Insignifica

Question of the Day, Google Wave, Praying, Chest Cold, Atheist, Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Jenn and Marek, happy couple.

Today's my last work day this week - I get to go be an Atheist all weekend. Dunno if I'll be posting tomorrow or Friday. But you'll be OK, I'm sure.

The on-again, off-again chest cold is on again - I'm not tired or otherwise "sick" feeling, but man, is my chest heavy and congested. Godly people: Why does God like viruses so much?

Speaking of God, I always find it strange when people call on friends to pray for victims of natural disasters. I know they're just being nice, but really. Aren't you praying to the same God that sent the disaster in the first place?

Can someone explain to me exactly what Google Wave is, why I should want it, and why the internets are teeming with people who can't wait for an invite? I've looked at the site and really don't grep it.

That's all for today, but I leave you with a question of the day: How long since we've seen each other?

Cheers, Jon+Kate+Litter, Heroes, Plagues, Techy, Caffeine, Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

Halloween dye job, 2008. I look like a cast member of The Simpsons.

Man, I'm having a hard time getting started today. Part of that might be due to my irrational 3-year-old crawling into bed at 1am instead of her usual (if it happens) 4 or 5am. Caffeine to the rescue. Update: Today is National Coffee Day? Timely.

I'm feeling all techy, and want to do some sort of project - I just don't know what. I might try to combine it with Halloween, but I'm so far uninspired.

The family seems to be recovering from their various plagues, and I'm hoping that I've already had what they're getting better from.

I'm enjoying Heroes this season. It's nice to have a familiar sci-fi drama on TV again.

I don't watch Jon or Kate or their litter of children, but I can only imagine Jon's actions that got him kicked off the show were 100% totally on purpose with that goal in mind.

Time to get to work. Cheers!

Finds You Well, Atheist Conventions, Fall, Productive Weekend, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Katie presents: nature.

Very productive weekend, even with the lingering plague status of my household. Yesterday The Girlfriend and Katie went out with family, so I kicked the house's ass, and left it confused. I reorganized the kitchen and some shelving in there, cleaned off the top of the fridge, took apart and cleaned the toaster and toaster oven, and generally straightened up. Then I took to the backyard, pruning the bougainvillea and dismantling the -zebo part of the barzebo. Suddenly I have a big backyard again. It's dangerous to leave me alone.

It seems fall has begun to show itself around here - yesterday was darn near pleasant instead of annoyingly hot. We also had some fog off and on this weekend, and cool evenings. I'm ready.

There's a big atheist convention I'm working this weekend, so it's a three-day week for me. That's pretty cool, though it makes my days leading up to it kinda busy. Also, a note for atheist conventions (especially those with cool speakers): WHY THE HELL ARE YOUR TICKETS SO EXPENSIVE? There's a lot of wealth in atheist circles, but still, for the bulk of us, the $270 for AAI and $600+ for TAM are absurd and prohibitive.

I hope the day finds you well. Have a great one!

Enjoy Your Friday, Inboxes, Old Photos, Skid Row, Katie's Fine, Friday

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

Japanese Garden at the Huntington, 2003.

Back at work. Katie's looking just fine, and acting totally normal.

A quick Youtube search reveals that metal band Skid Row was as awesome as I remember.

Speaking of the past, I need to find and scan old photos - If you believe Flickr, the visual record of my life begins in 2003.

On Fridays, I like to clear out my home and work email inboxes, because I use both as "To-do" lists. The goal is lofty this week, but possible.

Nothing political on the brain for everyone to rant about today, so you'll just have to enjoy your Friday. Seeya on Monday, folks!

Short Thursday Update

Good day!

Picture of the day!

Sequoia.

Short update. I'm tired - Katie was up all night not keeping any food down, so we took her to the ER. She's fine, but we're a very underslept family. In case it happens again, we finally managed to get a prescription for Zofran, which is friggin' amazing.

Here's hoping for a normal rest of the day, tomorrow, and weekend! Happy Thursday, everyone!

Lunchtime, Baseball, Hot Winds, 90%, Halloween, Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Uncle Batman, angry at Beetlejuice.

I had a great inspiration for a Halloween costume, but I'm not sure where I can get a faux fur coat and matching suit. Not to mention it'd be really, really warm...

Feelin' around 90% today, though Katie and I both woke up sniffly. That's since gone away for me, so it could be some sort of seasonal weather change.

Speaking of such things, we've been having a "heat wave", in quotes because it hasn't been hot. Today, though, we started getting very warm winds coming through, so that could be it.

I'm going to a baseball game this weekend for the first time in about 3 1/2 years. I honestly don't remember the last one I went to.

Just realized it's lunchtime. Make it a good one!

