Also, good read here on why August 22 could be a huge day in world history (part of a longer Wall Street Journal editorial). Luckily, I'll be driving through cornfields that day and will check the radio for news before entering Chicago.
For those that haven't heard, Ant and I are heading to Chicago in a few weeks. I've done most of the planning the last few days. Found us a good priced hotel on Clark Street across from Lincoln Park. Here's our itenerary:
Monday Aug 21: Drive Baton Rouge to Nashville, stay with Theresa (Ant's sister) and husband
Tuesday Aug 22: Drive Nashville to Chicago, check into hotel, dinner somewhere (probably along Clark Street) and then Second City (two blocks from hotel)
Wednesday Aug 23: Find something to do in morning, spend afternoon around Wrigley area bars, go to Cubs/Phillies game, Wrigley area bars after
Thursday Aug 24: Six Flags Great America/Hurricane Harbor, dinner/Chicago nightlife
Friday Aug 25: Downtown Chicago during the day, head to Soldier Field for Chicago "tailgating" (no canopies or alcohol allowed anywhere and only small grills allowed - amateurs) then Bears/Cardinals preseason game
Saturday Aug 26: Find something to do in morning, White Sox game in the evening.
Sunday Aug 27: Drive Chicago to Nashville
Monday Aug 28: Drive Nashville to Baton Rouge
The great thing about this trip is that once we get to Chicago, the only driving we need to do to get anywhere is Six Flags. Everything else we can get to on public transportation. Wrigley is at Clark and Addison, just hop on the Clark St. bus at our hotel and it stops right at Wrigley, with 24 hour service. All of the Stadiums seem easy to get to via bus and/or L train. Plus in a span of 5 days, we get to see 2 MLB ballparks and Soldier Field.
So Adult Swim has rotated out Mission Hill for Pee Wee's Playhouse. I'm thinking this is great, I used to love this show.
I've watched for the past two nights and I have no idea how watching this as a kindergardener didn't lead to a life on cocaine. For those of you that don't remember, let me summarize a few of the weekly mindfuck highlights:
Pee Wee Herman (weekly exposure to should have been enough to mess us up) Phil Hartman as a drunken sailor Claymation dinosaurs in the wall and claymation talking food in the fridge A glowing genie head that led everyone in chants of mekalekahi mekalekiho for five minutes at the end of every show Laurence Fishburne (yes, that Laurence Fishburne) as a gay cowboy Pee Wee's Hawaiian pool/beach boy that never wore a shirt (despite the playhouse's indoor, mountain location)
Now, the show's fun to watch in a "just think how funny this would be if I were high" kind of way, but to think I grew up loving this show scares me to death. I guess it could be worse... it could have been Barney.
Why am I such a late night work animal? I realized earlier today that in order to have my master bedroom ready for furniture next Wed (I bought a set on clearance at Kornmeyer's yesterday) and after seeing how my office floor looked with my new LayZBoy (going out of business sale @ Kirshman's), I needed to carpet clean everything today. I started moving furniture out of the master bedroom at around 9:50. Its 11:15and I'm about to start carpet cleaning. Hopefully I'll be able to cross the bedroom floor to get to the bathroom (to shower and get dressed) in the morning.
Musically at least. On Saturday I pulled out the viola and tried to play some of the orchestra music I played a year ago for the youth orchestra reunion. It wasn't so pretty. We're talking one song (Star Wars) that used to be really easy for me. Now tonight I pulled out the violin... Devil Went Down to Georgia... I can play OK except for the devil solo, which I can not seem to get my head around the music to piece together the chords. I'm pretty close to still being able to play Orange Blossom Special at least. One of the advantages of the house is being able to practice without bothering neighbors through thin apartment walls, so guess I will be squeezing that in between work and repainting the rest of the house. I really want to get decent again, it will just take some practice for the muscles and joints to get used to the motions again. Then maybe I can find something to do with the instruments around here.
