Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure

“Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?”

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Wednesday
It snowed through the night. We woke up to a lovely blanket of Mother Nature’s laughter. It continued, intermittently, through the day and seemed to have exhausted itself by late afternoon.

Tonight was Game Night. We actually seemed to accomplish something. Which goes under the “good thing” heading. It’s also “good” because I’ve been on the fence as to whether I wanted to remain a part of this game; tonight’s session makes me want to stay with it for a while longer.

Stray Toasters

  • I just had a couple of bars from Van Morrison’s Moondance play on the radio my head.
  • Were-Tribbles!
  • The 2005 Official Star Wars Fan Film Awards
  • I finally got VNC to play nicely with others. I still don’t know why it wasn’t working properly, but apparently a fresh installation has taken care of the problem.
  • Always Listen to the Nerd
  • : There’s more info about Kitty Pryde: Shadow and Flame here, it’s about 2/3 of the way down the page.
  • The pre-release buzz on Sin City sounds good. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
  • Doctor Who?!? It seems as though Christopher Eccleston, the latest in a long line of actors to portray Doctor Who has quit. After one episode.
  • “My happy place is dead! YOU KILLED IT!”

  • I (finally) tried Gaim today… and liked it. I may be making the switch from Trillian.

Namaste.

“U turn on the telly and every other story is tellin’ U somebody died…”

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Tuesday
Today was my first day on the new job. Too bad that my last hour or so of sleep was so crappy. Odd dreams combined with happy-to-see-us cats made for a lot of broken sleep. Good thing that I went to bed fairly early last night.

Paperwork.
Workstation setup.
Stuff.

But, after all was said and done, I have to admit: It was a good day. Even if it’s snowing outside now. (Have I mentioned “eight months of winter” recently?) The day was capped off with dinner in the company of and . We ate at Outback. Prime rib. Tasty. I even have a little bit left over which will either be lunch or dinner tomorrow.

News
Morning Edition: DJs Face Off with Laptop Compositions
Day to Day: Traveling Across America, British-Style
All Things Considered: Ashes Found at Nazi Camp Reburied
All Things Considered: Attorney Johnnie Cochran Dies
Fresh Air: Rebuilding a Life: Who She Was

Stray Toasters

  • Thanks to , I have a added new webcomic to my list o’ favorites: Bunny
  • The Photography of Loretta Lux
  • After a two-year hiatus, May 15th is the scheduled launch for STS-114.
  • Real Doll Photography
  • : We Are Legion and Phantom Girl (v5)
  • Do we need a “…the unauthorized story” or “…the behind-the-scenes” story about every damned show that made it to the air in the 70s and 80s?

    No?

    I didn’t think so either. But, another one is one the way. About, of all things, Mork & Mindy. Yes, I watched the show as a kid. I liked it. But I don’t really give a flying rat’s ass about what happened off-camera. People lived their lives… and those lives weren’t always pretty. Go figure. I don’t need a two-hour “biopic,” of sorts, to tell me that.

  • Gizmoduck!
  • From Newsarama: Lee Bermejo on Lex Luthor: Man of Steel

    Everybody seems to be focused on thinking that Superman is a villain in our story and Lex is the good guy but that is never how it seemed to me. It always just seemed like a wonderful tragedy based on different points of view. We aren’t doing an Elseworlds story where we’re changing characters or their motivations so drastically. It just asks the question, if you are Lex Luthor, why do you hate Superman?

  • Cheetos are addictive.
  • “It’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion…”

And that’s all the news from snowy Lake Saline.

Namaste.

“Evening plane rises up from the runway…”

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Monday
We’re back.

We packed, got ready and said our goodbyes to Julie and the boys. We headed to Sonoma to see the grands, tell them goodbye and borrow their car for the trip to SF. On the way, we passed Infineon Raceway (formerly known as “Sears Point”).

Our first stop: Chinatown. We had Dim Sum at a restaurant that Sandi and Jim have been to before. Tasty. Very tasty, indeed. We walked around the area for a couple of hours and then headed to Golden Gate Park, where we toured the Japanese Tea Gardens. They were beautiful… and the flowers were not even fully in bloom.

We left there and headed to Oakland and the airport. And got stuck in a traffic jam on the SF side of the Bay Bridge. Bumper to bumper for a couple of miles and then, it just… opened up. Go figure.

When we got to the airport, we said goodbye to the in-laws and checked in at curbside. (Pre-printing your boarding passes is a very good thing, indeed.) Although our flight left a little late, we touched down right when we were scheduled to do so. And it was raining.

Put on my blue suede shoes Eastland boots
And I boarded the plane
Touched down in the land of the Delta Blues Deseret News
In the middle of the pouring rain

I wonder if it’s the rain that passed through Santa Rosa yesterday. Not that it really matters. What matters is that we had a great vacation (see Jess’ version of it here) and we need to do it again. Soon.

