Random Access

Friday – 31 December 2010
Snow falls on the ground.
The broom sweeps away the snow.
The driveway is clear.

BOOM!  Just like that: Two days of haiku!

It snowed again last night, with very light snow falling this morning. This time, it was the light, powdery snow for which Utah is know. Thus, I was able to literally sweep away the snow. Today’s snow removal music was 2112; I finished in the time it took to listen to “2112” (the A-side) and “A Passage to Bangkok,” so… 24:08.  Not too shabby.

Last night, SaraRules! and I went down to Abravanel Hall to hear – and see – The Blue Planet Live! We went with Logan and Sanaz, and wound up running into and Jeff, as well as Mickey and Sammie . The performance was narrated by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch. It was a good production. It was made more amusing by the woman sitting behind us who was amazed/fascinated by practically everything on-screen. (Seriously… you’d think that she didn’t use her television for anything but watching The Young and the Restless and maybe Martha Stewart Living.)

I was originally planning on heading up to The Wonderful World of Trains with today, but his schedule won’t allow it. I may still head up on my own, as I’m itching to get a look at the new location of The Bookshelf… and it’s three blocks from WWoT.

Chew on This: Food for Thought
Today is the last day of 2010. It’s been a year of ups and downs, but mostly “ups”:

• SaraRules! and I bought a house (…and discovered a great little neighborhood espresso shop)!
• My mother retired.
• I lost another good friend.
• I got back into model railroading after a nearly 30-year absence.
• I celebrated my first anniversary.
• I turned 40… and, thanks to the coolest wife ever, got to race cars for my four-hour mid-life crisis!
• My third niece was born.
• We got to host Thanksgiving in our new home.
• We had my family come out and celebrate Christmas with us.

…and, as I said last year: “…these are all part of ‘life.'”

On the whole, 2010 was a good year. I am thankful for the many new people I met and I am grateful for the many wonderful things that I got to experience. If you were part of my year – no matter how big or small a part – thank you for the pleasure of your company and for being a part of my journey.

I wish you a very happy and prosperous 2011 and beyond.

Stray Toasters

• I think that I like sweeping snow far better than shoveling it.
• The Sartorialist
• 
• John Ridley’s Top 7 ‘Nontroversies’ of 2010
• GeekDad, meet GeekMom
• Nyx is dealing with ever-increasing levels of monkeydom. I think that she should keep a dead-blow hammer handy, for just such occasions.
• 
• DC Women Kicking Ass – The most memorable moments in DC history for women: Nominee #21
• I believe that I’ve solved the “problem” of streets in my model railroad: SuperStreets
• Demolition of the Paris Metro
  • Berlin – The Metro
    
• The Style Guy’s 15 Rules to a Sharper, Smarter Life
• How to Take Better Pictures with Your Smartphone’s Camera

And with that…

Be well and be good to yourself and to others.

Namaste.

Monday – 27 December 2010
It’s quiet around here. VERY quiet. It’s amazing how “quiet” it is, in fact. I guess that’s just one of the things you notice when you go from having five people in the house to being alone at home.

I had a fantastic Christmas. It was made even better by the fact that I was able to have (most of) my family here — we’re looking at ways to get Kris out here later in the season or this Spring/Summer.  We started some new traditions this year (Christmas Eve spaghetti dinner and Christmas morning mimosas) and incorporated some of our favorites as well. The man in the red suit did me a good turn this year; he brought me:

• A couple of really nice sweaters
• A pair of boots (…which I need to send back because they were both for the right foot)
• An overcoat and scarf
• A new pair of lounge pants… with the Ravens’ logo on ’em!
• A couple of passenger platforms for my railroad
• A LEGO Creator set
• Buckyballs
• A “gift certificate” to Dr. Volt’s or The Train Shoppe (Woo!)
• A Sawz-All
• A new train set

SaraRules! and I got a couple of very nice gifts as a couple, too.  So, I can honestly say that I had a very good Christmas this year.

