Random Access

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.

Wednesday – 13 October 2010
Technically, I wrote this last night, before going to bed. But, thanks to the miracle of WordPress’ scheduler, I can have it post after the sun is up.  (Or, at least after it’s up on the east coast.)

It’s Comics and Sushi Wednesday. Amen. After a couple of days of getting into the office between 0600 and 0615, I shall gladly take some time in the middle of the day to retrieve my four-color crack and indulge to in a bit of raw fish goodness.

To recap the past couple of days…

I went to work for a couple of hours on Sunday afternoon.  Some progress was made, but there were still a couple of issues to be dealt with on Monday.  After that, I went with the lovely SaraRules! (I keep forgetting to add the exclamation point on that) to enjoy a lovely German-themed dinner with the in-laws. It was quite good.  After we got home, I was a bit brain-dead and all I wanted to do was flop down on the couch and watch some TV. The ever-understanding SaraRules! was kind enough to keep me company until it was time to hit the rack.

Monday was… “a day.” I was in the office early — I expected it to be a “less than pleasant” day of work and I wanted to just get it over with.  And, I was right: It wasn’t pleasant.  As I noted in a brief foray to Facebook, I felt like the mythical Sisyphus. (Unfortunately, no matter how many times Carve Away the Stone ran through my head, it did nothing to alleviate my mood.) The day got better after I left work… despite dropping a full cup of frozen mocha goodness on the garage steps – and myself – while getting ready for Monday Night Football. *sigh*

Tuesday was a remarkably better day. While it wasn’t a necessarily “perfect” day, things fell into their proper places and my urge to punch people in the throat was notably absent. After work, I strolled up to Pin-up Girl Espresso for a white tea with peach. I chatted with Jim and Natalie (and Deja, from the neighboring floral/garden center) for a bit before walking back home. After dinner, SaraRules! went gallivanting, while I waited for Chris to come over.  On tonight’s agenda: Halo: Reach.  There was a wonderful bit of (much needed) catharsis in wantonly shooting things. It was a good way to spend the evening.

Stray Toasters

• By way of MarknTyme: Homeless Man – Under Pressure
  (NOTE: Be sure to watch the CNN interview with the performer.)
• Dan Savage’s Message to Gay Youth: ‘It Gets Better’
• Worf: Worst Klingon Ever
• 
• IRS servers go down during crucial week
• X-Men Arcade Coming to Playstation Network and Xbox Live Arcade
• WWII Star Wars action figure mods
• This both amuses and frightens me…



• …however, the cosplay photography of Jay Tablante reaffirms my faith.
• 10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Empire Strikes Back
• Monkeys…
• Improv Everywhere’s 8 Geekiest Stunts

I should get to bed: It’s early and I have to get up later.

Namaste.

Sunday – 10 October 2010
That’s right… it’s 10/10/10.
So far, it’s been a good weekend.

Yesterday, I had breakfast with Chris before heading off to judge a HeroClix tournament at Dr. Volt’s. It was another 500/1000 event: Players could field either a 500-point team with no restrictions or field a 1000-point team, with at least one colossal figure. Two 500-point teams would be paired to take on the 1000-point team.

Only one player brought a 1000-point team… with the newest colossal figure: Dr. Manhattan.

However, as there were six (6) other 500-point teams, that meant that all six teams faced off against the good doctor. Needless to say, “The Doctor was in.” All the way in. There wasn’t anyone who could really do enough to him to effectively take him out of the game.

After the game, SaraRules and I met up with the in-laws and ventured to the home of some friends of the family for a Canadian Thanksgiving dinner. We had a wonderful dinner and the company was excellent, as well.  It was a good way to spend the evening.

When we got home, SaraRules turned on The Fly (1986) – which I had somehow never seen – and I fired up LEGO Universe. I had to start a new character, now that the game is out of beta. Most of what I did was “review” from gameplay in the beta, so while I did a little more looking around and lollygagging, there wasn’t a lot “new” that I did.  That does not, however, mean that I didn’t have a lot of fun doing it.

Today, I slept in a bit. That was nice. SaraRules also fixed a tasty breakfast and then came over to help me turn off the sprinklers for the year. And, after that…

…it was time to watch some football: The Broncos at the Ravens.  Boo-yah!

