Random Access

Friday – 03 December 2010
It’s Friday.
Thank God.
“Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it.”

It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday, so I – and a few others – are in the ghost town that we call an office today. As one of the others is Paul, I got to start off the morning talking about model railroads and some ideas I have for what is becoming known as “The Train Room” in the basement.

Last night, SaraRules! and I rented kids for the evening. Kate and Perry were having an evening out and asked us if we’d mind watching their kids. As usual, the kids were fine. We popped in The Iron Giant – which I always enjoy – at the request of the youngest child and they watched that (and Transformers Prime) until it was time for bed. Getting them into pajamas, teeth brushed, and off to bed was a breeze. After the kids were abed, SaraRules! and I watched Fringe and then a couple of episodes of Renovation Realities.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
I’ve had a couple of thoughts running through my head for the past few days:

• You have no one to blame for your unhappiness but yourself.
• You only get out of life what you are prepared to put into it.

It seems that so many people are unhappy/dissatisfied with Situation X or Thing Y in their lives, but seem unwilling to actually do anything about it. And then, they seem… surprised… that the issue doesn’t just auto-magically fix itself.

That’s unfortunate.

Stray Toasters

• The inversion has set in, heavily, across the valley.  I hope that the forecasts of rain over the weekend were correct.
• What Is the Best Superman Origin Story?
  I actually agree with both of his choices here.
• WorldWorksGames has come out with some amazing looking new sets in their TerrainLinx line. Case in point: Hinterland Forests
• I received the latest addition to my train yesterday: Lionel 6-7612 Spirit of 76 North Carolina Boxcar



• Chuck Norris fact: He’s now an honorary Texas Ranger
• During yesterday’s comics run, I also picked up a new member for my Sinestro Corps shelf: Mongul
  

  

  At 9″ tall, he’s a good head to head-and-a-half taller than the other figures.

• WorldWorksGames has come out with some amazing looking new sets in their TerrainLinx line. Case in point: Hinterland Forests
• Arizona Cuts Financing for Transplant Patients
• Disney town sees death for 2nd time in a week
• UNC team builds 3d model of Rome using Flickr photos on a single PC in one day
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” File: KKK Snowman Spreads Holiday Hate in Hayden
• Unemployed and Likely to Stay That Way
  • We lost 8 million jobs. Only 1 million came back.
• 10 great classic American cocktail lounges
  • To serve man (drinks): Roboxotica 2010 opens in Austria

That should be good enough for now.

Namaste.

Monday – 29 November 2010
It’s Monday.

For some reason, it’s hard to work up excitement about being back at work after five days off. Go figure. Fortunately, there’s only three (maybe only two-and-a-half) weeks of work before I go on vacation for Christmas.

Yesterday was snowy. Big surprise. On the “plus” side, Chris came over and hung out for a bit. As he hadn’t seen it, I showed him the Young Justice premiere. He liked it. (I was fairly sure that he would.) After that, we played HALO: Reach and then watched the second half of the Dolphins-Raiders game. Later in the evening, we headed over to SaraRules!’ parents’ place for dinner and football. We left at halftime, at Mother Nature’s insistence. Back at home, we shoveled more snow. Yay. We wound up the evening with the new episode of The Walking Dead.

Instant Replay: Football

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Baltimore Ravens
10 – 17
The Ravens hosted the Bucs… and came away with a win.Sorry, Minion #2.

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Miami Dolphins at Oakland Raiders
33 – 17
The Dolphins headed west to take on the Raiders in Oakland. I missed the first half of the game, but it looked as though the Raiders decided to sleep through the second half. Sorry, SaraRules! and 1silver_seraph.

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Cincinnati Bengals at New York Jets
10 – 26
The Bengals dropped this one to the Jets. Sorry, carefreespirit and janietrain.

Stray Toasters

• My friend, MarknTyme, is the band director for a Rockingham County High School in NC.  The band had a write-up in the local paper: RCHS marching band eager to prove itself
• A business that recently moved in below us is having a sign mounted on the building… outside my window. The installation is “intermittently noisy.”
• Leslie Nielsen and Irvin Kershner passed away this weekend.
• These look like something that could use…
• 
• Tron‘s Jeff Bridges Ponders Retirement Thanks to Facial-Mapping Technology
• Beer With Kick Is Caught in F.D.A.’s Net
• Shape-shifting robot can grip differently-shaped items
• School retracts ban on pencils

It would be a nice change of pace to have temperatures above freezing.