Sadly, the house won't be near 100% ready for the housewarming on Saturday. Thanks to Tammy for helping with the guest bedroom and Darcie for helping with the future office, which looks awesome with the gold paint.
Unfortunately, while trying to do touch up elsewhere (where I was OK with the colors) I discovered that the living room paint is just off a little and the kitchen paint that was left me is no longer of any use. Also, I don't see paint for the master bedroom in what they left me, so I might have to repaint that room totally. I shouldn't be suprised. I told myself some rooms were OK and I could live with them, but its time for me to accept I'm going to redo this whole house. At least painting is a simple, low impact exercise according to weightwatchers (and many points when you do it for a few hours a night).
The Lowes and Best Buy under construction next door = worse
Weight loss = Needing new clothes
Weight loss + Driving past Target daily = Buying too many articles of new clothes = Poor house
House purchase = Home improvement projects = Needing tools
House purchase + Driving past Lowes daily = Buying too many tools = Poor house
Sean = Nerd = Electronics, games and DVD fan
Sean + Driving past Best Buy daily = Buying too much electronics, games and DVDs = Poor house
So come see the house before driving past Target, Best Buy and Lowes puts me in the poor house. On the bright side, I appear to be in my biggest month of billing since I've started working, so thats a really good thing in relation to everything above (though I've been working alot the past week b/c of that).
Now might be a good time to double check your supplies for the upcoming season. You probably want food and water stockpiles to get you through 5 days or so, including 3 gallons of water/person/day. Why do I post this now?
The Johari Window was invented by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in the 1950s as a model for mapping personality awareness. By describing yourself from a fixed list of adjectives, then asking your friends and colleagues to describe you from the same list, a grid of overlap and difference can be built up.
On the house end, I cauked all the holes last night and taped the guest bedroom. Paint commmences tonight. Please help if you can and know what you're doing. I'm working off a quick skim of a how to book at Home Depot.
Oh, and if you have 10' ceilings, an 8' ladder is probably excessive, but I bought one anyway.
Thats right. At 2 PM tomorrow I go to closing on my house. I get the keys Saturday afternoon at some point when the current owners get most of their stuff out. Moving will begin then with the big stuff. Anyone wanting to help are welcome to come to my apartment around noon on Saturday, especially if you have a truck.
4:06 PM Sometimes its healthy to vent... isn't it? I hope so. Last night I had to vent. Unfortunately, having the TV on Comedy Central while I typed clouded my thought and weakened my anger into laughter at other things.
But seriously, I don't dance. I don't like it, especially to most "dance" music. Stop pestering me to change.
Saw a really great blues/gospel singer at Fest For All today. Spencer Bohren, father of the drummer from Johnny Sketch. Half his set was some old Hank Williams songs, and I'm not talking about Junior. Good stuff, look him up.
For starters, this is not an apology. Apologia is Greek for defence. I've learned this recently reading Plato's Apologia, which is a recounting of Socrates' defence, sentencing and final words to his jury.
After tonight, I feel like I have to defend myself. I went out with some friends tonight, at first it was listening to a half (at best) decent cover band playing 70s/80s songs...pretty badly. Then they went on break. Then the crap, errrr rap, and techno started. Everyone went to dance. I didn't. This shouldn't shock most people reading.
See, I got the memo in 6th grade or so that said the way to be cool is to dance to the music that's played, but as I usually do with memos from upper management (or in this case, the cool kids), I crumpled it up and threw it in the trash. I guess that's why I ended up in an independent contractor job situation in lieu of a corporate structure.
I guess the other thing that needs to be stated is that I agree with Elwood Blues on the current state of most pop (i.e., determined by executives at Clear Channel Communications) music as "nothing but recycled digitally sampled techno-grooves, quasi-synth rhythms, pseudo songs of violence laden gangsta' rap, acid pop and simpering, ciphering, soulless slush." Most of it enters my brain and triggers the crap file to open and that's where it goes. Not exactly the file that gets the body grooving.
