Insignifica

Leave a Comment, Yoga, Sleepy, Fire, Bankruptcy, Busy, Happy Monday

Happy Monday, friends and neighbors!

Picture of the day!

Katie camping.

Busy weekend, with lots of friends and family seen and sucessfully socialized with.

If you saw a story about my company filing for bankruptcy (or something similar), don't worry: I've seen it too, it's expected, and generally, it's welcomed, because it would restructure debt in a way to make the company stronger.

For those of you out of the area but curious, the Station Fire is far away from us - so far, we can't even smell smoke. It's an impressive plume of smoke to the northwest (larger than usual because of the lack of wind), but not something directly affecting us.

Didn't sleep enough last night, meaning I'm going to have songs stuck in my head all day (that's how my mind tries to keep itself active and alert). Right now it's "Dustland Fairytale" by The Killers. I'll keep you updated.

I did yoga for real the first time this weekend, and I'm still feelin' it. That shit is hard.

Come say hello and leave a comment today!

Fine Weekend, Spaghetti Sauce, Stolen Notepad, Inner Ear Weirdness, Hot, TFSMIF!

Thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster it's Friday!

Picture of the day!

Strawberry and lime curd tart.

Wow, it's hot out there - it'll hit 100F long before noon. Stay cool, drink plenty of cold liquids, and take old people to the mall.

So I don't think I'm pregnant, but I'm starting to wonder if I have some sort of inner ear issue. Playing "Spin around the living room" with Katie yesterday made me almost instantly nauseous, and I could have sworn the building was bouncing yesterday, but it was really just me having some vertigo. Nothing in my ear hurts, so I'm wondering what the deal is.

Someone stole my notepad here at work. It's just gone off my desk. What the hell?

I made this spaghetti sauce last night, just so It'd have a day to get awesomer for dinner tonight. I tasted it this morning: I was successful.

Have a fine weekend, my friends!

That's All, Fuck Authority, Weekend Socializing, Hot and Dry, Weird Cold, Bugs, Happy Birthday Chris

Happy Thursday, and happy birthday to Chris today!

Picture of the day!

Chris, Halloween 2006.

We have mosquitoes or something similar in our house right now - the kid and I are bite magnets. I'm kinda hoping for super powers to result, but I think that's unlikely.

My weird cold is still weird, and while I still "feel" it in my sinuses, I'm still fairly energetic, and feel better today than I have in a while. Weird indeed.

Speaking of today, it's hot. At least it's dry - makes it a little more bearable. Still, I park in the sun, and might just put some cookie dough on the dash tomorrow to see what I've got baking by lunchtime.

Party prospects, for various reasons, look unlikely on Saturday. I had also wanted to take a day trip to Vegas to see friends who'll be there this weekend, but that's not gonna happen either. Oh well - I'll just have to socialize harder next time.

I'm feeling a little bit "fuck authority" lately (which is funny, as I'm "authority" in several regards). My HOA has decided that the clubhouse where we have our parties will have a strict "no alcohol" policy going forward - something I don't have the votes to fight against. They've also made quiet hours at my pool area 7pm - before the sun sets - because the old people around the pool apparently didn't realize that they could hear folks if they decided to live so close. Seriously, you guys.

That's all, my friends. Have a great one!

Hump, In God We Trust, New Phone, Comixed, Cold?, Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Katie, gardening.

I think I have a cold, but it's hard to tell - I'm not weak or unenergetic (quite the opposite, in fact), but things "smell" like they do when I have something wrong with my nose. I'm also a little "foggy" - it takes me a while to wake up and stay focused. I've also had weird heartburn. It's entirely possible I'm not sick, I'm just pregnant.

I'm glad there's a name for them - check out comixed.com for multi-panel captioned pictures (funnier than it sounds, really).

Still need a new phone. Will take yours (or buy it) if it's awesome and being replaced anyway.

Costa Mesa is the latest OC city to consider an "In God We Trust" display in their city council chambers. OC Atheists plans on fighting it. More to come.

Have a happy hump day, friends!

Happy Tuesday, Save The Date, Birthdays, Beer and Parties, Free Burritos, Warm, Good Day

Good day, and a very good Tuesday to you.

