Random Access

Monday – 28 April 2008
Indulge

Pronunciation: \in-ˈdəlj\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): in·dulged; in·dulg·ing

Etymology: Latin indulgēre to be complaisant

Date: circa 1623

That’s exactly what I did this morning: Indulged myself with staying in bed. Forty-five whole extra minutes. Alarm? Yep, it was set. And it went off. A few times.

Didn’t matter.
Didn’t care.

This morning was about enjoying the last vestiges of the first full good night’s sleep that I’ve had in almost a week. And it was totally worth it. As an added bonus, I got to spend a little more time with SaraRules. Can’t beat that at twice the price, either. Sure, it meant a later start to the commute. And a later end to the work day, but like I said:

Didn’t matter.
Didn’t care.

Workout
Coming back to a workout after a week off is not fun. Today was no exception. We pretty much did (most of) last Monday’s routine:

• Bench Press (barbell): 3 sets/8 reps – 2.5 sets @225 lbs, half-set @ 185 lbs
• Curls (barbell): 3 sets/10 reps – 2 sets @ 70 lbs, 1 set @ 50 lbs
• Flys (Nautilus): 3 sets/15 reps, 95 lbs
• Curls (dumbbell, Hammer grip): 3 sets, 10 reps, 25 lbs
• Dips: 2 sets, 20 reps & 15 reps

Post-workout weight: 170.2 lbs.
(If nothing else, not having an appetite for four days helped get rid of a few pounds…)

Home. Everything seems to be in one piece. That’s a good sign.

Stray Toasters

• Thanks to an excellent suggestion from , The Covet List is now being given form as my Amazon Wish List.
• America’s Dirty Little Oil Secret: Plastic Bottles and Bags
• 
• Chris and I are playing ‘Clix tomorrow. I get to try out Galactus. I should probably bone up on the special rules for him before we play…
• Apple has upgraded the iMac.
• , can you explain why your team gave up all their draft picks until the fourth round?!
• Guilty: Jury Convicts Reiser of First-Degree Murder
• Wow… sounds like my desk:



• I’ve mentioned before, but you should also check out Brad Guigar’s other comics, Courting Disaster and Phables.
• Even though the content is often very similar, I think that I like Gizmodo a little better than Engadget.

And now, to see if I can figure out what sounds good for dinner…

Namaste.

Sunday – 19 April 2008
Turns out that the Interwebs at SaraRules’ was okay… for the most part. The complex had changed a few settings and the wireless router didn’t “know” about them. So, it pretty much ignored them. A quick reset and the series of tubes were carrying information once more.

<< Rewind <<
We wound up not going to SOAPFest last night. Instead, SaraRules made dinner, Lish came over and we hung out. About the time that dinner was wrapping up, Rachel and Tyler showed up… followed shortly by Josh. We hung out and shot the bull for a while. And then a couple rounds of flip cup started. Post-flip cup, we sat around and talked until about 2:30 this morning. I gave Lish control of the camera. I take (almost) no responsibility for what he shot (pictures here).

> Play >
Today was a lax and lazy day. I believe that everyone in the apartment availed themselves of the opportunity to sleep in. After coffee and breakfast, SaraRules suggested a trip to Park Discovery where we could fly my kite. With an offer like that, I couldn’t refuse. It was sunny and windy… and a little brisk. Neither of us took jackets with us. After a couple of fair attempts at getting the kite aloft, I “untangled” (not really the right word, but it fits) the lines. Sure enough, the kite flew much better. After we flew the kite for thirty or so minutes, we headed over to the tot lot. We climbed, slid, swung and had an all-around fun time.

Once we’d had our fill of fun – and the chillier-than-expected outdoors – we headed back to the apartment. I have been watching an item on eBay for the past couple of days. I wanted to be back in time to get a bid in on it. We did. What was I so hell-bent on bidding on?

That’s right: A Green Lantern John Stewart Minimates figure (1, 2). These were given out as convention promotions at the 2006 San Diego Comic Convention. With the release of other DC Minimates figures, including various GL figures, I had wondered why there wasn’t a John Stewart figure in the mix. A little digging showed why. So, I was bound and determined to see if I could get this one. And I won it.

Not sure what’s on tap for the rest of the day/evening.