Saturday, before heading to SaraRules!’ parents’ place for dinner, I took the family up to Brighton — I figured that since they had come all this way to visit, the least that I could do was take them for a drive up one of the canyons and let them see the mountains. I think that they were taken aback a bit at how truly “big” the mountains are here. They were also a bit surprised when I told them the elevation.

After the drive, we met up with SaraRules’ side of the family for dinner. We had a magnificent feast with all kinds of foods: brisket, ham, borscht, mixed vegetables, roasted root vegetables, breads, potatoes and more! All of it was wonderfully prepared.

Sunday, we got up and took my folks to Music and the Spoken Word. My mother has mentioned many times that she wanted to see the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, but hadn’t been able to get out her to do so. But, with retirement comes time… and, fortunately, we were able to make it in to see this week’s recording.

After the broadcast, we went up to Park City for brunch at Cisero’s. It started to snow shortly after we arrived, but was coming down a little more heavily as we left Park City and headed down Parley’s Canyon. After we got in, we settled in for a relatively quiet afternoon at home. Later in the afternoon, we took my uncle down to the Cathedral of the Madeleine and picked up dinner.

This morning, SaraRules got up for work and I got up to take my family to the airport. It was really nice to have them here for the long weekend; I’m glad that they were able to come out.  (Now, I just have to get Kris out here…) We got everyone to their respective flights on time, although I got a call from my mother a little while ago saying that her plane was grounded because of a “mechanical problem.” I’m waiting to see if/when they get boarded on another plane and how that will affect their connection home.  My uncle, on the other hand, might not get out of Chicago – or at least not to his home airport – thanks to the snowstorm that hit the northeast over the weekend. We’ll see how everything shakes out.

Stray Toasters

• How was your Christmas?
• The Ravens beat the Browns and secured a spot in the playoffs!
• Five Best Resources for Free Games
• Teena Marie dies at 54; R&B singer-songwriter
  • Lovergirl
    
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Faces Five Years in Jail — for Reading Wife’s Emails
• I need to replace the battery on my MacBook. This one has developed a “bulge.”  You know, the “This battery has reached the end of its useful life cycle…” kind.
• Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival

It seems as though my parents made it out of here… nearly three hours late.  But, they’re in the air.

Now, it’s time to find some trouble to get into.

Namaste.

Friday – 17 December 2010
It’s my 9/80 “on” Friday.
It’s also my last day of work for the year.

With those two things, you’d think that the day would almost qualify as an “NBN Friday.”

Too bad that I spilled my coffee as soon as I got to my desk. *sigh* I made it out of the house, out of the garage, all the way to work, up the elevator and into the office with no problem. But, go to turn the corner at my desk…?

::: SPLASH :::

And I’d only gotten a small sip of the coffee in the elevator. “Some days…,” I tell ya. Hopefully, this will not prove to be a bellwether of the rest of the day. I got the office wet/dry vac and did the best I could to clean Ground Zero. (Fortunately, the carpets are scheduled to be cleaned this weekend.)

Last night, SaraRules! and I had dinner at MacCool’s. As usual, the fare was quite good. We split an order of Finn Skins as an appetizer; she had their Ahi Tuna Sandwich, while I had the Meat Loaf (with a spiced barbecue sauce). And there was Guinness. It was a good dinner and a nice change of pace.

After dinner, I stopped at Dr. Volt’s to pick up my second brick of ‘Clix, the tournament prize pack – gotta have goodies to hand out at tourneys, of course – as well as this week’s four-color paper crack. From there, it was on to Hastur Hobbies for 4th ed. D&D night. Josh, a former coworker, joined the group. We finished out the encounter (and that chapter of the story) without any deaths in our party.

After the game, I headed home to meet SaraRules! and we then headed to the gym:

• Leg Raises (Roman Chair): 3 sets/15 reps
• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 155 lbs
• Squats: 2 sets/10 reps, ~75 lbs
• Row: 2 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/10 reps
• Step-ups: 2 sets/10 reps per leg, with 20 lb dumbbells
• Jackknifes: 2 sets/10 reps

And, to finish up the evening we finally finished up this year’s Christmas card.