Picture of the day!

Stacked plastic containers from a Trader Joe's shopping trip. Organic sour cream, cottage cheese, organic yogurt, two organic cream cheeses, and a hummus.

It's warm out there today, doubly so when you kick your own ass at the gym.

My friend Jill won Chipotle burritos for everyone. I'm pretty sure I've only ever had to pay for 1/4 of the burritos I've had from the new location near my house.

I bought Widmer Hefeweizen 5L keg yesterday ($9.97 at Costco - cheap!), but I don't want to open it until I have a party. But this darned month is already full of parties. I'm wondering if I can squeeze one in this Saturday night.

Facebook just let me know that four friends have birthdays Thursday. That's statistically unlikely.

Should I send out a "Save the date" email for Halloween? I mean, people know it's Halloween, but I feel greedy saying "I'm letting you know about my party first, so you should come!". Oh well, I'm greedy sometimes.

Happy Tuesday, and have a great day!

Lots to Do, Meatcards, Slept Hard, Cupcakes, Weekend, Monday and Birthday

Happy Monday! Happy birthday to Dan today!

Picture of the day!

Katie in Sequoia last weekend. Check out the whole set here.

Busy weekend! On Saturday we celebrated the birth of Chris (no "t") with cupcakes and dancing. Sunday we rolled dice and used our imaginations, then I watched TV shows about string theory in HD. Good times!

On the subject of cupcakes, I have four left for anyone who comes and finds me.

Slept HARD last night - fell asleep a little after 1am, then woke up after some funky dreams at 8:30, but with no concept of the passage of time. I was also stiff and sore, like I'd been working out the day before. Weirdo dreaming.

Wow, if not for all the meat-related problems I have, these would be awesome: beef jerky business cards.

Lots to do today at work, so I'm cutting this short. Have a great day!

More to Say, MSG, 7am, Gym, Halloween, Friday

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

Marek, Halloween 2003.

I decided that it's time to get started on Halloween in earnest, since it's really not that far in the future (especially if I'm hosting a party for 40). I'm working on a theme and costume ideas now. Your input welcome.

Exercised this morning at the gym, and feelin' fine now. Current goal is 3 days a week, and I'm hitting it.

I've been regularly getting up at 7 (when not in Vegas), and it's kinda weird. I don't like that sleeping in has become difficult for me. On the other hand, it's nice not being rushed most mornings...

MSG gets a bad rap. It's pretty awesome when used in the right foods. Just sayin'.

Usually I have more to say on a Friday, but alas, I'm done. Have a great weekend, my friends!

Come Say Hello, Need Phone, Repo, Busy August, Sleepy, Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Pool and palm trees outside my hotel window this week. Not bad for my camera phone, at night.

Sleepy morning, even after a jog. I blame Vegas.

Busy weekends continue - birthday for Chris on Saturday, then D&D on Sunday. Next Saturday is little Sam's birthday, then a family dinner on the day after. Then follows Labor Day weekend, and my calendar will finally clear out. Crazy August so far.

Why are Repo services legal? Shouldn't companies have to go through the courts to do such things, then deal with the police to recover property? It's like bounty hunting for stuff.

I really, really would like a new phone. If you've got a nice one that you're thinking of replacing, I'll take your old one off your hands. I'm looking for something that's an upgrade to my RAZR.

That's it for today. Come find me and say hello!

Back at Work, Vacation from Childcare, Vegas Recap, Happy Wednesday

Back at work! Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Jesus at the newly renovated Ronald's Donuts. I've some some left over if you're around here.

Great time in Vegas! Some highlights:

The hotel: As mentioned in the post on Monday, the Signature at the MGM Grand is fantastic, and the staff amazingly nice and helpful. I highly recommend a) getting on MGM's email mailing list, then b) staying at the Signature, especially if you don't mind (or would love) no casino in your lobby.

Gambling: Lost money - no big surprise. Didn't play a single hand of either Blackjack or Three Card, which is strange. Played a lot of Crazy 4 Poker, which is fun, has a relatively low house edge, and I do well at. Also played in two poker tournaments, lasting well in each but not making the money.