Stray Toasters

• I chatted with for a bit this afternoon. All is well in his, Bot and Bit’s corner of the world. He also posted new pics of Bit:

  
  (click image to see other pictures)

• Your Claim to Fame LEGO Challenge
• Bit ‘o Honey candy
• Legion turns 50
• BET has landed the upcoming Black Panther animated series.
  (I wonder if the fact that Reggie Hudlin is BET’s President and writing Black Panther for Marvel had anything to do with it…?)
• Carne Asada is not a crime!
• Shakespeare’s Pulp Fiction
• I watched a few trailers on Apple’s site today, including Wanted, Boarding Gate, Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull, Chaos Theory… and Zombie Strippers.

Quotes of the Day
As heard during and after last night’s Flip Cup Challenge

• Darillyn: “I just need to fill my pockets full of vibrators”
  (to SaraRules, about a bellydance move that SaraRules was trying to teach her)
• Rachel: “I’ll drink just about anything.”
  Me: “Not in a Two Girls, One Cup kind of way, but almost anything.”
  (about Rach’s choices of beverage for flip cup)
• Steve: “You could totally do me”
  (to me, about being able to bench press him)

And that’s a wrap!

Namaste.

Wednesday – 16 April 2008
Another midweek day in the valley. After yesterday’s snow (yes, SNOW), there are blue skies and scattered high clouds today. Go figure. Most of the snow in the valley has melted, but there are still remnants on the benches (def. 5) and mountains.

I managed to get out of bed – and out of the apartment – at a decent hour today. I even stopped for a cup of frozen mocha goodness and a copy of The Gray Lady on the way into the office. I thought of a couple of ways to modify my database UI this morning… and I’m trying them out. So far, I’m making decent headway in getting them established; turning the page into a self-referencing form shouldn’t be (too much of) a problem. And, I have to say that I’m pretty happy with the progress I’m making.

And, it’s new comics day.
Can’t beat that with a stick at twice the price.

Stray Toasters

• I have (yet) another new addition to the Covet List: Superman vs. Darkseid Statue

  

  I have been a Darkseid… fan, I guess… ever since The Great Darkness Saga (a Legion story, go figure). I have a few ‘Clix figures and a Superman: The Animated Series production sericel fromfeaturing him. I just wish that I had been able to get one of the 1999 Darkseid statues, though.

• From the “Why, yes, it IS rocket science” file: Schoolboy Corrects NASA’s Math on Killer Asteroid
• I’m a little scared by this: Children’s book about plastic surgery
• 
• I enjoy my comics and figure collections.  But, compared to this collection, I have next to nothing.  Unglaublich…
• Maverick Swedish Rock Star Reveals What Britney Could Have Been
• Moviehole has an interview with Iron Man director Jon Favreau
• Woman goes on YouTube to air divorce grievances

Quote of the Day
Today’s quote is an “Ole and Lena” joke, that Coworker Jan told me.  He usually tells me a couple of these a week and they’re made even better because Jan affects a great Scandinavian accent. The version of the joke that I found online was written phonetically, so you will get the idea of how it sounds.

Ole was out working in the field when his mule squares off and kicks him right in his wedding tackle.  Writhing in agony, he falls to the ground. As soon as he could manage, he took himself to the doctor.
“How bad is it doc?  I’m getting married next veek and my fiance, Lena, is still a wirgin – in every
vay.  I vant her to know that I’m right there with her.”

The doctor told him, “Everything looks okay, but I’ll have to put your Willie in a splint.  It should be okay next week.”  He took some tongue depressors and formed a neat little splint, and taped it all together quite an impressive work of art.

Ole mentions none of this to Lena.  They get married and go on their honeymoon. That night in the motel room, Lena rips open her blouse to reveal her beautiful untouched breasts. She said,”No vun has EVER seen deez. You’re the first vun.”

Ole immediately drops his pants and replies,”Look at dis… still in da crate!”

Namaste.

Tuesday – 15 April 2008
Today is the day that taxes are due in the U.S.

Ostensibly, that should make the Song of the Day Taxman, by The Beatles.
Screw that.

Today’s song: Knowledge Is King, by Kool Moe Dee

Lost in the sauce
And praising the dollar
Whether your faith is
Christ or Allah
The knowledge of God
Will teach one thing
The dollar is moot
Knowledge is king

Yeah. That’s about right.

