Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure

“Mirror, mirror…”

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Wednesday – 17 June 2009
Midweek. It’s already been raining/drizzling this morning, bringing our “Days of Rain” total to twelve. Yep… it’s about time to start measuring things in cubits.

Our robot overlords protectors are offering free heatlh screenings this morning. One of the announcement emails said that we should fast for eight hours before getting our screening. Ordinarily, that would be fine. However, this means that I haven’t had any caffeination yet. That holds a potential for danger to the general populace. I forgot that today, Sushi and Comics Wednesday, was the same day as the screenings. I came in to see if I could reschedule my appointment for earlier, so that I didn’t eat before getting my screening… only to find out that they can do/could have done it after I eat. *sigh*

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Tuesday: Coda

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SaraRules and I headed to the gym this evening, after dinner (and episodes of NCIS and Wolverine and the X-Men). We did a routine that she put together:

  • Leg Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 140 lbs
  • Kick-backs: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
  • Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps – 1 set @ 100 lbs, 2 sets @ 120 lbs
  • Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 190 lbs
  • Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/15 reps, 140 lbs
  • Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
  • Decline Sit-ups: 3 sets/10 reps
  • Reverse Flys (Dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 10 lbs
  • “Arnold” Press (Dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
  • Upright Row (Barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs
  • Side Bends: 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs

Post-workout weight: 189.1 lbs

Stray Toasters

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

“Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl…”

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Tuesday – 16 June 2009
Last night, SaraRules and I watched Kinky Boots, a movie inspired by a true story. The movie tells the story of two people – Charlie and Lola – whose lives intertwine in an unusual way. Charlie is the son of a shoe maker… who doesn’t want to follow in the family business. Lola is… well… Lola. (Oh, and Lola’s a drag queen, too.) The pair meet after Charlie intervenes when Lola is about to get mugged. From there, the two embark on a journey to help each of them discover what they both want and need out of life.

I remember thinking that this movie sounded interesting when I saw a trailer for it a few years ago. SaraRules and I flipped past it a few month ago, but didn’t back to checking it out until last night. It was a fun movie. The characters (well, most of them) have personalities and motivations that make them human… rather than just cardboard cutouts or caricatures; I was also very pleasantly surprised at Chiwetel Ejiofor‘s performance as Lola.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Post-lunch post

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It’s been sunny, with high clouds, so far today.  I’m still waiting to see if there’s any rain in the wings for this evening or tonight; that will make it 10 straight days with rain. Sure, it’s great for the water table and the reservoirs, but I still keep coming back to that whole “high desert plain” thing. *shrug*

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Monday..? Again?!

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Monday – 15 June 2009
Another work week begins. While I wouldn’t call the day “manic,” it is still a Monday. And, I came into the office to find out that some scheduled maintenance on our email server seems to have been “mostly successful,” it seems that one of the services isn’t playing nicely with the others… and just quit. One of the server guys is working on it now.

Yesterday, I went to Murray Park and threw the Aerobie around with Chris and Mary. We played for about 40 minuutes before the thunderheads rolled in. We thought it in our best interests to stop playing – we didn’t find the prospect of becoming human lightning rods all that enticing. After heading home for a shower, I went to visit Perry and the kids; they were doing well.

I headed to SaraRules’ parents’ for dinner. As it was still raining when we finished, there was no Sunday Night Bocce. Instead, we watched Dead Again. Despite owning the movie, I haven’t seen it in a few years. It was good and everyone seemed to enjoy it.

Back at home, I took another stab at organizing my legions of HeroClix into storage boxes. For the most part, it looks as though I was successful. I still need to go through a few boxes and verify that the figures in them are extra and/or available for modification.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

The… sun…? Is that really the sun?!

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Sunday – 14 June 2009
This weekend, I have (re)discovered something wonderful about saying (or at least “thinking loudly”) “I don’t feel like getting up yet…” on my days off. I’ve managed not to get out of bed as soon as I wake up. This is a good thing as Friday, Saturday and this morning, I was awake between 0630 and 0705. Without an alarm. This comes under the heading of a “good thing.”

