unforgiven", but it never came. However, "Motorbreath" was a very pleasant surprise.
11. If I had to choose between a lights show and pyros.... yeah, you already know which way I'd lean.
12. Between songs, James pointed out some young kid up at the very front, looked to be around 12. Lucky damn kid!
13. Hurricane Rob did some spinning around the stage again. He also fell down at one point because his own closing bass riff defeated him.
14. Giant black Death Magnetic beach balls were awesome, especially when the band was kicking them out into the audience while they kept playing. James jump-heatbutted one, which was hilarious.
15. My boss' brother clearly dumped the rest of his beer on the floor from trying to check his watch. I scolded him for this, but also staring down and holding onto the evidential empty plastic cups.
16. At one time, the audience's "hey-hey-hey" chant was so strong and so coordinated that in between shouts it almost felt silent.
17. I guess I haven't seen Metallica live since I became a die-hard Hokies fan. That made "Enter Sandman" very, VERY special and moving.
18. There was a moment in one song where Rob, Kirk and James formed a triangle in front of Lars, all pointing to him like they were channeling energy. It was really cool, and I think it worked!
19. Their sound quality in an arena will never be as good as an open stadium. But their very worst show is probably still mind-blowing.
20. Lighting rigs designed as giant steel coffins that revolve around stage, tilt and swing down... bad-ass. If I got any decent shots, it's of those bad boys in action. These had to be 30' in length or so.

Finally, let's see if I can name every song (out of order) that got played tonight.
Ecstacy of Gold
That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Broken, Beat and Scarred
The Day That Never Comes
All Nightmare Long
Cyanide
Sad But True
Wherever I May Roam
Nothing Else Matters
Die, Die My Darling
Motorbreath
Seek and Destroy
Harvester of Sorrow
One
Four Horsemen
Master of Puppets
Enter Sandman
Battery

Good times. Big nod to Kelly and Chris for making this my fantastic birthday gift! Well, a very ginger nod because my neck is sore, my stomach is growling and my aching body desperately needs a shower. Might be pics later if any of them came out even quarter-decent. Rock rock on.

My 2008 Book Quest

2009-01-08T08:47:00.000-08:00

In the past few years I have fallen back in love with reading so long as I can find material that interests me. Yes, some of it may revolve around philosophy or death other topics that don't easily come up in everyday conversation. But I decided that 2008 would by my year of explosive reading, aiming to finish a book every week, or have 52 total by year's end. Though this didn't happen - I made it to 39, finishing the last just before midnight on New Year's Eve - I still did more reading in one year than most people will ever do in their entire lives. Really... 39 out of 52. It's like I got thru September and just started slacking. Beach Week sure derailed me a bit among other things. But what follows is a full listing of those 39 books that I did manage to finish. I'll wait until my next post to nod at my recommendations and ones to avoid. So here's what I tackled in '08:

Ciao, America! (Beppe Severgnini)
How Starbucks Saved My Life (Michael Gates Gill)
You Suck (Christopher Moore)
Bad vs. Worse (Joshua Piven)
Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be: A Rock & Roll Fairy Tale (Jen Trynin)
Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury (Stephan Pastis)
Bloodsucking Fiends (Christopher Moore)
Bang Your Head (David Konow)
My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student (Rebekah Nathan)
Xenocide (Orson Scott Card)
Children of the Mind (Orson Scott Card)
Rock On: An Office Power Ballad (Dan Kennedy)
The Man with the Iron Tattoo... (John Castaldo, Lawrence Levitt)
How Doctors Think (Jerome Groopman)
Wisdom for a Young Musician (Bruce Warren)
Lio: Happiness is a Squishy Cephalopod (Mark Tatulli)
I'm Ready for My Movie Contract: A Get Fuzzy Collection (Darby Conley)
The Crass Menagerie: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury (Stephan Pastis)
Then We Came to the End (Joshua Ferris)
Come On Down!: Behind the Big Doors at "The Price is Right" (Stan Blits)
Made in America (Matt Hughes)
The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unexamined Life (J. Jeremy Wisnewski)
Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices and Priorities of a Winning Life (Tony Dungy)
Island of the Sequined Love Nun (Christopher Moore)
F Minus (Tony Carillo)
My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith (Kevin Smith)
Kill as Few Patients as Possible: And Fifty-Six Other Essays on How to be the World's Best Doctor (Oscar London)
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove (Christopher Moore)
God Save the Fan... (Will Leitch)
This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession (Daniel J. Levitin)
Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die (Michael Largo)
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance (Atul Gawande)
Serenity Found: More Unauthorized Essays on Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe (Jane Espenson)
Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital (Heidi Squier Kraft)
Fluke (Christopher Moore)
Coyote Blue (Christopher Moore)
Practical Demonkeeping (Christopher Moore)
Falling Up (Shel Silverstein)
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (Anne Rice)

Damn... I really read a LOT! Some of those titles were abbreviated, but you've got enough info to look them up on Amazon or wherever for your own pleasure. As I said a follow-up post will... umm... follow shortly. Rock/read on.

Post-(Christmas-Crazies)

2009-01-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

I felt the need to parenthesize my title so that it clarified I'm writing this post the Christmas-crazies and not that I'm experiencing post-Christmas crazies. Got it? Good. Here we go!

I worked the morning of Christmas Eve at the clinic, but Mike and I acted as techs that day, running around nearly non-stop. I soon regretted wearing my Skechers on account of them having nearly no padding, so my feet started to kill after only a couple hours. But we hustled thru the day and eventually closed up at 3. I ran back to my place quickly to pick up some forgotten items for the weekend, then down to Waldorf.