I have spent the first half of my morning tracking down what happened to my primary machine in the SLC office over the weekend. Either Windows or my hard drive (or both) decided to go tits-up. So, I opted to throw a new drive in the machine. Of course, that meant the obligatory reinstallation of XP. Wahoo. But, needs must be done.

Ravens Update
That’s right.. it’s April and I’m talking football. Why? The Ravens released their 2008 schedule. Of particular note:

• 26 October: Oakland Raiders (in Baltimore)
• 21 September and 02 November: Cleveland Browns

Speaking of which: I figured out what was going in display case 2… to some degree. At least on the top shelf:

(click for larger size)

Stray Toasters

• Install. Reboot.
  Install something else. Reboot.
  Lather, rinse, repeat.
  Ah, the joys of reinstalling a Windows operating system.
• – Here you go: a Java version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Enjoy.
• ‘Ashamed’ Pope vows no more pedophile priests
• I’m adding this to the Covet List. In fact, I’m adding to the short list.
  (For those who aren’t sure what it is: It’s a cityscape for miniature gaming, on card stock)
• Dreamworks to make a live-action Ghost in the Shell in 3-D
• 
• Greatest Time Travel Duels of All Time(lines)

/lunch

Namaste.

I finally got the preliminary form of my database up and running, thanks to a key bit of help from in getting around a DNS issue. Now, I’m playing around with it, trying to be a bit more selective of the displayed data. Once I get that taken care of, I can work on making it look pretty.

After my post this morning, welcomed me to “Tie Tuesday.” And it was, apparently, a purple day, too. As part of my response to his post, I took a shot of myself… which also counts as (yet) another self-portrait:

In other news, Diamond Select Toys has a couple of things that I found interesting (and one possible addition to The Covet List):

1. Captain America figure – Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes version
2. Civil Bore War Minimates.

I should make more s’mores brownies.

Tuesday – 25 March 2008
To quote Mr. Rogers: “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.” It’s a bit cloudy, but on the whole, the sun is out and there are spots of blue skies to be seen.

Last night, I played a little CoH. After a few minutes’ roaming without anything to do, I was invited to join a few players with whom I have teamed before. We tried a “stop the bank heist” mission. Operative word: “Tried.” What we didn’t know was that Lord Recluse was part of the crew robbing the bank. That’s right: CoH/CoV’s Number One bad guy himself. Maybe he lost his PIN and really needed some cash. I dunno. Whatever the reason, he cleaned our clocks. Without breaking a sweat. (And that’s quite a feat for someone with ten arms. (Okay, technically, I guess it’s “ten legs,” but either way it’s still impressive.) We failed that mission. Next, we took on Chimera and some of his goons. That went much better. Sure, some of us died a few times, but we completed the mission.

Today’s workout was good. Eric and I decided to change up a few things and do a few exercises that we’ve ignored for a while:

• Decline Bench Press: 3 sets/15 reps, 155 lbs.
• Upright Row: 3 sets/15 reps, 50 lbs.
• Overhead Tricep Press: 3 sets/50 lbs. (12 reps, 10 reps, 10 reps)
• Front Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 20 lbs.
• Reverse Curls: 3 sets/15 reps, 45 lbs.
• Wrist Curls: 3 sets/15 reps, 45 lbs.
• Back Extensions: 2 sets/15 reps (second set done with a 10-lb. plate)

Post-workout weight: 173.4 lbs.

Stray Toasters

• As I mentioned yesterday, I have new pictures of Bit.
  You can see some of them here.
  I showed the pictures to SaraRules and – their responses:

  SaraRules: Awww! Check her out in her cute new easter dress. She’s adorable!
  Me: Yes, she is.
  SaraRules: Such a cute niece you have! And she still looks absolutely new and tiny.

  …and…

  : Oh now that is just sweet…
  : John’s going to lock her up when she turns 12 you realize?
  Me: Yeah.
  : You seem to be fine with at idea, 
  Me: That or a convent.
  Me: Because I REALLY don’t want to see Rana tear someone limb-from-limb.
  Me: *shiver*
  : You could sell tickets
  : Pay for her college education
  HAHAHAHAHAH Nice.

