Random Access

I went to Borders, but I didn’t get much drawing done; my friend Angela met me there and we chatted the time away.

A small army of us went to see Matrix Revolutions. I’m a little mixed on this one: I was satisfied with most of the movie, but certain parts left me feeling… unfulfilled. I would watch it again, especially since we were sitting on the front row in the theatre; it would be nice to see the movie without looking up Morpheus and Neo’s noses. I would buy it to complete our DVD set. On the whole, I’d give it a passing grade on the report card, but comments would say “Could use improvement.”

Post-movie fare was at one of the local IHOP restaurants. We were joined by and Young Mister Gabe, one of the (if not THE) best-mannered two-year-olds that I know. It was a good dinner with good company.

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Football Update
I was 1 for 3 today. The Ravens and Dolphins both took one in the “Losses” column, while the Panthers took a win.

In a related note, Bret called me to tell me that the Steelers finally won a game… and that they were closing the gap. But, as Jerry Reed sang in Smokey and the Bandit: They “…got a long way to go, and a short time to get there.” And, Baltimore is still leading the division.

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I’m not sure what I want to do with the next few hours before bed. I think that I want to play a game, but I don’t know which one. Decisions, decisions…

Namaste.

I’m starting to feel the effects of the move and bowling. My ankles and feet are achy. And my back is a little stiff. Other than that – and a few minor cuts and scratches – I seem to be all right.

Bowling last night was decent. My scores were low, but I can deal with that. I started hitting my stride about 00:10 before we left. Of course. And the odd thing about that is that I was ironman bowling for everyone at that point. Go figure.

Breakfast kicked off with Kate, who was managing, giving me my birthday present from the staff at V.I.: A Village Inn name tag. I walked in and Kate came over and said, “You aren’t dressed properly…” as she pinned it on me. We all got a good laugh from that. And… it’s a name tag that the general manager, whom we never see, approved! Now, I am “official” when I go back to the make line to get things.

I think that I’m going to head to Borders in a bit and do some drawing before we see Matrix Revolutions this evening.

Namaste.

Fait accompli.
The move is done.

Three days of boxes and equipment.
And Little Caesar’s Pizza.

DONE.

…and now, I’m going bowling.

Peace.

Day 2 of “The Move”
I’m not as sore or achy – and nowhere near as grumpy – as I was last night. This is a good thing as it means that the general populace is not in danger of me going on a murderous rampage.

After the move, Jess, , , , Sharon, Adrian and I went out for dinner. We thought about going to Cheers Village Inn, but since we will most likely be there tomorrow night, we opted for Applebee’s.

We have one load of things going to storage and then a few odds and ends to get from the old shop and then it’s over. Selah.

Stray Toasters

• Warm canola oil, rebar, turkey baster.
• I have had two equally annoying songs running through my head for the past few days: The theme from ABC’s The Littles and Rupert Holmes’ Escape (The Pina Colada Song). Whether she’s responsible for it or not, I’m going to blame for the former; the latter… I have no ideas there.
• Just as a friendly side note: When you are trying to lift an arc welder with an engine hoist, resist any urge that you may have to introduce your cranium to the hoist’s lift arm. It hurts. A lot.
• As mentioned by : Savage Love

That’s all for now.

Namaste.

Thursday
I am tired.
I am very sore.

We moved equipment and fixtures and stuff from 10 AM until almost 9:00 tonight.
There’s a fair amount left, but that will be dealt with tomorrow.

I’d like to add a HUGE thank you to , Bill, and for their help in getting things from Point A to Point B.

A hot soak is in order.

Namaste.

Wednesday
After breaking down shelving units and moving lots o’ boxes, I was a tired (and slightly sore) unit this evening.

Of course, that didn’t preclude my watching Smallville, The West Wing and Law & Order. All of the shows were good and had their share of surprises:

• It seems that Smallville is paralleling a story in the mainstream DC Universe: Jor-El visited Earth before sending Kal-El there… and his arrival in Kansas may not have been as coincidental as previously thought.
• I like the way that The West Wing doesn’t just focus on the “President of the United States of America” as a pedagogue, but that it is not afraid to show the man behind the title. Martin Sheen’s Josiah Bartlet is a very human – and very believeable – President. This was showcased once again on tonight’s episode.
• The number of twists on tonight’s Law & Order would have made the most capable contortionist blanche. The show focused on a case that dealt with identity theft and the mental competence of the elderly gentleman who was the prime suspect.