I made decent time getting down there, but was still sore and tired upon my arrival, so I lied down for 30 mins or so before joining everyone for dinner. I had a couple plates worth of food, spoke when spoken to, but mostly tried not to collapse at the table. After dinner, I went back to lying down to rest up before the last church service at 7:30. I wake up, roll over to the clock... 8:30. Guess that's one tradition I just broke - oh well. I go back to sleep until about midnight. I get up for maybe an hour or two, then spend the rest of the night forcing myself back to sleep. This lead to a sore neck and back. Bah.

Christmas day went pretty nicely. If nothing else, it was gorgeous outside, so that was a pleasant surprise. I opened presents with Mom and Dad, then we carted everything else over to Burke for more gifting and eating with them Sextons. We pull up to the sight of Leah riding around on her new tricycle, so she's having a blasty blast. We spend the rest of the day rocking gifts, consoling Laurence over his tooth/teeth, eating fantastic food and taking scattered naps. We eventually head back to Waldorf with Little Miss in tow, the rest of the Sexton party to follow the next day. Oh - and Chris apparently can't make soup. I know this sounds dumb, but I will out-dumb him soon enough.

I don't remember doing much on Friday... picked up some stuff around town, watched both WALL-E and Beowulf, going out to Mexico for dinner, not much else. But the ride home after dinner was interesting. Get ready for dumb! Chris and I evaluated our beer situation at the house and deemed it inadequate, so we made a stop on the way back. He stayed in the car with Laurence while I ran inside to get 12 bottles of whatever. I quickly do so, then come outside to see what I think is Chris standing outside, leaning into the car to fix up Lars in his seat. I decide the best signal for "we're ready to go" is to sit down in the shotgun seat and close the door. But instead of hearing, "let's roll," I get in response, "Ummm... can I help you?" I slowly notice how the seats feel a little different... wouldn't you know I got into some strangers' car while the mom was fixing up her own child in the back. They were surprisingly cool about it, considering they could've thought way worse of me and come after me. But we're still not sure who's got the better story: me or them? *shrugs*

Saturday meant building a train set for Leah. Why? I don't know. My cooperation in this obviously proves I'm just the muscle and not the brains. Stupid train set demanded some of both, though. After conquoring that, I packed up to head home, where Dad and I promptly signed my lease for another year at Mt. Marley. Spicy, meaty foodage was eaten, and then I had peace again. I spent the rest of the weekend just relaxing and doing things on my own schedule. It was nice.

That's pretty much it. As usual, I made out like a bandit for gifts this year: some movies, a couple shirts, wine glasses, kitcheny stuff, new Guitar Hero game, Shel Silverstein book, musical train ornament, framed picture of the kids, and (eventually) a new timing belt and water pump for my car. Lotsa good stuff, no real excess. I like.

Beach Week

2008-10-07T04:47:00.000-07:00

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?

EDIT!!

2008-09-20T06:30:00.000-07:00

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.

UMD vs. Cal Observations

2008-09-16T22:08:00.000-07:00

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."

Re: Tyrod Taylor back in

2008-09-04T20:59:00.000-07:00

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.

In Beamer we trust.

2008-09-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

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!

As the dust settles

2008-08-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

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.

Blogger, meet Twitter. Twitter, Blogger.

2008-07-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

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!)

It's getting hot in here...

2008-07-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

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...

Little things

2008-07-02T20:07:00.000-07:00

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!

Lord, beer me strength...

2008-05-28T20:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Brinner is served!

2008-05-08T18:42:00.001-07:00

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.

Words I kept to myself

2008-04-28T20:10:00.000-07:00

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.

Tonight, I touched a little Heaven

2008-04-19T20:07:00.000-07:00

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.

It's official:

2008-04-08T21:42:00.000-07:00

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!

That's the new thing?

2008-03-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

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?

Old people swearing = instant comedy!

2008-03-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

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

Part II: I Dunno...

2008-03-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

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.

My Freshman Y- zzzzzz...

2008-03-09T20:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Best. Boss. Ever.

2008-02-29T21:20:00.000-08:00

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.

Ironsomethong

2008-02-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

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...

Midnight meme

2008-01-30T22:44:00.000-08:00

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

Sometimes work is really funny.

2008-01-24T20:42:00.000-08:00

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!

Musical Frustration

2007-12-23T19:48:00.000-08:00

Despite the title, this has nothing to do with my own musical endeavors or somewhat dormant creativity of late. This story, which still somewhat upsets me, is about people I didn't know at the time, nor will I ever see them again.

Wednesday night was a fairly pleasant evening at Tyson's Corner, enjoying dinner with Nikki, Andersons and Sextons... Oh - and some DeMarcos were there as well. Dinner was quite enjoyable (save for the temperature and the long wait). But I had arrived at the mall and found the restaurant well ahead of schedule, so I ambled about to see what was to see. This includes no bathrooms and no maps. Non-peeing, easily-navigating jerkholes...

Anywho, I found my way into a Sharper Image store because I like electrons and such. They had an electric guitar starter kit, so I felt obligated to try it out and play rockstar for the rest of the crowd. The staff member that gave me the OK to play it stood around and complimented some of my crappier playing, probably thinking that he was gonna get me to buy something. Poor fool.

While I was playing and checking out the kit, a mother comes up to the salesman and starts asking about the package, particularly if it would be fitting for her 5/6-year-old son. Then the salesman said something about it being too complicated for a child of that age. The mother discussed with someone on the phone how that was the gift he was looking for: an electric guitar start-up kit. But she dismissed the purchase on account of the Sharper Asshole advice.

This is where I should've stepped in, and I still feel regret that I didn't. Honestly, I don't know who to be more angry with: the mother or the salesman. The mother shouldn't have listened to the salesman, who obviously hasn't held a guitar in his life. This is what her son wanted, and it was a good-quality kit. "Too complicated" my ass... Yes, it's a very complex and diverse instrument, but you don't have to be a technical master to use it as an outlet of musical passion. And shame on that guy for indirectly telling a kid he's not good enough for something. Something he might have a great passion and dream for, no less. I hope they both realized their mistakes later on, and I hope the kid plays whatever the hell he wants, no matter who says he can't.