• Lifelites’ eLite LED kits add pizzazz to those humdrum LEGO models
  (Yes… this needs to be added to the Covet List.)
• By way of InformationWeek: Mac Buyer’s Guide: Which Apple Should You Pick?
• From the “Hold the switch, the Governor is on the phone” file: Windows XP May Get Another Reprieve
• Robot babysitter keeps kids occupied in Japanese store
• From the science desk: Does a boomerang thrown in space return to its pitcher?
• Huge Chunk of Antarctic Ice Breaks Loose
• 
• Authentic Star Trek Mirror Universe paper goatee
• For some people, this would be the epitome of “fully-immersive” with respect to Flight Simulator.
  Other people need/want this.
• Technosexual: One Man’s Tale of Robot Love
• …and, as an amusing corollary to the above:

  

Namaste.

Friday – 21 March 2008
Today is Good Friday.
And it’s a “good Friday,” to boot.
Win-Win.

This morning’s commute was to the tune of 2112: Overture and Temples of Syrinx.
At lunch, and I are going to Ye Olde Driving Range.
(Did you know that “Ye” is actually supposed to be pronounced “the?” It is.)

Stray Toasters

• The Red Balloon that’s a few doors down from Dr. Volt’s has gotten a new shipment of Rokenbok. In the shipment was Tower of Rok Mania. I deem that this shall be the next addition to my collection. (And, to be honest, I wouldn’t mind adding another Monorail Metropolis Start Set to the equation, either.)
• SaraRules is helping to… tame… the volumes of comics that I have – at least the ones here behind the Zion Curtain. Until a couple weeks ago, they were stored in seven long boxes in one of my closets. Currently, they are stacked – unboxed – in my living room. When stopped by yesterday to take SaraRules to lunch, he saw the stacks. After lunch, he asked me how many comics I have. I asked if he meant here or overall. “Both.” So, after a few minutes of mental gymnastics, I figured that I have:
  • UT: roughly 2500
  • MD: 1200 – 1400
  • NC: between 2000 and 2500 (probably closer to 2500)
• broke someone’s day; I am proud of her for the method with which she did so.
• Soft Pretzels: Round 2 – tonight.
• I was reminded of a tech fact about “cookies” that I had forgotten (and a fact of which most people are unaware):
  

  Cookies are a way for a server to store information about the user (on the user’s machine) so that the server can remember the user over the course of the visit or through several visits. Think of a cookie like a name tag: You tell the server your name, and it gives you a name tag. Then it can know who you are by referring back to the name tag.

  Cookies have gotten a bad rap because users believe cookies allow a server to know too much about them. However, a cookie can only be used to store information that you give it, so it’s as secure as you want it to be.

• This made me laugh.
  (It even made laugh, too!)
• David Letterman’s “Top Ten Reasons to Watch the New Season of Battlestar Galactica“:
  
• I have a possible new addition to the Covet List: Tetris Mirror Pieces
• if (!$error) {
  print ‘Looks like you might actually have SOME idea of what you’re trying to do!’;
  } else {
  print ‘You FAIL…’;
  }
• Why Pulling the Fire Alarm at the Gas Station Is a Bad Idea
• 

This post has been brought to you by the letters “C” and “Y” and the number 2112.

Namaste.

Friday – 14 March 2008
First off: Happy Hatching Day to :

And, as made a post about it being Steak & Blowjob Day:

Now, on to our regularly scheduled programming.

After work, I stopped to say “Hi” to Kate, Perry and the kids on the way home. Then, it was on to Target to pick up a few things and then home. I got home a little after 8:30, figuring that I would catch the tail end of CSI: while I waited for dinner to cook. I need not have worried – it was a rerun. I channel-surfed while eating dinner. Then it was time to take it to the streets… of Paragon City. I ran a solo Vanguard mission and then joined an SG-mate and a few others for a 50+ mission. By the time I was done, I was over half-way to Security Level 47.

This morning, I got up to take the car in for an oil change and to get the driver’s side front turn signal assembly replaced. The first question Ian (the associate who usually handles my car service issues) asked was: “Can you leave it with us for a couple of hours?”