Pinball: Visited the Pinball Hall of Fame and Museum - a must for any fan. Played some classics like Cyclone, Addam's Family, and one I totally forgot about but fell in love with all over again, Banzai Run. Good times!

The drive: Easy.

The weather: Warm.

Overall, great trip. It's always better when I win, but whatcha gonna do?

The Vegas trip was part of not only a vacation from work but a vacation from childcare duties, since Katie and The Girlfriend went camping for four days. This meant that I got to spend Saturday kicking my house's ass, and whipping it into shape. Cleaned the kitchen like mad, then tackled the bedroom (desk and other surfaces, mostly, which had acquired a fair amount of stuff). Lookin' good.

So, back at work today. Lots to catch up on. Have a great one!

Vegas!

Hello from Vegas! Happy birthday to Eric yesterday!

Picture of the day!

The longview of my room. Click for a bigger picture, and to see the other pics I took.

I wrote this last night:

-----

So it's a little after 1am, I'm done gambling for the night (fuckin' craps giveth, and taketh away), and my internet connection is weak via wireless and broken via ethernet. Being a classy hotel and being Vegas, I've got repair crews on it.

Speaking of classy, holy fuck.

I was expecting a nice room, but this thing is crazy. First off, they upgraded me from the regular suite to the 1 bedroom. It's huge - 950 square feet, says the website - and it's better than many people's apartments I've been in. Large living room, 2+ baths (the bedroom's bathroom has a whirlpool tub and shower), balcony, kitchenette with sink, stove, oven, microwave, full-sized fridge, toaster, blender, and a full set of dishes, glasses, and silverware. There's even measuring cups, and a cutting board, plus dishwashing stuff under the sink.

Leaving the kitchen, the aforementioned bathrooms are awesome. The one off the living room has a shower, the "master" has a shower, jazuzzi tub, separate toilet room, seating area, and television. It's also HUGE.

Speaking of TVs, there are two flatscreens - one in the living room (with attached DVD player), and one that magically rises out of the desk in the bedroom. The bedroom's also got two closets, two large windows, and a radio/iPod connector.

I'm not used to this kinda thing. But it's awesome. I'm predicting less gambling because I'm hanging out in my awesome room. I might go get cookie dough just so can I say I made cookies in my hotel room.

-----

Now it's Monday afternoon, I'm only down a little bit for an evening of gambling, and I'm about to go play pinball for a few hours. Life is good.

Happy Weekending, Cupcakes, Michael Vick and Meat, Vacation, Friday

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

Laughlin, not Vegas. Same state and same purpose, anyway. And yes, that's a cash out for $0.01. Big winner!

Vacation starts tonight. The ladies will be on their way, and I have the place to myself (probably only the 4th or 5th time since Katie's been born - usually if they're traveling, I'm traveling). Yay sleep, and few, if any, real responsibilities.

I was complaining yesterday about not having anything new to talk about, and boom, here comes Michael Vick. I angered some friends yesterday when I said:

"I wonder how many people are bitching about Vick being signed while they happily chow down on meat from abused, factory-farmed animals."

Yes, there's a vast difference between abusing animals for sport and eating meat. But I think very few people realize (or care?) that the vast majority of animals we eat are treated as bad or worse than fighting dogs - small cages, crowded and unsanitary conditions, and painful deaths. This abuse of animals is so institutionalized that it becomes normal, and because meat animals generally aren't pets, we give dogs much more attention when they're treated the same way. Do I think you're a bad person for eating meat? No. But I think if everyone took the time to look at how their meat animals were treated, we might all have a little more compassion.

In other news, I still have cupcakes, so if you're local and stuff, come have one.

Happy weekending, friends. I may or may not post on Monday and Tuesday, so if not, seeya Wednesday!

Good Day, Google Maps, Bacardi, Cupcakes and Miracle Berries, Stereotypes, Busy, Thursday

Happy Thursday to you!

Picture of the day!

Snowy desert, about 20 miles from the Nevada border. I'm coming to realize that my Vegas pictures feature very little Vegas...

Busy day at work today, hence my late start at blog posting. I also have a feeling you're all bored with weather and vegas talk, so I actually need to write about something new and different...