I am obviously a huge advocate of making music a part of people's lives. Yeah, sometimes I come off very opinionated and condescending in my tastes and knowledge. But if someone's heart is behind making a sound that's beautiful and moving to them, who am I to judge? It's not our love of the same music that unites us, but rather the love itself. Love without limitations, and turn up the volume as high as you can stand.

I'm registering WetRiffs.com. Let's get on this.

2007-12-13T18:22:00.000-08:00

Here's my 20+ quirks that some might find weird, but others might see as endearing. Enjoy and feel free to remind me of anything I forgot. (Now get that post back up, Laurel!)

1. I make equations out of my odometer readout, and also get excited when it's a palindrome.
2. I can't dance worth anything.
3. I am very opinionated about music.
4. My skills in the kitchen are quite lacking. I am content with bagel bites or PBnJ.
5. I travel to see my family almost every weekend.
6. I do my grocery shopping at 11 PM.
7. I rock out hard in public and don't care who sees me.
8. I would rather talk online than on the phone.
9. I am extremely hesitant to share romance details with my family, mainly the parents.
10. I read books about science, death and cadavers and it doesn't bother me.
11. I'm not antisocial, but I have a hard time with new people.
12. Sometimes I'm a spiteful jerk on the road.
13. I quote movies, TV and Homestar Runner... a LOT.
14. I overthink just about everything.
15. I don't feel guilty about spending my time reading.
16. I might love hoodies and sweatpants a little too much.
17. I can still use various body parts to make fart sounds.
18. I love playing both my PS2 and Wii. I am a gaming nerd, though not to the creepy extent.
19. I really enjoy the comfort of not wearing pants.
20. I have a strange fondness for fire, and a hint of pyromania.

Bonus quirks!
21. If I'm about to rinse my hair out in the shower, I always rinse my lathery hands off first.
22. I believe the 5-second rule is totally relative. The 3 factors are what you dropped, what did it land on, and will anyone see you if you pick it up?
23. I relate very closely to several XKCD strips. (http://xkcd.com/238/, http://xkcd.com/252/, http://xkcd.com/150/, http://xkcd.com/231/, http://xkcd.com/337/ and http://xkcd.com/175/) Okay - I gotta stop; that could keep going on and on....
24. I can flip small pieces of food or candy nose-to-mouth.
25. I will still go ballistic over bubblewrap. Bigger bubbles = greater excitement!

New job: check; big raise: check; asshole patients: check.

2007-12-07T18:38:00.000-08:00

So today wrapped up my first week of full-time work at my new job in Columbia. I'm not sure I've explained it much to people, but I'm now an Exercise Specialist. No more silly gopher work for me! I do some work with cardiac rehab patients, basically taking vitals every so often and keeping them on track with their routines. I will also be doing some personal training with patients that need some one-on-one supervision. Oh - and the Biodex. The Biodex is a big machine that we can use for all sorts of things, but some companies will send us interviewees to make them take a strength test that's relevant to their job. Lots of new toys and protocols to learn, lots of people to interact with, lots of excitement. Overall, it's been a good first week.

It's really strange having that "new guy" label again, especially after being the veteran and go-to-guy of Pasadena. I think I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself to impress these people and connect with them, but it's probably too much. I know from my sport psychology that team cohesion comes from success more than success comes from cohesion. But I don't feel like one of the crowd yet. It's kind of intimidating to be in such a huge facility with so many people. And with so many people comes so little time to see each of them. I dunno... At least I'm not pressing myself on people and trying too hard, but I'm anxious to hit that comfort/reliability zone. But then this was only the first week.

Did I mention that this is a major raise for me? Yeah. So when my boss called me a few months ago and told me I was the #1 guy on his list for this job, I was psyched. Then when he tossed out a salary number, I thought he was kidding. It's more than double my income as an experienced, skilled tech! PLUS, I'm gonna get paid for my travel miles! We might not log new miles, but just compensate me for old miles driven, but that's like 1.5 years times 30 miles. Ka-CHING! This means there's a good chance I could be emancipated from my dependence on Mom-n-Dad Welfare, Inc. That would be so awesome! Now... what to do with all this extra cash? :P

What does this mean for grad school? I dunno yet. I'm certain that I'm not gonna pursue anything in the next year. I want to really work my way into this job before I start fading out for academic crap again. Do I want a PTA, a DPT or just keep it up with my new spot? I dunno yet, but I've got more time to think it thru. I'm happy because I know I'm making these decisions for me and me alone. I have nobody's model to live up to or standard to meet. I just have to set and work for my own goals.

And now it's story time! Please keep your arms and legs inside the blog at all times. Also secure any loose items you may have brought on with you including purses, wallets, jewelry and other items I will keep if you forget them. Here we go... So Columbia is supposed to be one of those business-thick, rich, snobby areas. I've heard some stories of patients being very blunt, intrusive and rude, but my reception so far has been very welcoming and pleasant. Maybe it's because our population is typically much older, and old people are trying to be nice so they get into Heaven when they die next weekend or whatever. :P But I had my first two encounters today.

