Random Access

Sunday – 08 November 2009
This has been a good weekend.

Friday was SaraRules’ birthday. After work, we went out for dinner. SaraRules’ first choice was Red Iguana… unfortunately, there was an hour-plus-long wait to get in. No go, Flight. Her second choice was Sawadee, a Thai restaurant near downtown. I didn’t know that it was even there; in my defense, I don’t get to that part of the city very often. The food was very good (and very spicy!). After dinner, we met up with some of the usual suspects at Clitorati, including a special guest appearance from and .

Yesterday was a good day. It had a good mix of laziness and productivity. SaraRules went to her quilt club in the morning; I hung out with Chris and Perry. After we got home, we headed back out to run a few errands. Back home again. SaraRules took a nap, I assembled a bookcase. Later, we headed to Abravanel Hall to watch Utah Symphony perform a pair of works by Brahms:

• Concerto No. 1 for Piano in D Minor, op 15
  
• Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, op. 98

Pinchas Zuckerman conducted and Jonathan Biss was the guest pianist. The performance was good. I was particularly impressed/pleasantly surprised by Mr. Zuckerman’s attire – he wore a slightly oversized black silk (I think) shirt with a pair of black slacks, rather than the traditional tuxedo that most conductors wear. Our seats were in the first tier, about five rows from the stage. This afforded an excellent view of the orchestra and of the conductor… as well as being close enough to hear Mr. Biss breathe. Seriously. When playing particularly intense passages, he breathed heavily. Very heavily. So heavily, in fact, that SaraRules said that it was like watching and listening to Darth Vader play.

This morning has been quiet. Breakfast.  Football. (If only the Ravens could act like they remember how to play the game. *sigh* I’ve been spoiled by being able to watch them play for the past three weeks, but I think I’m glad that I can’t watch this one.)  This evening, we’re heading over to the in-laws’ for SaraRules’ birthday dinner (with the family) and football.

Stray Toasters

• Complaint Box: Public Grooming
  Another of my personal pet peeves is people who clip their nails at their desks at work.
• sent a link to: Comic books are good for children’s learning
• I watched part of The Hunt for Red October yesterday. I like that movie.
• Visually impaired gamer sues Sony Online
• 
• As I mentioned on Facebook:
  

  Thanks for the items and requests… but my Mafia Wars account is wearing cement shoes and sleeping with the fishes.

• Wonder of Wonders: Identity, No Crisis
• Troy Polamalu has already had an injury this season.
  Larry Fitzgerald is still getting it done… and is having a decent season.
  So, what does this mean as far as “The Madden Curse” goes?
• Tiny jack-o-lanterns carved in seed pods
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Swarm of Giant Jellyfish Capsize 10-Ton Trawler

Namaste.

Monday – 26 October 2009
That time of year has rolled around once again: It’s my birthday.  I just realized something, too: Not only does my birthday fall on a Monday this year, but I was born on a Monday.  Fortunately, I have had better luck than Solomon Grundy – this one, not this one… although I guess it’s really been better than either of them.

Once again, I have taken International Day off from work.  It’s been a good – though short, so far – day, as I slept in this morning. Way in. And it was good. Selah. I have no “big plans” for the day, aside from running a couple of errands. Tonight, we’re heading over to SaraRules’ parents’ for “Birthday Dinner 2: Electric Boogaloo” and Monday Night Football.

Yesterday, SaraRules and I had a low-key Sunday. We slept in. We watched football. We went to the grocery store. She made an excellent beef stew, served in bread bowls. Logan came over for dinner, after which we plugged in one of the VCRs (old school, that’s right!) and watched Event Horizon. I’d never seen the movie before; it wasn’t bad. After I had some time to think about it, I realized that aspects of Sunshine reminded me of this movie. Maybe it’s me; maybe it’s Maybelline.  *shrug* Either way, it was a decent movie.

After Logan left, I decided to watch another episode of Fringe. I’ve almost caught up with the regular broadcasts now; I think that I’m only one – maybe two – episodes back.

Instant Replay: Football Recap
It was an odd day of football. There were some good games, as well as some real sleep-inducers. More importantly, there are fewer undefeated teams than there were last week. Here’s how the day wound up:

New York Jets at Oakland Raiders
38 – 0
We didn’t see this game; maybe that was a “good” thing. Sorry, SaraRules.