Namaste.

Thursday – 25 November 2010
It’s Thanksgiving Day here in the States.

Yesterday wound up being relatively low-key. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. In the afternoon, I made stops at Dr. Volt’s and The Train Shoppe. On the trip between the two stores, I saw an accident happen, about 25 yards ahead of me: I was heading north along 7th East when a southbound car decided to turn left… in front of the car that I was behind. I don’t know exactly “how” it happened, but the result was that the south-to-eastbound car t-boned the northbound car. The northbound car spun 180 degrees and wound up sitting at the northeast corner; the south-to-eastbound car just kind of… stopped in the middle of the intersection. (Thirty minutes later, as I was heading home, both cars and drivers were still sitting at the intersection, waiting on the police, though the offender had moved her car to the southeast corner.)

After I got home, SaraRules! and I headed to The Garden of Sweden. We needed some additional chairs, as we’re having the SaraRules!’ family over for dinner today. We opted to have dinner out, stopping at Outback Steakhouse. Hello, Prime Rib… When we returned to the house, I started making a sweet potato pie for (one of) tonight’s desserts.

I woke up early this morning and discovered something that no home owner ever wants to find: Our pipes had frozen. It’s been about… 20 years… since I’ve dealt with that – and the last time, the pipes just burst – so my first reaction was more “inaction,” while trying to suss out what to do. (Hey, it was 6:15 AM. My brain was still on “Standby.”)  Fortunately, I married someone who not only has a high INT, but a pretty high WIS, too. She called the water department, to make sure that there wasn’t a problem with the main. (There wasn’t.) Next step: Heating the pipes. Carefully. SaraRules! started with a hair dryer at the main. A little while later, I remembered that we have a pipe in the ceiling of the family room that could have been part of the problem. Sure enough, that seemed like it might have been the culprit (or at least a co-conspirator).  After a little heat application, we had running water again. Amen. This gave us yet another thing for we could not only be thankful, but also it also offers us a great “Remember that first Thanksgiving in the house…?” story.)

Stray Toasters

• Yesterday’s excursion to The Train Shoppe yielded more track for my layout; I now have a couple of sidings in the rail yard.
• These Gaming Deals Are Insane!
• Hello Kitty Character Mash-Ups Look Silent But Violent
• Palin’s reckless views on obesity
• 
• Top Gun was on AMC yesterday; it had been a long time since I’d watched it.
• Forged Disney art on eBay
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Old Lady Trapped in Bathroom for 3 Weeks Irritated Neighbors by Banging on Pipes

And with that… it’s about time to start on the Cornish Hens.

Namaste.

Monday – 15 November 2010
Another work week begins…

This weekend was a good one. Saturday, I went back to the train show and made up for the deal I lost out on Friday by picking up some switches, a crossing grade and some assorted track pieces for a really good deal. There was some damage to a few of the pieces, but nothing insurmountable.

Saturday night, SaraRules! and I went to Oz with Orchestra, as performed by Utah Symphony. As SaraRules had to “…play P.R. Girl,” as she put it (read: “sit with Jeff, a photographer from Riester“), we got to sit in Maurice Abravanel’s box seats… which put us directly above and behind the First Violin section. From this vantage point, we not only had a good view of the movie screen, but we could also read the sheet music of the vilolinists (and some of the bass players), as well.  While the orchestral accompaniment did lose the tempo a couple of times, Associate Conductor David Cho did an excellent job of leading the symphony and getting them back on track. The overall experience was a lot of fun. And, as an added bonus: David Cho proposed to his then-girlfriend during intermission – she said, “Yes” – so, congratulations to him!

Sunday was pretty relaxed. We started the morning with breakfast at Ruth’s Diner. We also ran into Sanaz’ parents while there. Next, I headed back to Chris’ to (FINALLY!) finish his PS3 hard drive upgrade. Fait accompli. Back home for a little time with the trains and then on to the in-laws’ for a belated birthday dinner for SaraRules! and football.

Instant Replay: Football

Cincinnati Bengals at Indianapolis Colts
17 – 23
Sorry, and .

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Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins
17 – 29
The Dolphins notched another home win.

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Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
16 – 31
The Panthers dropped this one to the Bucs.

