Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure

“And this one time, at band camp…”

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Wednesday – 28 January 2009
This month is flying by. Kind of odd to think that February starts next week… and that Bit will be a year old a few days after that. I’m also curious to see how Black History Month celebrations note the election of President Obama.

Last night, while watching TV, I assembled a couple more pieces for the WWG “City Planning” board: The Apartment Building and the Vacant Lot. When it’s all said and done, the first corner/block will look something like this.

SaraRules and I also went to the gym last night:

  • Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps – 1 set @ 205 lbs, 2 sets @ 185 lbs
  • Rows (Nautilus, Compound Row): 3 sets/12 reps, 140 lbs
  • Flys (Dumbbell, flat bench): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
  • Shrugs: 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
  • Curls: 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
  • Lateral Raises (with forward fly): 3 sets/10 reps, 10 lbs
  • Tricep Extensions: 3 sets/15 reps, 60 lbs
  • Push-ups: 2 sets/10 reps

It was a pretty good workout.

Post-workout weight: 183.1 lbs

Stray Toasters

Tonight: is coming over for dinner; I’m cooking Cornish game hens… but no idea as to what I want to do for vegetables.

Namaste.

How to spend a couple of rainy days…

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Sunday – 25 January 2009
Happy Birthday to my sister-in-law, Chelsea:

…and belated happy birthday to :

And now, back to our regularly-scheduled blog entry…

Yesterday, Chris and I headed to Far West Comics for a ‘Clix tournament. The scenario was Heroclix Xtreme Wrestling Federation. Deciding who to take was a bit of a challenge… mainly because I had what I thought were a lot of good options. I finally settled on these figures:

The tournament prize was Grodd (LE)… which was the last figure I wanted/needed for my Sinestro Corps. (Sure, I’d like a veteran Cyborg Superman, but that wasn’t what was up for grabs.)  Then, it was time to play:

  • I lost a few pieces in the first match, but won on points.
  • I got schooled in the second match and didn’t KO anyone in that match
  • I KO’ed everyone in the second match, without losing anyone… barely.

There was someone who went 3-0, while I went 2-1 on the day… but I got the Fellowship prize, so I was happy.

And, I beat Chris – for the second time in a week – so it was a “Win-Win” kind of day. After the tourney, Chris and I went to get a bite to eat and to hang out. We haven’t done that in a long time (not counting last Tuesday when he came over for dinner and gaming).

After that, I came home and hung out with SaraRules.  We finished watching The Great Escape; I realized that I had  only seen a few minutes of the movie – mostly around Steve McQueen’s motorcycle chase – before this. After that, I watched Batman: The Brave and the Bold… and something else… before heading out to breakfast.

This morning has been quiet and lazy. (It’s amazing what the lack of football will do to a Sunday.) SaraRules cooked breakfast – pancakes! – and we watched Unforgiven. Great movie…. and one that I haven’t seen this movie since its theatrical release. After that went off, I found Dr. No on BBC America.

All this, and I’ve even managed to partake in a little of City of Heroes‘ Double XP Weekend, too. I got Kurigari from 31 to 32… in one mission. Can’t really complain about that.

Not sure what we’re going to do for the rest of the afternoon, but later we’re heading to SaraRules’ parents’ to watch Shadow of the Vampire.

Namaste.

“Misty Morning Hop”

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Friday – 23 January 2009
The week draws to a close… with fog and haze in the valley. It’s dense enough that I can barely see the freeway. Then it rolls out. And back in. Even Otis Redding didn’t see this much action.

Last night, OnlyAly and came over for dinner.  SaraRules cooked a maple chicken, with carrots and roasted potatoes, which was delicious. During and after dinner, the four of us discussed wedding-related items: Things that SaraRules and I have talked/thought about and things to consider, reminiscences of their wedding and the lead-up to it, and the like. It was a great way to spend the evening.

Later in the night, I watched an NCIS rerun and the new episode of CSI:. I am liking Laurence Fishburne’s character, Dr. Ray Langston. He portrays him with an interesting sense of curiosity and wonder… balanced with a desire to prove that he can hold his own on the established team. I didn’t get to watch the season premiere of Burn Notice, but it’s on the DVR.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

“In blackest day, in brightest night…”

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Wednesday – 21 January 2009
Midweek and all’s well.

Last night, Chris came over for dinner and ‘Clix gaming. SaraRules fixed a tasty southwestern chicken dish, with corn and tomatoes and rice pilaf. Very tasty. We ate and watched NCIS before playing.  After dinner, SaraRules went into the office and quilted; Chris and I played dolls.