*blink blink*

The light assembly is mounted behind some restraining brackets and the bumper – which is why I’m not replacing it myself – but I didn’t think it was going to take quite that long. So, I rescheduled for tomorrow morning. Undaunted, I left the dealership and met Perry for pre-work coffee.

And it’s been snowing. Again. Yee-haw.

Stray Toasters

• was talking with Coworker DaveW about a new Pontiac commercial. I was intrigued because he said that it was a take on the old Spy Hunter game. So I checked it out for myself. The commercial is chock full of awesomeness:
  
• What are your operating system, web browser and email client(s) of choice?
  I’m an OSX and WinXP, Firefox (both platforms) and Thunderbird (bot platforms) user.
• Thanks to for the following:

  
  …and…
  
  A… cardinal… who wants to be….
  Oh, Hell… I if I have to explain it, just move 0n.

• From CNN: They would rather die than get help
• WOWIO
• PHP
• From xkcd: “Morning”
  
• This link leads to action-figure.com‘s coverage of Toy Fare 2008. It has MANY things that could be added to the Covet List there. Many, indeed.

And, thanks to putting in some extra hours on the front end of the week, today will be an abbreviated work day. Amen.

Namaste.

Friday – 07 March 2008
The re-piping project in my apartment started bright and early (8:00 AM) yesterday. When I got home, the first phase was pretty much complete… leaving a number of holes throughout the walls and ceiling of the apartment. This included a hole in the wall between the bedroom and the maintenance closet (outside). This meant that I had a rather drafty hole that allowed a good deal of cold air into the bedroom… almost directly over the bed. So, I jerry-rigged a light cover to try and keep some of the air out. It was nominally effective. Pictures here.

SaraRules came into town last night. We headed to Outback Steakhouse for dinner. Cheese Fries. Prime Rib. Very tasty. We had a great server, as well. Her name was Jennifer. She was attentive, helpful, very pleasant and just all-around “good.”

Workout
Yesterday’s workout – the first in nine or ten days – was good… but painful.  “Good pain,” despite how oxymoronic that sounds:

• Dumbbell Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 55 lbs.
• Dumbbell Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs.
• Push-ups (elevated): 3 sets/15 reps
• Bench Dips 3 sets/15 reps
• Rows (upright, barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 50 lbs
• Tricep Press (cable): 3 sets/15 reps, 80 lbs

Yesterday’s post-workout weight: 172.4 lbs.
Stray Toasters

• Yesterday, I got the Wizard Universe Store weekly email for new toys and comic-related merchandise. In it was an item for an advance order for the ‘Coming of Galactus’ Limited Edition HeroClix figure. This is basically a re-issue of the older Galactus figure… with a new paint job:
  • Old and busted:
  • New hotness

  And, yes, it is firmly entrenched on the Covet List.

• New Jack Kirby coffee table art book
• The Council for Better Driving: Utah gives a “thumbs-down” to UDoT for its lack of attention and care given to Salt Lake City metropolitan area streets. They are atrocious! Anyone who has driven on either 33rd/35th South and/or 90th South, for example, will know exactly why.
• This Is Your Brain on Jazz: Researchers Use MRI to Study Spontaneity and Creativity
• 
• By way of GQ: Clean Start
• I was just thinking about something:
  • In Justice League/Unlimited, there are a few episodes that feature Wonder Woman’s Invisible Jet.
  • In Justice League: The New Frontier, another version of the plane was “shown,” but the way that it was “seen,” by the viewer, was by way of blood in the cockpit.
  • In both the comics and in animated versions – and even in the 1974 Cathy Lee Crosby made-for-TV movie, it has been noted that neither the jet – nor people inside the jet – cannot be seen by bystanders.

  So… how in the Nine Hells does she know where to get in or where the controls – or anything else – are?!

• Geoff Johns: Secret Origins and Blackest Night
• “What’s a Nubian…?”
• xkcd: Ultimate Game

Namaste.

With Zombie Jesus Day Easter rapidly approaching, children’s thoughts will undoubtedly turn to thoughts of colored eggs, Easter baskets, and lots and lots of candy.

I won’t go into the usual “What do eggs and bunnies have to do with Christ dying on the cross?” line of questions, as we aren’t debating the absorption of “pagan” beliefs/rites into Christianity. Nor is this a plug for Chocolate Jesus Crunchies – A righteous part of your family’s breakfast.