Tomorrow: Work. (w00t!)
I’m looking forward to it.
And I’m a little nervous.
But, more than that: I’m thankful to have a job.

Stray Toasters

  • I have LOTS of pictures from the past weekend. Maybe I’ll try have them posted by this weekend. Maybe not. We shall see.
  • Thank you, again, to for watching the kids and the house while we were gone.
  • Toes are the coefficient of damnation…

And that’s it for now.

Namaste.

“A brilliant red barchetta, from a better, vanished time…”

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Sunday
I hope that everyone had a good Easter.

The day started well. I wanted to go to a sunrise Easter service at one of the local churches, but I woke up later than I had originally intended, so that idea flamed-out. I was awakened by Jenny, Julie and the boys yelling about goodies that the Easter Bunny had left; actually, I’m Ivory Soap sure that Julie was the official reason that I was awakened… but I’m magnanimous enough to spread the blame around. Naturally, the first thing that I wanted to see was a mug, full of coffee, in my hand. And one appeared there shortly. The world then became a better place.

Jim and Sandi’s landlord, also named “Jim,” came around a little later, to show Jim his newest toy: A Ferrari 360 Spider. I don’t know if synchronized drooling is an official Olympic sport, but if it is, the boys should be signed up for try-outs. I didn’t drool, but I will admit that it is a fine – and VERY expensive – piece of automotive engineering. Jim (the landlord, not the in-law) took the boys for a ride. Then Sandi. Then Julie. I came back into the house because it was a little cooler than I liked. Someone came in and said that Jim had asked if I had wanted to take a spin. Mama didn’t raise no foolish children: I went for a ride. It was nice. Very nice. The car purred. And it went fast. Which is pretty much what you would expect from a Ferrari. Jim went for a ride after the rest of us had been; it was almost funny to watch him fold himself into the car.

After Jim (landlord, not in-law) left, we came back in and lounged about the house for a few hours. Then came lunch; today’s fare – bratwurst, hot dogs and hamburgers, cooked on the grill. That’s right, I’m almost 1000 miles from home and still got to cook out. After lunch, Jim took Jenny for a ride on his motorcycle… just as it started to rain – I can’t complain about this too much as it’s been a great weekend, weatherwise, with this exception. He and I went then went to the store to pick up a few things for dinner; I stopped at the Hollywood Video to pick up some cotton candy (I picked up a bag for each of the boys, too). We came back and there was more hanging-out-with-the-family until it was time for Sandi and Julie to take Jenny back to the airport. (When they got back, they said that the rain poured down all the way to San Francisco and that the drive was horrible.)

Dinner. Spaghetti! I didn’t eat if from the plate that Sandi got for me a few years ago: A serving plate. (Yeah… I like spaghetti. A lot.) But, it was spaghetti, nonetheless. I had two healthy servings. And they were good. After dinner, we finished watching The Incredibles, including many/most of the special features on the second DVD.

And that brings us pretty much up to now.

Tomorrow, we will collect our things, put them into our suitcases and make the trek back to San Francisco. On the way, we’re making a sidetrip to Sonoma, to say goodbye to the grandparent-units. We’re going to do a little more sightseeing and shopping before winging our way back to the Land behind the Zion Curtain. It has been a great trip – and greatly needed – and we’re already trying to make plans for a return sometime this summer or fall.

Stray Toasters

  • I talked with the parental-units, 2/3 of the sibko and my uncle today. All of them are doing well.
  • Congrats to “EveryDave,” as calls him, on his new job. I’m beginning to think that last week really was “Get a New Job Week” for some of us in SLC.
  • Thanks to for pointing out the webcam links from the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
  • Spun. Sugar. Confection.
  • Have you seen this man? I’m willing to bet that you have.
  • Morris Day has a new album!
  • I think that I am going to reconfigure ‘Nine to run a dual-monitor set-up. Possibly even a tri-monitor configuration, if I’m feeling really adventurous. 17″ monitors flanking the 21″ one. Yes, that would be a wonderful thing.
  • has devised an interesting song format. He even got a mention on boingboing.net for it.
  • “My ears are burning…”

I think that’s everything that I had to say. At least, it’s everything that I remember. If there’s more, I’m sure that it will be in morrownight’s post. But, until then…

Namaste.

“I turn my face to the sun, close my eyes and let my defenses down…”

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Saturday
Day Three of the Great Sonoma Valley Vacation draws to a close.

I’m still having a great time with the “in-laws.”

The fact that it’s sunny and warm-ish doesn’t hurt, either.