We had Round 2 of our Green Lantern Corps vs. Sinestro Corps battle; this time, I played the Sinestro Corps. As an added bonus, I finally got to use some of the terrain I got from World Works Games:


(click images for larger versions)

Chris lined up with:

I brought a fairly beefy SiCorps to the table:

And it was on. We weren’t playing tournament rules, so we just had a good, old-fashioned slugfest and shootout. And, in the end, I wound up winning the game. This brings the Sinestro Corps to two wins and zero losses. We discussed the fact that – assuming that the HeroClix line finds a pulse soon – WizKids/Pinata needs to update a lot (read: “most”) of the Green Lantern Corps’ figures, because there aren’t a lot of heavy hitters in the current sets… and while they may do “okay,” they can’t really go toe-to-toe with many of the newer figures for long.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

“On the road again…”

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Saturday – 17 January 2009
Today’s been a busy day… of sorts. We rode down to Cedar City with SaraRules’ parents to see the Zion: A Creative Perspective exhibit at SUU. Rachel came over to the gallery for a few, while we were there; it was nice to see her. Next stop: Cafe Orleans, for lunch – I had the Etoffay and a cup of the Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo. We picked up a few more things from SaraRules’ storage unit and then got on the road back to SLC.

Next on the docket: SaraRules’ company Holiday/Winter Party.

Zoom.

3-1-1

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Thursday – 15 January 2009
Last night, we had SaraRules’ parents over for dinner. On the menu: Jambalaya. It was a nice change of pace to have them over rather than us going to their place. At one point, her father commented about it being weird, because he remembered being on the other side of the equation, years ago, and the first time that they had SaraRules’ grandparents over for dinner.

Post-dinner, SaraRules spent time finishing a quilt that she’s been working on and I channel surfed… and web-surfed. Among the things that we watched was The Late Show with David Letterman; Clint Eastwood was his first guest. The interview was good and, at one point, Dave was listing some of the pictures that Mr. Eastwood has been in and how long his career has spanned – over 50 years.

Stray Toasters

And, back to the the grind… and soon to the gym.

Namaste.

Odin’s Day Update

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Wednesday – 14 January 2009
Midweek and all’s pretty much ship-shape.

Last night, SaraRules and I watched Hellboy. I’d only seen bits and pieces of the movie over the past few years, so it was nice to see it all the way through. And, it was fun.

Stray Toasters

And tonight: We’re having SaraRules’ parents over for dinner. On the menu: Jambalaya.

Namaste.

So close now…

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Friday  – 09 January 2009
The weekend is within sight. Yesterday wasn’t a bad day, in accordance with NBN Thursday bylaws. There were a few issues, mostly resulting from some office/cubicle moves, but those were easy to deal with.

After dinner, Logan came over and watched Hellboy II: The Golden Army with us. Then he mopped the floor with me at Madden 09.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

“Something in the water does not compute…”

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Wednesday – 07 January 2009
Ugh. That’s my description for the day so far. “Ugh.” You’d think that with blue skies and temperatures pushing 50°F, I’d be in a far more positive mood. Maybe tomorrow.

The morning started off well enough. Then, I got a phone call from my boss – two rungs up the ladder – asking how soon I could be in the office. That’s never a good sign. I told him roughly 20 minutes… and set about making it so. I got in to find that the network was down; that’s not a good thing for a tech firm. I made a couple of calls and went about working on the parts of the problem within my skill set. Turns out the problem was out of my depth, so all that I could really do was damage control until the guys who handle that portion of the infrastructure got in. (And, when they got in, they isolated the problem – which was worse than originally surmised – and wrangled it into submission.) Then, came a few other fires to put out.

On the plus side: I went out for lunch to get sushi and pick up this week’s comics. It was a nice oasis of “calm” in an otherwise intermittently turbulent day.

Tonight, there may be a bit of drinking.

Stray Toasters

Namaste.

Yep, it’s another lazy Friday

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Friday – 02 January 2008
Today has been a good – and even “productive” – day. I slept poorly last night – first, I couldn’t fall asleep, then… I couldnt stay asleep. On top of that, I started having a rather odd dream, somewhere around 5:00 or so this morning. I woke from that rather disconcerted. After wrestling with sleep for a few more hours, I got up a little after nine.