What's Happenin', Better, Hungry, Firefox, Heroes, Equinox Birthday

Happy Equinox! Happy birthday to Thomas!

Picture of the day!

Little Katie, chowing down.

Watched Heroes last night. Very entertained. Let's hope season 4 is awesome.

In the new versions of Firefox (I'm using 3.5.3), there's a weird bug that occurs when I start typing an address, hit return, then hit ESC to stop the page load. It'll let me start typing something else (and go to that page), but it'll then finish the earlier operation and take me to the page I stopped. This is especially annoying when I make a typo - I'll be at the correct page then firefox will load the wrong one (or a 404, or a search screen, etc). Just thought I'd share that.

Yesterday I really wasn't hungry at all, but had a very productive day. Today's looking equally productive, but I can't stop eating. Weirdo metabolism.

Feeling better still today - not "workout" better, but better. Might go for a long walk tomorrow morning.

What's happenin'?

What's Going On, Beard, RIP Camera, Homemade Pesto and Ricotta, Banana Cream Pie, 75%, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Sunset at John Wayne Airport. Shot with my camera phone.

I'm back at work, and running at about 75%. I don't feel particularly bad, but I'm easily winded, my throat's a little raw, and I'd really rather just be relaxing at home. Still better than last week, though.

Made a fantastic no-bake banana cream pie this weekend - fresh bananas, instant vanilla pudding, quick graham cracker crust, and homemade whipped cream. Sometimes simple is awesome.

Speaking of food, we made pesto from scratch last night (with basil from my garden), combined it with some sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms and homemade ricotta, and served it over ravioli. Also awesome.

In an attempt to fix my old camera, I ritually destroyed it. It served me well for many years, but was getting old (I bought it with Wheel of Fortune winnings), it was large and clunky, and it wasn't particularly convenient. Time to find a new one.

Oh, the beard is gone. I had taken all I could stands, and I couldn't stands no more. Sorry Billy Mays, you won't be my Halloween costume this year.

What's going on, my readers? What's new in your lives?

Great Weekend, Miracle Berries, Sick and Camera, Friday

Friday!

Picture of the day!

I came home for lunch last week and found my hose sucked in like this when water had been turned off in my neighborhood. I'm still wondering why pressure was reversed in the water lines.

Home sick today, so I'll keep it short. I'm feeling a little better than yesterday, but I'm still under the weather. That said, I did manage to get to the store to buy some screwdrivers and attempt to fix my broken camera. My camera is now more broken, and likely unfixable, though I don't know if anyone could have fixed it, so there's that.

I also bought some planting stuff, and I'm going to try to grow my own miracle berries. I don't have high hopes, but you never know.

I hope y'all have a great weekend!

Wednesday, Parties, Halloween Costume, Computers, Sick, Marek's Birthday

Happy Birthday to Marek today!

Picture of the day!

Marek and beer.

Working at home again, since this does appear to be some sort of chest cold. I don't feel particularly weak or "sick", and I'm not congested, but I can tell something is afoot.

Both my work and home computers seem to be acting funny, but I know it's not virus-related. I'm betting on ghosts, or weasels.

So I'm growing a beard for Halloween, but I'm having second thoughts about the costume. This one has some great points: Comfortable, recognizable, in-theme, funny, and no makeup. The issues, however, include having to grow this damn beard, not being a good "host" costume, and perhaps being too easy. I'm not giving up on it yet, but I'm looking for something awesome, classy, and creative.

Speaking of parties, I've been feeling like too much of an old man lately. We need to get out there and party it up. I realized I'm really missing going out to dinner and just sitting and socializing. Let's do it.

What's up with you, my friends? Have a great Wednesday!

Not Much, OC Atheists, Stand Mixer, Working At Home, Wednesday

Good day! Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Jesus Christ!

Working at home this morning - I might be coming down with whatever it is that Katie had this week.

I got a new stand mixer, and I'm looking forward to taking it for a spin. It's fancy. Who wants cookies?

Good OC Atheists meeting last night. Always nice to see what else is happening in the atheist world that I miss. Some crazy stuff out there. Everyone should be going to their city council meetings...

Not much else going on. Tell me what's going on with you!

Have a Great One, Hand-Held Computer, Cupcake Thief, Atheists, Beard, Workout, Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

Justice. Coming soon.

Ran a mile this morning, and walked another. It's warm, but I'm feelin' fine. Somewhat related, I'm wearing shorts at work today. Very happy about that.

Bearded. I'm going to grow until Halloween unless I come up with a different costume. That said, It need some trimmin' love. I'm starting to look homeless.

Orange County Atheists meet tonight. Come hang out!.