I finally got the pictures from Ogden Union Station posted. I’m not entirely sure why iWeb wouldn’t let me post pages with similar – yet different – names, but it didn’t. So, I had to get a little creative. This workaround seems to work. Something that I didn’t consider – mainly because it was almost 0200 when I was trying to get the pictures posted – was to simply publish the pages to folders and upload the folders. (It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep and distance from the problem will do for mental acuity.) If I run into this situation again, I’ll have to keep that in mind.

Stray Toasters

Methinks it’s time to find something to do in the sunshine. Throwing the Aerobie around  sounds like a good idea.

Namaste.

Saturday Quick Recap

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Saturday – 13 June 2009
We slept in a bit this morning.  We had breakfast while watching Friday night’s episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. Next up: A trip to Ogden to visit the Ogden Arts Festival, which was being held at Ogden Union Station. The exhibitors had some interesting artwork to display and sell. And, of course, since we were already at Union Station, I had to get “a few” shots of the trains in the rail yard… pictures to come later, since iWeb seems to balk when I try to post these pictures and the wedding ones (below) at the same time. BAH!!!

Back to Salt Lake City. We opted to take the new(ish) Legacy Parkway on the drive home – it’s a parallel road to I-15 that runs from Davis County into Salt Lake County. It’s not very often that I say “Nicely done, UDoT,” but this is one of those rare cases.

Back in SLC, we ate lunch, got dressed and headed to Pat and Adriana’s wedding. It was a very nice affair… and, most importantly, the two of them seem very happy together.

After the wedding, SaraRules and I came home to unwind. We watched Bill Cosby: Himself. I had neither seen nor heard this in a long time. It still makes me laugh.

Namaste.

Because sometimes I forget things…

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Happy Birthday to and !

Birthday card!

“All I need is a couple days off…!”

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Friday – 12 June 2009
A 9/80 Friday off begins. Well, that’s not entirely true – it started over ten hours ago. It would be closer to the truth to say that I slept in and that it’s been a lazy day so far.

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away I came home from work, had dinner… and then fell asleep on the couch. For nearly two hours. I thought I’d nap for maybe half an hour. I was mistaken, for the second time this year. After I finished with my Rip Van Winkle impression, we watched Slumdog Millionaire: What is one young man willing to do to chase down a dream? What if that dream isn’t something ethereal and elusive… but the heart of a young lady? This movie answers that question. And it’s an excellent movie. I can see now why it garnered so much attention at the Oscars. AND… it ends with a Bollywood-style dance scene!

Stray Toasters

Time to find some trouble to get into.

Namaste.

“It’s a god-awful small affair, says the girl with the mousy hair…”

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Thursday – 11 June 2009
Another NBN Thursday kicks off…

…with meetings. Yay. Looking at my calendar, it looks as though I only have two meetings, rather than the three I thought I had. That’s a nominal win.

::: EDIT :::
One meeting down… and I just found out that I might have a third meeting, after all. It’s not the one I was expecting, however.

Last night, SaraRules and I made our weekly(-ish) trek over to The Perfect Dress to see what they were unleashing upon the world as the new, hot items in bridal and formal wear. There was only one new dress to ridicule look at. After that, we wandered through the neighborhood World Market for a bit, with side trips to Paradise Bakery and Cafe and Red Mango. The night wrapped with a bit of TV and the reading of some Stephen King (for her) and this week’s comics haul (for me).