Stray Toasters

• MarknTyme just called me a “pusher.”
  All because he:
  1. Is considering getting back into model railroading after we’d talked about it a few times, and
  2. Just made his first purchase from WorldWorksGames.

  I told him that I prefer to think of myself as a “facilitator.”

• 
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Flirty Models Were Hired in Bid to Find Bone Marrow
• Zombie attack hoodie
• From the “We’ve Taken Care of Everything…” file: Man boards plane at IAH with loaded gun in carry-on
• Help, My Half-Elf Is Pregnant! The 11 Strangest Questions from the D&D ‘Sage Advice’ Column

  

• Blake Edwards, Prolific Comedy Director, Dies at 88
• Badass LEGO Guns
• The Implants Loophole
• When the Apocalypse Happens, You’ll Find Me in My Armored Home

Namaste.

Wednesday – 15 December 2010
Another Comics (and possibly Sushi) Day is upon us!
Today also marks the release of WizKids’ DC 75th Anniversary HeroClix Set.

This morning started with a fresh 2-3″ blanket of snow. My first thought, upon looking out the window this morning, was: “I do not feel like dealing with this.” I put it off for fifteen minutes, but the snow didn’t magically shovel itself, so… I went out and cleared the driveway and sidewalks.

Yesterday was a good day at work. Thanks to the help of my coworker, James, I was able to get through a problem that was keeping me from getting some work done on a particular server. If today and/or tomorrow are like that, I’ll have worry-free (at least as far as work-related issues go) vacation.

Last night, I headed over to Chris’ place to play HeroClix. It’s been a while since the two of us have faced off in a friendly game. We had considered playing one theme, but wound up changing our plan after I got there. We wound up playing the X-Men (Chris) vs. the Avengers. Chris won – but not without taking a couple losses. It was a good game, though. And it was fun.

Stray Toasters

• It’s another suit day: Grey suit, white shirt, grey/pink/white/black tie, black vest… all capped with a pink pocket square.
• In a pretty stunning bit of health science news: Man officially cured of HIV
  • Stem Cell Transplant Cures HIV in ‘Berlin Patient’
  • The First Man to be Cured of AIDS
• Curse you, MTH, for providing more items for The Covet List, especially when it’s this close to Christmas! (More specifically: This!)*shakes fist*
• Hanna Rosin: New Data on the Rise of Women
• These Are America’s Worst, Best Commutes
• 
• The Most Amazing Science Images of 2010
• From the “Curiouser and curiouser…” file: De Young Draws the Line on Sketching
• Internet posters angry at computers with which they are unfamiliar
• 
• Jorsh Pena Adds Vintage Charm to Gremlins, Ghosts and Goonies
• By way of comes: New scam tactic: Fake disk defraggers
• The Adoration Aside, There Are Dangers to Being an R&B Heartthrob
• It would seem that Jon Favreau has turned down the director’s chair for Iron Man 3.

Namaste.

Thursday – 09 December 2010
I’d like to wish a “Happy No Bad News Thursday” and a “Happy Birthday” to my good friend and favorite comic book-reading, motorcycle-riding band director: MarknTyme

Congratulations on completing another circle around the sun!

Last night was D&D (4th ed.) game night. And, like Tuesday’s game, there were zombies. During the game, I encountered an interesting phenomenon (do DO do-do-do!): My dice rolled fairly well for me… but failed to roll well three consecutive times when I was trying to keep Jack’s character from dying. (No, it wasn’t because I was planning on looting his corpse. This time.) Other than that, it was a good night’s gaming session. And, as an added “plus,” it seems as though my former coworker, Josh, will be joining our group.