NPR/PRI Stories

• “Whose Demcracy Is It?” – A Public Radio Collaboration
• Talk of the Nation: Controversy over CBS’ Reagan Telemovie
• Talk of the Nation: TV Docu-dramas
• Talk of the Nation: Interview with director Peter Weir
• All Things Considered: Motorists’ Protected Speech: Flashing Headlights
• All Things Considered: Spider-Man Stunt Trumpets Fathers’ Rights

Stray Toasters

This is a story of two sisters: Jessica Tate and Mary Campbell.
These are the Tates.
And these are the Campbells.
And this is __________.

Namaste.

Another day in the soon-to-be-former-office.
We’re moving out this week. Better location. Better facility. Closer to home!

After work, I cooked dinner and watched 24 and Law & Order: SVU. Both programs were good. Based on the trailers, I am quite curious to see how next week’s ep of 24 sets up the rest of the season.

NPR/PRI Stories
Fresh Air: Interviews with singer Donna Summer and actor Sean Penn
All Things Considered: Kit Offers Better Testing to Protect Peanut Allergics

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday, I came across something that said that the artist currently (and formerly) known as Prince had converted to become a Jehovah’s Witness. After a little research, I found out that it was true. But, a little more digging brought me to this article. I guess that it’s a case of balance: You win some, you lose some.
• Soo, you will be able to download music from MTV. This will give an entirely new meaning to “I want my MTV.”
• The website for Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence is now up; the trailer for the anime is available.
• There was a link that I had wanted to post from Backwash, but the site is being difficult. Maybe tomorrow.
• Thanks to for the rugby primer!
• Comics Continuum has new pictures from The Punisher.
• Excerpted from tonight’s IRC nerding…
  

  [23:20] *Iso8* http://www.richsalter.btinternet.co.uk/
  [23:24] BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!
  [23:24] the meows brought both cats out of the woodwork.
  [23:35] *Iso8* roo didn’t like it either. came over and sat on my feet while I was cat smackin
  [23:38] Jess: “What were you doing that sounded like you were shooting cats?”
  [23:38] me: “Shooting cats.”
  [23:38] * Gibraltar cracks up.

  Disclaimer: This was a Flash game, no actual cats were harmed.

• I am craving tasty iced creams. Fortunately, the freezer is well-stocked.
• Comic Book Resources linked to pictures of Keanu Reeves as John Constantine, the protagonist of Hellblazer. I’m sorry, but I am still having a hard time accepting this casting. Not to mention the fact that they made him American rather than English. So help me, if he pops off with “Whoa… I know magic,” I’m booking a ticket on the first thing smoking to L.A. to clean break the fingers of whomever thought that it might be “cute” to have in the movie.

And with that…

Namaste.

Monday
Post-Game Night.

We didn’t die.
(That’s a plus.)

We gained a plethoric buttload of paradox.
(That’s a definite minus for the mages in our group… of which I am one.)

We had fun.
(That’s the bottom line.)

It looks as though this storyline has a snowball’s chance in Utah (in November) of actually progressing. I’m hoping that it does; the story took a rather interesting twist this evening: For the past few weeks, my character has been under investigation by an agency with a strong bent for the paranormal. They are particularly proficient in staying unnoticed. We noticed one of the agents in a big, blatant way tonight. I was contracted by another player’s character to look into this agent and the firm for which he works.

Qui custodiet ipsos custodes?
I do.

And with that, I bid you good night and good morrow.

Namaste.

Jess, Mary and I went to see Wonderland, starring Val Kilmer. Good movie. It wasn’t what I was expecting… especially when you consider that the movie was focused on the late porn actor John Holmes. It was a little disturbed/disturbing – along the same lines that I think that Kids was disturbing, although not NEARLY as much so. (Translation: It’s not a “feel good” movie, but one that makes you think…)

After the movie, we headed to Salt Lake Coffee Break. met us there. We also had two surprise guests: George and his friend, Tim. Salt Lake City incumbent mayor (and mayoral candidate) Rocky Anderson came in shortly after we arrived; we spent a while trying to figure out if he came to put in a pre-Election Day appearance and shmooze the “young and hip” voters. Although, I didn’t see him pushing himself on anyone; he walked in, got coffee sat down and basically minded his own business… at least as much as politicians ever do.