Anyway, I'm not dancing tonight and people keep coming back to the table trying to figure out why I'm not dancing, whats wrong with me. Well, nothing's wrong with me. I don't like dancing. That's it. I find the music everyone is dancing with to be nothing more than pre-programmed electronic outputs, not the work of talented musicians. The only place it moves me to is far, far away.
Speaking of useless, soulless electonic music, a commercial featuring the new LSU jingle/theme(?) "Welcome to the Now, Evo Devo" just came on. Guess that little song Huey P. Long wrote wasn't good enough to represent my Alma Mater since its more than 10 years old. Great. Huey's turning over in his grave from the sight of the Golden Band pretending to play along to that crap in the background (I see 40+ pieces of brass "playing" and all I hear are a synthesizer, guitar, bass and drums).
Anyway, back to the original topic, the defense of my not dancing to the crap that is played as 90% of the world's dance music. By the time the 10% comes along that I like, I'm usually feeling too depressed from my inability to deal with the tight crowd and shitty music to care since everyone keeps coming to me asking whats wrong with me, making me think, "hey, something's wrong with me, I'm an outcast." Also, I get claustrophobic in the crowd. I went out to the floor tonight. In about 30 seconds I was stepped on or shoved into more than 10 times. That's not fun to me. I'm not going to do it just because society says thats the path to acceptance.
I wonder why I never meet any females, then I realize its because "going out" usually means going somewhere with dancing, and I don't dance. So I never meet anyone while I sit on the side and I get depressed and everyone tells me not to worry that I don't dance, I have so much other stuff going for me that should interest females. Well maybe I need to get my tax returns and new house/car status tattooed to my forehead because I'm told these are great things going for me. Or maybe I should tattoo the 175 IQ my boss seems to (baselessly) like telling people I have (the supposed basis of my hiring without a master's degree). Or maybe I should tattoo my weight loss up there. All supposed great things about me that tell me that the only things going for me are money and that my body isn't as horrible as it once was. Great. Anyway, I'm just sick of it all. I've always been alone and I always will be alone. I accept it. I'm moving on.
Now will come the normal sympathy posts/calls. And I don't need them. You're either A) male, so anything you say ann't lead anywhere, B) female and safely in a committed relationship, so anything you say can't lead anywhere or C) female and of sufficient distance where anything you say can't lead anywhere. Those are the people who will reply. So, please just keep it, I don't need to hear it. I'm not suicidal or depressed. Just tired of it all. It'll change when I'm that last 40 something single that meets another 40 something single and neither of us have a choice left.
Which is why at 5:45 AM I am in the office after not sleeping last night while working on an appraisal last night. Its not on a desperate deadline, just yesterday I had a late start (from bed to office meeting in 27 minutes including a trip to Starbucks) and never got mentally into anything until around 3 PM. I was disgusted with myself for that.
On the bright side I did get to run last night and weighed in at 196.75 lbs... last week I was at 199 and that was pre-Jazz Fest, so I didn't want to be all excited about breaking the 2 century mark. But even with a bad week of eating, it looks like I am now a metabolizing machine. Speaking of Jazz Fest, if you go this weekend I suggest you walk past the crawfish bread and get the crawfish eclaire. Simialr flavor but the eclair is much more.... succulent? Yeah, I'm rambling... it happens when I start running off addrenaline.
Oh, in other news, I've seen some very good signs for young people in Baton Rouge Real Estate this week, one of which being the first gathering of the Student Real Estate Association at LSU that I've ever known of... and I've been involved with the LSU Real Estate Department since 1998. I was technically President one year, but that was just to keep the organization alive on paper, we didn't really do anything. I was just working in the office so they threw that on my job duties. Well, I'll take that back, I wrote a constitution for the club. That's something.