I spent about an hour or so on the couch, watching TV. Then, I decided to take care of the morning hygiene rituals. Next up: video games. I played a little HALO 3 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance; I made a bit of progress in both.

We met SaraRules’ parents for lunch. We went to Jasmine China Bistro and Sushi Bar. It’s apparently been there for years (many years), but I never knew of it. The food was good, as was the service. I will have to keep it in mind in the future.

Back home. After a little down time, we set about assembling a couple of Billy bookcases. The office is coming along nicely. It’s still a little cluttered – mostly with ‘Clix paraphenalia and things that have moved out of other rooms – but progress is being made.

Stray Toasters

Tonight, assuming that the weather doesn’t take a complete nosedive in the next hour: Clitorati.

Namaste.

“The End Is the Beginning Is the End”

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Wednesday – 31 December 2008
Welcome to the last day of 2008.

The first part of the day, until 12:30 or so, was quiet and lazy. SaraRules came over after she got off work. We went to lunch at Olive Garden and then ran a couple of errands. She dropped me off and headed home so that she could get ready for this evening’s holiday gatherings. I, on the other hand, am going to play video games.

Stray Toasters

And, as put in this morning’s Sinfest strip:

I hope that everyone has a safe and fun New Year’s Eve.
All the best to you in 2009.

Namaste.

“To pass the evening with a drink and a friend…”

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Sunday: Coda
Wow.

It’s hard to believe that the trip is almost over. On the other hand, we’ve packed quite a bit into the past 4½ days. The time with family and friends has been wonderful, to say the least. I was commenting to SaraRules earlier that I can remember (as recently as… five or so years ago) when family gatherings would make my teeth itch. My mother and I have very similar personalities and we don’t always see eye-to-eye when one of us gets an idea in our head and the other is not in a mood to reconsider our position. (Hmm… wonder where I get that from?) There haven’t really been any loggerheads of that sort his weekend. It’s not necessarily that either of us was on “best behavior;” I think that it’s closer to the truth to say that we’ve both grown and come to accept (some) of our differences… as well as our similarities.

This evening, my uncle took the family out for dinner to celebrate SaraRules and my engagement. We had dinner at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. Holy. Cow. Well, maybe not “holy,” but it was VERY “tasty.” The food, the wine, the dessert and the service were exemplary. Our waiters, Jacques and Robert, were very attentive and helpful. And, in a often-too-rare find, they were both willing to offer their opinions, with respect to their thoughts about items on the menu, as opposed to just giving the company line. I had:

  • Sweet Chile Calamari
  • Fleming’s Salad
  • Steak Diane
  • Garlic roasted mashed potatoes and their signature Fleming’s potatoes
  • Chocolate Lava Cake
  • and a few glasses of Robert Sinskey Merlot Los Carneros, 2004

As I said above: It was exemplary.

After dinner, SaraRules and I stopped in to see the parents of a friend (whom I haven’t seen/talked with in some time). They had just gotten in from spending the holiday with their family. Literally. As in they had only been home a few minutes before we got there. We stayed and talked with them for a half-hour or so. They are doing well and it was very good to see them.

From there, we headed north to visit , MarknTyme and their sons. Everyone was doing well, although their youngest (a year old), woke up from a nap shortly after we arrived… and was not in the best of moods for a little bit. He soon warmed up and was bounding about the house. (Maybe it had something to do with the cookies…) The older son was also doing well, playing with many of his Christmas gifts. We told stories about things we did years ago and I was also able to catch up on the goings-on of a few mutual friends.

We headed home; our things weren’t going to pack themselves. Unfortunately. I recalled a way home through Eden – the road that we were on used to have a connection to a road that led through Eden to home. Yeah… they’ve apparently changed a few things in the past (more years than I care to admit) since I’ve taken it. We wound up at the Virginia state line. A quick turnaround and an exit onto a different road put us back on the path home. No yellow bricks, however.

We got home and discovered that, with a modicum of judicious packing, we were able to get everything into our suitcases. God help the skycaps/baggage handlers.

All-in-all, this has been both a pleasant and fun trip home. Definitely just what the doctor ordered for a great change of pace from the day-to-day grind of the past few months.

Namaste.

Carolina Weekend

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Sunday – 28 December 2008
Yesterday, after a somewhat lazy morning – although, after little sleep – the family got up and rummaged around the house. We exchanged gifts with my uncle.

