Tuesday – 10 August 2010
Today my niece, Sophia’s, first birthday.
Today is also the day that my friend, Joe, returned home – and to his family – after spending a little more than a year in a country with a four-letter name that begins with “I” and ends with “Q.”
Last night, I hung out at Pin-up Girl Espresso for a bit after work. Jim, Pin-up’s owner, and I sat and chatted and watched the world go by. Â In a surprise move, SaraRules stopped by on her way from work to a Justice Junior League meeting. A little later in the evening, I headed up to the in-laws’ to see SaraRules’ grandparents, who were in town for the evening. It was nice to visit with them for a while. SaraRules and I wrapped up the night with last week’s episode of Burn Notice. All-in-all, it was a good day… even for a Monday.
Workout
Monday’s step count: 5,069
Stray Toasters
I got a call from The Train Shoppeyesterday afternoon: My train set has arrived!
Monday – 09 August 2010
The weekend has ended and a new work week has begun.
And, quite frankly, I could use another weekend; this last one was packed pretty full.
Saturday morning, SaraRules, , and I attended the funeral for our friend, Dave. It was a nice service. Dave’s brother, Tommy, delivered the eulogy/life reflection. Correction: He delivered two of them — one that was the “family approved” version and one that he had originally written, but been vetoed on giving. Both were good, but I think that Dave would have particularly appreciated the unexpurgated version.
After the service, we headed back home. I needed to change for a tournament; SaraRules, and were going out for lunch. The tourney went well, as did the lunch, from what I gathered. Later, came over for dinner and a movie; we watched Batman: Under the Red Hood, which she hadn’t seen. After she left, SaraRules and I watched The Royal Tenenbaums. It was an… interesting… movie. Like other Wes Anderson movies, I wasn’t quite sure how I felt about it after seeing it.
Sunday, after a tasty breakfast, SaraRules, , and I headed up to Park City to attend the Kimball Park City Arts Festival. As I noted on Facebook:
[I am] getting ready to head to the Park City Kimball Arts Festival with three lovely ladies. It’s kind of like being Bosley from ‘Charlie’s Angels,’ but without the bad 70s fashion.
It was a good event. We wandered up and down Main Street, looking at the various items. We wound up coming home with four (4) new pieces of art:
One piece (Cafe Society) by Audrey Heller, from whom I’ve wanted to purchase something for a few years,
Later in the evening, SaraRules and I went up to her parents’ for dinner and a movie. We watched From Paris With Love, which turned out to be better than any of us had anticipated. There was a nifty in-joke that made us laugh rather heartily about halfway through the film.
After we got back home, SaraRules and I watched Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). I had never seen it, but SaraRules remembered it with nostalgic fondness. (I did, however, remember watching the Filmation cartoon series adaptation of the movie, however…)
Workout
Saturday’s step count: 817 (I neglected to put on the pedometer after changing pants Saturday afternoon)
Sunday’s step count: 4,792
Friday – 06 August 2010
It’s a bright and sunny 9/80 “off” Friday.
Amen.
In a little while, I’ll be going with my father-in-law and to check out the model railroad gear at a hobby shop in Orem. I consider that a good way to start a day off.
Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way now: I had a great time at the Rush “Time Machine” concert last night.