For those of you that have ever been to a strip club or just think they're funny, click on Kevin Smith's Myspace (yes, Kevin Smith as in Silent Bob) from my top 8. He has an interesting blog entry on strip clubs, not to mention pretty good blogs in general, but what else would you expect from the guy that wrote Clerks and Chasing Amy?
OK, rambling over, back to work
Friday, April 21, 2006
11:40 AM I thought this was going to be about Jazz Fest...
I was all ready to come on here and post about my Jazz Fest plans next Friday and to ask if I was insane to want to see Cowboy Mouth while Bob Dylan is on another stage and Dr. John while Ani DiFranco is on another stage. All because Johnny Sketch is playing next Friday.
But then I logged on to my bank's website to find there was a lot more cash in my checking account than there should be. Then I looked at it and saw that I had two checks returned. Who were they from? The IRS. Turns out Whitney didn't post a transfer from one account to another and so there wasn't cash in the checking account to cover my 2005 taxes and first quarter 2006 taxes. So now I have an NSF Fee and will be getting a bounced check and late payment penalty from the IRS.
Open-Mindedness - You are open to trying new things and entertaining new ideas, and this widens your pool of available girls. Financial Situation - You've got your financial situation under control, which is a very desirable quality. Be careful to avoid girls who are only interested in your money. Independence - Your strong sense of independence comes in handy while dating. You are not held back or tied down; you are free to pursue your interests. Intelligence - Your sharp intellect is a valuable asset. Use your intelligence wisely; avoid condescension. Quiet, confident intelligence is very attractive. Spirituality - Your spiritual side brings you peace and balance, and keeps you grounded. This is attractive, as you can help reinforce this quality in other people.
Dating Weaknesses Explained
Humorlessness - You need to learn how to take a joke, or better yet how to tell a good one. A well-developed sense of humor is high on the list of desired traits for daters. Appearance - Devoting a greater effort at making good first impressions is a must. Try to be fit and develop a style if you want to catch a girl's attention. Pessimism - Too much cynicism can be a turn-off. Try to see the brighter side of things and people will be attracted to your positive outlook. Shyness - You know all too well the limits shyness places on you. Putting yourself out there in social situations may be difficult, but essential to your dating success. Insecurity - Your insecurity makes you doubt yourself, but you must learn to love and trust yourself if you want to succeed in dating.
2:26 PM
I went to look at a house today. Grossly overpriced of course. Then saw the house next door was FSBO (For Sale By Owner). Pulled out the forms and saw that its owned by a residential appraiser our office knows. We made an offer over the phone and its been accepted, just waiting for the purchase agreement to come back. Check out my soon to be new home here.
I did my weekly weigh-in tonight, and when I got home to put it on the spreadsheet, I realized today marks the end of week 52 (year 1)! So I decided to post my year 1 chart:
The little graphics are for my birthday, holidays and that bitch Katrina.
One year ago, I was at 322.2 lbs and tonight I weight in at 205.5 lbs, a total loss of 116.7 lbs. Yeah just felt like putting an update out there on a "milestone" day. I would go get some Cold Stone in celebration, but I just had to give up ice cream for Lent. Oh well.
In other news, I put an offer out on a house that hasn't been rejected yet!
The Orleans Parish Public School System is auctioning off flooded school busses on eBay. Seriously, a bunch of people throw in a few hundred dollars, fix it up, get an RV pass and its tailgate time.
I looked at a house to buy today. I really like the layout and neighborhood. But the house needs work.... new floors, new paint. Owner said its been about 20 years since its been updating. Kitchens and bathrooms are in decent shape, just need to patch up the crown molding above the kitchen cabinets.
While I've spent most of the day running numbers in my head, I just had another thought enter.... colors. What would I want? I have no idea. I suck at decorating. There's basically nothing on my walls at the apartment. My office has 3 things hanging, my LSU Diploma, a ceramic plate of Country Day and a cheaply framed LSU football schedule. That's it.