#1: I had to be there at 6:45 this morning. That suuuuucked. But I got there and let in all the fitness program people that just want to work out super-early. Most people know my policy on being up before the sun, but I make the effort. So they all get to work and I kick on the radio so they'll have some background noise. But the reception seems to be kinda finicky, so I sometimes have to search around for a station (a GOOD station) that isn't fading in and out. 99.5 will play fine as long as I stand up on my chair in a certain position, but I'm not doing that. First I get a complaint about static, so I try searching around again. The stations I'm used to hearing are kinda hit-or-miss. So before I found something steady I heard one of the older guys commenting how "the new guy just wants to play with buttons." Bite me, sir. My job has nothing to do with keeping you musically entertained. I never let on that I heard him, but I was still annoyed that my attempts to please were seen as just messing around. Bah - go die already.

#2: There's this hilarious old lady we call Dot that comes in and keeps us occupied. We like giving her a hard time and she likes giving it back. Those are the best patients, the ones that you can joke with and be sarcastic and they'll dish it right out to you. So I was standing around talking with her while I was starting to walk back to my desk. I joked about how I had to quit listening to her and go do my job. That's when Fatty McEavesdropperson kept her eyes on her book, but not-so-directly addressed me with, "That (listening to the patient) IS your job." Bitch, I know what my job is. And I don't care what she thinks of me because she doesn't know me and how I like to interact with patients. Again, didn't say anything to her, but just irked me a bit.

One week down, many more to go. I have a long weekend, so that should be quite enjoyable (despite the total lack of college football). I'm gonna spend some time reading since my queue is piling up, and hopefully take care of some Christmas shopping. Oh - and everyone be safe on the roads with all this snow/sleet/crap hitting. H to the oight!

I'm thankful that Thanksgiving is over!

2007-11-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you, kids, it's been one crazy year at Fat Camp. No - I'm not still one of the pudgy overweight camp-kids. I've moved up to being one of the fat counselors and bunk managers that make you go, "Wait - why am I listening to this fatter-ass? He's still fat..."

Okay, so that's not entirely true. But I have been enjoying this lengthy break from work on the longest span of not-working since last Christmas. It was a pretty good holiday. But as my title suggests I'm quite happy to be back at my apartment where it's quiet and predictable and under control. But lemme back it up and take you thru the highlights reel! (Please queue up your own flashback music/sound effects.)

This was probably the easiest Thanksgiving our family has done in a long time. It was just me, the parents, the niece and Kelly and Chris. I got my nap in early that day, then enjoyed some scattered football viewing. Then Leah slept thru most of dinner, so that was quiet. Well, except when we almost made Kelly wet herself with laughter over having extra surplus of mashed potatoes. I dunno how it got that funny, but it was great. Some friends from church came over later for dessert, so more noise was made and Wii games were played. I still have some cherry pie and 4-layer pie in my fridge, but it won't last long.

Friday was pretty chill. Let the record state that I did zero shopping. I wasn't about to go fight my way thru the hordes of rabid savings-driven people. I'm not that patient and I know it. I mostly goofed off until I got a call from my TKD buddy Hayley telling me I should come over and visit. So I drove over and got to meet her cute little daughter. We had some difficulty in ordering and retrieving some carry-out, but we finally came back with mini-burgers and steak, a winning combo every time. By the time I went home, there were two more parents in the house: parents of the Anderson variety. So we all had another good dinner together: PORK SHOULDER! And of course, more pie for dessert.

Then yesterday was kinda interesting... It started with me making a poor trip to Kohls, getting my gas cap crushed, then driving to Burke. We met up with my aunt and uncle and my cousins for brunch. We took lots of nice pictures outside, then raced inside for the Va. Tech game. Hokies made me sweat a little again, but they pulled it out like they should have. Should be a good ACC Champs game this week! So it was a great family encounter until the following dialog came to be with my aunt:

Aunt: ...it was nice seeing you again. You should know you're in my prayers every day.
Me: Okay, what for?
Aunt: Y'know, so you can find someone right for you and (blah blah blah).
Me: Yeah, I'm trying not to worry much about that right now.
Aunt: Oh, right. I'm not worried either.
Me: Umm... yes you are! (She DID just say she was praying every day, right?!)
Aunt: Well, is it wrong of me to be praying for you? I just want you happy.

This annoys me about my Aunt Nancy. She acts as if I am less of a person or incomplete because I'm not paired off yet. It took me a while to realize it, but I am a whole person by myself and I don't need someone else to complete me. Having someone to compliment and add to me would be nice, but I am not missing something because I'm single. It's not really so horrible, so what if I'm happy like this? Is she praying against my happiness? Grrrr - silly old people.

Anywho, I stuck around Burke after everyone else had left... watched more football, ate more pork shoulder sammiches, ambled around Target. I eventually drove back to my place, and I'm greatly appreciating the quiet I've found. It's kinda like a buffer day between those rigors and then going back to work. I'm gonna take care of some minor shopping things, then just lounge around and read. Hope everyone else had a good one. Hoight!

PS - I encountered some crappy traffic here and there, but one big bag of douche stand out in my mind. I think the rudest thing you can do to someone on the road is flash your brights from behind as a get-out-of-the-way signal. Discuss and cite examples.

Best. Uncle. EVER.

2007-10-22T16:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have doubted my abilities to perform up to par in my role as an uncle, and I'm sure times will come that uncertainty sneaks up again, but I am now thoroughly convinced that I am THE best uncle there has ever been. All my thanks to Leah for making this so. Here's how I know...

I got back to Waldorf late Saturday night, so all the ladies (including Leah) were fast asleep. It wasn't until the next morning that we saw each other. I stumbled sleepily downstairs and heard Leah, Kelly and Dad in the living room. I peeked around the corner and squeaked to get her attention. Then it happened: she turned, recognized me, then ran across the room with a jubilant growl/laugh and arms outstretched for a full-contact hug. Kelly informed me that that was the happiest she had been all morning. I believe it because I remember some alarming crying from early morning. No more.