Stray Toasters

  • Buck Rogers #1 – It’s a new take on a classic character. This is your quintessential introduction issue. We meet the titular Captain Rogers, Colonel Wilma Deering… and… Ursinius. If you’re looking for Twiki, all I can say is “Sorry… bidi-bidi-bidi-Buck.” This book looks like it could be a rather fun spin on the tale of Buck Rogers and company.
  • Fantastic Four #567 – Doctor Doom vs. his Master. Who will pay the price for the backlash from this fight? This storyline has been building nicely for the past few months, I am intrigued to see how it will pan out.
  • The Flash: Rebirth #3 (of 5) – Can Barry Allen outrun his fate to become the new Black Flash? Would it be Barry Allen if he didn’t try?  One of the best sequences of the story includes a bit of dialogue with Superman:

    Superman: Barry. I’m not going to let you do this.
    Flash: You can’t stop me.
    Superman: I’ve raced you before, Barry. I even won some of those races.
    Flash: Those were for charity, Clark.  ::: speeds out of sight with a sonic boom :::

    The Fastest Man Alive, indeed.

  • Green Lantern Corps #37 – Daxam under a yellow sun. (Never seen that one before, have we…?) GL Arisia rallies the Daxamites who want revenge on Mongul. GLs Ash and Saarek’s paths cross… at the direction of the scarred Guardian. The Alpha Lanterns make an appearance at the Sciencell riots.
  • JSA vs Kobra #1 (of 6) – DC Comics’ cult Kobra is stepping up its game and looking become “a name” in the DCU. Their opening move: Making an attack on Mr. Terrific, member of the JSA and Checkmate’s White King… in front of the JSA’s brownstone. (“Not smart,” you say? Actually, it was quite shrewd.) What is their endgame and what are they willing to do to achieve it?
  • R.E.B.E.L.S. #5 – Durlan shapeshifter, Ciji, states her case/mission. Astrild Stormdaughter states her case/mission.  And readers finally see the true face of Starro the Conqueror. (Or at least the updated “true face.”)
  • Red Robin #1 – Not only are we (re)introduced to Red Robin – and the man behind the mask – but his mission. Also in this issue, we get a glimpse at the “changing of the guard” in the Batcave and of [SPOILER DELETED], who seems to have something of a vested interest in the activities of Red Robin, both in and out of costume. I was impressed with this issue – it contained interesting looks at some familiar characters and pushed at least one of them in a direction that I wasn’t expecting. I’m looking forward to see how the series progresses.
  • Uncanny X-Men #511 – The X-Men split into two teams to battle the Red Queen and the Sisterhood… and this time, they bring their “A” game. And friends. And they’ve even managed to work up a couple of surprises. The question is: Will it be enough? And, by the end of the fight, a familiar face returns to the pages of UXM.

Of the books I picked up this week, there were a few that didn’t make the cut… but one that really didn’t do anything for me was Uncanny X-Men: First Class #1. It was a “behind the scenes” look at the transition from the original X-Men team and the post-Krakoa team. More specifically, it was a collection of stories from each of the new X-Men (minus Sunfire and Thunderbird) about their lives before joining Xavier’s cause. Of the stories, the only one that really struck me as “good” was the Storm story, which recounted one of her adventures as a child thief in Cairo. Other than that, it was a waste of $3.99, in my opinion; if I could give negative bricks for this, I might consider it.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Lunch Quote

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As I mentioned before, today was Sushi and Comics Wednesday.

We went to Oh Sushi (as usual). As we were wrapping up lunch, the discussion turned to TV shows. Firefly became a favored topic.  (Yes, shockpuppet, you still need to watch Firefly… especially as you own the DVDs.  Just sayin’.) From the guys at the table went to Kaylee… and Inara… even River… then – and I really wish that I could remember how we got there – Angela Bassett came up. The conversation took the following turn…

Jeff (looking at me): Hey… didn’t you say that Angela Bassett was your aunt?
Me: *blank stare*
Rest of the Table: *blank stare*
Jeff: Maybe it was… somebody… else…
Me: *blank stare* followed by *raised eyebrow*
Jeff: No!  Really! I was hanging out with this guy and we were [LOST TO BACKGROUND NOISE] and I said, “Angela Bassett” and he said,”Dude… that’s my aunt!” And then he pulls out his wallet and had pictures of her and him in there!”

The whole backpedal was a lovely thing to behold.