Stereotype question here: while liberals tend to get absurdly passionate about their issues sometimes, rarely do they resort to violence or threats of violence, and typically the most passionate issues are related to human rights. Conservatives, it seems, don't have the same issues with resorting to violence, if recent health care protests are any indication. Conservatives also seem to fight, more often, AGAINST civil rights, unless the "right" in question is "the right to keep money at any cost". Examples/counterexamples?

I made cupcakes, and there are a still a few left. Come find me if you'd like one. Same goes for miracle berries, cause those things should really be shared.

Why does the Bacardi logo remind me so much of the Meat Loaf album covers?

I love Google Maps, but it really, really needs city, county and zip code lines available as an overlay. You'd think that'd be pretty standard though, right?

Have a great day, readers!

Happy Hump Day, Blond Goatee, Vegas!, June Gloom, Skipped the Gym, Roxanne's Birthday

Good day, and happy birthday to Roxanne today!

Picture of the day!

Jesus in Primm.

Skipped the gym, but walked my 1.4 miles today. Feeling pretty good about that.

Man, this June Gloom in August is fantastic. Cool, cloudy mornings, days that don't get above 80 - top shelf weather.

Between a slow start to the work week and general anticipation, I've got Vegas on the mind. Vegas!

Shaved the beard but kept the now fresh-looking goatee. It's so blond it barely stands out. I look like I'm 24 again.

Happy hump day to all of you - I hope all is well!

Awesome, Republicans, Vegas Weather, Penn and Teller, Cakes, Birthday

Happy Tuesday! Happy Birthday to Rachanee today!

Picture of the day!

Clouds at the Cajon Pass, coming home from Vegas in 2006.

Two food items I currently have in my possession here in the office: rice cakes, and cupcakes.

Considering seeing Penn and Teller in Vegas this weekend. Anyone seen their show? Generally I like them, but wondering if it's worth the money.

Speaking of Vegas, it's supposed to be sunny, clear, and "only" in the 90s there during my trip. Considering it got up to 119 last time I stayed there, I think I'm doing pretty well.

So, all these astroturfed town hall meetings lately, where idiots are yelling down congressmen and senators? Yeah, I'm not surprised. Also not surprised that large corporate sponsors, funded by Republican interests, are the people creating these "grassroots" style sites. Sadly, it also doesn't surprise me how much more concerned about their own interested conservatives tend to be. While liberals sometimes consider the people before the process/cost, I think that's much more morally sound than thinking first about the money, then lying/misrepresenting/threatening anyone who thinks different.

I hope your day is awesome. Thanks for reading!

What's Going On, Vegas Plans, Ren Faire, Haircut, Conservative Car, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Vegas week! Here's the aftermath of the "Vegas Soda Accident" - read more (and see more pics) here.

On the way to work, saw a dude with the following bumper stickers:

"Don't blame me, I voted for Palin"
"Conservative in Exile"
"TEA: Taxed Enough Already!"
US Marines emblem
Rainbow flag with the "no" circle/slash on top of it.

I LOLed, then felt sorry for him. He also had a disabled plate, and I'd bet good money he's getting government assistance (like Medicare). It must be hard to live with that much stupid trapped in your brain.

Cloudy and cool today. Ran late this morning, so got my haircut instead of doing the gym. But I did a lot this weekend, so I'm feeling fine.

Speaking of this weekend: Celebrated the births of Luke and Jack on Saturday, then did the Irvine Ren Faire on Sunday. I was a little disappointed with it - it's like going to a church carnival when you're expecting Disneyland (or at least Knott's) - fun stuff, but way smaller than the Irwindale event every Spring. We still had a good time (especially after we found the "rest" of the event that was hiding).

Still not firm on my Vegas plans - might leave Saturday, might not go until Sunday (hotel plans are current set for a Sunday arrival). It's kinda neat that my plans can be this fluid, though.

What's going on, friends?

Great Weekend, Checkbook, OC Atheists, Irvine Ren Faire, Friday

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

A grassy area outside the San Mateo County fairgrounds. You can't tell in the pic, but there's a big indentation there, very strange. I like the way the colors came out on this picture, too.

Happy for the weekend. Kid's birthday party tomorrow (and some Farmers Market in the morning), and the World Renaissance Faire in Irvine Sunday. Good times.