.

Buffalo Bills at Carolina Panthers
20 – 9
Another game that we missed. And, once again, one that I think I’m glad that I didn’t see. Maybe the Panthers will be good again, someday…

.

New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins
46 – 34
Not even the Dolphins could bring me any joy this week. To their credit, they hung in there pretty well – keeping the lead, even – until the fourth quarter started. Then the Saints racked up twenty-two unanswered points. And that’s how you lose ball games. In today’s Boilermaker Watch: Mr. Brees threw for 298 yards in today’s win.

.

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns
31 – 3
Another game that we didn’t get to see. Sorry, … but thanks for keeping us out of the bottom of the division!

.

Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers
17 – 27
This game we did watch. Wow.  Brett Favre and the Vikes dropped their first game to the Steelers. The game started off as a good contest, but the Vikings started making mistakes – fumbles and dropped passes – late in the game that cost them the win. Sorry, .

.

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals
10 – 45
I didn’t see this game, but I had hoped that the Bears could pin an “L” on the Bengals. No such luck. Apparently, the Bengals – and more importantly, Cedric Benson – had a few things to prove the the boys from the Windy City. And they went about it in a big way. Congratulations to and .

Stray Toasters

• Thanks for all of the birthday wishes and good tidings!
  (There’s a lot of crosspollination between LJ and Facebook, it seems…)
• SaraRules woke up feeling poorly this morning. (Physically, not “Oh, no… it’s swine flu!”) Please send well-wishes her way.
• Listening, Party for Two: Ella Fitzgerald Live
• I used to be a fairly regular reader of The Gods of Arr-Kelaan. Then, it kind of fell of my daily radar. I now go back every few months and catch up on the story. Last night, I stumbled across this strip, which made me chuckle, especially the middle and last rows of panels:

  

• Reversing the brain impairments caused by sleeplessness
• World’s smallest working model train set unveiled
• I should probably try to avoid The Apple Store, Best Buy, The Garden of Sweden and Toys ‘R’ Us today…
• Detroit house auction flops for urban wasteland

He gets right on to
The friction of the day…

Namaste.

Sunday – 25 October 2009
So far, it’s been a lazy, football-watching day around here.  That’s not a bad thing for a Sunday.

Yesterday, after a bit of cleaning, straightening and rearranging, SaraRules and I went to the local Outback Restaurant with a couple of the in-laws and a handful of friends for my pre-birthday dinner. While the food was good, I was a little disappointed with the service – mainly because for eighteen people, they only gave us one (1) waitress. Granted, we were her only table, but she seemed a little overwhelmed.  To her credit, she seemed to try her best to be available and maintain a friendly disposition.  It was just unfortunate that management didn’t give her a little backup.

After dinner, most everyone came back here for cake – a Devil’s Food cake with cream cheese frosting, both made by SaraRules from scratch – and ice cream. We sat around, ate and chatted for a couple of hours. All said, it was a good way to spend the evening.

Today, we’re heading up to Doughnut Falls for a hike. Other than that… who knows?

Stray Toasters

• The Ravens have a bye week. I’m watching the Vikings take on the Steelers. I’m really hoping that the Vikings can pull off a win against the Steelers… which, given Favre’s fumble that was just loped in for a TD by Woodley, looks like it might not happen.
• Ratification of the Magna Carter: Is Jay-Z the Greatest MC Alive?
• Hobby Lobby apparently hates me. They put their train sets on sale this week. Granted, it’s a safe bet that they’ll go on sale again. And, of course, there’s the whole matter of “Where would I put one, if I got it?”  But, it’s the principle of the matter.
• DJ Spooky delivers keynote address at MICA’s Transformations: New Directions in Black Art
• 
• Last night, SaraRules and I watched “Menace of the Music Meister,” Friday’s episode of Batman: The Brave and the Bold. While it showcased Neil Patrick Harris’ singing voice, the episode on the whole was a disappointment, especially the lyrics. They were… trite, at best. The episode was almost painful to watch.
• Percy Harvin just ran back a kickoff for a Vikings touchdown.
• Love, 1962 American High School Style
• …and after a great drive, Pittsburgh just picked off a tipped pass and ran it back for a touchdown.  Wow.
• The Biggest LEGO Mario Ever Built is available for bid on eBay.