Instant Replay: Football

Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens
17 – 31
The Ravens hosted the Broncos at home this week……and the game was televised locally. Hoo-AH! The Boys from Baltimore looked solid.  They opened the game with a drive down to the goal line, but couldn’t convert it into a touchdown… and turned it over on downs.  But that’s okay. They held the Broncos on their drive. The Ravens’ offense and defense looked good, despite a series where QB Joe Flacco couldn’t buy a reception. On the other side of the field, Broncos (and former Purdue) QB Kyle Orton passed for a 300+ yard game… his second in a row. But, all in all, it comes down to this: Baltimore is now 4-1, putting them atop the AFC North.

Ray Rice, you rushed for over 100 yards and two touchdowns today, how does that make you feel?

Yeah… I’d feel like breakin’ it down a little, too.

Stray Toasters

• I’m about to head into work. Yeah, I know… I know…
• BOOM! How Comic Book Sounds Become Movie Sounds
• Add each of these to The Covet List.
• The Periodic Table of Super-Powers

Okay… might as well stop procrastinating and head to the office.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 06 October 2010
Not only is it midweek…
Not only is it Comics (and Sushi) Wednesday…
Not only is it game night with and Jack…

…but it’s also my father’s birthday:

Today would have also been the late ‘s birthday.

Last night, I hung out with , , , , Chris and Alex for a D&D 3.5 game night. We spent most of the time doing character generation and a little time having our characters meet. The campaign that Nox is setting up sounds rather engaging.

Stray Toasters

• Randy Moss… is a Viking again?!
• Stem Cells in Court, Scientists Fear for Careers
• Linguists discover new language in India
• Are you a Facebook user in the greated Salt Lake City metropolitan area?
  If so, are you a friend of Utah Symphony | Utah Opera on Facebook?
  If you are, good.
  If not, why aren’t you?
• DC Universe Online has been delayed… until early 2011.  *shakes fist*
• Prosecuting offices’ immunity tested
• Neurodiversity in D.C.: Interview with first openly autistic presidential appointee
• The Entire ‘Star Wars’ Trilogy in Two Minutes
• For – Hunter S. Thompson’s 1958 cover letter for a newspaper job
• A Graphic Guide to Facebook Portraits
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Realistic Pac-Man Sculpture

And that’s good for now.

Namaste.

Monday – 04 October 2010
A new work week is upon us.

Today is also the birthday of my Godsister, Tammy (who kindly served as “stunt double/stand-in” for Sib-1 at our wedding):

This past weekend was good, all the way around. I “kidnapped” SaraRules to Park City on Saturday night. She was preparing to fix a dessert when I told her to grab whatever she’d need for the night. Her expression and  response:

“But… I’m making an apple tart…”

…was along the same lines as my “But, I have dinner plans,” before my bachelor party. It was classic. And off we went. It was nice to be out of the valley, if even just for the night.

Yesterday morning, we got up, had brunch at Cisero’s and leisurely made our way back home. Upon arrival, I turned on the TV to watch the Ravens-Steelers game… which, despite all ads to the contrary, wasn’t aired here.  So, I tracked the game on NFL.com’s Game Center. The Ravens beat the Steelers – in Pitt – for the first time in the last five games they’ve played there; in SaraRules’ words, it was “a one-iversary miracle!”  I agreed.

In the evening, we headed out for dinner; we went to Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. We were impressed with the Fleming’s in Greensboro (where we had our engagement dinner), and hoped that the one in Salt Lake City would be able to uphold that standard. It did. Easily. Our waiter, Daniel, was very attentive and also very helpful in helping make suggestions as to food and wine pairings. Our dinner consisted of:

• Sweet Chili Calamari
• Prime Ribeye (SaraRules)
• Prime New York Strip (me)
• Peppercorn Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
• Sauted French Green Beans

SaraRules had a Pinot Noir, along with a sample of a Shiraz, while I had a Merlot.  For dessert, we had the Chocolate Lava Cake.  The meal was excellent.

After dinner we headed back home for a couple of episodes of Mad Men, a little champagne and anniversary cake. (Bonus points to SaraRules for having a new cake made, rather than our trying to choke down year-old, freezer-burned cake!)