Stray Toasters

• Somehow, I managed to leave home without making a cup of coffee.
  This may mean that I need to pencil in a trip to Pin-up Girl Espresso in this afternoon’s agenda.
• Did you see Inception and wonder how the layers of dreaming were supposed to map with reference to each other?  Wonder no more: The Definitive Inception Dream Layer Map, Drawn by Christopher Nolan Himself (Warning: Spoilers ahead!)
• ComicsAlliance’s Holiday Card Series: Belated Happy Hanukkah!

  

  (Click image to read the full article and the rest of the card.)

• Apple Ban on iPhone Donation Apps Anger Nonprofits
• and I traded links to a few model railroad layout and scenery building videos on YouTube last night. There are more than “a few” of them out there.
• Why some holiday specials are still special, and others aren’t
• Pro-WikiLeaks hackers target Mastercard, PayPal
  • Amazon Could Be Next Site Brought Down by WikiLeaks’ Supporters
• The trailer for Transformers: Dark of the Moon has been released; thanks to for making sure that I saw it.

  Before everyone gets all excited about how good it looks and psyched up to go see it, let me remind you of one thing: The trailer for Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen looked good, too… and we all remember how that turned out. Just something to keep in mind.

• Chaplains Worry About Careers if ‘Don’t Ask’ Is Lifted
• SpaceX launches Falcon 9 into orbit
• Four Ravens Lead Pro Bowl Fan Voting

• Buy a Colorful Clock That Tells Time in Three Dimensions
• Visit the Manhattans of Our Wildest Imaginations

And with that…

…right on to the friction of the day.

Namaste.

Sunday – 05 December 2010
It’s a quiet morning…

…aside from the birds chirping in the trees outside.

I’m awake earlier than I had planned, but am enjoying the fact that we’re actually going to see the sun today.

Yesterday morning, I put up Christmas tree #1. It’s downstairs, in the family room. Next, I got my things together for a tournament at Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. There were only five (That’s right, “5”) players this week, but it was still a fun event. The theme was “Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting…,” in which all figures had to have the “Martial Artist” keyword in order to be eligible for use. A lot of teams used either Bullseye and/or The Question (Renee Montoya). Mine was no exception:

• Batgirl
  (gallery cr-figure-014)
• Bronze Tiger
  (gallery th-figure-032)
• Bullseye
  (gallery ws-figure-042)
• The Question
  (gallery aa-figure-004)

They fared well, going 2-1 on the day. Technically.  (Since I was playing the “bye” rounds, I couldn’t “win.”) But, as I mentioned before: It was fun.

On the way home from Dr. Volt’s, I stopped at The Train Shoppe. Yeah, yeah… I know… “Addict.”  Duh. In an exhibition of willpower worthy of a Green Lantern, I refrained from buying anything “big.”  I did, however, pick up a few small “Christmas” trees and a set of telephone poles for the city side of my layout. I also met an older couple while there; they were looking to start an O gauge railroad. Jeff (the Shoppe’s owner) talked with them about some of the differences between Lionel and MTH. I mentioned to them that I had purchased a Lionel set a few months ago and how happy I was with it…. and how quickly it had grown in the past four months.

After heading home for dinner, SaraRules! and I went errand-running. And then, we hit the gym:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 155 lbs
• Squats: 2 sets/10 reps, bar only (so…. 45 lbs+)
• Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/10 reps
• Rows: 2 sets/10 reps, 100 lbs
• Step-ups: 2 sets/10 reps per leg, 15 lbs dumbbells per hand
• Jackknifes: 2 sets/10 reps

When we got home, we started in on Mad Men Season 3 until it was time to go pick up Christmas Tree #2. The tree retrieval process was fairly easy and relatively painless: We bagged and cling-wrapped the tree, put it (and the accessories that came with it) in the car and brought it home. The tree and wreath look very nice in the living room and work very well with the room’s color scheme:

Now, it’s just a matter of getting some of the other Christmas decorations up…

Stray Toasters

• I finally picked up a copy of Superman: Earth One yesterday.

  

  J. Michael Straczynski crafted a well-told take on Clark Kent’s introduction to Metropolis and the world’s introduction to Superman. I recommend it.

