Random Access

Drew and Mark were heading over to Cafe Blue for lunch. I tagged along to see if they had anything that looked interesting and worthwhile. I wound up getting a chicken fajita panini; it was pretty good. And it wasn’t very spendy, either.

Stray Toasters

• The 2009 IKEA catalog is available online.
• A few weeks/months ago, I started an Amazon Wish List, which I not-so-coincidentally named “The Covet List.” While eating lunch, I tried seeing if I could find a direct link to the list rather than having to go to the Amazon main page and then click through to it. I found it. Then I noticed that one of the items on my list, X-Men Darktide DVD Box Set, had a list price of $2.95 under “New and Used.” Curiosity got the best of me, so I clicked to see what the deal was. And there it was, listed under “Collectible” for $2.95, but it was for the DVD only. There was another item listed there for $5.95, with the descriptor: “Like New.” So I read the item details:
  

  Comments: JUST THE DVD MOVIE! (no dolls).

  *blink blink*
  Wait… but it said “Like New.” To me, that means: “We’ve watched the DVD and played with the figures, but they are all included.” I commented on this to who just said:

  “Sure, it’s like new… if you by it from someplace that sucks.”

• I brought my Sennheiser headphones up here from the south office. I had forgotten both how good they sound and how well they drown out the sound of the office.
• 
• By way of Drew: Freak Accident – Revolving Door

• The picture in this article almost… ALMOST… made me like the Shrub. Who knows, if it had been around a few years ago, I might have held out a smidgen of hope for the guy. Oh, well.
• Or this one.
• Or even this one.
• Laminate the Masses

*voop*

Monday – 21 July 2008
A new week begins.

Last night, Perry and I spent a few hours in Paragon City – I played Corvus Nox, he played his Reforming Demon character. We joined a team that was running a few missions in the low to mid-20s. The team was “top heavy” with Tankers. This was a good and bad thing:

• Good: We had people who could hold aggro (keep the bad guys’ attention).
• Bad: They had to be elbow-up in bad guys… which meant that as the de facto healer, so did I.

I’ve mentioned before that Corvus Nox can heal, but that he’s not a primary healer. I tried making this point more that abundantly clear to my teammates. I think that the multiple deaths helped to underscore my point. Nevertheless, thanks to Double XP weekend, I put three-and-a-half levels on ‘Nox.

In an amusing side note, I ran into another character on the server named “CincinnatiJen,” who was a Bengals fan. In fact, the character concept was that of a super-powered Bengals fan. I commented to the player that, as a Ravens’ fan, I found it amusing. I’m not sure whether he/she knew enough Latin to know that “Corvus Nox” (roughly) translates to “Night Raven.” Oh, well.

And… I got my Rikti Monkey last night!

I’m not sure what to name him.. er.. her… um… it… though.

I wasn’t tired when I went to bed, so I used a crossword puzzle to help induce sleep. It worked… about 20 minutes later. I should have just stayed awake – I had one of the most disconcerting dreams I’ve had in a long time. It not only woke me up, but rattled me enough to make getting back to sleep difficult. *grblsnrkx* Thus, when the alarms went off this morning, I turned them off – with gusto – and returned to The Dreaming for a bit.

It’s Monday, but I’m hoping that wasn’t a harbinger of things to come.
On the plus side, Take Me There, by Blackstreet and Mya, greeted me on the morning commute and I have sauteed spaghetti for breakfast.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules made it back to Aspen in good time.
• I finally found the link to the Heroclix Batman: Alpha site.
• Speaking of Mr. Wayne, The Dark Knight made $155 million in its opening weekend, setting a number of records.
• S’mores brownies.
• Band Geek Hero
• A couple weeks ago, I picked up four packs of NYTTJA frames from the Garden of Sweden, in red, green, yellow and blue. Yesterday afternoon, I pulled a number of comics out of my collection. Once I figure out which covers and frames will compliment each other best, I’m going to hang copies of cover art on the walls in my office. (Oddly enough, the green frames were easy to find cover are to match.)
• Comcast. *shakes fist*
• I picked up A Show of Hands (DVD) at Best Buy yesterday. It shall be included in today’s musical oleo.
• just had to deal with an issue – which should have never been an issue – that someone in the office created… all because that person wanted to have things his way. Apparently, he forgot that we do NOT, in fact, work for Burger King.
• Wow… and Mr. just did a little jig. Welcome to Monday.