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New England Patriots at Pittsburgh Steelers
39 – 26
I don’t know whether or not it was because of the beat-down they took from the Browns last week, but Tom Brady and the Pats manhandled the Steelers last night. BIG time, shutting them down on both sides of the ball. And it doesn’t hurt that the Steelers’ loss helps keep the Ravens atop the AFC North, either.

Stray Toasters

• SaraRules! should check her folder.  Just saying…
• Lead in reusable grocery bags prompts calls for federal inquiry
• Jury Selection Begins for Civil Rights Cold Case
• LEGO ornaments, buy or build your own
• I picked up some new pocket squares from Jos. A. Bank yesterday, thanks to a sale notice posted on their Facebook page.
• 
• Dynamite’s “Lone Ranger” Rides into the Sunset
• Everyone Hates TicketMaster — But No One Can Take It Down
• ‘Black Ops’ breaks records with $360M in first-day sales

Lunch: Eaten.
The Grind: Getting back to it.

Namaste.

Saturday – 13 November 2010
So far, it’s been a good day… and it’s only half over.  I’d call that a “win,” quite frankly.

<< Rewind <<
and I went to the Wasatch Rails Train Show yesterday afternoon. It is at the Utah State Fairpark and runs through tomorrow afternoon; it’s being held in the Grand and Promontory Buildings.  There is a lot of model railroading goodness there. A. Lot. I missed out on an amazing deal on some Fastrack, but I did come home with a book that I used to own when I was much, much younger.

After the train show, I came home and painted one of my train tables green. Doing so gives me a (more or less) “grass-colored” board AND it saved me from having to buy a grass mat. And, if I want a more grass-like surface, I can use some Spray Mount^© and sprinkle flocking on the boards. Next, it was off to coffee and dinner…

This morning, ‘s father came over to look at our furnace and give us an estimate on installing a new and more energy-efficient unit. Turns out that if we hurry, we should be able to get in on some good incentives and rebates.

And, tonight: Oz with Orchestra

Stray Toasters

• I am giving some serious thought to heading up to The Train Shoppe… and/or back to the Wasatch Rails show.
• Entire New Zealand town goes steampunk
• Uncivil Society
• By way of SaraRules!: How to Gift Wrap a Cat
• Web Designers Versus Web Developers, Visualized
• Pascal’s Wager, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Effervescent Brain Salt
• November 2010 Reader Art Gallery, from Comic Book Resources

Off to find some trouble to get into…

Namaste.

Wednesday – 10 November 2010
It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday!
(The usual suspects all had other things come up that preclude being able to go to sushi for lunch.)

Today is also the 235th birthday/anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps:

And, it’s also my friend, Adrian’s, birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! and I went out for dinner at Hopper’s Restaurant and Grill. It was a nice change of pace.  She had a Mac and Cheese dinner with Hoppers’ seasonal Hefeweizen; while I had the Far From Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, along with a pint of the Madame X Stout. After dinner, we popped into the local Target to pick up a few things… where I ran into a former coworker from the USPS. (She’s also left Postal Service’s employment.) Then, it was back home for a movie: Law Abiding Citizen.  The movie had promise, but kind of fell flat. I’m still not quite sure if it’s a low-LEGO brick or a high-lawn dart movie.  *shrug*

Stray Toasters

• It’s another suit day: Black suit, white shirt, black and rust African masks tie
  • Black Suits Comin’ (Nod Ya Head) – Remix

• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: The Power of an Earthquake Turns Train Tracks to Spaghetti
• Pop!: Land of Lost Tales – Dave Stevens’ Superman and Rocketeer Miniseries
• Thanks to eBay, I have the following items, formerly on The Covet List on the way:
  • Validus Build-A-Figure from DC Universe Classics (to go on my Legion shelf)
  • The Griffin graphic novel
  • X-Men/Teen Titans graphic novel
  • Tailgunner Jo miniseries
• More graphic cigarette warnings proposed
• 
• More than 1,800 libraries to celebrate National Gaming Day on Nov. 13
• Real-Life Gadgets for Real-Life Superheroes
• Tightrope: If employees have to give two weeks’ notice, shouldn’t you, too?

And…. done!

Namaste.

Monday – 08 November 2010
It’s the grey and rainy beginning of another work week…

…unless you’re SaraRules!, who is extending her birthday weekend into today. (Lucky.)