Fast-forward *badoop baDOOP* to lunchtime. Her father has lovingly prepared a grilled cheese sammich for her and sliced it into handy triangles. I am meanwhile juggling her in the living room and we decide to sit at the computer desk and watch the fish swim all around (as the screensaver). Leah loves her fish. So she kinda lounges on me while Chris looks for her highchair. Having no luck, we decide she seems content enough just sitting on my lap and fish-watching. She hums to herself and snacks on her lunch, but also handing me alternate bites so I can enjoy it too. It's so simple, isn't it? Eating lunch, watching digital fish, being happy. Yes - I rule. A-thank you.

HOIGHT!

2007-10-17T23:52:00.001-07:00

1. When you're home alone, do you still close the door when you shower?
nope

2. Has a friendship ended recently that you wish hadn't?
nope

3. It is your friend's birthday; do you buy them a gift even though they didn't (buy you one)?
maybe a card - I'm poor

4. You win the $300 million power-ball lottery. What do you do?
get my family set for life, set up niece's college fund, stock up on music gear, go to every concert I want, buy tons of books, finally get my Trans Am WS-6, then save the rest for things that I need or charitable causes

5. Do you like your music loud or at a reasonable level?
yes

6. Are you a beach person or a snowy mountain person?
I've been on the snowy mountain once.... never again. Beaches for me.

7. When do you prefer to take a shower, morning or night?
either one

8. Can you watch scary movies alone?
sure

9. Soft bed or firm?
middle

10. Would you rather stay home all day, or be out and about?
Depends on.... mood, company, weather, destination, cost. But a lazy day in with a book, movie or just playing guitar sounds awesome.

11. What's one of your worst memories?
Going to my first funeral, the one for my Grandpa Tullos, and seeing his body in the open casket. Surreal.

12. Do you like to keep the peace or be confrontational?
It's possible to keep the peace BY being confrontational. I pick my fights, but I'll call "asshole" if you make me.

13. Are you more likely to be with a large group of people or a few close?
a few close friends

14. What are your plans for October?
hopefully start working at my new location, more reading, getting reading for holiday shopping ideas, stay warm

15. Where would you like to live?
Free Country, USA.... StrongBadia... maybe get a little place on the moon, I dunno...

16. What is your ideal profession?
rockstar

17. What's on your mind right now?
Do I want to eat something now or try to blow off the hunger by going to sleep?

18. What is one fear that you can't seem to overcome?
ending up alone (as quoted by Nikkipedia)

19. Are you good at math?
I'm awesometastic at it.

20. What's stashed under your bed?
absolutely nothing... it's all tossed in my closet

21. Is there anyone you regret ever meeting?
Yeah, a few people, but those are long stories.

22. In the opposite sex, where should their piercing(s) be?
don't care

23. Would you rather have roommates or live alone?
alone

24. Do you like to drive?
when I don't have to deal with other drivers

(Uh.... #25, where are you?)

26. What is your favorite thing to wear?
black Fender Guitars hoodie

27. If you found out that you were going to be a parent, what would you do?
make sure she got the right phone number

28. Do you give money to homeless people when they ask?
No, but I gave a homeless lady in College Park a pair of flip-flops so she wouldn't burn her feet, but that bitch sold 'em off or something!

29. A weekend in Las Vegas or Key West?
Vegas

30. Ever had ugly thoughts about someone you love?
sure -- everyone breaks down at some point (just like Megan said)

31. Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something?
not that I've heard of, but I know I've done the angry breaking before

32. You have 3 months left to live, what do you do?
write some life reflections, give my most valued things away, get more tattoos

33. You're having a bad day, what's one thing that can make your day better?
vent to anyone that listens, chat with Nikki, play some guitar, watch The Office episodes, read

34. What's worse: Tanning bed or Sun Rays?
tanning beds - they create lazy, tan people

35. Is there anything you would change about your body if you could?
yes.... yes there is

36. You wake up in an unfamiliar place, what is your first reaction?
am I really awake?

37. Is there anything that you should be doing right now?
brushing my teeth and going to bed

38. If there was a way to know when and how you're going to die, would you like to find out?
never

39. What is your favorite breakfast?
scrambled eggs with diced ham and grated cheese, plain bagel with apricot jam, orange juice, sausage and bacon... or Mt. Dew and pop-tarts

40. Your phone rings at 4 am, who do you expect it to be?
a wrong number

41. Last thing you ate?
leftover pizza for dinner

42. One place you will NEVER eat at?
Great Wall

43. How do you feel about your ex?
Which one? I guess I'm mostly at peace about them all.

44. Last person you hugged?
my dad

47. Do you go to school?
probably grad school coming up

48. What's your relationship with the people on your top friends?
all family or friends.... 'cept Atreyu - they got bumped up after I deleted Jered's old account, but they still fucking rock

(What the crap happened to #49? Hell, I'll make my own up)
49. Ever had any interesting celebrity meetings?
Good question! I've been on stage with Kevin Smith, chatted briefly with Dr. Drew and have gotten personal e-mails from Stephen Lynch, Henry Rollins and Christopher Moore.

50. What exactly are you wearing?
black Adidas track pants and low-cut heel socks (yes, and boxers... sicko!)

Well, fuck...

2007-10-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

We got a new tech hired at work last week, so that was a big relief. Sadly, there was a death in the family, so she had to be out for the rest of the week. Then she let us know that she'd be back on Wednesday (yesterday). Then apparently we got another call yesterday saying she wouldn't be in again. The question came up of when we would see her again. I don't know her answer verbatim, but it involved her not coming back at all. Something about having to stay with her husband and help him cope. Seriously? Well, fuck...