Attack the day…

Namaste.

Saturday – 28 June 2008
I had some odd dreams this morning. The topper was one where, in an otherwise “normal” situation, I ran into – and was subsequently chased by – the JLApe. Madness. Even worse: I woke up thinking that it was Sunday. It took a few minutes for it to sink in that it really was Saturday. O.o

Otherwise, today has been great:

• I went to see WALL*E with and . It was great. Much better than I had expected. And it was a lot of fun. There were a lot of tech in-jokes, too – they caused and me to laugh a lot. And, the Pixar short before the movie, Presto, may have just supplanted Boundin’ as my favorite Pixar short. I heartily recommend this movie to everyone.
• Next on tap: A trip to the Garden of Sweden. They’re having their summer sale. I picked up a few more storage containers and picture frames.
• While in IKEA, I ran into . We noticed each other walking towards the checkout. After a couple of moments, he shouted (okay, it was really just a slightly notched-up “indoor voice”),”I know you…”
  Me: *blink blink*
  : From… LiveJournal!
  That kicked a few relational databases into gear… and I realized that we did, in fact, know each other. It was odd – in a far-from-bad way – to be recognized like that from someone I haven’t seen in at least… three years.

Now: I’m grabbing a bite to eat.
Next: Heading to Chris’ to play dolls HeroClix.
Later: Breakfast.

Namaste.

Thursday: Coda

After work, I came home for a bit, read today’s four-color haul and then went to Borders to do some drawing. I’ve decided that I am entering Project: Rooftop‘s latest contest – “Superman: Man of Style,” in which the challenge is to reimagine Superman’s costume. I think that I have a decent idea with good reasons for the changes to the iconic costume. After settling on what I wanted to do, I tried some preliminary sketches. (And the fact that I haven’t really drawn anything in months really shows…) The deadline is 15 June 2008, so I do have some time to get things worked out. I hit a bit of a wall, so I switched gears and decided to work on the new piece I started last week. Progress was made.

Back home. I installed the light in the second display case. The two cases look good. I do think that I’ll be rearranging what is on the shelves though.

Four-Color Coverage
It’s been forever since I’ve done one of these, but it was a light week – I only picked up five books – and today’s haul was pretty good. So, on with the show!

• Avengers/Invaders #2 (of 12) – The Invaders, Marvel Comics’ WWII-era supergroup, have wound up in New York City of 2008. Having left the 40s in the middle of an attack on a Nazi stronghold, they aren’t sure what to make of their new surroundings… even to the point of thinking that everyone around them is a Skrull. I mean Nazi. On the other side of the coin, the Avengers have to find a way to subdue the Invaders and minimize their contact with the world of 2008, so that they don’t corrupt the timestream. Piece of cake, right? Riiiight.
• Justice Society of America #16 – I can’t say enough good things about this book. At the end of Issue #15, we were introduced to Gog. The being who gave Magog his power. A self-proclaimed god who was cast out of the Third World. What’s he doing here on Earth? Why does he know Earth-22’s (Kingdom Come) Superman? And what did he do to Damage?
• Secret Invasion #3 (of 8 ) – Skrulls. Everywhere. A couple of new reveals. And… who’s that guy with the eyepatch?
• Supergirl #30 – This version Supergirl has been… an uneven book during it’s fairly short span. Homicidal pawn of Darkseid. Rebellious teen. Super-smart heroine, out to save the world…. literally. DC has said that they are going to more fully integrate the book with the Superman corner of the DCU. They took a giant step in that direction with this issue. Kara, still feeling out of place, tries to find some answers and figure out what to do now that the baby she was sent to Earth to protect is now almost twice as old as she is. And she even has a bonding moment with a certain Dark Knight. I was on the fence about this book recently; it will be interesting to give it a few issues to see if it’s back on track or if this was only a momentary flicker of hope.
• Trinity #1 – When Diana Prince, Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne get together (in their civilian identities, no less) to compare notes about having variations of the same dream, it’s a pretty good indication that something is afoot. In their dreams, a powerful entity is trying to break free from some form of captivity. Sorceress Morgaine LeFey is also aware of the power… and wants it for herself. Kurt Busiek (Astro City) and company have kicked of DC’s newest weekly series nicely. I’m not sure if I’m up for yet another weekly, but I may give it a few weeks to see how it shapes up.