Yesterday was a good day for relaxing.  I worked a little more on my railroad — I started assembling the Signal Tower Kit that I picked up on the trip to The Wonderful World of Trains. I’m probably 75% through with it. I have no idea what the next addition to the railyard or “town” will be. That’s the kind of dilemma that I’m okay with.

Last night, SaraRules and I watched The Walking Dead and followed it up with Twelve O’Clock High, starring Gregory Peck. (I remember watching the TV series when I was growing up…) In the movie, Peck portrayed a general who takes command of a flagging B-17 bomber group from another officer. The movie started a bit slowly, but the pace picked up in the second half.

Instant Replay: Football

Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders
20 – 23
The Raiders hosted the Chiefs… …and came away with a “WIN,” thanks to two kicks from K Sebastian Janikowsi that: A) sent the game into overtime and B) won the game. There was a stat shown at the end of the game that noted that this was Oakland’s first three-game win streak since the 2002 season. Congrats, SaraRules! and lj user=”1silver_seraph”!

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Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
8:30 PM (EDT)
The Steelers and Bengals meet tonight in an AFC North match-up. This will be one of those rare occasions that I will be cheering for the Bengals.

Stray Toasters

• The rain… has turned into snow.
  I’ve already called my father to tell him that it’s snowing…
• Placido Domingo: The Spellbinding Voice of a Titan Tenor
• Nudging Grocery Shoppers Toward Healthy Food
• Possibly a lot closer to the truth than we know…

  

• Kindness of a Stranger That Still Resonates
• For SaraRules!:Grand ole party as Loretta Lynn marks 50 years in biz
• Color Comes to E Ink Screens
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • A Muggle’s Dream: Quidditch as a NCAA Sport
  • Twinkie diet helps nutrition professor lose 27 pounds
• For : Neil Diamond, Covering His Favorites from Others
• Learning from the Sadness

And that’s a wrap.

Namaste.

Sunday – 07 November 2010
Ah, weekend.
And, it’s been a quite good one, at that.
Hopefully, everyone remembered to set your clocks back an hour for Daylight Saving Time.

Yesterday was SaraRules!’ birthday:

Last night, she threw a “Spaghetti Fiesta” party.  There was spaghetti (obviously), wine, cookies, cake, ice cream… the works.  And it was a lot of fun.

Earlier in the day, I hung out with Chris a bit and judged a ‘Clix tourney. Then, I came home and worked on my train layout a little bit.  Last week, I picked up Lionel’s Engine House – same style, but an older version and a little differently colored and it was a kit, rather than a pre-assembled unit. Yesterday, while waiting for people to arrive, I finished putting it together.  It looks good.

Today is my friend, Jeremiah’s, birthday:

This morning, SaraRules! and I were going to head up to Ruth’s Diner for breakfast. I figured that since Comcast and the local CBS affiliate couldn’t be bothered to let us know which NFL game was going to be aired at 11:00, a nice breakfast out with the missus seemed like a good thing. However, being the amazingly cool wife that she is, SaraRules! suggested that we wait until 11:00 and see who was playing. Good thing, too: It was the Dolphins-Ravens game. Win-Win.

Instant Replay: Football

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens
10 – 26
Coming off of a bye week, The Ravens hosted the Miami Dolphins… and the game was aired locally, so I got to see my two favorite AFC teams play! Miami came into this game having won all of their road games this season, while Baltimore has won all of this season’s home games. So it was going to be a good match-up. The Ravens received the opening kick-off and QB Joe Flacco drove the team down the field to score a touchdown. Not to be outdone, the ‘Fins scored on their first drive, as well. There was a lot of back-and-forth in the rest of the first quarter, but no one was able to score. Baltimore put up a couple of FGs in the second quarter, to the Dolphins’ one. Baltimore scored another TD on a WR Derrick Mason reception in the third and posted a couple more field goals in the fourth to cement the win. Notable plays in the game: FS Ed Reed‘s third interception… in two games. P Sam Koch‘s 13-yard PASS (that’s right, I said “pass”) to Cary Williams on 4th down in the third quarter. DB Josh Wilson‘s end-of-game pick of a Chad Henne pass. I am taking the win as a belated birthday gift from the Ravens, as the score was 10-26… which happens to be my birthday. But, there’s no time to sit back and enjoy this win, as the Ravens have to travel to Atlanta to take on the Falcons on Thursday.