Namaste.

Thursday – 22 October 2009
Another NBN Thursday kicks off in the valley.

It was a slow-starting morning, though. After sleeping poorly two nights ago, I slept reasonably well last night, but I did wake up a couple of times, for no apparent reason. Once I woke up, I wasn’t in a “get up and go” kind of mood, so I was rather lazy and slow about getting ready for work. And, as the cherry on top of it all: I cut myself shaving. On the back of my head. It didn’t hurt much; it was more of a “Really…?  Really?!? *sigh*” kind of thing.  And, it’s going to make the next few mornings’ shaving less-than-fun. Yay.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to a Cub Scout fundraiser that Mr. and Mrs. were part of. It was a fun change of pace. They had grilled chicken skewers, rice and salad as the main course and there were baked goods, too. They had games for the kids and there was even a jungle-themed photo board where you could have your pictures taken.

Once we got back home, I decided to catch up on episodes of Fringe that I’ve missed. I watched the last two episodes from last season and this season’s premiere. Good stuff.

Stray Toasters

• Even though no one else went to sushi yesterday, I did.
• Rules of Thumb
• SaraRules just pointed this out: The Counter restaurant closes at The Gateway.  That’s a shame.
• OnStar Ends First Police Chase
  I’d heard about this last week, but had forgotten about it… until I saw a commercial about it last night:

• ‘Black Dynamite’ pays homage to blaxploitation films
• The Weekly Crisis: A Collection of Random Thoughts, Vol. 17
• Boom De Yada… Boom De Yada….

  I Love xkcd from NoamR on Vimeo.

  Based on the I Love the Internet comic from xkcd.com

And now… meetings! Yay!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 21 Oct0ber 2009
Midweek and all appears to be well.

And it’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday, to boot.

Last night was my night to cook dinner. I pondered the issue all day and came up with “Fish…” as an idea. Then I came to the realization: I’ve never cooked fish – other than Van de Camp’s fish fillets or fish sticks – before and I wasn’t sure that SaraRules wanted to play guinea pig. So, I went with chicken instead. I made a dry rub, put it in a plastic bag, tossed the chicken in the bag to season it and threw the pieces of chicken in the oven.  Then I went to work on the rest of dinner: Green beans, cooked in chicken broth, and pasta (angel hair and thin spaghetti). When the chicken came out of the oven, it smelled good. It tasted good, too… at least my piece did. SaraRules had gotten a piece that was VERY heavily seasoned and was very salty. Looking at it, I realized that she had gotten the first piece of chicken to which I had applied the rub; it got the lion’s share of the dry spices, despite my attempts to remove most of them. She ate it quietly, suffering in silence. I traded pieces of chicken with her, as mine was nowhere near as salty-tasting as hers. That seemed to go over better. Other than that, it was a good dinner, though. I just need to remember to watch out for the first piece of meat that gets seasoned with a dry rub next time…

Stray Toasters

• For SaraRules and – Dolly Parton: NPR Staffers Celebrate ‘Dolly’
• If you ever wonder what “Fighting for freedom” means, take a listen to this testimony from an 86-year-old World War II veteran, speaking at a public meeting on Maine’s marriage equality bill:

  He wins today’s “Human of the Day” award.

• Turtles prefer ‘city life’
  Of course, this isn’t exactly news, as we have long known about sewer-dwelling, pizza-eating ninja turtles.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Yahoo hires lap-dancers to entertain at its open, inclusive Hack Day event
  Be sure to click through the links at the bottom of the article (before the comments)
• Vatican welcomes Anglicans into Catholic Church
• Amelia Earhart: Pioneer of Style
• From xkcd: “More Accurate”

  

• has an interesting take on “a fundamental difference between Australians and Americans.”
• Essential plot twists for writers
• Bionic Eye Opens New World of Sight for Blind

Hm… it looks like it’s just going to be “Comics Wednesday.”  Oh, well.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 20 October 2009
This morning is rather grey and dreary… but it’s also without precipitation, so far. I think that maybe – just maybe – Fall weather has (finally) settled in over Utah.

Last night was a quiet evening in. There was football and a horror movie, 30 Days of Night. According to SaraRules and Reverend Tom:

“The goal isn’t just to watch ‘good’ horror movies or ‘bad’ horror movies; the goal is to watch ALL horror movies.”