Stray Toasters

• I talked with the parental units today; all’s well in their respective parts of the seaboard.
• I neglected to mention something that I saw on Sunday at Borders: There was a woman, curled up in a chair in the cafe. Her cell phone rang; she answered it. When I looked up, there was a man standing outside the cafe window; he was on his phone. For a few moments, their conversations were synced to the point that you would have thought that they were talking to each other.
• There was a lone box of Mutations and Monsters ‘Clix in Dr. Volt’s today. I couldn’t just leave it there. I’m glad that I didn’t. In it was a rare figure: Omega Red
• I checked out a couple of movie trailers on Apple.com. Has anyone heard anything about City of Ember? I was intrigued by its trailer. I also saw the trailer for The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor. This looks like it could be fun.
• Burn Notice. On USA. I’ve only seen a few episodes, but I’m enjoying it.
• WWDC. Monday.

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Saturday – 31 May 2008
A sunny weekend day in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain…

…and I’ve spent a good portion of the late morning and early afternoon reclaiming my living room floor from my collection of ‘Clix.  It’s nice to see that there actually was a floor under all of the boxes and cases.  On the other hand, it’s also nice to have the figures sorted and boxed.  Finally.  Now, I’ll see how much disarray it causes when the Giants set gets here.

I believe that my drill has finally given up the ghost.  It charges… somewhat.  But, it’s not getting up to full speed.  Methinks ’tis time to investigate the acquisition of a new one.

I’ve hit my annual/semi-annual/when-the-mood-hits-me mode of “Time to move things around.”  That’s what started me on DrillQuest, in fact.  One of the items that’s getting moved – out, that is – is the desk in my office.  Time to get something that doesn’t have such a huge footprint.  I have a couple of IKEA-inspired ideas in mind… and even an interim desk on-hand, should I decide to break the old desk down soon.  Assuming I find a drill.  Aren’t Catch-22’s great?

Did I mention that it’s a nice, sunny day?
I should go out and enjoy some of it.
I believe I’m going to do just that.

Namaste.

Friday – 23 May 2008
After throwing my hands in the air in frustration of dealing with ‘Nine and trying to get City of Heroes installed on it, I patched the installation on Defiant and headed to Paragon City. was on and we decided to start a couple of new characters on the Virtue server – I created a Scrapper, created a Peacebringer – and ran a mission.

I decided to take the day off and enjoy a four-day weekend. Good call, as far as I’m concerned. SaraRules and I went to IKEA – this weekend is their 1st anniversary of the Draper store opening. I came back with some storage bins and some new pictures for the guest bathroom, along with a new desk lamp.

Next, we headed up to SaraRules’ parents’ house to join them on a trip to Red Butte Garden. After almost ten years in Utah, this marked my first trip to the gardens. Not everything was in bloom, but the things that were in bloom were quite nice. (Pictures here… LOTS of pictures) We left there and headed back to SaraRules’ folks’ place for coffee and pastries.

Next, a trip to Dr. Volt’s to pick up my Anti-Monitor HeroClix figure, some card sheets and some books.

Home… and the rest of my pre-Clitorati time shall be spent in Paragon City.

Namaste.