It’s odd to think of waking up at 8:30 as “sleeping in,” but there you have it. I woke up and had breakfast with the family-unit. When we finally got into gear (which takes some time when you have ten people – three of whom are 10 and under – trying to get ready), we headed to Sonoma.

We went wine tasting at The Wine Room and Sebastiani. We bought a few bottles to take back behind the Zion Curtain.

When we left Sebastiani, we headed to Sonoma’s Town Square. There was a park surrounded by shops and restaurants. We walked through the park and into some of the shops. From there, it was off to visit Grandma and Grandpa, Charlie (Jess’ uncle) and his family. We hung out there for a while and then Charlie took Jess, Grandma, Grandpa and me (individually) for a spin on his new Harley; it was nice. Very nice. Charlie and Jim got got twin ‘cycles… so I now have to get Jim to take me out for a spin on his bike. It’s all about being an equal-opportunity passenger, don’tcha know?

We came home for dinner (chicken quesadillas) and general family hanging-out. After dinner had settled, Jess, Jenny, Julie, Vikki, Connor and I went to Trader Joe’s and Target. We saw a couple of fashion don’ts. BAD ones. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen as many of those this trip as I would have expected. Oh, well. We still have two days left. Anything can happen. At Target, I saw some of the Justice League Unlimited action figure 3-packs… but they did not have the one with John Stewart in it. Dammit. I’ll have to check the local Toys ‘R’ Us and see if I can find one there.

Stray Toasters

  • I just had a rum and Pepsi night cap. It was close enough to Captain and Coke to get me by. And it was good.
  • :
    1. I like the idea of a party… but it’s going to be at least next weekend before I’m ready for it and I’m pretty sure that Other-Rob’s dance card is going to be pretty full for the next few days, as well.
    2. I hope that you were able to find someone to go to breakfast with you. I tend to forget that these things kind of… fall apart… when I’m not in town. Should I designate you as second-in-command for these things when I’m not around? I’m pretty sure that everyone would step in line if you told them where to go. And how to get there. And if they should wear their gasoline drawers. And if a handbasket is required.
  • The countryside around the wineries in Sonoma is pretty. Lots of trees and green, rolling hills. It reminds me of home – the East Coast, not Utah.
  • Yes, that IS Darius Rucker, of Hootie and the Blowfish fame, dressed up like Glenn Campbell’s proverbial Rhinestone Cowboy in the new Burger King commercials.
  • Be yourself, that’s fine
    Find yourself, there’s time
    Lose yourself, well I’m right here beside you

  • Jim and I picked up bratwurst on the way home tonight. Mm-hmm, that’s right: We’re cookin’ them up on the grill for lunch.
  • I just noticed something on TV Land’s web site: They don’t have the lyrics to the theme from The Andy Griffith Show on the “Unsung Theme Songs” page. No, I don’t know why the song was going through my head at this time of the night, but it was. (I suspect that might have had a hand in it, though.) I have emailed a comment about this to TV Land; we shall see if anything is done about it.

Tomorrow is Easter. I’m looking forward to that. There are three boys here who will wake up and expect Easter baskets and the goodies that go along with them. I don’t expect them to be quiet about that. And that I am not looking forward to. But that’s something with which I will deal after the sun is up.

Happy Easter to you and your families.

Namaste.

“Vacation, all I ever wanted…. Vacation, had to get away…”

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Friday
Day Two of the Great California Easter Vacation was every bit as good as Day One.

We went to Bodega Bay for an afternoon at the beach. And, for the second time in three years, I have touched the Pacific Ocean. It was windy and cool there, too. Windy enough that I could easily fly my kite. Cold enough that I was a bit chilly in a long-sleeved shirt. But it was fun. I even tossed the football around with the nephew-units. A little while later, part of the family-unit went walking farther up the beach… and found a dolphin carcass. It had apparently been shot, gutted and beheaded. I don’t think that I missed anything by not seeing that.

On the way back, we stopped at “Candy and Kites.” Appropriately enough, they had candy and kites there. Jess stocked us up with salt water taffy. We then went to the Bodega Bay Surf Shop. I don’t think that I’ve ever been in a non-wannabe surf shop before. We also stopped at one other place on the way home, but I don’t remember the name. *shrug* Something that I learned this afternoon, though: Bodega Bay is where Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds was filmed.

We came home for a birthday cookout for Jim’s birthday. The rest of the Sonoma/Santa Rosa-area contingent of the family came over, too. I haven’t seen them since the 2001 Disney trip, so it was good to see them. There was lots of food. Lots of free-flowing tasty beverages. Lots of people. Lots of fun.

After the party died out and everyone had left, Julie (one of Jess’ sisters) took Jess and me to downtown Santa Rosa to meet some of her friends for drinks at Third Street Aleworks. I “creatively acquired” pint glasses for Julie and me. On the way back to the car, I started singing Banana Boat (Day-O) in the parking garage. Loudly. I couldn’t help it: The acoustics were great. Julie, half-jokingly, suggested/dared that I sing Amazing Grace. I did. Also loudly. I don’t think that she expected me to do that.