And, after all: It’s October, the month made for horror movies. Or something like that.

Workout
Wes and I hit the gym today:

• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/12 reps
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/20 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/12 reps, 120 lbs
• Dips: 3 sets/10 reps

Pre-workout weight (morning): 184.5 lbs

Instant Replay: Football
Last night’s match-up between the Denver Broncos and Sandy Eggo Chargers wound up being more of a slugfest than I had originally expected:

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers
34 – 23
Any game where you have three (3) kicks/punts run back for touchdowns is a good game… especially when both teams get in on the action.  This game was not an exception to that. It was a definite back-and-forth struggle, until the Chargers started fumbling the ball in the second half. After that, Denver forged ahead and never looked back. All-in-all it was a good game, from start to finish.

After the Patriots’ 59 – 0 beat down of the Titans on Sunday, I decided to look up a couple of football facts:

1. Highest-scoring game in NFL history: November 27, 1966, when the Washington Redskins defeated New York Giants 72-41
2. Widest margin of victory in NFL history: December 8, 1940, in the NFL Championship Game, the Chicago Bears beat the Washington Redskins 73-0

So…at least the Titans don’t have the distinction of “the worst loss ever.” That’s gotta count for something, right? But, on the other hand, the Redskins have the (dubious) distinction of being part of the both the highest-scoring and widest margin of victory games… which qualifies them for the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file.

Stray Toasters

• Apple unveils new hotness
• At the centre of time – A look at the Greenwich Prime Meridian
• Car seats can be dangerous outside the car
• How forensics use Photoshop to find missing children
• NASA’s rocket roll-out complete
• How do you solve a problem like IKEA?
• From Threadless: The Horde t-shirt
• Chillits 2009 ambient music mixes online

Okay…. lunch beckons.

Namaste.

Friday – 16 October 2009
Today has been a good 9/80 “off” Friday. After dropping SaraRules off at work – we took her car to the shop this morning – I came home and did a little cleaning in the dining room and living room. After that, I met Marci and Josh for lunch at Taste of Punjab. Next, went and hung out with Perry and the kids for a bit before returning home. Back out to get SaraRules, her car and to run a couple of errands and we’re home again. For the moment. Clitorati’s tonight, so there’s that, too.

Stray Toasters

• I was on a bit of a Will Smith/Fresh Prince kick this morning. My Facebook links bear witness to this fact.
• Balloon Science Lesson
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Dead man slumped on balcony mistaken for Hallowe’en decoration
• 
• Disney gags on “Ho White” beer
• A while back, I posted a link to What does Marcellus Wallace look like?, a typographic “interpretation” of a scene in Pulp Fiction. Today, posted a link to Pulp Wave Fiction, yet another interpretation of the same scene:

• Yo momma so fat THX can’t even surround her.
  (Damn and a half, I like the dozens.)
• Also from the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Interracial couple denied marriage license in Louisiana

Namaste.

Yep, definitely time to change gears and have a little break.

So far, the day has gone well and has been incident-free. We like those kinds of days… especially when they fall on NBN Thursdays.

Wes and I hit the gym at lunch for a workout. I am trying to keep in mind that I can’t just jump back into the saddle and expect to be working out using the same weight for some exercises that I did before my hiatus. Nevertheless, we had a good workout:

• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/20 reps
• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/12 reps
• Bench Press (decline): 3 sets/12 reps, 185 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
• Shoulder Press (machine): 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
• Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 140 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Push-ups (elevated): 3 sets/10 reps

Pre-workout weight (morning): 184.5 lbs

Stray Toasters

• Super-Social Networking: Superhero Facebook Status Updates
  • From the same author – Dracula Week: Dracula’s Soul Brother!
    (It’s a funny look at Scream, Blacula, Scream.)
• sent me a link to: What do you do with an old Vespa motorcycle?
  (Somehow, I don’t think that it would work if you substituted “a drunken sailor” for “and old Vespa motorcycle,” though.)
• sent a link to this, which is pretty spectacular: 9 year old scores greatest goal in Boston this season
• : Live-action ‘Clix bases for your wedding. That’s all I’m sayin’…
• En Vogue – My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)

Namaste.