I went with , his brother and sister-in-law and a friend of the family. Â Despite ridiculous post-rush hour traffic, we made it to the amphitheatre with plenty of time to spare. Â I also ran into my coworker, Drew and his wife, Cheri. (I just found out this morning that my friend, Peggy, was there, too… and only two sections away from where we sat.) The weather looked… ominous, but there was no rain. There were, however, some amazing lightning flashes in the center-to-eastern parts of the valley that made for nice offsets to 2112 and Far Cry. Â This tour’s set design had a heavy retro/steampunk look and feel about it, including the amps behind Alex and Neil’s drum kit:
From the tourbook’s liner notes:
I told the guys about an idea for a fictional world that had interested me lately, thinking it would make a great setting, maybe for a suite of songs that told a story. A genre of science fiction pioneered by certain authors (including my friend Kevin J. Anderson) had come to be called “steampunk,” seen as a reaction against the “cyberpunk” futurists, with their scenarios of dehumanized, alienated, dystopian societies. Our own previous excursions into the future, 2112 and “Red Barchetta,” had been set in that darker kind of imagining, for dramatic and allegorical effect, but I was thinking of steampunk’s definition as “The future as it ought to have been,” or “The future as seen from the past”-as imagined by Jules Verne, for example, in 1866, when he was writing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
When I was nine or ten, my dad took my brother and sister and me to see that movie at a Saturday matinee, and images from it had always stuck with me. The fearsome destructiveness of the Nautilus had a kind of monstrous beauty, contrasted with the cultured opulence of Captain Nemo’s quarters, and the massive pipe organ on which, he played with mad rapture. The captain may have been insane, but it was a romantic, idealistic bind of madness-his mission was only to destroy ships of war, because his beloved family had been killed in wartime.
The guys seemed intrigued by the concept, and at home in Southern California, I started working on a story and some lyrics along those lines, set in a world driven by steam, intricate clockworks, and alchemy-“a world lit only by fire” (title of a history of medieval times by William Manchester).
…and…
While I put together some ideas for cover art with Hugh Syme, for the song releases and the tour, Geddy was working with his film collaborators Dale and Allan on the rear-screen movies, recruiting Alex and me as comedic “actors”-to pursue our long-term goal in live performance: “More Comedy, Less Music.”
While we never seem to get away with “less music,” it’s true that as the years go by we do have more laughs.
The concert was roughly three (3) hours long and the band played the entirety of Moving Pictures in the second set. They also played Caravan and BU2B, from the upcoming Clockwork Angels release. There were also some fan favorites and a few pieces that I don’t believe I’ve heard in previous concerts.
All-in-all, it was a great way to kick off my three-day weekend.
And, for today’s musical fare, I’m going with Far Cry, from the Snakes & Arrows CD:
Tonight, we’re heading to the Deer Valley Music Festival to hear the Utah Symphony perform Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture…. complete with live cannons. Â (Tickets may still be available.) Â Because, how often do you get to hear symphonic music – in a great venue – performed with real cannons?! Why aren’t you calling the ticket office already?! Â Did I mention “cannons?!” Â Go! Â Dial! Â Now!
Wednesday – 04 August 2010
Middle of the week.
Comics and Sushi Wednesday.
Hopefully, it will be quiet, compared to the last two days.
I found out yesterday that another friend – a former coworker from the USPS – had died on Monday night. I really wasn’t kidding when I said that I’m tired of having so many friends die.
Last night was relatively low-key. The highlights included yard work and watching a recorded episode of NCIS: Los Angeles.
Workout
Aside from mowing the yard, yesterday’s workout only consisted of walking: 5,069 steps
British Couple Hosts Awesome Cosplay Wedding While I might otherwise be a little jealous, I did get a Green Lantern symbol incorporated into my wedding ring, so I think I at least tied them for coolness/geekiness.
Monday – 02 August 2010
Hello, work week… we meet again.
It seems that, for the most part, the network switchover has worked pretty well. There have been some hiccups this morning – that were neither PEBCAK or ID-10-T errors – but those are to be expected. We even uncovered the mystery behind a long-running/long-forgotten problem with one office’s wiring. We’ll see what the rest of the day brings.
Yesterday was a good day, all-around. SaraRules and I went to the gym for a much-needed workout. Later we met up with , and to see Salt. The movie was reminiscent of the Jason Bourne movies… but with Angelina Jolie. It was a good popcorn flick.
After the movie, we went back home for a while and then headed to Logan and Sanaz’ place for dinner. They prepared an excellent meal of stuffed peppers, quinoa (with almond slivers and Craisins) and bread topped with a homemade olive butter.