So, if I buy this house, I'm really going to need some major help from whoever out there is good at decorating. The whole house will need painting, new carpet/tile, etc. Volunteers? I do have limits... no pinks/fuscias, etc. Otherwise, I'll be ready to let someone to go to town... I just have veto power.
Found this posted on WWLTV.com. It is Phil Johnson's traditional Mardi Gras Editorial....
-- And what else is there to talk about except that which everybody else is talking about…of course, Mardi Gras.
It's that time again: that wonderful, crazy, colorful, crowded, happy, mixed-up but glorious time when all New Orleans forgets itself for a day, lets its hair down, puts on a rubber nose, a funny hat, and walks around laughing at the silly people in their crazy costumes.
It's a day for contrasts…a day for change.
A day when legions of quiet, timid, introspective little men forsake their cashier's windows and their neat clerk’s desks, put masks across their faces, and suddenly become Don Juan.
A day when a secretary can become Queen of England…a housewife, Annie Oakley.
Mardi Gras is fantasy in a fright wig, reality with a burnt cork on its nose, a dream with a scepter in its hand, and pompousness about to be punctured.
Mardi Gras is fun and laughter, vulgarity and coarseness, color and light, and at the end, quiet.
Mardi Gras is a state of mind, an attitude, a pose, an opinion. But at its most basic…and perhaps satisfying of all, Mardi Gras is the one day in the entire year when New Orleans can tell the world:
"We're going to have fun!" And we do.
Friday, February 03, 2006
10:25 AM
Updated music, countdown and added a few links. Check out my Yahoo music station down under the links. Time to actually do some work now!
I was unable to finish my potato at Port of Call last night. I know this is a great indignity and I now open myself to everyone's ridicule. Even with this great shame last night, at least I learned that you can order a plate of bread to snack on while you wait, which no one in all my years of Port of Call has known until last night.
You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride. Your mood tends to set the tone of the room, and when you're happy, this is a good thing. When you get in a dark mood, watch out - it's very hard to get you out of it. It's sometimes hard for you to cheer up, and your gloom can be contagious.
A friend has told me that in Weight Watchers, when you reach a certain total weight loss, you get a dozen roses. That total loss is 100 lbs. As Wednesdays have been my official weekly weigh in since I started going to meetings and continued weighing here at the gym, today is the day that counts. And as of today, I have lost 101.5 lbs since I started last March 30.
So I take off work a little early to come home, work out, eat and do some more work tonight. The plan is going great and then I check my mailbox after getting of the treadmill. I am intrigued by a thick envelope from Senator Elizabeth Dole. Inside I find a four page smear job on everyone left of Adolf Hitler and a survey that I could opt to send back with a donation to the National Repulican Senatorial Committee enclosed. The survey is even more slanted than the letter.
I will say this now because I'm sure its being asked why I even got this. I'm registered Republican. Thanks to our wonderful two party system, I get to choose between bureaucrats that let Jerry Falwell influence them and bureaucrats that let Michael Moore and Janine Garafalo influence them. I chose my party affiliation on general fiscal policy more than any social issues.
Anyway, gist of things. I'm going to take this damn survey. But they're going to have to find my way to my blog to get the results. Many questions are yes or no. Additional comments are my unsolicited thoughts
Part 1: General Questions 1) In general, are you pleased with the job President Bush is doing? Yes or No. Yes or no? If anyone answers either way, they're either blinded by hate or stupidity.
2) Which isses are most important for President Bush and the Republican Party to focus on this year? Very important, Somewhat important or Not important Economy - Very important Jobs - Very important War on Terrorism - Very important Illegal Immigration - Very important Education - Very important Healthcare - Very important Abortion - Not important
3) Additional Comments I know my answer to the last one has ruined me from ever running for any public office with an R behind my name.