Thursday – 15 October 2009
NBN 9/80 Thursday = ‘Technical Friday’
Nothing has blown up yet, so I’m counting the morning as good. So far.

Last night, I headed over to Chris’ to help him get his Windows machine up and running. It had a hard drive crash, so we had to reinstall the OS on a new drive and get drivers and… well, the usual stuff associated with an OS installation. All things considered, it went fairly smoothly. He still needs to install some programs, but he has a working box once again.

Stray Toasters

• There are many things in this article that are being placed on The Covet List. Many things, indeed.
  • In a related note, DC Comics has a rather decent Blackest Night site up, as well.
• Mormonism and the Negro
  I found this yesterday after a brief search, based on the articles that sent me. I am not casting aspersions about it, I merely find it interesting and curious.
• Reality TV’s Thoroughly ‘Modern’ Mistakes
  (This caught my attention because they mentioned Project Runway, specifically, when discussing this.)
• Lost in space race: Female pilots
• , you might be interested in the fact that this, this and this are now available as prints.
• 
• Social Security Makes It Official: No COLA in 2010
• Cool and Classic – Enlivening a Dallas Cultural District
• Kid ‘n Play – Rollin’ With Kid ‘n Play

• A G.O.P. Agitator Not Named Palin
• The Monty Python circus keeps rolling on
• From KUER’s RadioWest: The Art of Making Money
• In Texas, a Police Officer for Everyone?

Namaste.

Wednesday – 14 October 2009
Midweek and all’s well.
As if that wasn’t enough, it’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday!

Last night was a laid back night. After a few post-work errand with SaraRules, we stopped at Dask’s to pick up dinner and then headed home. NCIS and Greek food isn’t necessarily a combination that most people would put together, but you know what? It works. After NCIS went off, we headed up to the in-laws’ for a quick visit and then headed back home – Project Runway for SaraRules; foamcore cutting for some WWG terrain for me.

Workout
For the first time in… two weeks, I think… Wes and I hit the gym for a quick workout:

• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/20 reps
• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/12 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 185 lbs
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
• Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs
• Reverse Punches: 3 sets/10 reps, 10 lbs

Pre-workout weight (morning): 183.5 lbs

Stray Toasters

• Wonder of Wonders: Star-Spangled Panties (not nearly as NSFW as it sounds)
• continues to send things that entertain/amuse me:
  • Best of IKEA for the Kitchen
  • 1964 letter “…not in my official Church position, but as a friend…” on the LDS Church’ stance on “The Negro Problem”
    • …and an interesting follow-up
      

• What actual Mayans are saying about 2012
  I think that “What actual Rush fans are saying about 2112” would be an appropriate follow-up to this article.
• Soda Tax Could Shake Up Industry
• 
• ‘Twin Towers’ warship sets sail
  • USS New York (Wikipedia article)
• Wild Cherry – Play That Funky Music

• Airlines that charge fees lost more money than airlines that didn’t
• Comics cover artist Greg Horn’s take on Wonder Woman (full article can be read here).

Namaste.

Tuesday – 13 October 2009
So far, it’s been a relatively quiet morning. That’s not a bad thing.

Football Update
I have been a Dolphins fan since… 1990, roughly. They were “my team” until Carolina got the Panthers and Baltimore got the Ravens. They’re still my #2 AFC team. They haven’t been really noteworthy in many years, but they are still one of my favorites. When I heard that they were playing in this week’s Monday night game, I was excited, but I wasn’t expecting much.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
27 – 31
Wow. I was expecting a bit of a sleeper, to be honest. I had no idea that a football game was going to break out. And it was a good game, at that! Chad Henne, Miami’s QB, looked good under center – he was poised, cool under fire and was able to deliver the ball, on target, in both long and short pass plays. Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown ran the Dolphins’ famed “Wildcat” offense with more options than Baskin-Robbins has flavors. Even third-string QB, Pat White, got in on the fun. Mark Sanchez and the Jets had a solid offensive game, staying close to the Fish throughout the game. Their defense, however, only showed up intermittently. Head Coach Rex Ryan called the Jets’ performance “…an embarrassment” during the post-game interview. All-in-all, this was a satisfying – and exciting – game to watch with my #2 AFC team. If, for whatever reason, you missed it, look for the rebroadcast on NFL Network this week.