• The Everyman’s Guide to Black Tie
• How Much Should You Tip for the Holidays?
• Dream Home: A Converted Firehouse with Fire Pole
  Come on… like you wouldn’t love to have one of those in your home.
• The 12 Most Ridiculous Moments in Travel – 2010 Edition
• 
• Vast Hacking by a China Fearful of the Web
• Law and the Multiverse: Applying real-world law to comic books

Next: Breakfast with the shockpuppet and .
Later: The Ravens host the Steelers tonight on Sunday Night Football.

Namaste.

There have been a lot of people asking about the tree that SaraRules! and I got at The Festival of Trees. I posted a few pictures in a blog post on Wednesday, but they were taken with my phone.  While they were “okay,” they weren’t the best pics in the world.  The ever-prepared SaraRules!, however, had her point-and-shoot camera in her Bag of Holding purse. The name/theme of our tree is: “Fall Family Traditions” and should complement the color scheme in the living room quite nicely. We will be picking it up either Saturday night or Sunday morning.

And with that, here are the pictures!

If this here bloggerator program thingamabob is working correctly, you should be able to click on each picture and see a larger version.

And that, as they say, is that!

Thursday – 02 December 2010
Three down.
One in the chamber.
One to go.

And that’s how another No Bad News Thursday kicks off.

Last night was D&D Encounters night with Melody, Jack, and company. We were a couple of party members short, so it was a bit of a grind. Seriously. Melody didn’t pull any punches and I think that the characters in the encounter all had brushes with near-death. But, it was still fun.

After I got home, SaraRules! and I watched Sunshine Cleaning. I’d heard about it last year and it has blipped on and off my radar since then. It was a good movie. No big special effects. A simple story. Good acting. All-in-all, a very solid presentation. The movie stars Amy Adams as Rose, a single mother trying to make ends meet. When her situation goes from “bearable, but not great” to “something’s got to give,” Rose decides to change her career path in a somewhat unexpected manner: She opens a crime scene clean-up company. It would be far from the truth to say “Hilarity ensues.” It would be more apt to say “Life goes on… for some.” SaraRules! and I agreed that this was a refreshing change of pace from the quick cut scene, always moving at fast forward, mega-blockbuster movies that are so prevalent today.

Stray Toasters

• It’s no secret that I’m a fan of Jonathan Coulton’s music. As a home owner, I’ve found new affinity and appreciation for his song, Shop Vac. Apparently, Jarrett Heather is a fan of the song, too… as evidenced by the following kinetic type video:
• Squiggly, Tangly and Angular
• A Mission to Transform Baltimore’s Beaten Schools
• You Only Dream of Driving Like This
• For some reason, this reminds me of the fight scene between Sistah Girl and White She-Devil in Undercover Brother:
  
• The Sweet Beet: 14 Food Shockers
• kidscomics.com – for the young reader in your family or circle of friends
• Amanda Vissell’s Posters for Girls
• F.T.C. Backs Plan to Honor Privacy of Online Users
• LEGO Death Star Christmas tree ornament
• 
• Retro Movie Posters Reimagined, courtesy of
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Man Killed Girlfriend Because She Answered Her Phone During Sex
• sfds

Wednesday – 01 December 2010
It’s mid-week… however, it is not Comics and Sushi Wednesday: This week’s shipment is delayed, due to last week’s holiday and I won’t be able to make it to sushi this afternoon.

On the other hand, Hanukkah starts today.  (Okay, technically, it starts at sundown, but why quibble?)

Last night, SaraRules! and I attended The 2010 Festival of Trees. It was opening night, which included the auctions for trees.  We put in a bid on a tree that we both liked… and won:

We’ll pick it up this weekend. Click here to see pics of other trees and interesting items from the show. The people-watching was pretty good, too. After the Festival, we headed to the local Olive Garden for a late dinner. On the whole, it made for a rather nice date night.

