Tuesday
So far, so good.
I just christened the new coffee maker.
Bean squeezin’s. Mmmm.
Last night’s game was fun. In a quirky way. See
While there, I finally finished the picture that I’ve been sporadically working on for the past week.
Time to hit the road.
Namaste.
As received from
I’m not usually given to taking – let alone passing along – quizzes, but this one seemed interesting.
Subject: Re: Get to know your friends better, Make sure you read the instructions at the bottom and have fun.
1. What time is it? 12:21 P.M.
2. Name: Robert Neal
3. Name on birth certificate: Robert Alonzo Neal, Jr.
4. Nickname: Rob
5. Number of candles on your last birthday cake: None, as I recall.
6. Tattoos: None, but considering one or two.
7. Pets: Two cats
8. Natural hair color: Black
9. What friend will have the most entertaining answers: Melissa
10. Eye Color: Brown
11. How much do you love your job on a scale of 1-10? Overall: 8-9, but random problems can drop it to a 3 or 4
12. Where were you born? Baltimore, MD
13. Current residence: West Jordan, UT (or Salt Lake City, for those on the other side of the Zion Curtain)
14. Somewhere you would like to visit? Japan
15. Been to Africa? No
16. Been toilet papering? No
17. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes.
18. Been in a car accident? Yes
19. Croutons or bacon bits? Yes
20. Favorite day of the week? Any that end in “-day,” with favor leaning towards Saturday
21. Favorite word or phrase? “Nine Hells,” usually used in the phrase “What in the Nine Hells?!?”
22. Favorite Restaurant? Phillip’s Restaurant (Baltimore), Grady’s American Grill (Greensboro, NC)
23. Favorite flower? I don’t think that I have a “favorite.”
24. Favorite sport to play? Basketball
25. Favorite drink? Coffee, tea, or Slurpees!
26. Favorite Ice Cream? Jamocha Almond Fudge or Rocky Road (depending on mood)
27. Favorite fast food restaurant? Umm… how hungry am I and what’s the closest?
28. What color is your bedroom carpet? Beige
29. How many times did you fail your drivers test? None
30. Besides this one, from whom did you get your last email? A magazine
31. Which store would you choose to Max out your credit card? IKEA (anyone who knows me could have answered this one)
32. What do you do most often when you are bored? Play computer games, play guitar, draw
33. Most annoying thing people ask/tell me? Varies, depending on my mood
34. Bedtime: Varies (way too much), though I try to hit the rack by 2:00 A.M.
35. Who will respond to this email the quickest? Dunno
36. Who is the person that is least likely to respond? Dunno this one either.
37. Favorite TV shows: 24, the Law & Order shows, Justice League, Witch Hunter Robin, CSI.
38. Favorite meal to cook? Baked chicken or steak with stir-fry vegetables
39. Favorite automobile? MG Midget
40. Time you finished this e-mail: 12:34 P.M.
Copy or forward this entire email or copy and paste it into a new email that you will send. Copy answers into a reply to this post and then make an entry in your own journal. Change all of the answers so that they apply to you. THEN send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING THE PERSON WHO SENT IT TO YOU. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those who know you. Remember to send it back.
Happy Birthday to:
I’ve been meaning to post this in an entry for the past few days, but I’ve forgotten it each time. So, you get a stand-alone entry.
I hope that the new year is good for you all.
Sunday (coda)
The “rest of the day,” as referenced in my previous post, was good.
We braved the masses at Ye Olde Marte of Walton SuperCentre and bought groceries. We had figured that there wouldn’t be too many people there today as it is LDS Church Conference weekend. We were wrong. Oh, so wrong. Every other non-LDS person in the tri-state area (okay, that’s an exaggeration, but you get the idea) also decided to go shopping this afternoon, too. We picked up four (4) 73-quart storage containers; they were on clearance for $1.75 a piece. In the words of Eddie Murphy: “What a bargain! What a bargain for me!” We also picked up a new 12-cup coffee maker for a shade under $8.00. Maybe now I’ll be more apt to brew coffee in the morning now that I have a coffee maker that brews more than 4 (small) cups at a time.