I also had something of an apostrophe epiphany last night: My favorite teams cover air, land and sea: Ravens, Panthers and Dolphins. In a very geeky way, it made me laugh.

Stray Toasters

• Methinks I need to start looking at picking up a Dolphins jersey or two…
• I was looking for an animated .gif of the Lion (or Tiger) from Kenya, when I stumbled upon these:

  
  (click for more info)

  Yep… these are going straight to The Covet List.

• Should Americans banish the burger?
• You Let Our Child Watch What!? Army of Darkness
• As that there are a few runners who will read this: How to run, meditate, and not get hurt
• Has hip-hop grown up?
• 
• Guy’s Guide to Geek Girls (The Sequel)
• The Clothes Make the Superman
• Girls sell sex in Hong Kong to earn shopping money
• Super Mario Cupcakes
• Memory not first Alzheimer’s sign

Namaste.

Wednesday – 30 September 2009
The last day of September is rainy.
It’s noticeably cooler than the past week or so has been – today’s projected high is 56F.
And… AND… there’s a possibility of snow in the forecast.

But, on the bright side: It’s Comics (and Sushi) Wednesday.

Last night, I headed over to Chris’ to play HeroClix. Instead, we wound up chatting the evening away. (Which was just as good a way to spend the evening, in my opinion.) He also showed me Batman: Arkham Asylum and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2, both of which looked good… but I’d be more inclined to pick up Alliance than Asylum at this point.

Stray Toasters

• T-minus three days and counting.
• Speaking of which, I’ve had a number of people ask me “What’s the attire for the event?” This is somewhat amusing, as we specifically put “Semi-Formal Attire” on the wedding invitation. This has led to questions of “What’s ‘semi-formal?’ ” So, with that in mind, here’s a guide to semi-formal wear:
  • Dress Code (Western)
  • Semi-formal
  • Semi-Formal Dress (women)
  • The Well-Dressed Gentleman

  We’ve also been asked if we’re serious about the attire. Simple answer: “Yes.” After all, we put it on the invitations for a reason. And that reason is to (hopefully) preclude anyone – with exactly one known and excused exemption – from showing up in streetwear or casual wear.

• Apple 1984 ad, updated for 2009

• I picked up my copy of Superman/Batman: Public Enemies last night.
  I brought it to work this morning; there’s a good chance that it will see some screen time today.
• Amanda Palmer on why she’s not afraid to ask her listeners for money
• I need to find someone who can make one of these for .
• Snow…? Now?!  Really?!?  *shakes head*
• Bobby Brown: My Prerogative

• Indiana Jones Desktop Accessories
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Britain seeks ban on pint glasses to prevent bar-brawl injuries
• Zork rock anthem

Namaste.

Wednesday – 16 September 2009
Comics and Sushi Wednesday is upon us once again.  Amen.

Last night was kind of… lax. Not saying that’s a “bad” thing, mind you. SaraRules and her mom went shopping last night, leaving me at home to… well… pretty much do whatever I wanted. I actually made a few wedding-related calls – I talked with my ‘rents.  All’s well in their respective worlds.  Then I made calls to my Godparents, who won’t be able to make it out for the event. It was nice talking with them.  Then, I watched TV and cut some 6″x3″ pieces for use with a new WWG map and surfed the Interwebs.

Workout
Yesterday, Marci and I got in a short lunchtime workout:

• Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 120 lbs
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs
• Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/20 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 185 lbs
• Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/12 reps
• Side Bends: 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs

Pre-workout weight (morning): 184.0 lbs

Stray Toasters

• …not to be confused with “Starry Toasters”
• The Next DC Animated Film Is a CRISIS Story
• For some reason, I woke up with Swing Low, Sweet Chariot running through my head. Not just any version, either. It was the Dizzy Gillespie version that he performed on The Muppet Show. It segued into the Eric Clapton version for a moment, but went back to the Dizzy one.
• … I mis-remembered – it was apparently Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac:

• Taking Showers Can Be Harmful to Your Health
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: WWE’s Linda McMahon resigns to run for Senate against Dodd
• Carter: Racism plays major role in opposition to Obama
• With the season premiere of NCIS – and series premiere of NCIS: Los Angeles – less than a week away, TVGuide.com offers this up: Check out LL Cool J’s new NCIS:LA-inspired Song

• Best of Broadway: Bernstein’s ‘West Side Story’
• Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is now out…

  

• iPhone as a PC Game Controller
• Top 5 WTF Comic Book Character Origins

Namaste.