SaraRules and I headed into GSO in the early afternoon to do a little shopping – we stopped at a quilt shop for her and went to Acme Comics for me. Next, we went to Edwark McKay Used Books… I came out with all three seasons of Superman: The Animated Series, Hellblazer: Original Sins (TPB) and Batman/Superman: World’s Finest (TPB) for a rather reasonable price.

Theo met up with us, and the three of us headed to Harper’s for dinner. I had a blackened salmon entree with garlic mashed potatoes and iced tea (sweet tea!); it was very good. We ate, hung out and talked the next couple of hours away. It was a lot of fun.

I went to see if an old game store I used to go to was still there. It wasn’t. Oh, well. It’s not like I really needed MORE stuff to carry back to SLC.

Around that time, I got a message from Robin – she wanted to get together for a bit, so SaraRules and I headed over to New York Pizza (near UNC-G) to meet Robin and Chad, both of whom I used to work with at the USPS.

Then, back to Mom’s.

This morning, we got up and got ready for church. There’s a new pastor at Mom’s church; he’s very charismatic and dynamic, I rather like him. Back home for a bit – for some rest and football – and we’re heading out to dinner at Fleming’s in a little while. All that, and we’re still trying to get together with MarknTyme and (and their kids) for a bit this evening. *whew*

All that… and then a little more, too!

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Friday: Coda
Today turned out to be a rather busy day.

Around 2:00 PM, SaraRules and I headed to Greensboro to return/exchange a suit and a pair of shoes that I got for Christmas. On the way into town, I stopped at William’s place to say “Hi” and (quickly) catch up on the past year or so. I missed seeing Charlie (his wife), Britney and Josh… but I did get to see Connor. We also made tentative plans to get together Saturday for lunch or dinner.

After that, we headed to Friendly Center for Boxing Day-return-a-bration. I called Theo on the way there and asked if he’d be able to meet us. He was and he did. He showed up while we were waiting for a sales associate to put in an appearance. They didn’t have the same style of suit that I was returning – a really nice Ralph Lauren charcoal grey – but, they did have a very nice Jones New York two-button black suit that fit really well (right off the rack!) and it was an even exchange, so I went with that. Next stop: Shoes. They did have the same style and color shoe in the right size, so I exchanged them. We made plans to try and hook up again with Theo, too.

We were about to head back home for a bit, but my mother diverted us to the airport to pick up my uncle. That was easy enough, as we were ten minutes from the airport. What I didn’t count on were some of the changes they made in the way you get into the airport from Bryan Blvd. Nothing too serious, though. There was one… minor… detail that Mom neglected to impart: What airline he was traveling on. *facepalm* She did, however, mention what time the flight arrived; using the power of deduction – and the big LED “Arrivals” sign – we figured it out. We headed to the terminal and found him as he was exiting the gate area.

From the airport, we headed to Winston-Salem, first to Kris’ and then on to my cousins’ house for dinner. We made a quick stop at Hanes Mall before hitting Kris’ place; I hadn’t been there in probably 15 years – it’s huge. Dinner with the family was good. And, it was a lot of fun, too.

SaraRules and I headed back, on our own as we were hoping to hook up with Lish, who was in town to visit some friends from undergrad and to hear Holy Ghost Tent Revival at Greene Street Club. We wound up going to the club and listening to the band’s set. After that, we hit up an old favorite of mine: Steak n Shake. SaraRules and Lish had “Old Home Week,” talking about what they’d been up to since the finished their MFA program in August. They also caught up on the latest news about/from others in the program. I tried to see if Robin could make it, but she wasn’t able to. Hopefully, I’ll get to see her tomorrow, too.

And, then… back home.

I really should try to get some sleep.

‘Twas the day after Christmas…

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Friday – 26 December 2008
Happy Boxing Day, Happy (first day of) Kwanzaa, and a belated Happy Hanukkah, but more importantly – Happy International Day:

Yesterday was fun. Post-gift-opening, we hung out for a while before SaraRules and I went to pick up a friend of the family to join us for Christmas dinner. We came back for more pre-dinner hanging out. We had about 20 people, give or take, who came by for dinner… including a cousin (from Mom’s side of the family) that I haven’t seen in probably 20 years. Otherwise, it was a typical Christmas around here – a few of Mom’s students sang, lots of story-telling, and all-around good cheer.

Today, I think that SaraRules and I are heading into Greensboro to meet up with a few friends and to get my suit returned and/or altered. My uncle will fly in from New York this evening and we’re all heading to my cousin’s for dinner. At least, those are the (current) plans, as I understand them.

Stray Toasters

Attack the day…

Namaste.