Later, we headed over to Mary’s and cooked out. It was a great afternoon for it. There was meat, meat, meat, meat, meat and more meat on the grill. It is safe to say that there were a fair number of carnivores/omnivores present. And there were tasty malt beverages, too.
An odd thing happened around 8:00. I got tired. VERY tired. Droopy-eyed, almost-ready-to-fall-asleep tired. I am currently attributing this to the combination of: Daylight Savings Time, the bike ride, and gorging myself on food and beer. Whatever it was, it came down on me fast and hard. We left Mary’s around 8:30 and came home. I don’t remember most of the ride home. I barely remember that Jess stopped to get gas on the way home. I came in, put my things down and crashed on the bed. I slept for a half-hour, but it seemed more like I had hardly closed my eyes when Jess came in to wake me up. I killed an hour “on the nerd¹” (as our friend Bill would say) when I realized that I was getting stiff/sore from the ride. A hot soak and shower were in order! And they were good.
And that’s how I spent my summer vacation Sunday afternoon and evening.
Stray Toasters
I should call it a night. I think that I shall… after a tall, cold glass of cow squeezin’s.
Namaste.
¹ – “on the computer”
Sunday
Daylight Savings Time. It is a concept that eludes most cats. Or, maybe they just don’t care. Either way, Sissy was urging me to “rise and shine” sometime around 9:30 this morning. Given the fact that I didn’t get to bed until somewhere around 5:00 this morning, I wasn’t having any part of that. I woke up long enough to pet her a few times and then faded back into the quiet darkness of sleep until after 11:00.
I took the bike out for a 5.5-mile ride. I need to ride more often. And get back into the gym on a regular basis. Around 1.25 miles, my legs were feeling a bit tired/stiff; by the time I hit 2.5 miles, I seemed to “hit my stride” and get my second wind.
Bowling last night was good. Very good… as long as you don’t count my warm-up game: 91-162-118-156-134-222-133. I was rather happy. Breakfast was good. Cheers was packed; it was rather dead when we got there, but within :30 minutes of our arrival, people started pouring in. Among them were a plethora of fashion violations. It wasn’t pretty.
Stray Toasters
Time to get ready for the rest of the day.
Namaste.
I didn’t sleep very well last night, but I can deal with that. If push comes to shove, there’s always caffeine. Sweet, sweet caffeine…
I spent the early part of the day hanging out with
I had planned on getting a bike ride in, but I think that I’ll hold off on that until tomorrow. Not quite sure what I’m doing with the rest of the day, but I am under the suspicion that it might (finally) include kite-flying. The only question is “Where…?”
Stray Toasters
Time to find some trouble to get into.
Namaste.
Friday
Today was a good day. It started off with Outkast’s The Way You Move. It’s hard not to start out on a good foot with that in the background. And, it was Friday. In fact, not even the losing 4 hours’ worth of work due to a system lockup killed the mood. It was that good of a day. To wrap up it up, we got together with the usual suspects and
As an added bonus, I called Bret this afternoon and we talked for thirty minutes or so. Things seem to be well in his corner of the cosmos. It was good to catch up with him. I need to make a few more calls to other friends with whom I haven’t spoken in a while.
Stray Toasters
Poll of the Day
Namaste.
Thursday
Today was a good day. It was grey, cool/cold, overcast and rainy. And it was a good day. Could it be because I started the day listening to MC Hammer’s Greatest Hits? Yes, I admit that freely; I don’t really have any music in my library that I’m ashamed of. Not even the Barry Manilow (Copacabana) or Culture Club (various things from Colour by Numbers) mp3s.
But, I digress…
Nothing like starting the day with a little You Can’t Touch This, 2 Legit 2 Quit with a side serving of Turn This Mutha Out… and a little Addams Groove , on the side. Mm-hmm! That’s right!