Someone came in here last night and ate 6 cupcakes from the stash I brought in to share. While I'm glad they're getting eaten, WTF? The person who ate them didn't know they were there to be shared.

I'd love a hand-held computer, maybe 2-4 times the size of an iPhone (or Kindle-sized), fully contained but with several USB ports and wi-fi. Not a mini netbook or laptop-looking thing, but more of a small tablet. Does it exist?

That's it for today. Have a great one!

Good Day, Web Development, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Weather, Fever, Beard, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

I looked in the mirror Saturday and thought to myself "I look like a gruff sci-fi writer", so I took a picture.

In case you can't tell, I'm rockin' the beard right now, and will be for the next 6 or so weeks. Ah, Halloween...

Long weekend. Katie has been in good spirits but had a fever Saturday night, so she was tossing and turning quite a bit. It's also been a war of wills to get her to take Tylenol - she's adamantly against it, because it's "yucky" (it doesn't taste bad at all, in my opinion, but I've been taking medicine for quite a bit longer than she has).

From being almost too hot to sleep last week, it was darn near chilly yesterday, with a nice breeze, fog, and cool temps. In grand September tradition, however, it'll be hot again later in the week.

Totally craving a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. Those things are delicious.

When I'm working through problems (or attempted additions) on my websites, it's nice to know I can usually solve them, if solvable. I like web development, I just don't want to be a web developer...

I hope y'all are having a good day!

Weekend, Stiff and Sore, 1.4, Vegan Pancakes, Water, Friday

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

Katie, getting ready to go shopping.

I came home from lunch yesterday to find my water had been turned off. Odder still, my hose (which is always "on" and has a spray nozzle on the front) looked like it had been sucked dry from the spigot - it was empty and collapsed upon itself. Water was off for us (and the whole complex) until 9:30pm. You don't realize how often you turn the water on for little things until it's off. Also, nothing brings a community together like a shared inconvenience. All sorts of folks were outside talking about it yesterday, when usually people stick to their own houses.

Made pancakes last night with Ener-G egg replacer, and it turned out great. Next I'm gonna try it with soy milk instead of regular, and see if I can make a decent vegan pancake.

Ran and walked 1.4 miles today. Couldn't see myself going to the gym, so I took the gym outside.

On a possibly related note, I feel fine most of the day, but go to sleep and wake up very stiff and sore, as if I've been working out hard. But my workouts aren't any different then they have been, and I'm fine once I'm up and out of bed. Strange.

Looking forward to the week - hope you are too. Have a great one!

Good Day, Restaurant.com, Short Weeks, Ranty, Child Labor, Classy Republicans, Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

My TV, via my clean, medium-sized bowl.

All sorts of wacky political news about wacky Republicans. First, local Assemblyman Mike Duvall resigned yesterday after being caught on tape explicitly bragging about two different extra-marital affairs he was carrying on. Today, he's saying he was just making shit up. Sure you were. Then, during Obama's health care address to Congress, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-South Carolina, yelled out "You lie!" as the President was discussing illegal immigration. Non-vocal expressions are expected, but open heckling earned Wilson a stern talking to from the grown-ups in the GOP. Stay classy, Republicans!

A report came out this week detailing countries that use child labor, specifically related to products that end up in the US. The challenge for myself is to monitor where my raw goods (sugar, coffee, chocolate) come from. This is one issue where I'm surprised my liberal/progressive compatriots don't work harder. If you're interested, check out my take on boycotting China.

In case you couldn't tell, I'm feeling ranty today.

In non-ranty news, I love the week after a Monday holiday - it's so short! It's already Thursday!

I'm not usually one to sell you on a website that sells stuff, but check out Restaurant.com - they sell discounted gift certificates, and often have specials. I got 3 $25 certificates to local places for $3 yesterday. The only catch is they're usually not valid during very busy times, and you may have to spend $35 to use the $25 certificate. But it's a pretty awesome deal.

Good day, my friends. Until tomorrow.

Have a Great Day, 101010, Dead Celebrities, Halloween, Cooking, Foggy, Hump

Happy Hump Day!

Picture of the day!

A sign near my house. I'm not sure why I'm so entertained by the "Effective May 1986" part.

Related: I find it difficult to type "part" - I always want to add a "y" at the end.

Foggy morning. Happy morning.

I did some kitchen experimenting this weekend. First off, a new batch of marshmallow cream from scratch. I wasn't sure how it'd turn out, but even after some sugar/beater mishaps, the batch is light, fluffy, and delicious. Attempting to make Krispie Treats with it, however, was a failure - it's too moist, especially compared to regular marshmallows (and to jarred cream). The Treats were soggy and stale tasting. Oh well.

I've got to get my Halloween planning in high gear - other people are starting to get invitations out. There are still unanswered questions, but enough foundation is in place to get started.