All-in-all, it was a wonderful first anniversary.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
17 – 14
The Ravens traveled to Heinz Field to take on the Steelers. In their previous four trips, they had been unable to penetrate the Steel Curtain… …but that wasn’t the case yesterday.  The Ravens came home with a win, cemented on the Steelers’ last play, by a Ray Lewis interception. Too bad that this game wasn’t televised here… but I’ll be looking for it on NFL Network.

.

Houston Texans at Oakland Raiders
31 – 24
The Raiders fought… but wound up losing this one to the Texans. Sorry, SaraRules and 1silver_seraph.

.

Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
14 – 16
The ‘Cats headed down to the Big Easy to face the Saints… and were sent home with a loss.

.

Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
20 – 23
The Browns beat up the big cats in this battle for Ohio bragging rights. Sorry, and .

Stray Toasters

• 98 Rock: The Official Flagship Radio Station for the Baltimore Ravens
• DC Entertainment shake-ups lead to executive departures
• More States Allowing Guns in Bars
  (Umm… is this really a “good” idea?)
• Baby dolls from the Uncanny Valley
• Why Johnny Can’t Program: A New Medium Requires a New Literacy
• Verizon to refund millions in “mystery fees”

Back to the grind…

Namaste.

Sunday – 03 October 2010
Happy first anniversary to my lovely wife.
This has been a wonderful year.
I love you and I look forward to many, many more years together.

Today marks the one year anniversary of one of the best decisions that I have made. Ever. When I first told my friends, Bret and Dave P., that I had proposed to Sara and that she had said, “yes,” they literally both said the same thing:

Congratulations!  You lucked out!  Does… she… know that she’s getting the short end of the stick in this deal?

Both of them, despite never having met each other. With friends like these, I tell ya…

I was also blessed and fortunate enough to be able to share the day with family and friends.

Since October 3, 2009, we:

• …got married…
• …bought a house…
• …have talked about the prospect of having children…
• …have talked about our hopes, plans and dreams for the future…

I could not have found a better person with whom I can share those milestones… and with whom to find and set others.

Like the Indigo Swing song says: How Lucky Can One Guy Be?
My answer?  Pretty lucky, indeed.

Friday – 01 October 2010
A new month begins and it falls on my 9/80 “off” day.
Convergence?
Coincidence?
Serendipity?

Who knows…?

Today also marks the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. And, as such, this blog will once again “Go Pink for October.”

Last night, SaraRules and I met up with Marcie and her niece and… dun dun DUNNNNN…. went to the gym.  According to the blog-a-tron, it looks as though it’s been a two (2) months since my last confession trip to the gym. And, as an added bonus: just joined our gym and may work out with us, from time to time.

Last night’s workout (courtesy of SaraRules) included:

• Elliptical: 5 minutes
• Leg Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
• Leg Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 65 lbs
• Calf Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Incline Chest Press (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 35 lbs
• Sit-ups (incline): 3 sets/10 reps
• Upright Row (barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
• Curls (barbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 40 lbs
• Tricep Extensions (rope): 3 sets/15 reps, 60 lbs

It was a good workout and a bit of a challenge, as I haven’t been in such a long time… but I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

The Legend of Chimpy
I was half-kidding yesterday, when I said that I should start a new section of the blog…

…but a few minutes ago, Minion #2 messaged me with this bit of monkeydom from Chimpy:

Is it wrong to laugh out loud if Chimpy 2.0 locked himself out of his own testing machine and then asked me if I knew the password?

Yeah.  This is the kind of thing we deal with.

I should also clarify something: The person we currently refer to as “Chimpy” is actually the second person to carry his own special monkey designation. The original Chimpy left the company a year or so ago. However, “Chimpy 2” has done a banner job of maintaining the high levels of monkey-rifficness that we came to expect from his predecessor.

Stray Toasters

• StoryCorps: The Human Voice, featuring the late Studs Terkel
• ‘Black Dynamite’ Ass-Kicking His Way to Adult Swim
• For SaraRules: Great Comics That Never Happened: The Justice Luchadores of America
• A History of Rap: Jimmy Fallon, Justin Timberlake and The Roots

• The Sea Monkeys and the White Supremacist
• LEGO wedding Ring
• While this is cool, I’m still quite happy with the rings SaraRules and I have — with lots of thanks to for an amazing design job! (After all, how many guys get to have one of their favorite comic book symbols worked into their wedding band?!)
• Speaking of rings, as of Sunday morning, SaraRules and I will have been married one year.  Wow.
• Speaking of LEGO: My copy of LEGO Universe arrived yesterday.
• SF Says: “It Gets Better.”
  • In a related note, Ellen Degeneres taped this PSA:
    
• The Photographer’s Right: A Downloadable Flyer Explaining Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography
• The Inside Scoop on Making Gelato
• From the “I, Zombie” file: 17-yo Girl Must Digest Brain Fluid to Survive

And now it’s time to find some trouble to get into…

Namaste.