Monday – 24 March 2008
Monday, Monday (dah-dah… dah-dah-dah-dah…)

All-in-all, not a bad start to the week.

• Breakfast with SaraRules, before she headed back to the southlands.
• Blue skies.
• Warm weather.

<< Rewind <<
Yesterday, we went to Easter Mass at the Cathedral of the Madeleine. I believe that this year’s service was even more crowded than last year’s, but it was still a very nice service. It was SRO… and there wasn’t very much room for standing, at that. I was intermittently amused by a lady standing near me who gave just about everyone the fashion police once-over as they walked past; she wrinkled her nose at more than “a few” people.

After Mass, we ate a late breakfast at The Other Place. I hadn’t been there in many rains. Decent food at a good price. I’ll have to remember to keep it in mind when looking for places to eat downtown.

Back home for a quick change and then we were off to “…a land where the furniture folds to a much smaller size.” I’ve been wanting to do… something… different with the office for some time. There’s a lot of dead/wasted space in there. One of the biggest things that would help would be to replace my monstrous desk. So, it’s on the short list of things to be vaporized. In its place, I’m looking at a Vika Amon table top with a Galant frame and legs. And, with a couple of relatively minor adjustments, the room will be opened up nicely.

After stopping in to say “Hi” to Perry, Kate and their kids, we headed to SaraRules’ family’s house for dinner. Dinner which included Black-and-Tans to wash it down. We followed up dinner with Enchanted. After the movie, it was time to head home to unwind (and do some laundry) before calling it a night.

> Play >
After work, I did a little errand-running.  When I was done, I stopped into the local Best Buy.  I picked up copies of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner and Memento.  Not too bad.  I picked up a bite to eat and headed home.  I checked out the new Fox series New Amsterdam.  Kind of like Highlander… if Connor McLeod had been a police officer.  Connor, not Duncan.  ‘Nuff said.  But, I digress.  The show wasn’t too bad.

I followed it up with an episode of JLU that I hadn’t seen before: “Chaos at Earth’s Core,” featuring Travis Morgan – The Warlord.     I used to read The Warlord back in the 80s and this episode was a very nice nod to the Morgan and the lost world of Skartaris.

In the savage world of Skartaris,
life is a constant struggle for survival.
Here, beneath an unblinking orb of eternal
sunlight, one simple law prevails:
If you let down your guard for an instant you will soon be very dead.

They covered a lot of ground in twenty-two minutes… and it was good.  It made me smile.

Stray Toasters

• I have new pics of Bit, eyes open and all.  I may (re)post a few later.
• LEGO Futurama fan set, LEGO Noir and Mmm, zombies
• I heard Counting Crows’ Mr. Jones on the radio this evening.  When I hear it, it often reminds me of Heidi, an old coworker of mine.  Around the time that this song came out, Us3‘s Cantaloop (Flip Fantasia) was also on the air.  Heidi and I would argue (friendly banter, really) about which group would stay in the charts/be more popular longer  – I chose Counting Crows, Heidi chose US3.  Looks like I was right… at least on this side of the Pond.
• Top 10 Software Easter Eggs
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!?” file: Transgendered Man Is Pregnant
• Astro City.

  

  I’ve started collecting the trade paperbacks.  If you haven’t read it, give it a shot.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that SaraRules liked it.

• Slash-Proof Armored Tee Is Lightweight, Machine-Washable

That’s a wrap.

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.

Sunday – 09 March 2008
So far, it’s been a quiet day here in the greater SLC metro area. After waking up to find more “mystery leak” water – and a wet section of carpet – I called maintenance (again). This time, I got some satisfaction out of the deal: Dave (the maintenance guy on-call) came in and checked four other apartments behind mine, but found nothing. He asked if this had been a problem since before SageWater came; I told him that it had. I then asked if someone could take a look behind the drywall. He said that they’d have to cut (more/new) holes in the ceiling. I told him that if they found the leak, they could cut as many holes as it took. They start tomorrow.