As I said: It was a good day. I even got to see the rare and elusive
Stray Toasters
…and to all, a good night!
Namaste.
Wednesday
It’s been a beautiful day outside.
And my mood has been rather good, as well.
Coincidence? Most likely, but I’ll take it.
I was about ready to kick SprintPCS squarely in their virtual ‘nads this morning, but a quick call (actually two calls, since the first one “dropped”) rectified matters and kept me from making a trip to Kansas City with murderous deeds in mind.
Once you have decided on a killing
First you make a stone of your heart
If you find that your hands are still willing
Then you can turn a murder into art…
-“Murder By Numbers” – The Police
I spent the evening in the company of
Stray Toasters
Namaste.
Tuesday
Not a whole lot to say about the day.
It started poorly, but ended on a much better note.
Stray Toasters
Namaste.
…but, I’m not. And since I’m not, I’m going to post some of the other drawings/sketches that I’ve done over the past few weeks. Feel free to comment.
I got a call from Adam, the youngest member of the sibko, a couple of hours ago. I was more than a little surprised to get a call so late, but it was good to talk with him. He ended the conversation with:
And I leave you with these words: Incoming shrapnel always has the right of way, tracers work both ways, and five second fuses always burn three seconds fast.
My brother. He makes me smile.
Namaste.
I’m working from home today. If I play my cards right, I’ll be more than “a little” productive on both the work front and the “getting a few things straightened up” front.
I had a good time in the company of friends (and my two favorite LJ-related kids) yesterday afternoon and evening. I even got a new drawing from one of the kids out of the deal.
<interlude>
A breeze is blowing through.
This makes me want to get the kite and fly it.
This is not good for productivity.
But, it would be fun.
I’ll keep this in mind for an afternoon indulgence…
</interlude>
I have been looking through a few older posts.
Lee: Do you understand the words that are a-coming out of my mouth?
James Carter: Don’t nobody understand the words that are comin’ out of your mouth.
Speech and accent data (1, 2), by way of
…and now, more Rush Hour 2 quotes.
Okay, back to it.
Namaste.
Sunday.
In March.
And there was FOOTBALL on TV!
HALLELUJAH!!!
Okay. It wasn’t really a game, per se. It was the Quarterback Challenge on NFL Network. But it’s still “football.” *taps vein* And it was enough to get me through to pre-season.
Bowling wasn’t bad: 198 (opening game, no less!) – 158 – 164 – 172 – 146
I woke up to find that my web/email host has taken a shit. Again. This is the second time in a moth. Granted, these are the only times in the past two years or so that it’s happened. Also, it’s happening on a day when I don’t have a lot of email traffic. Of course, needed to send out an email about our Sunday afternoon plans, but I think that I can find a couple of ways around that… So, all things considered, it’s not a reason to have an aneurysm. I’ll probably call the company’s owner and make sure that he’s aware of the issue, just to be on the safe side.
::: intermission :::
My uncle called.
::: end intermission :::
I just looked at some of the pictures that I took yesterday.
It looks like a nice day outside. Despite the fact that The Weather Channel’s website says that it’s (only) 49°. It might be a good time to explore the other side of the front door.
Quotes of the Day
Bill Cosby: “Dad is great! Give us the chocolate cake!”
Will Smith: Me you and your girlfriend on the dance floor: menage-a-boogie.
(This always cracks me up when I hear it.)
Namaste.
After a nice brunch with
I have ten nine Cadbury Creme Eggs.
ShopKo has them on sale: 5 for $2.00.
Hellooooo, sugar shock!
2-D Physics.
Score to beat:
Call it a hunch (or a prediction), but I think that this week is mine.
With that….
Namaste.
Friday
On the whole, the day was a good one. Getting to that point, however… *shrug* The day started last night. With a sick cat. Sleep was not very restful. I woke up to colder-than-I-wanted temperatures and rain. At least it was “rain” and not “snow.” I wouldn’t exactly say that today had the best of starts. But, it did get better. I even talked, albeit briefly, with the mother-unit; she, and the rest of the southern contingent, seem to be doing well.