Thursday – 30 September 2010
Today’s NBN Thursday is brought to you by the letters “C” and “F” and the number “2.”

I got to work this morning…

…checked my email…
…fixed a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats…

…and completely forgot that we were having a visit from our KVM over IP and power distribution reps.

The visit went well. We addressed a few issues and discovered that they might be able to help us (to a minor degree) with another problem that we’ve been having. Win-Win.

Last night, SaraRules and I watched a documentary called Babies. From the IMDB synopsis:

A look at one year in the life of four babies from around the world, from Mongolia to Namibia to San Francisco to Tokyo.

In it, director Thomas Balmes followed four babies, from just before they were born through their first steps. Unlike most documentaries, there was was no voiceover or commentary on what viewers see. You just saw the babies and their parents – and in a couple of cases, their families – in their day-to-day lives. It was an interesting look at the development  of the children – in similar and dissimilar ways – living in different cultures and under different mores.

It was good, but I’m not sure how to rate it, though.

Stray Toasters

• I think that I might start a new section of the blog and call it “The Legend of Chimpy.” In it, I will chronicle the… misadventures… of one of the monkeys at work. Today’s item:
  

  Yesterday afternoon, I received a call from corporate IT about a ticket that someone had opened. I went to look at it this morning… and also found a ticket from Chimpy.

  As of August, our office is part of the corporate network. This means that we can log directly into the network and access pretty much any information that exists on the corporate servers. Prior to August, we had to log in via a VPN. When the network changes were made, we sent out all manner of announcements noting the change in access.

  Taking a deep breath, I looked at Chimpy’s ticket.

  The issue: He was attempting to watch a training video, but was not getting anything on-screen. Then, I read the details of the issue. I had to refrain from running to his desk to pimp slap him on the spot.

  Why?  He was attempting to watch the video… over the VPN… while connected to the corporate network.

  *braincramp*

• In case you missed it, SaraRules posted an entry here last night.
• Hollywood Legend Tony Curtis Dies at 85
• Is the U.S. the weakest link when it comes to credit card security?
• 
• In Louisville, a new turn in school integration
• Will a new exhibit help the French finally embrace Monet?
• Cosmo Campaign Puts Viewers in the Photo Shoot
• Graphic biography of Anne Frank goes beyond her diary
• U.K. police arrest 19 in major Zeus bust

Namaste.

Monday – 27 September 2010
Another morning where the alarm goes off far too early…

Sunday was a good day. The day started with breakfast with SaraRules, Mary and Matt. Breakfast fare included items from Rich’s Bagels and Pin-Up Girl Espresso. After breakfast, we headed back to the house and chatted for a bit before Mary and Matt had to leave.

Then… came cleaning time. Yay. I intermittently distracted myself by checking the stats on the Bengals-Ravens game. The cleaning went well, as did the game. A little later, SaraRules and I went for a drive up Emigration Canyon — we wanted to see the fall colors. Unfortunately (for us), the leaves were still mostly green. There were hints and traces of other colors, but we’re at least a week out from full fall colors.

After dinner, we flipped back and forth between Sunday Night Football and The Amazing Race. Okay, okay, I flipped between them. It was the episode of TAR where a woman caught a watermelon… with her face:

Yes, part of the reason was schadenfreude, but I also wanted to see what happened afterward. And, as it turned out, Claire – the victim of the watermelon assault – not only continued, but she completed that portion of the challenge on the second try after being hit. She also earned the respect of a number of the competitors for the way she got hit… and went on to complete the challenge. Additionally, Brook and Claire finished the challenge in fourth place. (I have to say that Brook came off as a little high-strung — bordering on “bitchy” –to me. I realize that it’s a game/contest, but your best friend just took a melon — fired from a ballista — IN THE FACE! What about cutting her a little slack?! ) I just finished watching the “Brook and Claire” video (above); Claire referred to Brook as “…a control freak.” Bingo. Nailed it. Explains much.