After some lazy time watching Ninja Warrior on G4, SaraRules and I headed to the Garden of Sweden for lunch and a bit of shopping. I have the second display case, a couple of lights for inside the cases, a new picture frame for my Roll The Bones tourbook and a new wine rack, among other goodies.

Stray Toasters

• I have cinnamon rolls from IKEA.
  (Now, if I could just figure out what in the Nine Hells I’m cooking for dinner tonight, I’d be set…)
• Geek Love – an Op/Ed piece from The New York Times (check out the flowchart)
• From Slashdot: New book cuts through violent video game myths
• For ….
  

And that’s all the news from Lake Saline. For now.

Namaste.

Thursday – 06 March 2008
I woke up a little later than planned this morning. I made up for it by doing my best impression of The Flash and was ready to roll shortly thereafter. Of course, to make up for such a metabolic surge, I stopped at the local B&B for a frozen mocha. Double shot. Shaken, not stirred.

The crew from SageWater showed up this morning a couple of minutes before eight. One of the guys – I’m assuming the lead on the project, if not just for my apartment – noticed my Ravens pennant on the wall. He asked if I was familiar with Baltimore; I told him that I grew up there. He then mentioned that their company was based out of North Carolina (which I already knew), so I asked which part (which I didn’t know). Raleigh. I then mentioned that I had a sister who went to school in Durham and grew up outside of Greensboro. He went on to tell me how broadly he travels with the company. (A LOT!) His next job is in Seattle. I neglected to ask how long they are typically on the road.

Stray Toasters

• If I needed any (ANY) proof that and I shouldn’t be left unsupervised with the unlimited power of the Interweb at our fingertips, this proves it:
  • http://youtube.com/watch?v=PsesC2iS06o
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZA2A2zoz-A&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMD9_QYfzb8
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyyW-n8aook
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NozOppLXh18&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EoNI4N3xYmE&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqjBpHsW5x4&NR=1
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeJbaxqG-3k
  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfEG15CLTqo
• By way of Yahoo! News and 60 Minutes: Gustavo Dudamel
• Kilowog == Covet.
  (That would complete my set of GLs.)
• The (New) Laws of Casual Style and This Is Not Steve McQueen
• Yes, I am watching/trying to watch some of the work they are doing in my apartment. I can’t because they have a tarp over the entrance to the master bathroom… which is a “good” thing, as it means a minimum of debris/detritus that will spread over the rest of the office and apartment.
• From Rotten Tomatoes: Total Recall: Steal These 11 Heist Movies
• HALO3 Series 1 Action Figures in Stores Now
• LEGO HALO
  • …and the explanation
• Pink, it’s like red, but not quite…
• I think that I’m going to get a new display case after the SageWater work is done. And that means… a trip to the Garden of Sweden! *genuflect* Amen.

Namaste.

Sunday – 10 February 2008
It’s been a quiet day here in Lake Wobegon Salt Lake City.

The morning started with comics in bed, but changed to breakfast, coffee and yesterday’s toonage in the living room – Legion was (yet again) a rerun, but The Batman was new.

Then there was Pro Bowl and dinner with SaraRules’ parents and brother.

Now, I’m back in Paragon City with the Hand of Nefer-Tem while SaraRules quilts some more. Maybe I’ll hit 42 before the night – and Double XP – ends.

Human of the Day (weekend)
This weekend, it was a tie: and :

• for the gift card to the Garden of Sweden, which went towards this (1, 2).
• for her repairs to my Batman and Morpheus statues.

Stray Toasters

• There was… something that was going here. I don’t remember what, so it will keep until later, I’m sure.

By the way…. Security Level 42. 🙂

Namaste.

Saturday – 09 February 2008
Today has been fairly low-key but good:

• Breakfast with Kate, Perry and the kids.
• Shopping and errand-running.
• Back home so that…
  • SaraRules could do some quilting
  • I could take part in Double XP Weekend in CoH.
    (The Hand of Nefer-Tem is now Level 41.)
• We decided to be lazy and ordered pizza for dinner.
• Headed over to spend hang out with SaraRules’ folks for a bit.
• Made a pilgrimage to the Garden of Sweden
  • I now have a display case for my statues and some of my action figures.