Part 2: Economic Agenda 4) Do you agree with liberal Democrats who want to reverse President Bush's tax cuts? Yes or no No and I don't agree with the moderate ones that want to either
5) How important is a balanced budget? Very important, Somewhat important or Not important Very important
6) Should the Republican Part push for additional tax cuts to further stimulate the economy? Yes or No Yes, for the MIDDLE CLASS
7) Do you think we should fix the federal tax codeso that it is simpler and fairer? Yes or No Yes
8) Which of the following is the most important priority: Creating more jobs, Making tax cuts permanent, Balancing the budget, Fixing the tax code, Growing the economy so the stock market rises Balancing the budget, and I can't believe they put in "so the stock market rises"
Part 3: Retirement Security 9) Some Democrats have been lobbying for government-run health care in the United States. Do you support a plan that would hand over your health care to the federal government? Yes or no. No, but there needs to be more available for those without insurance. Just let me keep my insurance
10)President Bush wants to modernize and strengthen America's health care system by giving Medicare recipients more health care choices and the access to affordable prescription drugs. Do you support his Medicare reform plan? Yes or no Yes, if that's the plan.
Part 4: Homeland Security 11) Do you believe our nation is too dependent on foreign oil? Yes or no Yes, but I think we're too dependent on oil period.
12) As the world's most powerful nation, President Bush believes that the United States has a special responsibility to help make the world more secure. Do you support President Bush's vision for protecting our nation that includes both opposing and preventing violence by terrorists and outlaw regimes, as well as fostering an era of good relations among the world's great powers? Yes or no Good relations with other world powers is part of President Bush's vision? The US Government's duty is to its citizens, not the rest of the world's. No.
13) Do you favor the death penalty for terorists found guilty of killing innocent Americans? Yes or no Yes, for anyone that kills an innocent American in cold blood. Western justice. Hanging in the town square.
14) What further steps - if any - should we take to safeguard our homeland? ooooooh, open ended question. How suprisingly brave. There is the matter of those two massive underprotected borders to the north and south, stronger coast guard protection of our ports and Category 5 hurricane protection levees for Greater New Orleans.
Part 5: Foreign Policy 15) Today, on the continent of Africa, over 30 million children have the AIDS virus. Do you support President Bush's plan to provide $15 billion in emergency relief to turn the tide on the global effort to combat HIV/AIDS? Yes or no This is horribly worded. Turn the tide on the global effort? $15 billion to stop the global effort? I know thats not what they mean, but this reads bad. Yes, I support the support
16) Should the United States provide more humanitarian aid to foreign countries? Yes or no No, it should provide that money to its own homeless, sick and children.
Part 6: Family Agenda 17) Do you believe that every American should have access to quality healthcare? Yes or no Yes
18) Should we put an end to lawsuit abuse that is draining our economy, ruining our healthcare system and costing jobs? Yes or no Yes
19) Do you support President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" act - which is an absolute commitment to closing the achievement gap so every child can receive a quality education and the act is producing real results for every child? Yes or no No, public education should be handled locally not by bureaucrats
20) Do you support a plan that would allow parents to decide which school their child attends? Yes or no Yes
21) Do you support President Bush's faith-based initiative that would increase the tax benefits for donating to religious or community charities? Yes or no Yes
Part 7: Social Issues 22) Do you support the protection of traditional marraige - between a man and a woman? Yes or no Absolutely. I hope to one day find a woman that would actually marry me and no one better take that right away... speaking of, who's wanting to?
23)Should the United States ban Human Cloning? Yes or no Depends on what happens with Iran and if Jango Fett will be around to base them off of.
24) Should we continue to fight for law-abiding indivuduals 2nd Amendment rights? Yes or no Yes, absolutely.
Part 8: Campaign 2005-06 25) Do you agree that defending and strengthening our Republican Majority in the US Senate is critical to passing President Bush's agenda and fighting for America's future? Yes or no Yes, thats a no brainer. Hard to do those things with a Democratic Congress isn't it?