Stray Toasters
I submitted the following to an email discussion group to which I belong. Why? Because I could. And, more importantly, because it touched on a subject that I feel somewhat strongly about. That led me to another subject about which it seemed that I have a rather strong opinion. With that in mind…
I have been a bit remiss in keeping up with current events recently. When I friend showed me a couple of links to something about President Bush receiving some unfavorable press for rubbing someone’s head, it caught my attention. I haven’t been able to find anything about this in a mainstream news source, but the links that I have are:
As a bald-by-choice person, I am familiar with people who think that rubbing a bald head is “cute” (or something), in much the same way that people feel compelled to rub a pregnant woman’s belly. Or, to call to mind another popular reference: Rubbing Buddha’s belly for good luck. I confess, I have rubbed pregnant friends’ bellies… but only after getting their consent to do so.
I typically have no problem with certain people rubbing my head. Operative words: “Certain people.” They are called “family” or “close friends.” With them, it’s allowed. Other people – relative strangers – have walked up to me and tried to rub my head, also. In most cases, I have been able to dissuade them before they did so. On the occasions where I reacted too slowly, I made it painstakingly obvious that it was: a) not welcome and b) not something that they would wish to try again. It may be something with the way -and where- I grew up; relative to the wide open spaces found here in the west, it’s a bit crowded on the east coast. People tend to respect others’ space. This might come off as “rude” or “impersonal,” to some, but it’s the way we tend to be wired.¹
Let’s put aside the possible racist history of rubbing a Black person’s head and to get back to The Shrub’s faux pas.
This display shows a lack of professionalism. If he had done something like this in the context of participating in a sporting event (college, pro, or even sandlot), I think that it would have been a “no harm, no foul” situation – one sees sports players rub each others’ heads or smack each other’s backsides all the time. In these instances, there’s a measure of camaraderie that comes with being part of a team.
The differences?
There are appropriate means of greeting someone or thanking them for an introduction. Rubbing their heads isn’t one of them. At least, I am pretty sure that it is not a method proscribed by Robert’s Rules of Order. I understand that The President is supposed to be “a man of the people.” That’s all well and good. As the “leader of the free world,” I expect more than a cursory nod to professionalism and decorum… especially when he is operating in an official capacity. I expect him – or anyone in his position – to exemplify those ideals. And, no, Bill Clinton wasn’t a paragon of virtue, either; but this post isn’t about him. If we expect other countries to follow our example, does this display mean that we are leading them down the road of “good intentions?” We all know where that leads. Are we going to sell them handbaskets and gasoline underwear, too? I’m sure that we could get them a great volume discount deal. Or this just a case of the blind leading the blind?
Let’s play Devil’s Advocate and take a look at the situation in reverse: What if the President of the United States was African-American and the Acting Secretary was White? Had that hypothetical President come out and said something to the effect of “Thank you for that rousing introduction, cracker ²,” should/would there be any less backlash? Even if they were good friends in their out-of-the-spotlight lives? I would hope not. I would like to think that people of any or all races would take him to task for such an unseemly comment.
The bottom line, as I see it, is this: A professional/social gaff was made.
The man is human; I’ll chalk it up to that. Hopefully, he (or one of his staffers) issued some form of apology. As I said, I haven’t been able to find any links to this story in a mainstream news source… which also makes looking for said apology a bit difficult.
::: gets down from soapbox :::
That’s my 2¢ worth.
(With the other 98¢ thrown in, at no extra cost to you!)
Namaste.
Rob
“My moral fiber is unraveling…”
¹ – This is not intended to be an absolute statement/generalization: I said “tend to (be)… ” not “always…”
² – This ‘quote’ was intentionally hyperbole; if it made you stop, reread that line and evoke some sort of response, it served its purpose.
No one in the group has, as yet, said anything about it. *shrug*
That’s enough for tonight.
Namaste.