Friday – 13 April 2007
Last night, I started on the new lyric drawing. I’m about halfway done… unless I decide to get OCD about one of the sections. We’ll see how that goes.

This morning started early. Well, what should ostensibly be my “normal” time… but hasn’t been for the better part of the week. It also started with a chalice of frozen mocha goodness and a quick stop in the north office.

Then the fun began.

Actually, the fun began before this but the story isn’t as good if I didn’t word it that way. *shrug* As the song says, “Time is a spiral, space is a curve.” So, by that rationale, I can make this as non-linear as I so choose.

The race with the road monkeys was fraught with obstacles. You would think that they could climb, swing, jump or otherwise avoid said obstacles. Apparently, I gave them far too much credit. There were three roadside incidents, one on the I-15 southbound collector from I-215, two on southbound I-15. And all of them – ALL of them – brought with them the phenomenon known as “spectator slowing.” Seriously, that’s how the radio stations here refer to it. For those who can’t suss it out from the name: “Spectator slowing” occurs when commuters slow – nearly to the point of stopping – to stare at an accident or someone getting a ticket… or someone who’s pulled onto the shoulder to make a phone call. And Utahns are no-no-notorious (notorious!) for doing it. In fact, the “second” incident on I-15 was caused by spectator slowing tied to the first I-15 incident.

So, the commute had pockets of stop-and-go flow. (There’s a bad joke in there to the effect of “See your doctor if this describes your symptoms…”). Knowing how the road monkeys often react, I’m sure that there were a lot of angry commuters in their shiny metal boxes. I, on the other hand, was cool with the whole thing. Why? Because the technopathic link with Nomad was in full effect again this morning:

  • Rush – The Body Electric
  • Rush – New World Man
  • Madonna – Die Another Day (while possibly not a “great” song, it’s one I like AND it was quite possibly the best part of the movie by the same name)
  • Rush – Kid Gloves
  • Led Zeppelin – Rock and Roll (I think Nomad chose this solely for the fact that we were in the CTS… and it’s a good song)
  • Rush – Turn the Page
  • Rush – Force Ten
  • David Bowie – I’m Afraid of Utah Drivers Americans
  • Parliament – P-Funk (I Wants to Get Funked Up)

In that order. Without me having to skip through songs. I am seriously beginning to think that ‘s sentient Winamp technogeist has taken up residence in Nomad. Which is cool… as long as it doesn’t start trying to reshape the Federation in its image. But, the fact that it was pumping out good music just meant that the traffic jams were allowing me more time to enjoy it.

Stray Toasters

Quote of the Day
This came from Tuesday night’s aborted gaming session:

and I started talking about our characters in City of Heroes/Villains. At one point, while I was talking about Nefer-Tem and his new abilities, he looked at me and this exchange came about…

nox_aeternus: Is it not true that when you go from running around half-naked, showing off your manly chest, to your Kheldian form, you are a nebulous ball of purple energy?
shadorunr: No, I’m a squid.
nox_aeternus: Are you sure?
shadorunr: Yes.
nox_aeternus: Because, when I saw you, I half-expected to see you hanging out around Prince’s groin.

Namaste.