Tuesday – 15 September 2009
We’re halfway through the month already. Wow. Where does the time go…?

Last night, I headed over to help and her ‘rents do some painting at her new place. I took my portable SoundDock, so that we’d have something to listen to. What I didn’t take was the remote control. I was under the mistaken impression that I needed the remote to change the volume on it as, unlike my primary SoundDock, the volume controls are not on the face of the unit.

Operative word: “Mistaken.”

I noticed, after I had gotten back home later in the evening, that the portable ‘Dock does have sound controls on it – they’re on the side of the unit. D’oh!

Football
Last night, there was a double-header on Monday Night Football:

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
24 – 25

I missed a good portion of this game, as I was helping paint. But, I caught a little of the first quarter and the last five or ten minutes of the fourth quarter. And, I was surprised and impressed with the last couple of drives: The Patriots’ two-minute drill to get the go-ahead score and the Bills’ hook-and-ladder play to try and answer it.

San Diego Chargers at Oakland Raiders
24 – 20

This was a solid game, top to bottom. I was especially impressed with the way the Raiders played – on both sides of the ball. The defense looked reminiscent of the Raiders of the 70s and 80s; the offense was… well… GOOD! They moved the ball, they didn’t make a lot of stupid errors. They played solid football, but in the end, Sandy Eggo took the “Win.”

Stray Toasters

• In honor of the title of this post, I give you Mr. Miyagi
  Once again, Julie (our IT admin… sorry, “Distinguished IT Admin,” as we refer to her) and I dressed alike. Today, we’re both in navy tops and khaki pants. And, once again, we did not plan this.
• It’s official: NECA Acquires WizKids; HeroClix to Continue
  (Hopefully, the legendary – and highly-elusive – “Smoky-Foot” Captain America ‘Clix will see the light of day…)

  

• The greatest papercraft model you’ll ever see
• Groomsmens’ gifts: Check.
• What happened to civility?
• Poll Finds Most Doctors Support Public Option
• I don’t remember how I stumbled across Geek Orthodox, but I found some amusing stuff there:
  • Darth Bat
  • Gamer Shirts
  • 10 Reasons Why Roleplaying Games Are a Positive Force for Kids and Adults Alike
• 
• Wells Fargo fires exec over Malibu house scandal
• By way of and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: When Getting Beaten by Your Husband Is a Pre-existing Condition

Namaste.

Saturday – 12 September 2009
It’s almost 2:30 (at least it was when I started writing this…) and I’ve already gone out to have coffee with Perry, helped move (counts as today’s workout!) and run errands. And now, I’m stuck with something of a conundrum: What in the world am I going to do with the rest of my afternoon?!  SaraRules has to attend An Evening of Beethoven again – this time as an employee of US/UO – so I get to figure out what I’m doing tonight, too. There could be a lot of CoH and or WWG-building time involved…

Last night, we went to the aforementioned “An Evening of Beethoven”

The symphony performed:

• Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, op. 43
• Concerto for Violin in D Major, op. 61 (featuring guest artist Jennifer Frautschi on violin)
• Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, op. 67

And they were very well done. It was a lovely evening out.

After the symphony, we caught up with the Clitorati crew for dinner. As an added bonus, Chris and Mary showed up. And, as a… hm… “bonus bonus,” I guess… Chris brought the Bishop HeroClix figure that he customized for me.

He did a great job on it. More pictures of it can be seen here.

Stray Toasters

• Rings: Check.
• I finally took pictures of the Mac pony that Stephanie made for me… to match my MacBook.
• Personal space is mostly in your head
  That may be true, but I adhere to this idea:

  

  Of course, I tend to think of my personal space as being the size of Mongolia. *shrug*
  Okay, that’s not entirely true; although, I do prefer a buffer of two to three feet.

• I’ve been working on setting up some eBay auctions to clear out some of my extra ‘Clix.
• A dozen Warhol paintings worth millions stolen from Los Angeles home
• 300 is on TNT. Nice…
• …of course, that reminded me of this:

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Six-year-old girl chauffeured stoned mom

That’s good for now.  I’m off to go enjoy some lazy time.

Namaste.