And now, it’s time for breakfast.

Namaste.

Thursday – 07 February 2008
I talked with briefly this morning; Bot and Bit are both doing well.

I started my morning in the SLC office, but was due to be in the AF office today. The commute was relatively uneventful… except for the snow that I ran into at Point of the Mountain.

Things have been fairly quiet around the office today. I consider this a good thing.

Workout
Today’s workout varied from Tuesday’s workout, with more of a focus on upper back:

• Leg Raises: 3 sets/20 reps
• Pull-ups: 3 sets/10 reps (2 sets unassisted; 1 set assisted @ 80 lbs)
• Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs (third set broken up into 5-and-5)
• Pull-downs (wide-grip, behind the head): 3 sets/15 reps, 100 lbs
• Reverse Deltoid Fly: 3 sets/10 reps, 75 lbs
• Dips: 3 sets/10 reps

Today’s weight: 172.6 lbs.

Stray Toasters

• I tried a couple of new-to-me tech items yesterday; I think that I like them both:
  • iGoogle
  • Spaces
• Mitt Romney is bowing out of the 2008 Republican race. It will be interesting to see how things shake out.
• New iPhone and iPod Touch Safari exploit discovered
• How much of a toy geek am I? I present Exhibit A: Action Theatre: Colossus vs. Train

  

  

  

  I actually powered up the train… and Piotr did keep it from moving.
  Colossus: 1
  Train: 0

• Speed & Angels: fighter pilot documentary
• I need to go to the Garden of Sweden soon.
• TANSTAAFL… or is there?
  I had one.
  Granted, it was left over from a manager meeting that was held here, but it was free.
• 

Namaste.

Friday – 18 January 2008
Yesterday, I was tired. Weary. BEAT. The drive from AF to Cedar was no longer (distance-wise) than usual, but damn and a half, if it didn’t seem to take seven hours longer than usual. On the other hand, I was able to capture this shot, just as I was passing through Nephi:

Not the best picture in the world, but not too shabby for an in-phone camera. It doesn’t show incredibly well, but there was a “column” of light and cloud in the middle of it that made me take the picture.

Shortly after I got in, SaraRules and I went to dinner with Josh and Steve. It was fun… even though we had a “not as good as she could have been” waitress. She was on par with Heather, our waitress from the Christmastime Outback dining experience. At least the food and the company were good. Steve came back to SaraRules’ for a bit and we hung out with Steph, Darillyn and Vince. After things died down, I decided to call it a night. I crawled into bed and was apparently out – and I mean “OUT” – in about three minutes.

I woke up this morning and it took me about three minutes to come to the realization that today was “Friday” and not “Saturday.” Although, being Friday, it made infinitely more sense as to why SaraRules had to go into work this morning. *facepalm* Yep… genius, I am. She should be home in a few and then we’re off like a prom dress after midnight.

I didn’t think about this before, but we will be hitting a Trader Joe’s or two while we’re outside the Zion Curtain. If anyone has anything that you’d like from there, drop me a line. I’m not sure what my connectivity will be like in California, so if you want to be sure that I’ll get your request, call or text message me.

Stray Toasters

• In another first: I almost typed “Starry Toasters.”
• I told a couple of people around the office that I was taking off to California this weekend. A few of them – Tyranist in particular – asked why I chose this weekend. I told him because of the long weekend/holiday. After a moment’s reflection, he nodded… “Ah, Black Christmas. Got it.”
  (Back story: Many businesses in Utah close for 24 July, Pioneer Day. Tyranist pointed out that if I could – and usually do – refer to Pioneer Day as “Mormon Christmas,” he could refer to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as “Black Christmas.” I agreed.)
• After seven years of solid use – and a few cases of abuse – I am replacing my digital camera. After all, I’m going on vacation – I should have a reliable camera with which I can take pictures.
• The IKEA Winter Sale ends 21 January 2008.
  I may have to see if I can squeeze in a pilgrimage to the Costa Mesa Garden of Sweden…
• Ever have a “What Would Cthulhu Do?” moment? Get some of these and maybe you’ll be a few steps closer to figuring it out.
• 
• By way of Wired: Macheads Dream of Teleporters, Holographic Sex Toys, Squidets
• 
• Paper airplane to be launched from International Space Station