Stray Toasters

• For Every Holiday Party, the Right Drink
• John D’Agostino, drawer of Archie and G.I. Joe, dies
• 
• From Has Boobs, Reads Comics: Top 10 Gifts for the Geek in Your Life
• Lionel Brings You Trains and Jobs for Christmas
• 
• The Albums We Missed in 2010
• Union of Superlative Heroes Card Set
• Is 8 too young to be an entrepreneur?

Right on to the friction of the day…

Namaste.

Tuesday – 30 November 2010
Day Two of the work week and the day started with the sun beaming over the mountains.
No new snow.
No heavy clouds.
Just bright sun.

It’s nice.
Now, if we can only get above freezing…

Last night, came over and we watched the Niners-Cardinals game. I don’t know what happened to the Cards, but they looked far from the Super Bowl contenders from last season. The Niners, on the other hand, looked pretty solid.  I was happy to see QB Troy Smith have a decent game.

Stray Toasters

• Tonight, SaraRules! and I are heading to the Festival of Trees. Hopefully, we’ll be able to find and bid on a tree that we like.
• Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves
• Alex Santalo His Avengers and X-Men Heads Big and His Art Happy
  

  

• Tiny house movement thrives after real estate bust
• Ten Questions Science Must Answer
• 
• Moved by the Spirit: Celebrating ‘Revelations’ at 50
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: TSA scans uniformed pilots, but airside caterers bypass all screening

And, now… back to the grind.

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.

Tuesday – 23 November 2010
Today is my “Technical Friday,” so it’s “One down, one to go,” as far as this week is concerned.

There is a blizzard warning in effect through 3:00 PM tomorrow. How bad is it predicted to be? Here’s what NOAA has to say about it:

 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN SALT LAKE CITY HAS ISSUED A
 BLIZZARD WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 5 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO
 8 AM MST WEDNESDAY.

 BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE MOST LIKELY BETWEEN 10PM AND 4AM TONIGHT.
 INTENSE SNOWFALL AND WHITEOUT CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT TIMES
 DURING THE TIMEFRAME. 

 * AFFECTED AREA: THE WESTERN UINTA BASIN

 * SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: ACCUMULATIONS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE EXPECTED
   TONIGHT.

 * TIMING: THE ARCTIC FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE FROM NORTH TO SOUTH
   THROUGH THE AREA LATE THIS EVENING AND THROUGH TONIGHT.

 * WINDS: SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH ARE
   LIKELY THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST
   TONIGHT WITH SPEEDS OF 25 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH
   LIKELY.

 * IMPACTS: A BRIEF PERIOD OF BLIZZARD CONDITIONS TONIGHT
   WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS. TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT OR
   IMPOSSIBLE AT TIMES TONIGHT.

This is just another sign that SaraRules! and I made the right call in deciding to have Thanksgiving at home this year.

Last night, we watched the Broncos-Chargers game. It looked as though it was going to be interesting… until Denver forgot how to play football. Sure, they had a few moments where it looked like they had glimmers of hope, but they were far and few between.

After the game, we headed to the gym.  That’s right: I got in another workout! Once again, we followed SaraRules!’ routine… with added bench press for me:

• Bench Press: 3 sets/8 reps, 135 lbs
• Squats: 2 set/12 reps, 65 lbs
• Push-ups: 2 sets/12 reps
• Row: 2 sets/12 reps, 110 lbs
• Step-ups: 2 sets/12 reps per leg, 15 lbs dumbbells in each hand
• “Jackknife”: 2 sets/12 reps

All-in-all, it was a good workout.

Stray Toasters

• I managed to squeeze in a little time to play with my model railroad last night. I also think that I’ve come up with another layout idea. In theory – and in my head – it would both spread out the layout and afford some neat options that might even include a bridge or two.
• Irish Debt Crisis Forces Collapse of Government
• 
• New spinal implant will help people with paraplegia to exercise paralyzed limbs
• Chinese National Stole Ford Secrets Worth More Thank $50 Million
• Play boomerang with your demons
  Shoot to kill and you’ll pop them off
• By way of comes: 200 students admit cheating after professor’s online rant
• Security needs drive cyberforensics industry
• Before the wheel, early man invented Art
• Did you come here for forgiveness
  Did you come to raise the dead
  Did you come here to play Jesus
  To the lepers in your head?
• Embrace Your Inner Mad Scientist with These Beaker Lamps

And with that…

Namaste.