I'm a little pissed off at her for such a shoddy excuse. When we were trying to hire people, she was VERY persistent about calling us and seeing when she could start. We told her to give us a week to find out from corporate ('cause they take that long), but she called back in maybe 2 days. She obviously wanted to work. But now I guess nobody needs to work in her family, so she didn't need the job that bad. What bugs me even more is that we spent nearly 2 months trying to get new techs hired, we finally get one, but it all turns to dust. Once again, I am the ONLY tech. Aside from this making a lot of work for me, it means I can't really take any time off. Me not coming in basically means I will have double the work to do when I come back. It's all on me! 2.5 years and I'm still doing the most petty bullshit tasks because I have no underlings.

Anywho, half of my jaw is still numb from dental work, but I should be good in a couple hours. Guess I'll just head off to work and try to put on a smile. Look the crap out, world - here I come!

I'm a bad person sometimes!

2007-10-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

So today was an absolutely sucktastic day at work. I took to throwing things (just pens and highlighters) and mumbling angry things louder than usual. I honestly think Charlene decided to take today off for a 3-day weekend. But she never called to let us know she wouldn't be in, so that made things craptacular for the rest of us. Patients were forgetful of their appointment times, impatient, and certain ones were just plain annoying and useless. We really get treated like crap sometimes and I do a bad job of hiding how pissed I am. I will tell people my day is going to crap. Is that so wrong?

I dunno... but this is definitely (funnily) wrong. There was some news story about how blind people are scared of these new quiet-running cars. They're claiming they're at a disadvantage for safety and will get hit and killed. I thought that was bullshit, so my sick humor kicked in with me saying, "Isn't that just Darwin in action?" I mean, you either adapt or we weed you out. Then they cut to some blind guy that was protesting (which I'm guessing involved very little marching about) and he was voicing his thoughts while kinda staring off into nowhere. I wanted SO badly to snap my fingers and go, "Sir? Camera's over here... thanks."

Yeah, sometimes I'm a bad person. But good or bad, I am awesome. I bequeath unto myself one high-five. *SHING!* Later.

Weekend Stuffs

2007-09-17T07:58:00.001-07:00

I promised myself I would get some half-assed blogging done before I went off to work today. I get the impression this is gonna be more Nikki-style, several little topics, but nothing too detail-laden.

Numero uno... please please PLEASE don't ever compare Jethro Tull to Metallica. It's ignorant and insulting. I'm tired of hearing that analogy: "Y'know they were Metallica before Metallica?" No, they weren't.

I realized more than ever before that I could destroy my entire financial situation with a single trip to Borders if I practice less self-restraint. I had to start saving titles as contacts in my cell phone. Nikki also makes me very aware that of the dozen books I want, there's another two dozen I haven't heard of. It's like reading is my crack. I remember saying something to Laurel once like, "It's a good thing Barnes and Noble doesn't sell crack!"

I was very active this weekend. Not only did I take TKD class, but I also went out for a lap around Wakefield right after that. PLUS, I jogged the last mile of it. I'm still not in great shape, but I'm not going downhill like I once was.

I walked out Sunday morning to get the newspaper and felt it: that Autumn chill. You know what that means, kiddies? HOODIE SEASON!!! Granted, I've got about a dozen different ones already, but would it really hurt to have a couple more to really feel safe and warm? No.

That's all for now. Got plenty more to blog, so keep harassing me and maybe I'll do it. Hoight!

I'm not dead yet!

2007-09-11T19:08:00.000-07:00

Warning: no worthwhile blog is contained in this posting! Proceed with caution!

Soooo.... I suck at blogging. I haven't posted anything anywhere in nearly 2 months. What the crap?! There's been tons going on and I've got loads on my mind. I just haven't been motivated to write. Maybe I should write more... if for no other reason, to get it out in words for myself to understand. Y'know, like those letters you wrote to your ex, but never put in the mail. More to come later. Bear with me.

Renee: "That's stupid. How about to... oh! To Steve and Barry's!" Me: "Hell yeah to Steve and Barry's!"

2007-07-22T21:32:00.000-07:00

I have yet to sit down and compose my philosophy blog based on recent readings (Metallica and Phil.), so I'll do something easier and talk about my awesome weekend. It really couldn't have been much better.

Saturday started off with very loose plans for me and Renee to go to this mall in Baltimore. It's the only place around with a Steve and Barry's store, which sells very affordable school sportswear and lots of other stuff. Despite our best searching, we couldn't find a UMBC hoodie for Renee, but I hit the jackpot. I managed to get 3 t-shirts and a hoodie for about $40. I bought a $15 hoodie. Let that sink in: I bought a $15 hoodie! We ambled around the mall a bit in a Billy-from-Family-Circus manner, then eventually left after declaring the stop a success. We stopped by Rita's on the way home so that added a little extra happiness. Oh - big pats on the back for my driving skills and Renee's kick-ass navigation as my co-pilot.

When we got back to Renee's apartment, I naturally got out of the car and walked inside with her and the other guy that went with us. We played some Brain Age on the Wii (I'm dumb) and decided we would all have dinner there. Upon calling OD (her bf), Renee confirmed that we would order some pizzas and walk over to stock up on drinks. Suggestions of making it a car-bomb night were greeted with joy and frivolity. So we had a lively evening of Wii games, drinking, confusing techno, Lode Runner nostalgia and plenty of Mario Kart 64 (fucking blue shells!). I sobered up and left probably around 1:30 am.

Sunday was even more fun with a whole new crowd. All of the family came up to my place, so that gave me sufficient motivation to clean the crap outta my whole place. It doth now shine like a pretty, sparkling jewel! Anywho, some people napped while others played games. Then we gathered our butts up and had an awesome lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise. I think we're close to confirming that Mini-Cheeseburgers are the greatest invention of mankind. Seriously - isn't that proof that we've evolved into something better? We had some nice live music and Leah showed her appreciation by waving and clapping for the girl playing. Then we wandered back to the apartment to relax. Various naps of various lengths were had, then we went down to the pool to splash it up. Leah definitely hearts the water, such that she squeaks with joy. I might have to call her Squeakers again. Or Awesome... because she is. Then we all dried off and all the peoples went home. I finally took my nap. It. Was. GREAT!