I wound down the night with a Spenser book, Now and Then. I’m going to miss the comfort of these books when Mr. Parker’s last novel hits stores.

Instant Replay: Football

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
17 – 24
The Ravens’ home opener against Browns 2.0… …unfortunately, this game wasn’t televised here. Sorry, , wherever you may be.

.

Oakland Raiders at Arizona Cardinals
23 – 24
The Raiders dropped this one to the Cards… by one point.Congrats, Marr. Sorry, SaraRules and 1silver_seraph.

.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
31 – 23
Jets’ LB Jason Taylor returned to Miami to help lift his new team over his old one This was a better match-up than I expected… even though I would have preferred that the ‘Fins take away the “W.”

.

Cincinnati Bengals at Carolina Panthers
20 – 7
The Owens-Ochocinco Brigade rolled into B of A Stadium… …and rolled out with a win. BAH! Congrats and .

Stray Toasters

• At Lincoln Center, Using Both Sound and Silence
• U.S. Wants to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet
• How Shazam Works to Identify (Nearly) Every Song You Throw at It
• 50 years after win, Kennedy legagy endures
• Rules for small-screen superheroes
• 
• Anger as a Private Company Takes Over Libraries
• Wage Law Squeezes South Africa’s Poor
• For the ladies: Dress Code: The Proper Care and Feeding of Garments, Part 1
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files:
  • Segway Company Owner Dies After Driving Segway Off Cliff
  • The Bra That Doubles as a Gas Mask Is Now For Sale
• Patients to be frozen into state of suspended animation for surgery
• Warhammer 40K + LEGO = Space Marines!

Friday – 24 September 2010
It’s almost the weekend.

Last night, DM’ed a Forgotten Realms game at Hastur Hobbies.

I didn’t go.  Instead, SaraRules and I cut down a couple of trees in the front yard and then ferried the remains to neighborhood clean-up dumpsters.  Mmm, chainsaw… There are still a couple of 3-to-4-foot tall stumps to be dealt with, but the major damage has been done.  Who knows…? Our house might actually have some decent curb appeal when we’re done.

After that – and a bit to eat – it was time for the season premiere of Fringe. I daresay that this is going to be an interesting season. Next, SaraRules watched the latest episode of Project: Runway, while I finished reading the last of Wednesday’s comic haul.

Human of the Day
I know that I often tout SaraRules as being the coolest/greatest/most awesome wife. Ever. Well, quite frankly: She is. On top of everything else she does to prove it, today she (once again) brought something to me, at work, that I was too addle-brained to remember to bring with me. And, I have to admit that getting to see her once more in the morning isn’t a bad thing, either.

Stray Toasters

• World Wide Day of Play – Saturday, 25 September 2010
• Report: Poor science education impairs U.S. economy
• Muslims Report Rising Discrimination at Work
• ’50s pop singer Eddie Fisher dies at age 82
• Recently released teaser trailer for the upcoming All-Star Superman:

• Cyberwar Chief Calls for Secure Computer Network
• All Songs Considered: Fall Music Preview
• The Transportation Department Gets Tough
• 
• I’m more of an action figure collector than a statue collector, but I am considering adding this statue to The Covet List.
• A Wave of Addiction and Crime, with the Medicine Cabinet to Blame
• I love it when you call a vendor, tell them “I’m having a problem with (fill in the item)” and they say “Let me see who we have that’s available to come look at it and I’ll call you right back…”

  …and “right back” expands to nearly an hour.  *sigh* It’s not like I have anything else that I need to get done today.  No, I’d much rather sit here and babysit the phone. Idiotsticks.

Namaste.

Thursday – 23 September 2010
Last night SaraRules and I went to Capitol Theatre  and saw The Lion King.

Simply put: It was fantastic, from the opening number to the closing curtain. I had been told that it was an impressive production, but I fear that assessment was a gross understatement. The costuming, the staging, the performances — everything was amazing. Among the items that struck me were:

• …the way the scenery moved — Pride Rock, the grasslands and the jungle;
• …the birds;
• …the cheetah;
• …the way they portrayed the animals interacting with their environment;
• …the use of aerials in the performance;
• …Simba’s run with wildebeests/Mufasa’s death scene;
• …the transition from young Simba to the older Simba;
• …the ghost of Mufasa;
• …the final battle between Simba and Scar;
• ..and… and… and….