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New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers
34 – 3
The Saints, coming off last week’s win over the Steelers, went to Bank of America Stadium and handed the Panthers a big-time defeat.

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New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns
14 – 34
The Pats traveled to Cleveland and got handled by the Browns. Big time.

Stray Toasters

• Listening to Rap for the First Time, with a Book Critic, courtesy of
• Best television adaptations of science fiction and fantasy novels
• BSO’s Mahler and Freud: A Q&A with Didi Balle
• will be able to appreciate this:
  



• I discovered RailModeller, a model railroad layout program… for the Mac a few days ago.  I’m liking it.
• Snow White just rocked my face off
  • Pogomix
• 5 Ways to Really Stay Warm This Fall and, Eventually, Winter
• I like this Call of Duty: Black Ops commercial
• Government D.A.R.E. Program Causes Kid to Narc on Parents & Send Them to Jail
• 33 Conspiracy Theories That Turned Out to Be True, What Every Person Should Know
• The Queen Joins Facebook

Namaste.

Thursday – 04 November 2010
Another NBN Thursday is upon us.

Last night, SaraRules! and I had Angela, Kate, A.J. and John – Utah Opera’s resident artists – over for dinner. We had a fantastic meal (maple chicken, roasted root vegetables, sauteed green beans with mushrooms) and got to learn a little bit more about the artists and what they do. It was a lot of fun. We also had an excellent dessert, as the residents brought a German Chocolate cake with them. It was a great way to spend the evening.

After the residents left and the dishes were put away, it was time to read this week’s comics haul. There were a couple of good reads, including Adventure Comics #520 and Superboy #1.  (I foresee a new Four-Color Coverage in the not-too-distant future…) I should also admit that I’ve been rather pleased with how Paul Levitz and his conspirators have reintroduced a young Clark Kent and Kara Zor-El back into Legion continuity. I was curious to see how it would work, given that Kara has already spent time with the Threeboot Legion, but Supergirl Annual #2 (last week) did a good job of it.

Today’s musical interlude: Anita Kelsey – Sway (“performed” by Jennifer Connelly)

Tonight: Carmina Burana at Ballet West

Stray Toasters

• I woke up this morning with Rocket 2 U, by The Jets, running through my head. I have NO idea “why.” I was more than “a little” disturbed and worried by it.
• Tennessee Titans Claim Randy Moss on Waivers
• might want to consider clicking here.
• 
• 2010 Hess Toy Truck and Jet
  I used to get Hess trucks for Christmas as a kid… but none of them had a jet.
• More than 20 tons of pot smuggled in border tunnel
• Covet!

Namaste.

Saturday – 30 October 2010
It’s Hallowe’en weekend.

There’s been a lot of debate going around as to whether or not kids should be out Trick or Treating tonight or tomorrow night. *shrug* I’m not sure that I care either way. I know that we’re giving out candy tonight and, assuming that we’re home tomorrow night, we’ll probably give some out then as well.

Yesterday, and I headed up to Ogden to pay a long overdue visit to The Wonderful World of Trains. We both found things that we liked, but I was the only one who wound up walking out with a few things:

• Atlas O Signal Tower
• Lionel K-Line B&O Double Door Boxcar
• Lionel K-Line “Happy Birthday” Boxcar (minus the “Tavis 2nd” part)

After we got back to SLC, I stopped in at The Train Shoppe and picked up some more track; I needed it to try out a layout I had in mind…

After SaraRules! got home from work, we headed to The Blue Iguana to have dinner with Bill Byrnes, one of her former professors. I’d been to The Red Iguana before, but never to The Blue Iguana. I had the beef enchiladas and they were quite tasty. Post-dinner, we met up with a few of the usual suspects for coffee and dinner… or, rather just drinks and a snack for us.

Back at home, I headed to the basement to work on my model railroad. The layout worked pretty much the way I had hoped: I did a single L-shaped dogbone loop…

Dog-bone arrangement of a continuous loop; the sides of an oval are squeezed together so it looks like a double-track section with a loop at each end where the trains turn around.

…with a couple of spurs off the inside line.

Today started lazily. (That’s far from a “bad” thing.) After breakfast, we got to the business of painting the guest bedroom. We used a different brand of paint than we used in the other rooms; it was thicker and took a little more effort to apply, but I think that we may only need one coat of it. As to the rest of the day, we’ll do a little errand-running this afternoon, but I think that this evening will mostly involve watching horror movies and handing out candy to the intrepid ghosts, ghouls and other assorted creatures who wander the streets tonight.