Stray Toasters

  • I forgot to mention something last night: For the first time in two-and-a-half years, I got to sleep in MY bed.

    When Jess and I moved in together, we took the bed that I had bought after moving to Utah to her parents’ house for storage. So far, so good. When her parents moved a couple of years ago, the bed moved with them. We didn’t really think about/notice it until we were unpacking the moving van, but it was too late to do anything at that point. So… it has remained with them. And last night, I got to sleep on it. I found it amusing to have to wait so long to sleep on my own bed. But, it also made for a good way to claim bed-space here: “No, you can’t sleep there. That’s my bed.” And, I didn’t even have to use “Privilege of the First Born.” It just doesn’t get any better than that!

  • Congratulations to . He has been hired by Microsoft and will be leaving the inversion-prone Salt Lake Valley and relocating to Seattle. However, this is something of a mixed blessing as he will no longer be around for me to yell “Sulu!” at when he shows up for coffee.
  • I taught one of the nephew-units how to (properly) throw a football this morning. By this afternoon, his skill had greatly improved.
  • Kites GOOOD!!! *gesture*
  • Seagulls. In a non-land-locked state. Imagine that!

Now, it’s late-ish and I’m tired.

Namaste.

Quick hit from the Left Coast

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Thursday
Day One of Easter Vacation 2005 was a good one. If it can be used as an indicator of the rest of the trip, we are going to have a great time.

After getting up far too early, we finished getting ready and waited for Vikki, Jess’ stepsister, to show up at the house. She did. We loaded the car. We left. We made it to the airport, through check-in and security and the Cinnabon line without much ado. None, really. Boarded the plane and were on our way… to Reno. After a brief stop, we were on our way to Oakland. The flights were short: an hour from SLC to Reno and forty-five minutes from Reno to Oakland. We collected our things – and Jess’ nephew, whose flight got in a few minutes after ours – just about the time that Jenny and Sandi came in to pick us up. We met the rest of the family unit in the parking lot; in all, there were/are ten of us: Jess, Jenny and Connor, Julie, Brayden and Bryeson (her sons), Vikki, Sandi, Jim and me. Then we were off to San Francisco for an afternoon of tourism.

We went to Pier 39 and Fisherman’s Wharf. I had lunch, fish and chips, at a place called Chowders. Fresh (hours-old from the water) seafood is the only way to go; seafood that has to be flown somewhere is not “seafood,” it’s “fast food.” Period. We walked around Pier 39 and the shops there. We saw sea lions. We took pictures of Alcatraz. We headed back to Embarcadero and continued wending our way to Ghirardelli Square. Mmm… Ghirardelli chocolate.

On the way, we passed a man who was sitting by a trash can. He was holding branches of a bush in front of himself, as though he was hiding from someone or something. Every once in a while, he would stick a branch out and scare an unsuspecting passer-by. They would jump and the people around them would laugh. Hell, I laughed. It sounds rather childish, but it was something of a spectator sport: People would gather to watch as victim after victim fell prey to the “Bush Man.”

After Ghirardelli Square, we stopped in at the Maritime Museum. Lots of neat stuff there. The boys really liked it. And then it was back to Pier 39 to get dinner… at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. Interesting place/concept. And, appropriately, Forrest Gump was silently playing on the TVs as the soundtrack played over the loudspeakers. The food wasn’t bad.

We left the Wharf and headed home to Santa Rosa. I can now say that I have crossed the Golden Gate Bridge. Of equal coolness: Seeing the full moon and night lights of the city, reflected across the water of the San Francisco Bay. I nodded off a few times on the way to the house; it’s been a long day. We got home and sat around, chatted and drank wine for a couple of hours… until we started getting tired and decided to call it a night.

Stray Toaster

  • For those who asked, I’ll be working for Oakley Networks (not Companion, as previously hinted by ). I hadn’t intentionally left out their name before – I just didn’t really think about it when I posted last night.
  • Thanks again, , for looking in on the kids. Also, would you please call me when you go to check on them on Friday?

Tomorrow: We’re heading to the beach (…assuming that the weather permits it.)! If not, I think that the plan is to visit local wineries for wine-tasting. Either way, I need to remember to unpack the kites and put them with my “things to take” pile.

That’s pretty much all for now. It’s time to make up for last night’s lack of sleep.

Namaste.