Suffice if to say that there were MANY things that I enjoyed about the performance.

If you have the opportunity to see a performance of this musical, I recommend it very highly.

Many thanks to SaraRules for getting us tickets for this.

Stray Toasters

• Have I mentioned lately that I have the world’s most awesome wife?  No?  Well, I do.
• Munich toasts 200 years of Oktoberfest
• Prosecutors’ conduct can tip justice scales
• For Many, Health Care Relief Begins Today
• 
• Fashion Week: Samantha Pleet proves eco-couture need not ‘scream green’
• Alleged ringleader of ID theft ring extradicted to New York
• I’ve had to ask two people “Is it plugged in…?” with relation to problems with two separate systems this morning. One was plugged in; the other was “kind-of” plugged in. I love my job.
• Two new dinosaur species discovered in southern Utah
• Mattel introduces new Journalism Barbie
• From the “Go, Go, Godzilla!” file comes this item.

Namaste.

Tuesday – 21 September 2010
Day 2 of the work week. Yay.

Today also would have been Jess’ 36th birthday.
Maybe Billy Joel was right:  Only the good die young.

Last night, I had a few friends over to watch Monday Night Football – New Orleans Saints at San Francisco 49ers. I have to say that it was a far better match-up than I had anticipated. I had thought that the Saints would pretty much roll over the ‘Niners, given San Fran’s last few seasons.

No way.
Uh-uh.
Forget it.

After some early-in-the-game flubs, QB Alex Smith led an invigorated and determined team against Drew Brees and the Saints. Play on both sides of the ball was solid. I mean REALLY solid.  In the end, it came down to the Saints nailing a field goal with two seconds left in the game.

And it appears that Saints’ RB Reggie Bush broke his leg on his last play. He is expected to be out for six weeks.

Stray Toasters

• By way of SaraRules: Build London with LEGO

  
  Build Anything from Studiocanoe on Vimeo.

• Disney Princesses Reimagined as Superheroes
• By way of my friend, Anne: Arts Jobs Are Jobs, Too
• Squishable Cthulhu
• Why is it that orange-flavored medicines taste so bad?
• Eric Merced Keeps His Card Art Rare But Easy to Acquire
• 
• From the “History” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” files: British Intelligence Agency Used Semen as Invisible Ink
• Wait… I think that THIS trumps the previous item for “WTF?!”
• Hourly Desk Stretches Relax Your Brain and Body
  (This was one of the “positive” things that I learned during my tenure with the U.S. Postal Service.)

Tonight, I get to do my best Paul Bunyan impression and take down at least one of the trees in the front yard.

Namaste.

Monday – 20 September 2010
It’s definitely a “Monday” morning.
Following some changes to the office network on Friday, things are… a little wonky… this morning. Yay.

Today’s Musical Interlude: Living Colour – Cult of Personality:

Yesterday, SaraRules and I went to the Utah State Fair for a bit. It was a nice change of pace. A bit of oddness: As we walked past one of the bandstands, I noted that the band was playing – of all things possible – the theme from WKRP in Cincinnati. Odd. On the plus side, I picked up a package of cinnamon almonds.

Later in the evening, Logan and Swiz came over for dinner.  SaraRules fixed a chicken dish, with sides of rice pilaf and zucchini and carrots strips. Then we watched the Manning Bowl Sunday Night Football. SaraRules and I wrapped up the evening with an episode of Mad Men.

Instant Replay: Football

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
10 – 15
The Ravens traveled to Cincy to take on Batman, Robin and the rest of Marvin Lewis’ Bengals… ..and came away with a loss. Just like last season. Of course, having QB Joe Flacco throw four (4) interceptions didn’t help things, either. This game wasn’t televised here, and I think I’m kind of glad for that. Congrats, janietrain and carefreespirit.

.

St. Louis Rams at Oakland Raiders
14 – 16
The Raiders took down the Rams Congrats, SaraRules and .

.