Stray Toasters

• The Magic of Harry Houdini’s Staying Power
• Black Republican Set to Make History in S.C.
• The Minivan Video Your Kids Shouldn’t See. Ever.
• 
• A Science Joke for Your Saturday Morning
• For the First Time, the TSA Meets Resistance
• Lost Animaniacs Clip – “Dear Mister Gingrich”
• A Giant LEGO Map of Europe

And with that, I think we’re off to seek out what the day has to offer.

Namaste.

Friday – 29 October 2010
It’s my 9/80 “off” Friday and the start of my weekend. Amen.

Last night, SaraRules and I went to Market Street Grill for the retirement party of my company’s President/COO.  It was done as a cocktail hour… without cocktails, but was still a nice affair.

After that, we came home and got ready for the evening’s entertainment: We had SaraRules!’s parents, brother and his fiancee over for Hallowe’en cookie decorating and then watched the classic Disney The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, featuring the voice of Bing Crosby.  It was a fun way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• What Can You Do in Twenty-Five Words?
• The year is 2010. Detroit is a crime-ridden carcass of the gleaming metropolis it once was. The city only has one hope. And he’s 2 years old.
• Is the proper use of an apostrophe really that hard to figure out?
• Welcome to Dracula’s Castle
• Lisa Black: Gear-Turning Steampunk Taxidermy
• 
• National parks have room for all races
• Comic Book Resources has a preview of the upcoming Superboy #1, from Jeff Lemire and Pier Gallo. This version of Superboy is not a young Clark Kent, but a clone spliced from the DNA of Superman… and Lex Luthor, known as Conner Kent. The character first appeared in the “Reign of the Supermen” storyline, following the “The Death of Superman” in 1992.  I think that I have a fair portion of his first series (1993-2000), but mostly followed it because it was a Superman-related title; the character was still a bit… rough. Over the past year, Paul Levitz has breathed new life – and definitely added some depth – to the character. (That… and he’s renewed/strengthened Conner’s ties with the Legion.) This new title has the potential to be good. And just plain fun.
  • I just talked with Jeremiah – one of the guys from Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection – and found out that he did an interview with Jeff Lemire for Big Shiny Robot.
• The Biggest Movie Monster Ever
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Police arrest man after beer found in child safety seat

That’s good for now. I need to get ready to get out of here — and I are grabbing lunch and then heading up to Ogden to visit The Wonderful World of Trains.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 26 October 2010
It’s my birthday – I turned 40 today.

It’s taken me THIS long to post because I just got back from the birthday surprise that SaraRules! set up for me…

…and I’m on the way back out the door again!

But, before I go, I would like to add a heart-felt “Thank you” to everyone who’s sent well-wishes for the day.  They’ve been wonderful reminders of the amazing people that I’ve been blessed and fortunate enough to know.

More details on the day later… possibly/most likely tomorning.

It’s been a great day.
And it’s not over yet.

Namaste.

Saturday – 23 October 2010
In the words of Bjork: “It’s oh so quiet.”
The only sounds, aside from my typing, are from birds chirping outside the window.

Last night, I had a great time: SaraRules! organized a birthday dinner for me at MacCool’s; my birthday isn’t until Tuesday, but she correctly figured that it might be “a little difficult” to get people together on a school night. There was good food (Prime Rib!), good beer (Black and Pumpkin, made with Guinness) and the delightful company of family and friends. We followed dinner with cake and ice cream back at home. It was a great evening and truly an excellent way to wind up the week.

Today, I’m judging another ‘Clix tournament this afternoon at Dr. Volt’s. As there’s no tourney next week, this is our Hallowe’en-themed event, which I’ve been referring to as “Monster Mash.” For this match, all teams have to have at least one figure with the “Monster” keyword.  I’m looking forward to some interesting combinations.