26) Do you believe that building the Republican Party at the local grassroots level is key to strengthening our Senate Majority from Democratic fillibustering? Yes or no Yes, absolutely, but don't build it with blind wannabe kissup bureaucrats
27) Will you support the NRSC's (National Republican Senatorial Committee) effort to build a foundation of grassroots support for President Bush and his agenda for a stronger, safer and more prosperous America? Yes or no No, the NRSC should be focusing on the Senate, not the President. Its in its name.
28) Will you help continue to build a strong foundation of Republican grassroots support for President Bush and his agenda by making a generous contribution to the NRSC today? Yes or no. Hahahahaha, NO.
Seriously, this survey and its focus pissed me off to no end. I really hate our two-party system. I'm too moderate for either it seems.
If anything, this post might actually spark some discussion. Fire away.
3. Do you own a gun? No but I probably will someday
4. Rehab? is for quitters
5. Would you ever "do" someone in their parents bed? that would disturb me a lot less than in my parents bed
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Not a big fan anymore
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? Gloria in Excelsis Deo
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Frappucino light
9. Do you do push-ups? not that often
10. Tried X? hell no
11. Are you vegetarian? I think I'd try X before giving up meat.
12. Do you like painkillers? Yes!
13. What is your secret weapon to lure in the opposite sex? If it exists, its secret even to me
14. Do you own a knife? Yes
15. Do you have A.D.D.? Not diagnosed
16. Do you love the pain a tattoo brings? Wouldn't know and don't intend to know
17. Top 3 thoughts at this exact moment: I need to get to bed. Why did I start this questionaire. My eyes hurt
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought. groceries, hot white chocolate and an italian soda yesterday
19. Name five drinks you regularly drink: Water, Diet Cherry Coke, Diet Vanilla Coke, Starbucks Frappucino Lights, Diet Minute Maid Lemonaide
20. What time did you wake up today? 8 AM
21. Current hair? short
22. Current worry? work
23. Current hate? work
24. Favorite place to be? haven't found it yet
25. Least favorite place to be? Fred's/similar places
26. Where would you like to go? Scotland, Washington DC, somewhere quiet in the woods
27. What do you wear when you go to sleep? shirt and boxers
28. What do you think you'll be doing in 10 years? On January 23, 2016 at 11:40 PM, I will probably be asleep
29. Do you burn or tan? tan
30. Last thing you ate? half of a wheat pita
31. Would you be a pirate? argh!
32. Last time you had an alcoholic drink? a few nights ago, some red wine
33. What songs do you sing in the shower? I'm usually still too asleep to sing in the shower
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Skeletor
36. Last thing that made you laugh? Quagmire walking up to two lesbians "You girls ever been penetrated?"
37. Best bed sheets you had as a child? Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
38. Worst injury you've ever had? I think I tore something in my knee freshman year at LSU that I never really got looked at.
39. What are your dreams like? People from various periods in my life together in combinations and locations that they should not be together in. Like elementary and middle school friends at my highschool, though ther was 0 overlap between those groups.
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? 2
41. Who is your loudest friend? Nick/Franz
42. Who is your most silent friend? probably me
43. Does someone have a crush on you? not likely, but if anyone reading does, feel free to clue me in
44. Do you wish on stars? no
46. What is your favorite candy? peanut butter/chocolate fudge
47. What song do did you want played at your wedding? Pregame/Touchdown for LSU... I've seriously heard of people buying their friends 5 or 6 Tigerband players to show up at receptions and play
48. What song do you want played at your funeral? Whatever will bring most comfort to my loved ones, I won't be there to listen to it if they chose something crappy.
49. What were you doing 12AM last night? sleeping or getting ready to sleep
50. What annoys you the most about MySpace? I'll keep jacui's answer: How inconsistent it is. Sometimes it works great, sometimes I can't even log on.
Got my car back yesterday. Someone overnighted the part to the dealership, but they didn't know about it until they got it. Also, only 2 more lbs to 100 lbs total lost! Lastly, I'm fighting off a head cold right now, but the pain/aggravation of it seems to come and go... seems like its just the changing weather.