Instead, let’s focus our attention on another staple of Spring: Cadbury Easter Eggs. They’re sweet, chocolatey, creme-filled goodness… in a colorful foil wrapper. Amen. *genuflect* And you can’t have Cadbury Easter Eggs without the Cadbury Bunny, can you?

Of course not.

So, you can imagine how astonished – and covetous – I was to discover that you can now have your very own Cadbury Clucking Bunny Plush Toy!

(click image for more information)

How cool is that?!

Monday – 14 January 2008
Back in the proverbial saddle again.

I had a good weekend in Cedar City with one notable exception: The Internet in SaraRules’ complex went tits-up Friday night. In and of itself, this wasn’t a hellish thing… BUT, there was one – exactly one – thing that I was looking forward to doing this weekend that required an Internet connection: Playing City of Heroes with Perry on Saturday morning, while SaraRules was at a seminar.

No Internet = No City
*grblsnrkx*

Instead, I watched Saturday morning toonage. LSH was a rerun, as was The Batman, but it was an episode of The Batman that I hadn’t seen, so I was satisfied with that.

In the afternoon, we headed down to St. George for a bit of shopping. I hit a good sale at the Eddie Bauer outlet and found some movies I wanted at the Best Buy; SaraRules found Mouse Trap – which she hadn’t been able to find in our previous shopping excursions – at the Target. One thing about the Target: It reeked. We walked in the door and were assailed with a stench so foul that we though someone had decided to skip the whole “going to the bathroom” thing and just relieved themselves on the front carpet. It was that rank. (Turns out that it was just REALLY badly burnt popcorn from their snack counter.)

Saturday evening, we went to see Art. It was interesting to see this again… and every bit as enjoyable as the first time. The actors whom we saw perform it in the fall reprised their roles; there were a few subtle changes in their performances – a little more… personalization, if you will – despite it having been three or four months since the play was staged.

Sunday was rather low-key. We watched football and watched a couple of movies. We watched 3:10 to Yuma (the new one) and Fantastic Four (at Ms. SaraRules’ request). I enjoyed 3:10 quite a bit. It was a good, old-fashioned western. I might even be inclined to agree with the tagline that it was “…the best western since Unforgiven,” which I thoroughly enjoyed. I do want to see the original 3:10 to Yuma, for juxtaposition. FF was as fun to watch this time as it was the eleventeen times before. I picked up the “Extended Edition,” with additional footage. While not all of the added footage was “necessary,” there were a couple of parts that I think would have gone well in the U.S. theatrical release.

This morning’s commute was uneventful. The odd/notable thing was the fog that I had to drive through from just south of Scipio to Mills. Pea soup. Visibility was cut down to less than a quarter-mile – it was thick enough that all you could see was white-grey nothingness. When I got down into Scipio, visibility cleared to maybe a half-mile, but there was still thick dense fog hovering about 500 feet above the ground. By the time I got to the Mills exit, the fog had thinned enough to see blue sky… and visibility extended for a few miles.

Stray Toasters

• I plowed through more of I Am Legend (the story) this weekend.
• As I mentioned above, SaraRules picked up a copy of Mouse Trap this weekend. She, Steph and I played it Saturday night. It was rather fun, in a Rube Goldberg contraption kind of way. (And it made me covet the Tower of ROK Mania even more. *sigh*
• Harbin Ice and Snow World 2007
• Wired reports that the highlights of tomorrow’s MacWorld keynote were leaked on WikiPedia. I guess we’ll find out tomorrow how accurate this is/was.
• 
• SimCity goes free software
• For : Gonzo: the Life of Hunter S. Thompson
• US Policy Would Allow Government Access to Any Email
• I had completely spaced off the fact that the Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight DVD goes on sale tomorrow.
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” file: Ford Slaps Brand Enthusiasts, Returns Love with Legal Punch
• Ten Strange Keyboards

Home again, home again, jiggety-jig.
Time to get comfortable and relax.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 09 January 2008
This morning started early. 6:15 early. All things considered, that’s good for many reasons, not the least of which was that I was able to chat with Mom for a few minutes before I headed off to work. And when I stepped outside… I saw that it had snowed. And it continued to snow, intermittently, throughout the day.