“Stratospheric traces of our transitory flight, trails of condensation held in narrow paths of white…”

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Wednesday
Let’s start with the big stuff:

  1. I officially have a job.
    I signed the offer letter this morning and start work on Tuesday.

  2. I will be in San Francisco tomorrow morning.
    In the words of emmet swimming: “I’m going on a big vacation…”

I’ve been to California a few times, but never to San Francisco. And, from the sounds of it, Sandi and Jim have plenty of things planned to keep us occupied. And it’s a holiday weekend, to boot.

But, I digress…

I had lunch with today. I introduced him to the joys of the 2005 IKEA catalog. I took him to the ADP campus to show him a black SUV (that I’m Ivory Soap sure is an Escalade) with gold trim. Everywhere. Including the rims. It’s a hideous work of art. Unfortunately, it wasn’t there. So, we adjourned to Best Buy; I came out empty-handed. From there, it was on to Ra-El-Co, a local electronics shop. I wanted to get an idea of how much LEDs cost in bulk. They didn’t have any in stock. That’s fine. There is time to find them. Plenty of time.

I watched The West Wing tonight, as well. I have to admit that I wasn’t originally thrilled when they started the Presidential Campaign story arc. It felt as though the episodes… lacked something. Granted, Aaron Sorkin was no longer involved with the series, but just seemed like there was an “emptiness” in the show. It didn’t “feel” right. The past couple of episodes, however, have been better. Not perfect, but they seem to be heading back in the right direction. Tonight’s episode felt more like The West Wing of which I had grown fond. I am actually interested in seeing who will be President next season.

News
Morning Edition: Librarian’s Picks: One-Word Wonders
Morning Edition: A Few (Older) Men
Morning Edition: Clothes Make the Woman: 1940s Style on Display

Stray Toasters

  • I was looking at my friends’ friends list and saw the following icon, from . I like it. It makes me smile.
  • Solar Death Ray – No evil lair should be without one!
  • sent me a link to this post earlier. I’m not sure what to say about it, other than I was rather amused by it. Not so much the content (it’s not a “funny” subject), as the style in which it was written.
  • The life and art of Jean-Michel Basquiat
  • I’ve mentioned my kites before… but never shown a picture of what they look like. Click here and check the two kites in the middle of the top row. In an odd sidenote, my first parafoil kite was purchased in San Francisco. So, this will be sort of like “homecoming” for it. In a kite sort of way.
  • A woman… found… a fingertip in her Wendy’s chili in San Jose.
  • : The cover from LSH #4
  • Captain and Coke. Amen.
  • “Guidance? What I need is a spiritual chainsaw.”

  • Does anyone remember New Zoo Revue? Well, it seems as though Doug and Emily (Emmy Jo) are still together and have started a production company: Laguna Productions.
  • If you’ve seen this, then you will most likely get this…

  • I don’t think that this appears on the list of “Top 10 Ways to Land a Helicopter on an Aircraft Carrier.”
  • There are two IKEAs in the San Francisco area. *genuflect*

I’m not sure which traveling song I prefer in this case:

All my bags are packed,
I’m ready to go
I’m standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye…

…or…

She packed my bags last night
Pre-flight,
Zero hour, nine a.m.
And I’m gonna be high as a kite by then.

Either way, I’m out of here. I don’t know if I’ll post between now and Monday, but I wouldn’t bet against it. But, just in case: For those of you who observe them: Have a good Purim and/or a Happy Easter.

Namaste.

“And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time…”

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Tuesday
I had a slow start to the day. It was grey and overcast and gloomy-ish when I woke up. That’s not really conducive to wanting to bound out of bed. So, I didn’t. But, I did eventually roll out of bed and made my way to the shower. Nothing like a hot shower to start the day. And soap. Soap is good, too.

I met for cups o’ caffeinated goodness. We chatted for a while about this, that and the other. And you. And you, too. But we still like you. For the most part. Except for that… thing… you do. After dropping Nyx off, I went to do more A+ reading. I was pretty successful at it, too. I spent about three hours straight at it… and my head didn’t go all splodey.

I got a call this afternoon with good news: It seems that I am going to be made a job offer. That was a definite rainbow in an otherwise dull grey day.

I am supposed to go in tomorrow to get the offer letter. This was definitely some good news to receive before heading off to San Francisco for the holiday weekend. (Must remember to take kites…) This was good news to receive, period. I called the parental units to share the joy. Mom’s reaction actually made me laugh:

“That’s great! Now, I can stop worrying God and Ma about it!”
(referring to my late great-grandmother)

Dad was equally happy, but nowhere near as colorful in expressing it.

The evening closed with dinner with , Nyx and . Actually, and I just had dessert and cocktails, as we had eaten shortly before Nyx and Nox contacted us. I had a Captain and Coke… and it was strong. Popeye-after-eating-spinach strong. I actually had to ask for a bit more Coke. And it still had a bite, after that.