Stray Toasters

• New misspelling: “Stray Toaters.”  I was surprised to learn that “toat” is actually a word.
• I talked the paternal parental unit this morning. He sent me a book, Trains of the World, for my birthday.  In it, he noted a train that used to run through his hometown when he was younger.
• Wonder Woman Day Unleashes Awesome Art for a Good Cause This Sunday
  • And, if you’re in the Flemington, NJ area, check out Comic Fusion’s Wonder Woman Day event, which kicks off today.
• Why Is Clint Eastwood Still the Man?
• Sweet gourd-mangling Cthulhu… I have found Ravens pumpkin carving stencils! I may actually have to carve a pumpkin this year…
• 
• Words & Unwords
• 10 geek sins that will get your geek card revoked
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Celebrity Invention: Penn Jillette’s Bathtub for the Ladies
• Repaneled

I should probably get ready to hit the road.

Namaste.

Monday – 18 October 2010
A new work week begins.

This past weekend was, quite possibly, one of the most relaxing weekends I’ve had in a while.  That is FAR from a “bad” thing.  I think that it was also quite beneficial, given how crappy I felt Wednesday through Friday.

Saturday afternoon, SaraRules! and I went on a mid-afternoon date to the movies. We saw Red. It was fun. Kind of like The Losers: Senior Class, but with a bit more wit.

Later in the evening, we got gussied-up and had an evening on the town: Dinner out and the opening night of

It was a great performance.  There were four set changes – one set was used in Acts I and IV – and each of them truly transformed the look of the stage into a different place.  The casting was also something that I’ve not seen in a Utah Opera production before: 1/3 of the main cast was African-American. That was a refreshing change of pace (or, as I told SaraRules! after the show: “That’s the Blackest opera cast I’ve seen here yet!”).  I do not know if Utah Opera is trying to expand its productions to include more multicultural casts, but if so, I commend them on their effort. It’s refreshing to see more people of color in the arts… and especially in opera.

Today, we slept in; it was a treat in which I indulge far too infrequently. After we got up, we went out for breakfast and ran a couple of errands. We came back home where I did some cleaning… while watching the NFL.com Game Center of the Ravens giving away the game to the Patriots. *ARGH* A little later, we went for a drive up Big Cottonwood Canyon, to see the fall colors. (Pictures can be seen here.) I still want to see more fiery reds, but the foliage was very nice despite its absence.

After our excursion, we came home, changed and then met SaraRules!’ family and Swiz’ family for a lovely dinner, in honor of Swiz and Logan’s engagement. The food was simply exquisite and was matched by the company.  It was the perfect way to wrap up the weekend.

Stray Toasters

• Pope canonises first Australian Saint, Mary MacKillop
• ‘Fractal’ mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot dies aged 85
  • Jonathan Coulton: Mandelbrot Set
    
• 10 Best Alignment Charts
• The Zombie Network: Beware “Free Public WiFi”
• Sesame Street (yes, “THAT” Sesame Street) had a couple of bits of “win” this past week, apparently:
  • Sesame Street Teaches Black Girls to Love Their Hair
  • Old Spice spoof… with Grover
• Thanks to for pointing this out:



• The Perfect Steak Grilling Guide
• Weirdest Things Smuggled on an Airplane
• 10 Badass Old Folks

Hi-ho, hi-ho…

Namaste.

Saturday – 16 October 2010
Yesterday, and I headed up to Clearfield to check out a new (to us) train shop: Almosta Junction.  They have the largest O-scale selection that I’ve encountered in Utah. And, they had an amazing layout, including one train that had at least 40 cars on it. pointed out that it “…isn’t just a toy train set, that is definitely a model.” We didn’t get to see the trains in action, but just seeing the layout was great. The shop was pretty cool and I am Ivory Soap sure that I’ll be heading back there again in the not-too-distant future.

After the model railroad outing, I came home and hung out until it was time for Clitorati. Last night’s gathering was small, but nevertheless good. And, I had recovered enough of my appetite to have a little something to eat when dinnertime rolled around.

This morning, we got up and took SaraRules!’ car to the shop to have tire and brake work done. After that, we made a quick stop at the store to pick up breakfast-typed food stuffs. While there, we ran into my former coworker, Brooke, whom we haven’t seen in a few months. Then it was back home for breakfast (French Toast and eggs).

Stray Toasters

• Prince announces tour to start in December
• The Swiss Have the World’s Longest Tunnel and They’re Proud of It
• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Passenger: Airline said I’m ‘too disabled’ to fly alone
• Fox channels go dark amid financial dispute
• 
• HOW TO: Make a Zombie Barbie Garden
• 12 Awesome Airplane Paint Jobs

Now: Yard and garden work (ostensibly the last of the season)
Next: Red
Later: La Boheme

Namaste.