The work day has been relatively quiet, allowing me to dive back into Win Server 2003 reading – which at this point includes a lot of going back and taking some notes on things I read before our Winter vacation. But, it’s proceeding apace.

Today was also Sushi Wednesday (Oh Sushi, the restaurant formerly known as Go Sushi) and Four-Color Crack Day. Due to the holidays – and some delays from Diamond – shipments for the past two weeks have been a little “off.” So much so that last week, Dr. Volt’s had two shipments: One on Wednesday (the previous week’s shipment) and one on Friday (last week’s intended shipment). Since I worked out of AF – and headed south – on Friday, I missed out on getting the second day’s haul until today. And even with the today’s new arrivals, the haul was fairly light. So, I made up for it by picking up this and this, after all…

1. It’s a John Stewart figure. (If I need to ‘splain beyond this, just stop reading now.)
2. They’re more X-Men Minimates for my “Sentinel Attacks!” scenario. ‘Nuff said.

I neglected to cover yesterday’s workout in yesterday’s post. Let me start off by saying that it hurt. A lot. Something about “not going to the gym for three weeks” comes to mind. The overall workout was light and more of a “getting back into the swing of things” routine:

• Pull-ups: 3 sets/10 reps (on the last set, the last half were done with my feet braced against the back of the Roman Chair)
• Leg raises: 3 sets/20 reps
• Dips: 3 sets/15 reps
• Bench press: 3 sets/10 reps, 135 lbs. (Like I said: “Getting back into it”)
• Nautilus Cable Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, (2 sets at 95 lbs, 1 set at 80 lbs)
• Seated dumbbell curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 25 lbs.

Like I said: It hurt. A lot. Yesterday. Today. And maybe even tomorrow.

Tonight, I think that I shall spend some quality time in Paragon City… or the Rogue Isles. I’m not quite sure “which” locale sounds more appealing.

Stray Toasters

• Rather than going to bed at a nominally reasonable hour last night, I took time to set up my LEGO train alongside the Rokenbok Factory. I’ll have to take some pics of the “new” setup at some point.
• Speaking of LEGO: SaraRules and I are looking at the feasibility of visiting LEGOland: California in a couple of weeks, while in Lost Angles.
• Yes, I know “Los Angeles” is misspelled above.
• My Favorite James Bond portrayers, in descending order:

1. Sean Connery
2. Daniel Craig
3. Pierce Brosnan
4. George Lazenby / Roger Moore (tie)
5. Timothy Dalton

• I went the high-tech route an text messaged (rather than call) my father to tell him it was snowing. Again. He asked that I keep the snow out here and not send it eastward. Again.
• Falafel.  Black Ops.   Back, Crack and Sac Wax.
• From Wired: Best Vintage Tech Commercials
• For an as-yet unexplained reason, I had the chorus from Wake Me Up Before You Go Go stuck in my head this morning.
• I’ve been spending time on the Rokenbok site. Sweet, sweet ‘bok goodness…
• I got a call from this evening; she needed help troubleshooting a computer problem. A little mental “elbow grease” and a short time later, we sussed it out.
• 
• From Reuters: Election 2008 – The Latest on the Leading Candidates
• By way of Craigslist: Halloween Observations
• PokerStars makes a Mac client.
• Yet another item to add to the Covet List.
• It’s a REALLY quiet night in Paragon City.
• Chocolate Jesus Crunchies.

*BAMF*

Sunday – 30 December 2007
An intermittently snowy day in the SL Valley.

Last night, SaraRules and I assembled (and played with) the Rokenbok Monorail that I’ve had, but never assembled, for… four-and-a-half years. We had more fun than should be allowed. I also discovered that my X-Men Minimates are the same size as the Rokenbok figures. (“X-Men Save the Factory” storyboards, here I come!)

This morning started lazily and slowly. As there was not a new shipment of comics this week, I figured that I would not get to partake in the weekly “coffee and comics in bed” ritual.

I was mistaken.

I had forgotten that Meliko had gotten me Ocean for Christmas. And that’s what I read. It was a great story. Science fiction (or “speculative fiction,” if that suits you better). Mystery. Intrigue. And action. All in one story. Correction: All in one well-told story. It made for a great way to start the day. Tyranist: If you haven’t read this, I think that it would be up your alley. While I read Ocean, SaraRules read the Justice mini-series (1, 2, 3).