News
Morning Edition: Bill Summers: A Percussionist in His Own Words
Talk of the Nation: Women and War
Talk of the Nation: Examining the Rise of American Regional Theater
All Things Considered: Schiavo Case Sparks Interest in Living Wills
All Things Considered: Teachers in Berkeley Refuse Homework

BBC News: Female chromosome has X factor

Stray Toasters

Quote of the day

: Two words: “Zipper error.”

Namaste.

“Wheels within wheels, in a spiral array…”

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Monday
Enterprise is still giving me problems when I go to install its OS. I think it’s a hard drive issue. Everything seems to check out pretty well otherwise, so I’m going with that as the basis for my plan of attack.

Dave and Jamie came over tonight for poker. The final breakdown:

  1. Me
  2. Jamie and Dave (tie)

<< Rewind <<

Last night, we had dinner with and . After dinner, we watched 10 Things I Hate About You; I had never seen it before. I enjoyed it. However, as a retelling of The Taming of the Shrew, it is still in second place behind “Atomic Shakespeare”, the Taming of the Shrew episode of Moonlighting. Seeing Allison Janney (The West Wing‘s C.J. Cregg) in it was an pleasant bonus.

News
Morning Edition: Cabaret Singer Bobby Short, 80, Dies of Leukemia
Morning Edition: Need a Prom Date? Try eBay.
All Things Considered: Death Row Inmates Seek Low-IQ Exception
All Things Considered: A Daily Ritual: Prayers Like Shoes
All Things Considered: College in Flap over Corporal Punishment Essay
All Things Considered: CDC: Rubella No Longer a Threat

Stray Toasters

And that… is… all.
For now.

Namaste.

Trainwrecks, Coffee and Cliterati

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AKA – The Sacred Order of the
Cliterati

Before getting to business and recapping the various fun times that were had, I must also pass along that just informed me that our old editor at the Oregon State Daily Barometer, Matt LaPlante is now working for the Salt Lake City Tribute…..the serendipity may never end! On a very loosely related note, I received a free copy on my doorstep yesterday morning, and I had to laugh when I found that you have to read the Faith section in order to get to the Comics hahhah!

Soon after I hit the hotel lobby, I was greeted by a pleasant (and just as I had expected!) …we made our greetings and then were swiftly joined by (Who is absolutely adorable!). After logistics for travel were discussed, we headed out to the parking lot, parted ways, and then very quickly ended up right back together as the only two open spaces in the lot were filled by none other than our fearless friend’s cars. After the serendipity factor wore off, we headed over to
Borders to meet up with (who is less LJ-whorish than the rest of us, and now is easier to picture in her effervescence!), ‘s sister, Dave (who both and I both thought looked familiar, causing me to call him “Every Dave”, further resulting in singing a bit of Whitney Houston…), and Brian for the regional meeting of the Sacred Order of the Cliterati. A little later we were greeted by another friend of the gang’s, Perry, and his small son, Max (who I believed that a certain Flea must have looked like as a child).

It is at this time that you may ask yourself Why Cliterati? Well let me tell you, after a quick poll.

The general consensus of the group was, as posted earlier, is that Cliterati is the answer, although thorough research on the matter was later done by , who found that it is actually Clitorides (sounds like a mouthwash!), pronounced kli-‘tor-&-“dEz. This had not occurred to any of us, however, as the closest runner-up was actually Clitorii (much like penii or pelvii, as the case may be *wink*), but that is neither here nor there. Sidenote: posted a link to another use of Cliterati, which does not affect our adoptation of the moniker for our own deviant purposes.

Thus began the convesation of the evening, that was frenetic, deviant, random, poly and not for one second dull – however, there was a roughly four second pause after I managed to push the envelope just a bit (*cough* Applebees *cough* Plants *cough*)…again, neither here nor there. Shortly after arrival, and I made for the coffee counter, ordered two *hot* mocha mudslides (which we were each asked if we wanted whipped cream on that? twice – we attributed this duplicity to the fact that somehow, barista could see our Gemini twins…). A bit later we were greeted with our drinks….in milkshake form. They were still good, but we both wanted hot drinks! At least he got the whipped cream on there! Sidenote: Aside from our obvious lack of physical twinness, I was tickled at the fact that and I exhibited many the same doppleganger characteristics as a few of my other friends on LJ! When I received my drink reciept, I was also informed that if I took a short survey that I would receive 15% off of my next ENTIRE STORE PURCHASE. As I have no self control when it comes to such stores, I had already decided to don my Elizabethan Collar in order to avoid any fugue into glassy-eyed out of control bookstore purchase that I would surely regret (if only financially!), so I gave the reciept to who took the survey…the AT LEAST 7 MINUTE survey! (Not to be confused with Seven minute Abs…)