Back at home, SaraRules and I finally got around to watching The Wild Bunch, which I’ve had for “a while,” from Netflix. It was a good movie… but, as SaraRules noted: It’s a movie with out clear and distinct “good guys” or “bad guys.” Yes, all of the major characters had motivations and seemed to be fairly-well defined, but “morals” and “ethics” for most seemed to have been left by the wayside. It was also a LONG movie, clocking in at nearly 2.5 hours. But, it was definitely worth seeing at least once.
Workout
Elliptical: 10 minutes/ avg. speed: 5.5 MPH
Leg Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
Glutes: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
Compound Row: 3 sets/10 reps, 125 lbs
Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps
1 set @ 135 lbs
2 sets @ 155 lbs
Shoulder Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
Curls (barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
Tricep Press (t-bar): 3 sets/15 reps, 80 lbs
Core (plank): 3 sets/30 seconds
Sunday’s step count: 5,419
Stray Toasters
Jonathan Coulton: Code Monkey
(video by spiffworld)
Things to look forward to this week:
Rush concert
Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture concert at the Deer Valley Music Festival
I ran into a problem with LEGO Universe yesterday. As a test, I created a new Minifigure so that I could see if it encountered a similar behavior. Lo and behold, as soon as the new Minifig got to the same point, the same problem occurred. Feh.
Sunday – 01 August 2010
“Summer’s going fast…”
It seems as though July just started, and now we are beginning August.
Yesterday was also Ms. ‘s birthday.
Friday, was Day 5 of The Great Network Conversion. By the end of the (very long) day, it seems as though most things were in order. There was a lot of “hurry up and wait” involved, as we were awaiting some configuration to be completed at the home office. That didn’t help with the “longest day ever” feeling. Just before we left for the day, SaraRules dropped by the office, with a caramel mocha in-hand. (Have I mentioned ‘Coolest Wife Ever,’ recently?) By the time I got home, all I wanted to do was come home and take a nap. And that’s exactly what I did… and then it was off to gather with the rest of the Clitorati crew.
Saturday, I forced myself to sleep in. I know… I know… it sounds odd to have to “force” oneself to sleep in. But, considering that I woke up at 0700 and seriously contemplated getting up and starting the day — and given the fact that between Thursday and Friday, I put in nearly 24 hours in the office — sleep was a good and necessary thing. SaraRules went to the Open House at Repertory Dance Theatre; I stayed at home and did a bit of cleaning…
…until got here. We went to The Train Shoppe. I wanted to see if my new set had arrived. It hadn’t. Apparently, Lionel pushed back its shipping date by nearly a month. So… it should be here either just before or just after we  go camping.
Following that stop and a quick run to Dr. Volt’s, it was back home for a bit. Lunch. Hanging out with SaraRules. Exploring LEGO Universe… when it wasn’t being buggy. *shakes fist*
Later in the evening, SaraRules and I went to Rio Tinto Stadium to see Real Salt Lake host a match against DC United:
This also marked the first time that I have seen an MLS game live. (I doubt it will be the last time.) I had gone to MISL (Major Indoor Soccer League) games as a teenager, but that really comes under the heading of “same brand, different flavor.” Â Or, for the SAT crowd:
Major Indoor Soccer League : Major League Soccer as…
Roller Derby : NASCAR
Arena Football League : NFL Football
BMX : Motocross
Stickball : Major League Baseball
The correct answer, in this case, would be “2”
The match was a lot of fun. We sat in the upper level and had a great view of the soccer pitch… AND the seats were very reasonably priced. And they were also covered, which became important when it started raining. RSL won the match 3 – 0, with a couple of goals coming in the last 10 minutes of the game. Â (I was a little torn about the loss for DCU, though…) I am Ivory Soap sure that we’ll be back in Rio Tinto Stadium to see another match before the season ends.