After we finished reading, it was time for a late breakfast and football. Imagine my surprise to discover that the Steelers-Ravens game was going to air in this market. You could have, happily, bowled me over with the proverbial feather. It was the final game of the season and a division rivalry game… and they broke out the all-black uniforms. The game was good. Really good. “Ravens on top early” good. The team came to play some serious ball. Granted, a lot of starters were out, due to injuries, but their replacements did a great job. Troy Smith looked good in the QB spot. Second-year RB Cory Ross was all over the place. New-to-the-Ravens LB Nick Grieson did a great job of covering the ball on the defensive side of the game. To their credit, with many of the Steelers’ starters out due to injury and/or injury avoidance (as the Steelers made the playoffs), their second-stringers played well. But, in the end, the Ravens came away with the win.

Tonight, SaraRules and I went to visit Chris and Mary for dinner and a couple of movies: Dollman vs. Demonic Toys and The Ice Pirates. Both of these movies were “Cool World-Long Kiss Goodnight” Scale fodder, but they were also fun to watch… especially in the company of friends. A couple of odd bits of IMDb-supported trivia:

1. Tracy Scoggins and Tim Thomerson (both in Dollman vs. Demonic Toys) and Mary Crosby (from The Ice Pirates) were all in episodes of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. Scoggins was a regular cast member in the first season; Crosby and Thomerson were guest stars.
2. Crosby and Scoggins were also guest stars on episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

And now, we’re home, sipping hot chocolate and eating biscotti. Huzzah!

Stray Toasters

• I talked with Adam today; all’s well with him and Chelsea.
• My uncle called me in the middle of the second quarter of the Steelers-Ravens game. Just to say “hi” and to commiserate over the fact that the game wasn’t playing in his area.
• Nintendo Wii Hacked
• There’s a new Monorail Metropolis Start Set. *adds to Covet List*
• The Red Balloon has become a dangerous store for me: They carry Rokenbok toys.
• Going to a Go-Go: Hip-Hop repays its debt to Chuck Brown
• 
• What in the Nine Hells has Joe Quesada turned Marvel Comics into!?
• Jon Favreau talks Iron Man
• Three weeks to L.A.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 18 December 2007
Last night, SaraRules and I had dinner with her family, including an aunt and uncle who stopped by on their way to visit family in Idaho. It was a nice way to spend the evening.

So far, it’s been a good day. In the words of the boys from Liverpool: “Nothing to get hung about.” The lunchtime workout included:

• Bench Pres: 3 sets/8reps, 225 lbs.
• Nautilus Cable Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs (hold for 10 seconds on 10th rep, each set)
• Tricep Extension (Rope): 3 sets/15 reps, 80 lbs
• Tricep Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 6 plates (60 lbs?)
• Overhead Tricep Extension (Dumbbell): 3 sets/12 reps, 35 lbs

I tried – operative word: “tried” – 300 lbs on the bench press again today. The problem was that I tried it after I had already done my three normal sets. Needless to say, the bar didn’t move. Oh, well… there’s always Thursday.
And tonight is game night; we moved it up a week as Christmas is next week.

Stray Toasters

• I have been reading – and enjoying – Hundred Dollar Baby, one of the newer Spenser novels.
• Brisa 2000 Fan Looks Crazy, Does the Job in Steampunk Style
• I managed to catch the Matriarch online… AND chat with her.
• bn.com and amazon.com == online shopping goodness
• PS3 Game Developer Claims to Have Crossed Uncanny Valley
• 
• Woman gropes mall Santa
• : Click here.
• For the Futurama and beer-loving fan in your life: Beer-Brewing Bender
• The Galactically Hot Women of Star Trek: TOS
• 
• I’ve found yet another something to add to the Covet List.

Namaste.

Sweet, sweet plastic goodness…

Wait…

Sweet, sweet, expensive plastic goodness…

Yes. Much better.

• Motorized Walking AT-AT
• Ultimate Collector’s Millennium Falcon
• Imperial Star Destroyer
  

Yes, they would go nicely on the Covet List.