I was pleased that someone had allocated a copy of Happy Sumo, HERPES, NO Harper’s for reading and ruminating over… you see, the Harper’s Index is one of my favorite things to read. Sadly, the index that we had up for discussion is not appearing on the website. HOWEVER, we have been kind enough to provide you with perhaps the most fascinating of all index items, EVER. Behold, the Chain Mail Condom. MUCH discussion surrounding said item ensued, including a debate on whether it was actually a prophylactic or a decorative accessory, and also whether or not it had a reservoir tip that is easily answered now that we know what we’re dealing with (which amuses me to no end!). Additional topics of discussion included, but are in NO WAY limited to: Balls, can you play ping-pong or tetherball with them (speaking of, I believe that I have finally found my ideal safe word, Tether Ball, sadly no one in the Order has yet seen Key Party), the naivete of people in regards to sex and reproduction, appropriate attire for browsing through bookstores (incidentally, the red-patterned, baggy surfer pants and black trench coat combo was NOT appropriate, but surely provided ample entertainment!), and then later after Perry and Max arrived, we were treated to the most talented array of sound-effects known to man. I am terribly jelis that I have no skillz in this department, but Max sure had them down!

About at this point, and I were suffering from serious food pains and coffee stomach, and finally it was time for food. Applebees to the rescue! We headed over and continued the break-neck speed of conversation, this time accompanied by a cacaphony of 80’s classics. I can’t tell you how pleased I was to hear Electric Blue by Icehouse. There were several times during dinner that the entire table was over taken by the music – although I’m fairly certain that and I were the only ones that got at all moved by Lionel Ritchie’s Running with the Night.

After we received our food, I was rather taken by the fact that my chezburger appeared to have not one, but TWO icecream scoop sized balls of shredded (…and heat wilted) lettuce. Since this was not OK (1. I prefer leaf lettuce on my burgers. 2. There was SO MUCH OF IT! 3. It was UNDER the burger, making the lettuce wilt and the burger bow.), I surgically removed the lettuce (but I swear it was mating under the patty!). Then burger was fantastic. Every Dave had ordered hot wings, and when a cupful of handi-wipes appeared at the table, I eyed them covetously, as they are the best invention ever. When we got ready to head out, was kind enough to proffer up the remaining wipes for my own personal use.

For picture proof, I offer up evidence of and discussing the ramifications of too much lettuce – too bad you can’t see the pile very clearly! and the Top Secret *shhhhh* Group Shot …said the Bishop to the Actress…

As it was getting late and everyone was either tired or needing to work in the morning, dropped me off at the hotel, where I spent the next few hours listening to the neighbors move furniture, and then earlier in the morning, a family of fighting elephants unoccupied the three rooms surrounding me. Needless to say, it was yet another night of little and restless sleep.

The next morning, rescued me from the hotel confines, in exchange for mixed CDs (tribute to where we met), and we headed over to meet at the Villiage Inn. We used to have them in Idaho, but they are no longer here – I miss that! Anyhow, after and I had our “community meeting greeting” which consisted of me handing over a package of crack Crystalized Ginger in return for the Jelly Babies she had given me the night before (gotta love friends!), we headed in for the dining fun times. Eventhough there were only three of us at breffas – aside from the occasional Drew Barrymore (waitress) and manager – we still managed to keep up the furious chat pace and content. Of course, we were privvy to an even greater display of People Watching Good Times at the Inn. Perhaps most disturbingly hysterical was Santa on vacation with his cowboy straw hat and red sweatpants held up by suspenders. was especially taken by a Kelly Ripa wannabe who was accompanied by a friend who had on the most stellar pair of black leather scrunchy stilleto heels. Breathtaking! I think that our table managed to run the restaurant out of coffee. Following in perfect WonderTwin suit, and I both had some sort of southwestern chili skillet – although I had toast and she had…. wait for it… three words: Peanut Butter Pancakes! I would have probably gotten those if I’d thought about it. Either way, I’m glad that she was able to expose to the joys of PBPs!

Sadly, our journey was coming to an end, so we made the longest goodbyes ever (well, it was more like, We should go, but…..!). I was then taken back to the Midvale McDonald’s where dropped me off to Cain’s mom and sister… who I can only assume what was going through their heads! I really was not prepared to leave, as I’d been having such a grand time – besides, there was still a bowling showdown at stake…… but I will come again! ….said the Bishop to the Actress!

Namaste!

::: This space for rent :::

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Lots of things to say.
But I’m tired.
Sleep wins.

Namaste.

“He says he’s an outlaw, and he always scores. They all have a motto: Be rich, dress poor…”

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Friday
For the most part, today was a quiet day. I was going to have lunch with this afternoon, but we wound up having to reschedule it. C’est la vie. I wasted time on the interweb and installed a few more things on Nine.