OC Atheists meet next week. I'll bug you more later.

So, my checkbook is missing. I have no idea where it is. Part of me says it must be in the house somewhere, because there's no reason it wouldn't be. The other part of me is wondering if it wandered off with someone. But no new checks have been written, so there's that. Just let me know if you see it.

That's it for this week. Have a great weekend!

Happy Thursday, Vegetarian Vegas, Weather, Walk, Twitter, Good Day

Good day to you!

Picture of the day!

One of my carrot cupcakes from earlier this year.

So apparently twitter went down for a while this morning due to a DDoS attack. Don't get me wrong - I love Twitter - but it's down enough on its own that I had no idea something else was wrong.

Didn't get to the gym, but I walked a little over a mile and a half to the bank. Better than nothing.

The weather's supposed to cool down again for a few days, which will be a nice change, especially since we have a busy weekend. It was also approaching the "too hot to sleep" category lately, which totally sucks.

Any recommendations for vegan and vegetarian eats in Vegas? I know some buffets are good, and I know most good restaurants can make something special for you, but other than donuts, are there are good places already out there?

Happy Thursday!

Comments, Violent Dusting, Gym, Beer!, Tire Nail, Hump

Happy Hump Day!

Picture of the day!

Dirty Santa pouring himself a drink.

Driving back from taking the kid to daycare, my car began to sound like it had a baseball card in its spokes. It was still driving alright, so I took it home to discover a rather large nail and washer lodged in good. I took it in to the folks at Tustin Goodyear, and either because they're nice or because I got those tires there 2 years ago, they fixed it, for free, in about 20 minutes. Classy!

Beer tasting was awesome last night - got to try 15 beers from the Craft Brewers Alliance - Widmer, Red Hook, Kona Brewing, and Goose Island Beer Company. It was supposed to be 13 beers, but they fancy and decided to get us all ripped. This lead to strange beer dreams, but if there was a hangover, it's gone now. 14 of the beers were good, but the last one, the Bourbon County Stout From Goose Island, was pretty hardcore thick and syrupy. All in all, good times!

Hit the gym again this morning. Feelin' fine.

I came in to work to find my desk had been violently dusted again - things moved all over the place. What the hell?

I didn't get the comments I was looking for - leave comments to say hello! Happy Wednesday!

Leave a Comment, Gym, Beer, Funky Clouds, Tuesday

A very good Tuesday to you!

Picture of the day!

A spider that made itself at home in a camping chair. The nest was pretty deep - it was creepy and awesome.

Funky clouds out there, but they're going away. There was actually a pretty bitchin' sunrise this morning (what I could see of it from bed).

Beer tonight! We're going to BJ's in Brea for their monthly beer tasting. We haven't been in quite a while.

Hit the gym this morning, but I wanted to take it a little easier to make sure yesterday's workout didn't bite me in the ass (my worst muscle soreness from working out starts about 30 hours afterward. Weird.) Feelin' pretty good right now, though.

Comments have been slow in coming lately, folks, so it's your turn to say hello and entertain me - leave a comment! If you're reading this from a feed, click through to insignifica.org. Have a great day!

Have a Great One, Geeeekmobile, Gym, Beer, House, Weird, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Halloween 2006.

Weird dreams last night, weird clouds this morning. I haven't decided if this is good or bad, but it's weird.

Good, busy weekend - got a lot of stuff done around the house, including cleaning out my closet and taking a bunch of e-waste (3 old computers and a box full of components) to be reused/recycled. Also got the living room cleaned on Saturday, and the Girlfriend did some hardcore work on the shower.

Beer tomorrow. Beer good.

Worked out today - I got back to the gym for the first time in a few weeks. We'll see if I'm sore tomorrow. I'm aiming to get there 5 days a week for a while. We'll see.

The Geeeekmobile is back in action, and one side of it is very shiny and new looking. The other side still has its dings, but overall the car looks great. Also cool: They buffed off my bumper sticker residue on the otherwise undamaged back bumper. Classy folks at Top Finish in Santa Ana! Bonus! Just as I finished typing that, they called to see if everything was still good with the repairs. Double classy!

Have a great one!