And… that’s a wrap for now.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 02 January 2008
The year is another day older.
A new work week – and work year – began this morning.

Wahoo.

Yesterday, SaraRules and I headed over to her parents’ to watch the Rose Bowl (Illinois and USC) and just… chill. It was nice. The game, not so nice. The Fighting Illini got their midwestern hindparts handed to them, eight ways from Sunday. TLC would have called it “Unpretty.” (It’d make you feel unpretty, too…) After we turned from the game – somewhere in the third quarter – we watched Resident Evil: Extinction. I had seen it before, but it was a fun way to spend the evening.

We left, and came back to the apartment and decided that we weren’t tired enough to call it night, so we watched Superman: the Movie. At SaraRules’ request, not mine, believe it or not. *jawdrop* Wow. And, again, for two-and-a-half hours, I was a seven-year-old kid.

This morning, I don’t know if the alarm went off. If it did, I turned it off in my sleep. I woke up a little bit later, performed the hygiene rituals and hit the bricks. A week-and-a-half vacation is hard to recover from. But I – and everyone in the office – managed to pull it off. At lunch, SaraRules came to the office (she wanted to say “Hi” to ) and we met shockpuppet, and Joe for lunch. Sushi. Go-Sushi. Post-lunch, I picked up last week’s four-color shwag and then headed back to work.

After work, I came home and hung out with SaraRules before she headed back to Cedar City. After she left, it was time to have a bite to eat and then head to Paragon City with the Hand of Nefer-Tem. I was invited to join a team. We fought the Council of Thorns. And the difficulty level was cranked waaay up – we had our virtual hindparts handed to us, eight ways from Sunday. (It made us feel unpretty, too.) But, the experience was good, so I can’t complain too much.

I just got a call from SaraRules: She made it back to southern Utah without any problems.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
A commercial for Staples just came on and made me think of something: You see all of the ads for “Back to School” buys and whatnot in August. Every August.

And, because every year people apparently forget that they need to by school supplies – until they see those ads – there’s a bit of a rush at the stores to get supplies for little Johnny and Susie.

My question: Why not buy some/all of the supplies sooner? I mean, it makes sense… but it’s not something that you really think about – or want to think about – until you need it.

Kind of like buying a plunger.

Stray Toasters

• I have a taste for… some… kind of dessert, but I’m not sure exactly what.
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• Thermochromic Toilet Seat
• The Electric Company. Mm-hmm, that’s right… Easy Reader.
• Proving that he really is 2 Legit 2 Quit – MC Hammer’s Next Act: Tech Entrepreneur
• I’ve been rather vocal – at least to comic-reading friends – about how completely asinine I think the resolution to Marvel’s “One More Day” and “Brand New Day” storyline in the Spider-Man books is/was. (Short version: Joe Quesada and company have retconned Peter Parker and Mary-Jane’s wedding right out of existence. By making a deal with the devil – okay, technically it’s Mephisto, but come on… he’s as close as you’ll get to Old Scratch in the Marvel Universe.) I found a few blogs on Comics2Film that sum things up nicely:
  

  1. One More Day: One Less Reader
  2. One More Day: The Right Way to do a Retcon
  3. One More Day: The Art of the Swerve

• The Men’s Warehouse is having their Winter Sale. Hmm…
• IKEA is also having their Winter Sale. Hmm…
• Goats.
• Bruce Springsteen was right: “57 channels and nothing’s on…”
• Keys to the Kingdom

Namaste.