Workout
Friday’s step count: I don’t recall, but it was somewhere around 3,600 steps
Saturday’s step count: Â 5,948
Friday – 30 July 2010 It’s (almost) the end of the work week. Amen.
We’re in the middle of a network transfer – switching from one network connection to another. It made for a long day yesterday and an early morning today. I just hope that it’s not another long day today.
I spent the day in the south office yesterday. That’s always um… a treat. Â We’ve been preparing for some network changes and I went down to help Minion #1 take care of the wiring for that office. And, I did manage to squeeze in sushi for lunch with a few coworkers.
After work, I hauled back up the road and swung past Dr. Volt’s. (There was four-color goodness to pick up, after all…) I made a couple of quick side trips and then went to Hastur Hobbies for D&D night with Jack and . This week, they even brought little Jack:
I quite enjoyed Batman: Under the Red Hood. Until recently, I haven’t really read the Batman titles in a long while. From what I recall of the “A Death in the Family” storyline and some recent developments, they appear to have done a decent job of adapting the story. Bruce Greenwood did a decent turn as Batman, but I was a bit disappointed in John Di Maggio’s Joker… of course, I kept comparing him to Mark Hamill, who – aside from the late Heath Ledger – Â is now “the voice I hear” when I think of the Joker. Neil Patrick Harris, did a good job as Nightwing. I also have to give the animators a huge amount of credit for making Nightwing move like an acrobat.
I woke up this morning feeling the effects of Tuesday night’s workout.
Tuesday – 27 July 2010
Work week: Day 2.
I had an extreme case of “the lazies” this morning. Â In an uncharacteristic move for me (at least for a workday), I gave in to it. And, I have to say: It felt rather nice.
Last night, SaraRules had a Justice Junior League meeting after work, which meant that I was a dinner bachelor. The “up” side to this: I could have Chinese food for dinner. (Win!) I pinged former coworker Marci, to see if she wanted to spare me from dining alone; she was kind enough to agree. Â We went to David’s Kitchen. I hadn’t been in many, many moons. I had the Beef Lo Mein, with potstickers and an egg roll; the food was as good as I remembered.
This morning’s musical interlude is brought to you by the letters “H” and “L” and the number “2”:
sent me a link last night… that I didn’t get until this morning. I think that it was better to see it this morning, as it was the perfect way to kick off the day:
Wednesday – 21 July 2010
It’s Comics (and maybe Sushi) Wednesday. Â ‘Nuff said.
Despite having most of the things I needed for this morning prepped and ready-to-go last night, I managed to walk out the door without my ID badge. I didn’t discover this fact until I was in the elevator.
::: facepalm :::
I was able to get into the office, thanks to a coworker. And, I acquired my badge thanks to the world’s most awesome wife ever dropping it off on her way to work.
Last night, SaraRules and I went to The Days of ’47 Rodeo. (It’s a Utah thing.) Let me break it down for you:
Put the two together and you get: The Days of ’47 Rodeo.
SaraRules is a rodeo fan and has been for some years.
Until last night, I had only seen bits and pieces of rodeos on television.
We went. And I have pictures to prove it.
Sometimes, I have odd dreams. Not in the “fantastic flights of fancy” sense; they are often more rooted in the “Where in the Nine Hells did that come from?!” sense. Last night’s sleep included at least one of those dreams.
I’m not a Guitar Hero player. I think that I’ve covered this fact before. That being said, I discovered something yesterday that has the greatest potential to change that for me: Rush on Bringing “2112” to ‘Guitar Hero’
Tuesday – 20 July 2010
Day Two of the work week is upon us.
Last night, SaraRules and I fixed jambalaya for dinner. It had been a few months since we’d made any. It was tasty. After that, we headed up to the Kohl’s in Brickyard (the Kohl’s that I always seem to forget is there) so that I could find a few new shirts. After that it was back at home for…
Stop!
Yard work time!