My wife and I recently decided to replace our old furnace.  Our home is about thirty years old and we believe that the old furnace was the one that was installed when the house was built. With a fine Utah winter about to set it, we figured that it would be prudent to do it “sooner” rather than “later.”

Having known Rich Sheya for a number of years, his was the first name that came to mind when we were ready to move forward. Rich came out, did a brief inspection of the house, examined the old furnace and gave us a rough idea of what we would need to adequately heat our living space. As our house did not come equipped with central air, he also talked with us about our options for adding that when we installed the new furnace. Before he left, he said that he would be in touch with us soon and provide an estimate of what it would cost to replace our the old furnace.

A short while later, we received a quote via email with a very reasonable price for a new furnace – an energy efficient, two-stage model – that also qualified for some of the recent tax credits and rebates. We called Rich, said that we would like to proceed and made an appointment for the installation.

On the day of the installation, Rich arrived in the morning with the brand-new furnace and immediately set about the task of removing and replacing the old furnace. By the end of the afternoon, the new furnace was installed and warming our house.

The new unit has been in place for about a week and it works wonderfully.

Rich was a professional throughout the entire process. He was very receptive and candid in providing answers to our questions about the installation. The job was done quickly and efficiently. Rich even discovered and alerted us to a minor gas leak at our meter.

We would wholeheartedly and very happily recommend Rich Sheya and Canyon Heating and Air Conditioning to anyone who is considering upgrading their furnace and/or air conditioning system.

Wednesday – 17 November 2010
Midweek… which means that it’s Comics (and Sushi) Wednesday!
I’m not sure if I’m partaking of sushi today.  We’ll see how the morning progresses.

Last night was D&D night with and company. We met a new NPC. We’re not sure about him yet. There are a few signs that he may not be “a good fit” for the rest of the party. We’re keeping an eye on him. On the other hand, he does provide another pair of hands and weapons in a fight. That’s good, because our current quest has us in the ruins of what appears to be an old temple… complete with its very own horde of zombies. Yay.

Today, we’re having our furnace replaced!
Out with the old and busted.
In with the new hotness… literally.

Stray Toasters

• The first trailer for the upcoming Green Lantern movie was released yesterday:

  This looks a lot better than the “first footage” that came out last week.  I’m still a little unsure about the mask, but feel a bit more confident about the overall look and feel of the movie.

• Watch the Leonid Meteor Shower
• Rare Honor for a Living Service Member: Medal of Honor for Army Sergeant
• Giant Star Wars Minifig Alarm Clocks = Holiday Shopping, Done
• 
• Top 10 Movie Plot Holes You Probably Never Noticed Before
  • As to the Superman/Superman II plot holes:
    1. The whole “turn the world backwards” was a visual device. They used it to signify Superman flying back in time, a power that he’d been shown using – as both Superman and Superboy – since at least the late 50’s.
    2. The “amnesia kiss” was something that director Richard Lester used after Superman director, Richard Donner, was fired from Superman II; Donner shot some scenes for both Superman and Superman II concurrently. In the “Richard Donner Cut” of Superman II, it shows Superman flying back in time (again) to erase Lois’ memory… not using some cockamamie “amnesia kiss power” to make her forget.
• One Way to Trim Deficit — Cultivate Growth
• 
• The Monsters of H.P. Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos, as Drawn by Children
• From the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file:
  • Unusual horse bike
  • ‘Saw 3D’ Accidentally Screens for Kids; Subsequently Scars Them for Life
• Career Day: Chambara JLA
• This is some rather sage advice from a former coworker of mine.
  (If the page won’t display for you, let me know and I’ll find a way to either transcribe or repost the picture.)

And that’s that…

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.