So I pull up to Starbucks this morning and as I'm shutting off the car, I notice my check engine light is on. After getting my morning coffee, I drive to my local dealership and drop it off. This afternoon, I get the call. What exactly is wrong I can't comprehend because it has a long name. It has something to do with the air intake system as well as emissions. Yeah, I know alot about cars. Really doesn't matter because the car's under warranty. No, here comes the kicker.
According to the computer system, which links all the GM dealerships in the country, not a single dealer has the part I need in stock. It will need to come from the vendor. The even better part, my Pontiac Vibe is a Toyota Matrix with a slightly different body on it. In other words, I'm guessing my part will be coming from Japan, whenever it gets in.
Now the GM warranty does provide me with a rental car for free, but it had to be a GM car. So what did Enterprise have available for me? A Saturn Ion. Now if you drive and/or love this car, please click back now. This car is a piece of shit. The drivers seat feels like its maybe 6" off the ground. I cannot position the seat, back and steering wheel in any position that is comfortable. My back was hurting after a 10 minute drive. The damn spedometer and gas guage and all isn't behind the steering wheel where you can look at it in a direct line while you drive, no its in the middle of the dashboard so you need to turn away from looking straight ahead just to check your speed. I have not found a single thing about this car that I like. I just hope that part comes in sooner rather than later, I don't know how long I can stand this car, especially if work makes me go any long distances.
In other news, I finished the Chronicles of Narnia last night. I now wish I had read that last book when I was into the books in elementary school, but my attention span got the best of me so I quit. Up next, Leadership by Rudy Giuliani.
I had a root canal last week with several more cavaties left to be worked on. You say you hate the dentist because of this, but when you don't go, its worse when you finally do go because you're so far behind on the cleanings. Lesson learned, until the next time I feel like not going to the dentist.
Work is kind of blah right now, but at least one of the bosses left for a 2-week vacation today, so that is making things somewhat quieter.
Home Movies now comes on nightly as part of Adult Swim. I don't know where it came from, but its the same style/voices from Dr. Katz and is pretty funny.
Diet is going very well, will be at 100 lbs total loss in the next 2-3 weeks.
Last night's The Boondocks was so very, very wrong.
Sugar Ray Nagin today at an MLK rally said New Orleans will be "chocolate" again "as God intended it." Wow. Just wow. I hear this is getting some national play tonight already, but the next few days will be interestiing. On the flip side, wonder what kind of national play it would get if Aaron Broussard said Jefferson Parish would be "vanilla" again "as God intended it."
Decided to go to Books a Million today because they were having some clearance sale. Also I needed a planner and my yearly Dilbert desk calendar. I might have gone a little overboard. My reading for the next few months:
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis - I already read The Magician's Nephew and will be reading The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe tonight.
Leadership by Rudy Giuliani - Have heard very good things about this book. Since chances are Rudy's going to be running for President, it will be nice to get to know the candidate before the national poliical machines begin too much of their praise/slander.
Our Nation's Archives: The History of the United States in Documents - This book starts with "How the World Was Made" by the Cherokee Nation and ends with "William Jefferson Clinton is acquitted" by Supreme Court Justice WIlliam Rehnquist. I also saw The Contract With America two entries before that. So this book seems to be a pretty straight forward compilation of laws, articles, speeches and various art. The book is only 995 pages with tiny 2 colum type.
A Patriotic History of the United States: From Columbus's Great Discovery to the War on Terror by Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen - They state their purpose is to refute the angle many history books tend to give to American history now ("My country, always wrong!"). This was the only book I was able to get at clearance. It clocks in a 823 pages
So chances are I'll be buried in one of these books for the next few months.
In other news, I took a few weeks off of the diet for Christmas, but am back on and on my way to a 100 pound total loss within the next month.
"If we must take this war into their homes and burn them to the ground, we will do so."
-Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
President, Louisiana State University
Congrats, you made a kick without getting your ass kicked by a Sousaphone player
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