When the grasses and weeds had been tamed, it was time for a shower and unwinding in front of the TV for a bit. Property Virgins and James May’s Toy Stories set the evening off nicely.
Tonight, SaraRules and I are getting in touch with our inner cowboys/rednecks – or, as it’s part of the “Days of ’47” celebration, our ‘inner pioneers’ – and going to the rodeo. Tonight is “Tough Enough to Wear Pink” Night, with the proceeds going to support breast cancer awareness… and was the primary reason for last night’s Kohl’s excursion – I needed a pink shirt that wasn’t a dress shirt. It should be an interesting way to spend the evening.
Workout
Monday’s step count: 4,530
Stray Toasters
I heard Prince’s I Would Die 4 U on the way to work this morning. It would have made a good selection for this morning’s music post, but His Purple Badness has “a thing” about his music and/or videos being posted online, so you’ll have to come up with a viable alternative on your own… or you could go with The Cardigans’ My Favourite Game:
A lot of people may remember Gatchaman (or Battle of the Planets, as it was known in the U.S.). After many years in development Hell, it looks as though a feature-length film may actually see the light of day. Here’s a trailer:
Friday – 16 July 2010
It’s (almost) the weekeeeeeend, baby! While this hasn’t been “Longest. Week. Ever,” it has been a long week. I’m pretty sure that it has something to do with last week being a three-day work week… but that’s just a hunch.
Last night, Melissa – our friend who did the 5K with us last weekend – came over and she, SaraRules and I watched Shutter Island. (M had never seen it.) I caught a few very subtle things throughout the movie that I missed the first… two times I saw it. And it was just as solid a film this time as the other times I’ve seen it.
I woke up this morning with snippets of this running through my head. I blame it on the cartoon/kids’ show theme war that I had with Kris a couple of days ago. And, speaking of music, today’s musical selections are:
Utah Saints – Something Good ’08
George Michael – Flawless (Go to the City)
After work this afternoon (Hellooooooo, half-day!), I’ll be running either a demo or a mini-tournament for Dr. Volt’s at the Gaming and Electronics Expo (GEEX) at the South Towne Expo Center. Â The demo/tourney should start about 4:00 PM. Â If you’re free and in the area, come down and check it out.
16 demented Green Lantern storylines that we’re sure won’t be in the movie #3: To be honest, I’d love it if they worked this into the movie somewhere.
#13: This could be worked in, too. #16: That was Kyle. Â There’d have to be another movie or two to get him into the story, let alone see him as Green Lantern.
Thursday – 15 July 2010
It’s another sunny NBN Thursday here in the Land Behind the Zion Curtain. It’s going to be a hot one, too — temps are supposed to be in the mid-90s. (At least it’s a “dry” heat.)
This morning’s musical break: ABC by the Jackson Five
Yesterday, pinged me to see if I was interested in playing in a D&D game that Jack is running at Hastur Games and Comics. As it was SaraRules’ book club night – and I was going to be relegated to the basement anyway – I said “Sure.” And off I went to nerd! This was new and different for me for two reasons:
It’s a 4th Edition game (I had previously played v2.0 through 3.5)
It’s a Dark Sun setting, which is a world that I’ve not played in before.
We ran two encounters; there are two more left in this chapter, I believe. (Nyx: I’m running a half-tiefling.) It was fun and a bit different, as this was more of a miniatures game than the role-playing style of 3rd Edition and earlier.
Back at home, SaraRules and I watched a short movie, Vampire Hunter Hank, that her friend Jerry made. It was pretty funny. Â And entertaining, to boot.
Workout
Yesterday’s step count: 3,940
And… my sides still hurt from the other night’s workout.
Last night, SaraRules’ mom came over and joined us for dinner. SaraRules fixed a nice vegetarian curry over rice. We talked about books and movies (Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus!) as we ate. Â After dinner, SaraRules and I headed to The Garden of Sweden — I needed to pick up more picture frames. On the way home, we saw Jim from Pin-up Girl, as he was closing up shop, so we stopped and chatted for a few minutes.