I finally got up, showered off the chlorine, ate some dinner and decided to blog. This brings us to now. That pretty much brings us to the end as well. I don't have to work until noon, so gonna sleep in a bit. Lots more blogging to come, so stay tuned and keep leaving funny comments - you know who you are! Later.

"Meme... not a Youyou."

2007-07-15T19:31:00.000-07:00

Here's a meme that I promised Nikki I'd do. I thought she was being kinda short-worded with it until I saw that it's a one-word meme. That's gonna make this interesting.

1. Where is your mobile phone? desk
2. Relationship? progressing...
3. Your hair? messy
4. Work? stressful
5. Your sister(s)? Momtastic
6. Your favorite thing? music
7. Your dream last night? Trujillo?!
8. Your favorite drink? Dew
9. Your dream car? TransAm
10. The room you're in? bedroom
11. Your shoes? shoes...?
12. Your fears? future
13. What do you want to be in 10 years? healthy
14. Who did you hang out with this weekend? Chris
15. What are you not good at? surrendering
16. Muffin? please!
17. Wish list item? fitness
18. Where you grew up? Waldorf
19. The last thing you did? laundry
20. What are you wearing? boxers
21. What are you not wearing? pants
22. Your pet? dumb
23. Your computer? new!
24. Your life? interesting
25. Your mood? comfy
26. Missing? Grandpa
27. What are you thinking about? reading
28. Your car? Civic
29. Your kitchen? spacious
30. Your summer? worktastic
31. Your favorite color? red
32. Last time you laughed? today
33. Last time you cried? dunno
34. School? later...
35. Love? unique

Take it if you want it!

Slept in until noon, sooooo...

2007-07-14T09:26:00.000-07:00

I haven't written much of anything in a while and figured I should do another entry before I receive more threatening comments about how I need to blog more. I haven't had much very interesting stuff going on, so I'll take the Nikki approach and just list some stuff out. Oh - but I was nominated for a Rockin' Girl Blog by Laurel. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about that, so I'll accept (however I do that) and just assume that I rock faces off.

I finished two more books: Metallica & Philosophy and The Stupidest Angel. I recommend the previous to anyone that is interested in learning more about their own identity and morals. It goes well beyond the band. (I'll write much more on this later.) And the latter was pretty good, too. Christopher Moore is moving up in my list of preferred authors because he is so hilarious and original. It wasn't as good as A Dirty Job, but it was certainly worth the time.

My boss called me "unreliable in the morning" behind my back. Fortunately, everyone seems to like me more than him. He's pretty much a joke to all of us. It's time to start looking for new work. I am aware I don't have the body to strip, so alternative must be sought. Suggestions are welcome. Anyone want a bodyguard?

I've been to the pool twice now. The water was a little cold last night, but I didn't let that ruin it. There wasn't anyone else there except the lifeguard, and I think he might have been checking me out. I did a few laps back and forth, felt accomplished and lied out in the setting sun for a bit.

My place needs a serious cleaning from the Cleaning Fairies. That's all you need to know.

I guess I should get on with my day. I've got a meme to fill out by Nikki's mandate, a book to buy, clothes to put on, food to eat and a tournament at UMD to go watch. Consider this a warm-up blog. It's nothing sweet, but I'm gonna use it to hit a good bloggin' pace again. Hoight!

A pimp's love is very different from that of a square.

2007-06-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Okay, first order of business: have you seen Idiocracy? No? Do it... hilarious movie. It's by Mike Judge, same dude that did Office Space. But don't expect more Office Space. It's another brand of humor, hypothesizing that our world is headed for mass-stupidity. I mean, look at Paris - she's ahead of the curve! Moving on...

I've been antsy about getting some writing done lately, and this came with varied results. One night I sat at my desk for nearly 2 hrs and barely anything to show. Another night I drove home with something original in mind and it just came out with a little patience. Is this what being an author or musician is like? Definitely still in little league. Anywho, here are the previously mentioned pieces. Music to follow when I'm better at that too. :P

(currently untitled) (2007)

On I’ll go
Going nowhere fast, picking up speed.
You can’t know
It’s not what I want, it’s what I don’t need.

Highway bound
Going through zip codes faster than cigarettes.
Hallowed ground
I left behind good times, not just regrets.

On I’ll go
Going nowhere fast, picking up speed.
You can’t know
It’s not what I want, it’s what I don’t need.

Coffee black
No one wants answers, no one’s my boss.
One-man pack
I once was found, but I’d rather get lost.

On I’ll go
Going nowhere fast, picking up speed.
You can’t know
It’s not what I want, it’s what I don’t need.

No more ties
I race the horizon, but she always wins.
No goodbyes
Don’t feel much ‘cept the burn of the wind.

Found my peace
Chasing east
Final song
Now I’m gone.

Yeah - I haven't even got a title for that one yet. Suggestions are certainly welcome. This next one came a little tougher because I was trying to tie in lots of thoughts from a book I've been reading lately. I'm learning about my own philosophy and realizing how it aligns with lots of older thoughts (Aristotle, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, etc.).

My Revolt (2007)

My life’s greatest battle
Is fighting tide and time.
Must make sure I win this,
Make it all mine.
So go do what you want
But I won’t be in the crowd.
Each step I take, eyes open.
I won’t follow blind or bowed.

I will invent.
I will invert.
I will separate myself from you.
It’s not for wealth.
Sing for myself.
I’ll scream as loud as I want to.