On the topic of Halloween, doing a Google image search for "dead celebrities" brings up an awful lot of Patrick Swayze. Creepy.

Everyone's very excited about all the 9s in today's date. I can't get that worked up. We still have October 10 next year, and that'll look cooler, plus it's "42" in binary.

Have a great day, friends!

What's Happening, Need Phone Badly, Slinky USA, Weekend Weather, Holiday, Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

A bunch of people at a game night last year.

Back at work. Good, relaxing weekend with family and friends. My party was apparently too short notice, but we had beer and sausages anyway.

Great, cooler weather all weekend - a very nice change from the heat. I'm not really ready for winter, but I'm ready for more of what we've had in the last couple days.

While I often have trouble shopping for toys (they're largely made in China), there's a "Made in the USA" box of stuff at Target that includes Silly Putty and a Slinky. They also had the Slinkies by themselves, and I couldn't pass one up, especially for the low, low price of $3.

Really need a new cell phone. Really.

That's all today. what's happening?

Labor Day Weekending, Kirk Tattoos, Sleeping, Small Beetles, Jesus, Cooler, Emily's Birthday Tomorrow

Happy Friday! Happy birthday to Emily tomorrow!

Picture of the day!

Katie and me in January. This reminded me that she really needs a haircut.

It finally feels a bit cooler out there, and this weekend is supposed to get cooler (well, seasonal) for real. I'm excited about the prospect of only running the AC for a couple hours in the middle of the day.

Jesus has made it to San Jose, and will soon be on His way to India with my friend Teresa. I'm very excited about his first visit to somewhere totally new! This marks the third continent he's visited.

The problem with finding one small, unusual beetle crawling on your arm is that you don't know how many more there may be.

I don't feel tired, but I'm getting songs stuck in my head as if I were. I've been sleeping weird lately, but pretty regularly.

For a long time, I wanted to get this as a tattoo. Lately, though, I'm thinking this may be more appropriate, if less recognizable.

That's all! Happy Labor Day weekending, my friends. No guilt about honoring anyone but yourself. Have a great one!

That's Thursday, Rice Cakes, Weekend, International Street Fair, Warm, Thursday Birthdays

Happy Thursday, and happy first birthdays to Sam and Andrew!

Picture of the day!

The Girlfriend in the pool, three years ago today.

Warm and muggy again, though I think the humidity's dropping some. Forcasts call for cooling. We'll see if they mean it this time.

To follow up on yesterday's note about Downtown Orange - this weekend is the city's annual International Street Fair. Fun, sure, if you enjoy hanging out with 100,000+ people on crowded streets in the heat. We tried it once, and it was absurdly impacted. I like the idea, but not the execution.

That said, we are looking or something to do this weekend. Any plans? Any interesting, fun, family-friendly happenings?

Is it weird that I really like rice cakes? They're a fine, fine snack.

That's Thursday - I got a lot of work to do. Have a great one!

Haha, Labor Day, Cooler, Work, Birthdays

Happy Wednesday! Happy birthday to DeeDee and Cynthia today!

Picture of the day!

A great picture of Katie and her mom at Disneyland this week.

Working at home this morning, and going in this afternoon for a long training. I've also had more work to do before 11 than I have all day sometimes. Yikes.

It's a bit cooler and I can't see any huge plumes of smoke - if I didn't know better, I'd say it was a pretty normal early September day in southern California. I think it's just so hazy in general that viability is less than 30 miles...

I don't think I have any labor day plans, other than to stay the hell out of downtown Orange.

Haha! I just realized it's nearly 6pm, and I haven't posted today. Oh well, here you go. Happy hump day, friends!

Tuesday, TV Mount USA, Lego Store, September, Sore Throat, Rain, Hello!

Hello!

Picture of the day!

Katie in Sequoia. Click for maximum cuteness.

Rained for like 5 minutes this morning. A large low pressure system in the gulf of Alaska is pulling up moisture, making our hot day into a hot and muggy day. Joy. Weirdo late-Summer weather.

I have a bit of a sore throat, but I don't think (well, I hope) it's illness related. Weirdo late-Summer illnesses.

Surprised it's September already - August flew by. Such is life.

Went to the Lego store in Downtown Disney yesterday. Man, I love that place. I wish their novelty stuff (the cookie cutters, storage boxes, postage scales, etc) weren't made in China, but the bricks themselves are usually fine.

Speaking of China, I actually found a manufacturer of TV wall mounts that's headquartered, and does all its manufacturing, in Corona (about 15 miles from me). I'm excited at the prospect of spending more on mounting my television than I spent on the television itself...

Have a great Tuesday, my friends!