The ladies and I then headed to Chili’s for dinner and then, it was time to bring the evening to a close. All-in-all, it was a good day.

Namaste.

Jacksonville at Baltimore
Final Score 17 – 24
It was Jack Del Rio’s return to Baltimore as Jacksonville’s new head coach; he was a linebacker coach for the Ravens for three years. After an amazing opening drive by Baltimore (touchdown in the first 1:26 of the game), this game wound up being much more close than I was expecting. But, an interception by Ray Lewis late in the fourth quarter cemented the win.

Indianapolis at Miami
Final Score 23 – 17

Final Score 10 – 14
Carolina at Houston
Coach Dom Capers’ Texans rode herd on his former team, the Panthers. And, in an amusing side note, I discovered that Tony Banks was the Texan’s QB; Banks was a Ravens QB before he went to St. Louis.

*stretch*
Morning already?

Yesterday was a good day. Overcast and snowy, but good. I didn’t do a lot in the early part of the day. No, let me rephrase that: “I didn’t do much at all yesterday afternoon.”

Around 5:00 we got into social mode and met Mary and at Borders. After the three of us went to Macaroni Grill for dinner with Robert, George (the man behind “The Best Page in the Universe”) and his brother, Ruben. Dinner, the company and the conversation was good.

Bowling was good. My best game was my first game (159) which is a little unusual. I normally have a weak warm-up game and then get better a couple of games in. Last night, I averaged in the mid 130s. Oh, well.

Post-bowling breakfast was good. The restaurant was fairly empty, so the staff came and hung out with us between taking care of their other tables. Jon and John gave me my birthday present also: A Ravens knit cap! It seems that we have also been liberated from The Singles, at least for the time being. We’ll enjoy it while it lasts. Pat, an officer with the Sandy City Police Department, joined us around 2:15 AM. The conversation varied from shocking (stories of some of the calls that Pat has been on) to funny to blue (sex-related blue, not sad blue).

Football Update
I’m waiting for my games to start. All of them are early games.

Jacksonville at Baltimore

Indianapolis at Miami

Carolina at Houston

Sunday Morning Links

• BBC News: Independence Day tops ‘cheesy’ poll
• BBC News: Ross’ search for ‘worst film’ (At the bottom of this article are comments that people have made about the movies that they thought were complete dogs.)
• BBC News: Connery ‘has worst film accent’
• Bert is Evil – an old one but still amusing.

Back to the games…

Namaste.

As forwarded to me by Robert

http://www.mycatsboots.com/endofworld.swf

Saturday Stray Toasters:

• First off: Happy Birthday to…
• Jess started feeling ill yesterday afternoon. Very ill. She left work early. She stayed in last night and didn’t go to the party.
• Speaking of which, last night’s party at and ‘s was great. A house full of people, candy, various and sundry alcohols, two cats and the CrazyTammy book. Definitely a good time. Thanks to both of them for the hospitality. Pics of the party can be found here. And, the words/phrases/barely coherent ramblings of Rob K:
  • “Wednesday”
  • “George Lucas”
  • “The Matrix”
  • “Batman”

  …in no particular order.

• I slept through this morning’s toonage. Not a big deal since XME, Teen Titans and Justice League were reruns. I’ll have to verify whether tonight’s episodes of Titans and JL are new.
• The Boilermakers (17) whooped-up on the Northwestern Wildcats 34-14.
  In West Lafayette.
  Nothing like a win on the home field.
  Their record is now 7 – 2.

• Kifed from :
  

  I’m trying to get all my Livejournal friends’ locations plotted on a map – please add your location starting with this form. Username: (Then get your friends to!)

And now, off to see what I can get into…

Friday
I am just getting in from a great evening at and ‘s house. Quite the gathering.

Details – and a new Phantom picture – will follow tomorrow.

I hope that everyone had a good and safe night.

Namaste.