I won’t put down your path,
But I’ve gotta walk my own.
Your message doesn’t work for me
So I’ll just stick to my song.
March in deepened footprints,
Too afraid of being heard.
Living for another’s cause
Is nothing but absurd.

I will invent.
I will invert.
I will separate myself from you.
It’s not for wealth.
Sing for myself.
I’ll scream as loud as I want to.

I only question ‘cause I care.
The standard isn’t good enough for me.
This beaten path, it goes nowhere.
Stop looking and really try to see.

So suck it up,
And fuck it up.
Never mind what the others do.
Write a new rule.
Use a new tool.
I’ll live for me, you live for you.

You make me want to quit sharing myself.

2007-06-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

Dad really upset me this evening, and maybe it's something ridiculous and minuscule, but it really hit a nerve.... hard. My dad is very proud of my creative side, mostly my lyric writing, and that's great. I pour myself into my work and try to make sure it's genuine and meaningful. What upset me was that he told me about sharing my work with someone else he knows from work, but didn't bother to ask if he could first. I take my work very personally and I guess I thought it would be a gesture of courtesy to say, "I would like to share your work with someone I know that I think would really appreciate it. Is that okay?" But what really annoys me is that this has happened before. He took it upon himself to spread MY work elsewhere, so that's when I told him I'd rather be asked first. But now it seems that is too much to ask of him.

Now is where we get into the debate of how "public" my song already are. I have put a lot of my pieces online and unrestricted. In theory, this means the entire net-surfing population can see my poetry or songetry, so I'll say 3.3 billion people are reading my blog. (This is under the random guess that 50% on the global population either has no net access or has AOL, which is basically the same thing. Of course, this figure also neglects the language barrier that would filter out another sizable chunk.) I would be willing to bet that 95% of the people that come across my writings are people that actually know me. There might be a few random peeks here and there, but the majority are friends that are intentionally checking my stuff out. And of those regulars, I doubt that any of them copy/paste my writings or send links around for people to check it out. It's nobody's to show off but my own. I thought I'd found a medium to share with those whose opinions actually count to me, but it seems I need to narrow this down. All that said, I'm fairly calm now. I realize he's acting out of pride, and it's such a thing to explode over. It may just mean I have to set certain parameters on who can view my ramblings and writings. Suggestions?

I have been writing, though. I tried to sit down and force something out for a couple hours last night, but it went very rough. I might have something I would post as a rough draft, but I wanna do some second-impression revisions first. It's still not coming out naturally for me.

The Yin and Yang of an Audiophile

2007-06-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

Back in my junior English class we wrote short papers on illusions, and I made mine about the illusion of how I'll always have time to do whatever. I made the realization that this is incredibly false, and that I'm only damaging myself with my late-to-bed/early-to-rise routine. I'm not saying I've made any progress in that area, but rather I've made another discovery about myself, and easily confirmed it over the last couple weeks.

I've kinda joked about it before, but now I know the two polar opposites that attract me in the world of sound. Of course there's the driving rhythms and flighty solos and soulful growls of Metallica (just as one example). I love getting caught in the frenzy, falling victim to the mood of the song and just embracing the overpowering volume, sometimes to the point of doing my body physical harm. So is it any surprise that the other sweetest sound to me is absolute silence? It's so rare to actually find, but there is no other peace like it. No traffic, no phones, no buzzing machines, no fussy babies, no background conversations, no radio or television... just nothing. Even if the breeze were to pick up a bit and rustle some trees, you'd be tempted to "shush" it, and then scold yourself for an unnecessary exhalation. I miss that total silence, especially since it seems to be best for my writing. (Insert segue here.)

I need to get back to writing. I have many things pushing and signaling me to exercise my creativity more, so I just gotta sit down and crank some work out. I wish it wasn't such hard work for me to do. Maybe I overthink and complicate my writing process, but I feel like there's some skilled core that I've yet to reach. Little help?

It's a nice blend between Tag and Jigglyball.

2007-05-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

The rules:
Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
At the end of your post you need to tag 8 people and include their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged and to read your blog.

1. The last time I went to Disney, I accidentally undid the parking break on a mega-golfcart.... on a slight incline. I managed to hold it still while Mom found the brake. This was 5 mins into our arrival at the condo.

2. I managed to enroll in two semesters of Beginner's and Intermediate Karate at UMD while I was already a 2nd degree black belt.

3. I get major whiplash at almost every single rock concert I go to, but I still do it every time.

4. I have the worst case of delayed reaction: I randomly figured out a Calvin and Hobbes joke some eight years after I originally got the book.

5. I have never broken any bone in my body.

6. I once e-mailed Henry Rollins after he made an appearance at UMD... and he freakin' wrote back!!!

7. I sometimes wonder if I could've been a music major in college.... or a rockstar now.

8. Y'know when you get a gift card or credit card or something adhered to a papery surface with those thin lines of sticky whatever? I REALLY enjoy peeling that junk off and rolling it up in a ball!

Okay, I'm taking the Sutton Defense. I really have nobody to tag, so I'm being an outlaw. But just wait until I start one of these bad boys myself! Until then, I gotta go stretch for Jigglyball.

It has come to this.

2007-05-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

Well, after years of peer pressure and frustration with not being able to post everything I feel like posting... I have a secret blog. Ssshh! Don't go spreading it around! Then it will just make it less of a super-cool secret for you to know about. I only have a vague idea of what all I'll shamelessly post here: some poetry and songs, some venting, some daydreaming, some random daily happenings. But whatever I write, I don't expect to filter myself on account of my audience. I'll write what I want and leave out what I don't want.

So do you feel like you moves one step closer to getting on the roller coaster ride? I don't. Not expecting this to be so wild, but maybe it'll skyrocket later. Nothing like a rocket-kick to the gut in blog form. You heard me.... ROCKET kick. Enjoy.