Miami Dolphins at Minnesota Vikings
14 – 10
The ‘Fins took on the Vikings and came away with a win.

.

Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons
7 – 41
In this battle of the birds, the Falcons came away with a BIG win. Sorry, Marr.

.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers
20 – 7
The Bucs skinned the Cats.  ‘Nuff said.

Stray Toasters

• I don’t know what to say, the monkeys won’t do!
• Today’s look: Black suit, pink shirt, pink/grey/black tie and pink pocket square.
• Quadruple Amputee Swims Across English Channel
• Performers Discover the Downside of Twitter
• Just How It Sounds: Reading ‘Playboy’ to the Blind
• 
• Fired teacher fights to clear name after ‘hit’ allegation
• By way of SaraRules and the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Ky. man claims caffeine insanity in wife’s death
• Laura Jernegan: Girl on a Whaleship
• This Too Shall Pass: Avoid Kidney Stones Through Diet

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Sunday – 19 September 2010

Yesterday was a good day off. I didn’t get to sleep in, as we had to drop off SaraRules’ car at the shop at 0800. After that, we swung past Pin-up Girl Espresso for some morning go-juice. Back home for a bit before SaraRules headed off for quilting and I met up with Kate, Perry and the kids.  (A visit that included a trip to Toys ‘R’ Us, no less!)

Back at home, we had lunch and tried to figure out the rest of the afternoon. SaraRules had a quilt that she needed to work on, while I headed to Dr. Volt’s for the 20th Anniversary Sale and Signing.  Jake Black, Derek Hunter, Gabriel Hardman and Jeff Parker were in the store for signings and doing sketches. And Kerry Jackson and company were taping an episode of The Geekshow Podcast.  I got a chance to speak with Jake and the other creators and even wound up with a couple of sketches:

Derek Hunter’s GL John Stewart:

Jeff Parker’s Luke Cage (from The New Avengers and Thunderbolts):

Shortly after I returned home, pinged me to see if I wanted to make a quick trip to The Hobby Stop. Hm… trip to another model railroad store…? Yes, thank you.  And we were off. We both found things that piqued our interests, but we both managed to walk out empty-handed. But, we didn’t leave Utah County empty-handed, thanks to a stop at the local Krispy Kreme.

Back home to change and get ready for a night on the town with SaraRules. Last night’s entertainment was seeing Utah Symphony performing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. It was a great concert.

I was up early this morning (0715) and made my way to the living room. I found Renaissance on IFC. I watched it before heading over to HGTV for an episode of Yard Crashers.  (Imagine that…)

And now, after a hearty breakfast, SaraRules and I are on the way to the Utah State Fair.

Namaste.

Friday – 17 September 2010
It’s my 9/80 day off and I’ve been ready for it since Monday afternoon.
(Fortunately, Tuesday through yesterday weren’t bad.)

I think that I’ve found what I hope is only a temporary measure in getting around the problem that my web host is having with subdomains: I just changed the format of how I access and post links for this blog.  I’ll need to try and do the same for Four-Color Coverage and Game Center. Monkeys.

Last night, SaraRules and I were both having a case of the “I don’t want to cook dinner” lazies. We wound up going to MacCool’s Public House for dinner. They were having another food/beer pairing (with Wasatch Brewery, I believe).  We hadn’t RSVPed for it, but Micheal (the manager) asked us if we wanted to get in on it.  We declined. We sat at a table near the back of the restaurant. Scott, one of the owners, saw us as we walked to our table and said “Hi.”  For dinner, we started with the Finn Skins; for entrees, SaraRules had the Smoked Salmon Chowder and I had the Salmon of Knowledge. Mick, the other owner, from stopped by the table a couple of times and brought samples of the night’s pairing menu. Michael also brought over a couple of the beer samples, including a very tasty “Black and Pumpkin” variation on the traditional Black and Tan. All-in-all, it was one of the best dinner ideas that either of us could have come up with.

Stray Toasters

• Autism’s First Child
• Gather Ye Olde Suburban Knights
• Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection is having their 20th Anniversary Sale tomorrow.
• 
• Rain Level rainboots with depth gauges
• Zombie poster
• By way of Prelate Derek:



• Official BBC DIY Dalek blueprints
• Lady Liberty’s nose and other icons for sale

Time to find some trouble to get into…

Namaste.