We also… went to the gym! I was on the fence about going, but I knew that it would be good for me. Last night’s routine included:
SaraRules posed an interesting question last night: Given the problem that the iPhone 4 has had with lost calls/losing bars (due to the location of its antenna), how likely is it that the problems Steve Jobs had making/maintaining a call during the iPhone 4’s rollout were due to his hand/finger placement on the phone?
Bus carrying LDS youth to pioneer trek destroyed by fire
My former (before a recent re-org)Â boss’ kids were on that bus; his wife was in a car that was trailing behind. Â Everyone got off the bus safely, but no equipment was saved.
Tuesday – 13 July 2010
Today is apparently “Embrace Your Geekness” Day.
I’d never heard of it before this morning. *shrug*
Last night, SaraRules and I had dinner at Epic Casual Dining, in Midvale. We had talked about going there a few times, but had never managed to actually go. It bills itself as “One of the Salt Lake Valley’s finest restaurants.” I think this might be a bit of an overstatement. That’s not to say that the food wasn’t good – it was – but, I can think of a few “finer” restaurants off the top of my head. Would I eat there again, yes. Would it necessarily be at the top of my list the next time I’m looking for someplace to dine out? No… it would be somewhere in the middle to lower-middle.
After dinner, and a quick stop to say “Hi” to Kate and Perry, we went to Quilts, Etc., so that SaraRules could pick up a pattern block. I am Ivory Soap-sure that the place is a tesseract, because there is no way that the store could be as large as it is inside without employing extradimensional space. No. Way.
After that, we made our way up to the Toys ‘R’ Us in Murray. Why? Well…
…because it’s Toys ‘R’ Us. Â (Duh.)
…because Kate mentioned that they had a different LEGO figure in the store than the one in Sugar House:
Captain Rex
(Imperial Clone Trooper, from Star Wars)
We wandered around the store for a few more minutes, looking at other things, too. SaraRules found this gem:
After our excursion, we headed home. We wrapped up the evening watching the most awesome thing that we could find on Netflix’ Instant Queue, Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus.
That’s right. A movie so awesomely bad that we were compelled to watch it.
The power of Mega Shark compels you!
The power of Mega Shark compels you!
The movie featured:
Former teen pop star, DebbieDeborah Gibson, as Emma, an oceanographer who first encounters the prehistoric creatures,
Lorenzo Lamas (best known for his roles on Falcon Crest and Renegade) as the ham-fistedly over-acted government agent-in-charge of overseeing the creatures’ destruction,
Vic Chao, as Seiji, the Japanese scientist seeking answers about the giant monster that appeared on his nation’s shores and
Sean Lawlor as Lamar, Emma’s former professor and a former submariner who got drummed out of the Navy because he believed that “every sperm (whale) is sacred” and ran his sub aground rather than sail through the pod. Â (Okay, okay… it was actually dolphins, but I couldn’t have made the joke without the whales.) Â Added bonus: Mr. Lawlor’s was, hands-down, the worst Irish accent I’ve ever heard… from someone born and raised in Ireland! Genius!
So, what do you get in this movie? Â A giant, prehistoric shark and a giant, prehistoric octopus terrorizing the northern Asian and North American Pacific Rim. Â (Duh.) You also get bad acting and cheesy special effects. And, at no extra charge, they even throw in a contrived love scene… which, of course, leads to Emma having an apostrophe epiphany as to how to lure the creatures to their doom(s).
I will also admit that I wanted to see this movie because of this one scene:
Despite all of this, the movie managed to be (hilariously) entertaining, although we should have found a way to turn it into a drinking game or MST3K-ed it. Or both.
This almost – ALMOST – makes me want to see Mega Python vs. Gatoroid, just to see the new battle of the 80’s teen pop music queens: Debbie Gibson vs. Tiffany. Â There’s bound to be some comedy/horror in there somewhere…