I am either attempting to use the incorrect installation CD or something in the ATI driver that I got from Micro$quish’s Windows Update site isn’t playing nicely with my graphic card. Whatever the problem is, I can’t get use the “All-In-Wonder” portion of my card. I’ve looked at the ATI site, but my card is old enough that looking for drivers is akin to seeking the proverbial needle in the haystack. I will find it, but I will probably wait until Sunday to do so. For the most part, “it ain’t no big thang,” as Lita Ford put it. I simply can’t watch TV on my monitor; but, since I haven’t taken the television out of the HCC, I’m still good.

made the trek to the Land Behind the Zion Curtain tonight. She and joined us for coffee. I’m not sure if they were fully prepared for the random nature of our group, but they fell into place rather quickly. A couple of things caught them off-guard, but they both recovered quickly.

It was a good day wrapped-up with a good night.

News
Morning Edition: An Amputee’s Long Walk Back to Flight Duty
Morning Edition: Financial Planning for Retirement
Morning Edition: Indecent Ads?
Day to Day: At the U.S. Memory Championships
Day to Day: My Fellow Americans: Maria Elena Fernandez, Cha-Cha Feminist
All Things Considered: Century-Old Utah Western-Wear Store Says Adios
All Things Considered: Philadelphian Amos Lee’s Country-Fried Soul

Stray Toasters

  • Note to self: Call Mom.
    Today.
    Before she sends out a search party.

  • For : From Broken Frontier – Two Faces, One Perfect Villain
  • One of the kittens horked up a hairball this afternoon. On the bed. I think that I saw it within a few minutes of it happening. And dealt with it accordingly.
  • Joss Whedon has been officially named as the director of the forthcoming Wonder Woman movie.
  • And, further proving that his grasp on sanity is tenuous, at best: Lucas to Redo Star Wars in 3-D Correct me if I’m wrong about this, but didn’t he say that the version that was released last fall on DVD was his “perfect vision” of how Star Wars should – and would – have been, had the technology of the time allowed for it?
  • From Newsarama: More with Moore on Firestorm
  • : Guess who are getting their own limited series.
    Hint #1 and Hint #2

  • “Hey… Is it wrong that I think she’s kinda hot?”

    …and…
    “So, you used to be a guy, huh?”
    “Well, more like ‘wearing’ a guy.”

  • I forgot to mention this a couple of days ago: and I were channel surfing. We stopped on a channel (CMT. Yeah, that one…) because The Dukes of Hazzard theme was starting. I sat there and sang through the entire theme. It was at this point that I realized that I haven’t seen the show since the early-/mid-80s… but I remembered ALL of the lyrics. That was a somewhat frightening revelation.
  • “Honey, can I hack a little chunk of metal off your body?”

Quote of the Day
While at coffee, I had stepped away from the table to get… something. (I forget exactly “what.”) A few moments later, I returned to the table… and to the following question.

Wilson: What is the plural of “clitoris?”
Me: *thoughtful look* “Cliterati.”

Namaste.

“Everything’s Going Green”

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Thursday
I hope that everyone had a Happy Green Lantern Day.
(And, in the case of , a good birthday.)

Chris came over and we fed our plastic crack addictions: We played Heroclix. We managed to get in three games. He won all three. But, I was glad for the chance to play because:

  1. This was only the third time that I’ve played.
  2. I am picking up the game mechanics.
  3. I am applying what I’m learning.
  4. I got to play superhero!

I was kind of bummed to find out that CSI wasn’t on tonight. I had completely spaced off the fact that the NCAA Basketball Tournament would be on in its place. So, and I watched back-to-back episodes of Whose Line Is It Anyway? on ABC Family. and came over for a while this evening. We mostly hung out and talked. We watched parts of Miss Congeniality (which I had never seen), Fear Factor and The Daily Show.

Stray Toasters

  • I like peanut M&M’s.
  • It snowed a bit tonight.
    This is NOT the weather that I asked for.
    I specifically requested temperatures no lower than 70°.

  • The rebuilding of ‘Nine‘s C: drive is almost complete. The format and OS installation went smoothly. And I have been through the eleventy-seven reboots that go along with doing the various Windows updates. Next on the agenda is reinstalling device drivers and applications… which is proving to be a bit “tricky” because I the ATI CDs that I have are ignoring my video card when I try to install the drivers.

I’m sure that I had much more to say, but it’s nearly 4:00 AM and I need to get away from the computer and into bed.

Namaste.

431360

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Happy Green Lantern Day!

Huh? It’s not Green Lantern Day?
But what about everyone wearing green ?
Saint WHO?!
St. Patrick?
Oh. Right.
*sigh*

Well, then…. Happy St. Patrick’s Day.
(But I still say that “Green Lantern Day” would be cooler.)