Sunday : 15 October 2006
Today was an “I want to do something other than sit around the apartment all day” day. Of course, there was still a matter of getting out of the apartment. I chatted with while the Panthers – Ravens game was on; while we’re both Panthers fans, I wanted the Ravens to win. Go figure. They didn’t.  But, it was still a win – (lesser) win game for me. Post-game, I had to figure out what I wanted to do. Yeah, that went well. It took me a little over an hour to come to a conclusion; on the “plus” side, while I was deciding, I managed to unpack a few boxes and gain a little more real estate around here.

I headed to Beans & Brews to thin out the blood in my caffeinestream and then it was eastbound on I-80. I had decided to go part of the way up Parley’s Canyon, cut across part of East Canyon and then come back down Emigration Canyon into the city. I got to the East Canyon turn off and thought “I might as well go up to Parley’s Summit.” So, I kept driving. I got to the Parley’s Summit turn off and thought “I might as well go up to Kimball Junction.” So, I kept driving. Mom called about the time I was coming down from the top of Parley’s – just saying “hi” and seeing what was going on. We talked for a couple of minutes, until I got to Kimball Junction… where I did stop, by the way.

After talking with Mom, I stopped at the Tanger Outlet Center. Yep, as if there was any doubt whatsoever, I fully confirmed that I am my mother’s child. I went shopping. Well, more “window shopping,” but that’s really just a matter of semantics. First stop: Hanes store. No, that was the second stop. The first stop was the Jockey store, next door. I wasn’t in there very long – they wanted too much for scivvies. So, off to Hanes. I walked in and all I saw were bras and panties. Hrm. So, I asked the clerks if there were any men’s items in the store. They pointed to the back corner and said that it wasn’t much. Oh, well, “not much” is better than “nothing,” so off I went. Fortunately, their “not much” had exactly what I wanted and I walked out of the store as the proud owner of new drawers. Mm-hmm, that’s right! On to the Eddie Bauer Outlet. They had really good prices on some things. Really good. Temptation was strong, but I managed to resist. Barely. It was easier to resist picking up things in the West Point-Pepperell store. K*B Toy Outlet was a bit of a strain, but I walked out empty-handed. I wanted to buy a couple of things at the Borders Books Outlet, but I opted to wait a bit. Kitchen Collection was a different story altogether. There were many things there that very nearly made it into the car. But didn’t. By the grace of God. And the power of Greyskull.

Back to SLC. Up Parley’s. Down Parley’s, part of the way. Into East Canyon. Down Emigration. Past the zoo. And, since I was in the neighborhood, over to University Hospital, where I hung out with Allie and her brother, Aaron, for a while. Then, it was time to eat. Cafè Med was tonight’s choice… and a good one, at that. A quick trip to the grocery store and the day was more or less complete.

Four-Color Coverage
After picking up my books on Friday, I was looking forward to a bit of good reading. While I did enjoy most of it, the ratio of “good” reading to “mediocre” reading was a bit of a letdown. However, there were a few notable exceptions:

  • Emissary #4, 5 and 6 – What happens when, in a world without superheroes, one appears. How will people react? Is he heralding the Second Coming of Christ? Is he the Antichrist? Is he the advance scout for an invading alien army? How will people react? Oh… and what if he happens to be Black? Jason Rand and Christopher E. Long plunge readers headlong into this world and the reactions of the people in it. As well as the heads of the well-intentioned, but enigmatic, Emissary and the people who deal with him firsthand. I’m not entirely sure where the book is heading, but I am enjoying the ride.
  • The American Way #8 (of 8 ) – Wow. Didn’t see a lot of this coming. Nevertheless, John Ridley brings his story of government-sponsored (and created) superheroes to a close. Over the course of the series he showed readers “super,” “heroic” and just plain “human.” The characters were flawed. They reacted with an emotional intensity borne from the Civil Rights movement and Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Some of the heroes – and their handlers – get along. Some don’t. Some just… bide their time and keep their heads down… until duty calls. And in the end, it wasn’t just “duty” that called; it was Duty. With a capital “D.” The kind that calls a person to either rise above their petty differences… or wallow in them and fall by the wayside. Win, lose or draw. This issue wrapped up the mini-series in a good way.
  • 52: Week Twenty-Three – The issue started off slowly, but when it shifted gears, it took off. For decades, readers have seen the rage that lies behind Black Adam‘s brow. This issue showed something else: His compassion.
  • Ultimate X-Men #75 – This issue introduced the Ultimate universe’s version of Cable. And he’s not Scott and Jean’s (well… Jean’s clone, technically, but why quibble) son. Who is he? He’s [Message Redacted]. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Stray Toasters

  • I talked with Kris and Adam today. Things are good on both coasts.
  • On the way up Parley’s Canyon, Pink Floyd’s Learning to Fly came on the radio. At one point, I looked out the side window to see a hawk (I think) circling over one of the ridges. It made me smile.
  • Battlestar Galacticakes
  • “It looks like jibber-jabber to me… and I’m crazy. I can read wallpaper. Usually don’t though. They never have happy endings…”
  • : Does Dio count as “butt-rawk?” If so, here ya go…
  • I’m still waiting for phone pics that I emailed to myself – over an hour ago – to show up. *sigh*
  • Video for Dr. Worm, by They Might Be Giants
  • From the “Truth, Stranger than Fiction” file: Chef Makes Wedding Gown with Cream Puffs
  • 20 Things the Average Person Doesn’t Know About Windows XP
  • Oh, look… the first two pictures finally arrived, but the other three haven’t. Fine. I’ll just put them in tomorrow’s post.

Namaste.