“Four bananas make a split, and so to many more…”

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Wednesday – 10 June 2009
Today is my kid sister, Kristen’s, birthday:

Last night, Chris called me. We had talked about getting together for a ‘Clix game, but neither of us could remember what day/date we’d agreed on. So… we played last night. I took a couple of boxes of figures to choose from; I wound up using:

Chris, wanting to use his custom “Lamppost Batman” figure, basically built his old tournament team (Flash and Green Lantern)… and brought his custom KC Superman (with Fortitude), to round out the points. He also picked “The Prison,” a map that I don’t like playing on (read: “Hate”).

Then it was game on. I maneuvered Scandal and Apocalypse into position and waited for Chris to move in. He did and put Batman in jeopardy:

  1. He didn’t count how far away he was from Apocalypse
  2. He forgot that Apocalypse had Trick Shot – which ignores characters, terrain and (most importantly) stealth.

Batman took a quick 5 clicks of damage. I managed not to grin like a fiend; Chris was not grinning at all. There was a lot of jockeying back and forth, and I was able to remove Batman from the game shortly thereafter. I even did some decent damage to Green Arrow and The Flash before Superman came in and saved the day pummeled Apocalypse (and the rest of the team) to death.

I wound up losing, but… I learned that Trick Shot is a good Feat card (Must get more…) for characters other than archers – I will have to try it on Storm… or Professor Xavier.

Stray Toasters

And, it’s Sushi and Comics Day.

Namaste.

“Test for echo…”

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Trying, once again, to see if the Wordbook plugin is working properly.

If so, this post should not only be crossposted to my LJ, but to Facebook as well…

Post-workout post: 09 June 09

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I started this a little after 1300. It’s now after 1700, and I’m just getting done with meetings for the day. *sigh* No rest for the wicked, I guess.

Wes and I hit the gym again today:

  • Sit-ups (decline bench): 3 sets/20 reps
  • Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
  • Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
  • Lower Back Extension: 3 sets/15 reps, 160 lbs
  • Reverse Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs
  • Shoulder Press (machine): 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
  • Overhead Tricep Extensions (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 45 lbs
  • Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs

Post-workout weight: 188.2 lbs

::: MEETINGS :::

And then there were none. It’s always great when you (re)discover that there’s a meeting you’re supposed to attend… twenty minutes before the meeting is scheduled to start. And I wouldn’t even have known that if I hadn’t overheard someone else talking about it.

Stray Toasters

That’s all f-f-f-folks!

Namaste.

“But we’re never gonna survive… unless we get a little crazy.”

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Tuesday – 09 June 2009
Last night, we went to dinner at Tandoor Indian Grill for ‘s birthday. It’s a nice place, with good food and decent prices. I had the Tandoori Chicken and was not disappointed. After dinner, we headed back to SaraRules’ parents’ house for dessert. (Back-to-back days with birthday cake == good.) After dessert, SaraRules, , Logan and I played a couple of games of Bocce.

When I got home, I wrestled with the smoke alarm and changed its battery. Then, all I wanted to do was sprawl on the couch… and I did. I was so tired that I started nodding off watching Jonny Quest. I made it through Letterman’s monologue, but decided that I needed sleep more than I needed entertainment; I was in bed before 2300.

I slept much better last night than Sunday night… but I had a series of odd dreams. Nothing horribly “disturbing,” but they were unusual combinations.

The Best: Crazy
Seal vs. Alanis Morrisette

For the past week or so, I’ve been trying to recall who did the cover of Seal’s Crazy that had been at the edges of my memory. I was fairly certain that it was Alanis Morrisette, but I wasn’t positive. Yesterday, I finally remembered to look it up… and it was, in fact, Ms. Morrisette. With that, I checked out the music video for her version. Not bad. Then, I checked out the Seal version. Again, not bad.

Seal:


Crazy – Seal

Alanis:

Alanis Morissette Crazy

The Verdict: This one comes down to a draw for me, with a possible edge going to Seal.  While the Alanis version is good, it might have been more interesting to hear what she might have done had she put more of her own spin on it.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.