Insignifica

Since I'm Here, Halloweening, Insurance, Friday

Happy Friday!

Picture of the day!

The Girlfriend and me, last Halloween.

You know, it sucks when the car insurance people don't get your payment, and instead of calling to let you know, they just let your policy expire. That's great.

The above snafu has delayed my day, but I'll drop off the kid at daycare in a few and be on my way - to my allergist appointment. Then I can get some Halloweening done for real.

Since I'm here anyway, I'll take the opportunity to wish you a happy Halloween - it's the greatest holiday of the year - enjoy it! Also: What are you dressing up as? The world needs to know!

Off Tomorrow, No Suit, Cold, Katie, Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Joe and Katie, Halloween 2002.

Busy day already, and it's early. Katie seems to be feeling pretty good, though she's definitely still got a cold. She did sleep through the night relatively cough-free, though, which is a huge improvement.

Speaking of cold, wow - it's chilly out there. Mid 40s, which for those of us in socal, especially with 80 degree days earlier this week, seems pretty darn frigid.

Still no white suit - the beta plan is in effect. For that, I need some specific large plastic animals. Wish me luck.

Gotta get this day going - I'm off tomorrow, so you might or might not get a post from me. If not, Happy Halloween!

Anything Interesting, Vegan Vegas, Costume Considerations, Feelin' Fine, Wonderful Weather Wednesday

Happy Wednesday!

Picture of the day!

Twins. Really.

It's a beautiful southern California autumn day out there - cool, very dry, breezy, and clear.

I'm feelin' pretty good considering I had a 3-year-old kick and cough at me all night. She's actually doing pretty well too, it seems, with a lingering cough her worst symptom. I'm about the same as yesterday - feeling a little congested in the chest, but otherwise fine.

Sorta considering my number two costume, which would be easier to find and wear, is funny, and wouldn't require much more work. I think lunchtime today (and a trip to the toy store) may help me decide. It's less original, but great nonetheless.

Apparently the Las Vegas Hilton's coffee shop (all vegas hotels have a 24-hour generic coffee shop restaurant) now has a separate vegan menu. It's hard enough eating vegetarian in Las Vegas - this is pretty fuckin' amazing right there.

Anything interesting happening out there, friends? Cause that's all I got today.

What's Happening, Clocks, Dreary, Katie, Tuesday

Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

The Girlfriend and me, Halloween 2006. Easily my favoritist costume in a long time.

Katie had a near-normal day yesterday, but a restless, coughy night last night, so we'll see how she's doing today. I suspect she'll be mostly fine, and I'm hoping I already have what she's got, and am getting over it too.

It's kinda dreary out today. I haven't kept up with what the weather holds for this weekend, but cooler is definitely better than hotter, and I think that's the direction we're headed. Sorry not-very-dressed ladies, but this host has a suit to wear.

Wow, we change the clocks back an hour this weekend - that means if my party is so awesome it goes until 2am, we get an extra hour of partying.

What's happening?

What's Going On, Geocities, China, White Suit, Sick Week, Angels, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Me and Chris, Halloween 2005.

Well, the Angels are done. Very good season, and not a bad showing against the Yankees. I'm just hoping they lose in the World Series -- I'm not a fan of their (and their fan's) sense of entitlement. I'm not sure if that's petty or not. Probably.

Katie's got a bad cold and fever (though she's much better today), so I'm hoping I've already had it - I gots me some Halloweening to do this weekend.

Speaking of, I still need a white suit (46-48R in a coat) for Halloween. I decided I can't buy new stuff from China (even one-off) for something like Halloween, so I'm taking out all the stops. We'll see what I find.

Speaking of China, there are some things you just can't find not made there - certain sizes of light bulbs, for example. It's rather frustrating. Overall, however, I'm surprised how well we CAN do without going to China or other third-world countries.

Geocities is being shut down today, forever. Goodbye, first easy place for most people to post their crap online...

What's going on readers?

Sassytime, Angels, Fog, Halloween 2001, Marcia's Birthday

Happy Friday, and Happy Birthday Marcia today!

Picture of the day!

Chris, Halloween 2002. Well, setup for Halloween 2002. I don't have any Halloween pictures of Marcia.

A quick aside: The only Halloween party in the Socal era that Marcia came to was my 2001 event, also known as "The Halloween ruined by Osama Bin Laden" - we rented the clubhouse, got a bunch of booze and decorations, and then 10 people showed up, out of an invited 40-50. Big hall + small crowd = boring party. I have no idea if anyone has any pics of it - I don't.

Anyway, back to today! It's another beautiful Fall day out there - I woke up to fog, and while it was foggy at my house, by the time I got to the 22 freeway (less than a mile north), it was clear. By Chapman, you couldn't tell there was ever fog around. By the time I got home from dropping off the kidlet at daycare, even my house was totally clear.

Good win by the Angels last night - they've made every game unfortunately exciting. I yelled at the TV several times.

I've chosen today to be sassy. I tend to run on the north side of of the "boring/shocking" border, but today seems like a good day to amp it up. Fuck yea, etc. Happy Weekending, and keep it awesome!

Beautiful Day, Cheezy Snacks, Eating Better, Flickr Tagging, Contradictory, Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Adam as a New Jersey resident, Halloween 2004.

It's weird when I think a week is passing by slowly, only to realize I'm surprised it's already Thursday. Sometimes, completely contradictory ideas can exist in my brain at the same time. I have hope in the Republican party yet!

Flickr has added Facebook-style photo tagging to images - very cool, except I've spent the last few years individually tagging my own photos. Hopefully their Organizr is smart enough to let me filter by my own tags and add people in bulk. I'll play around with it soon.

My new-found heartburn has inspired me to eat better, at least in the short term. It may be the push I need to drop a few more pounds. While I feel like I haven't been working hard enough, my overall weight loss graph for the last few years is steadily downhill. Not bad.

On that note, I've been craving Doritos and Cheez-its lately - partially because I can't buy them (cheese), and partially because eating better means fewer fatty snacks. But man, don't those sounds good?

It's another beautiful day here in Southern California. I hope it's as nice where you are. Have a great one!

Keepin' it Short, Halloween Props, Delicious Foods, Angels, Hump

Happy Hump Day!

Picture of the day!

Jesus H Me!

Another beautiful day out there, though the Angels tried their best to bring a funk down on all their fans yesterday. 10-1? Seriously? That's crazy. Also, umpires: stop being stupid.

I'm starting to think I can't eat like I used to - even small doses of delicious fatty foods give me heartburn, and large doses set me out for the night. This is a most disturbing development.

Got some Halloween Home Depot shopping done today - hoping to finally have a good, working version of a prop I've been toying with for years. Also, if anyone has a pump for a medium-sized fountain that they're using, I'd like to make an offer.

Keepin' it short today. Have a great one!

Awesome, No God, Halloween, Exercise, D&D, Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

Katie and her devil mamma on Halloween, 2006.

I'm finding that running a D&D game online, specifically editing maps after every turn, is time intensive. I think there's a few ways to streamline the process - I hope so, as I'm enjoying everything but that.

I was all set to go back to the gym today, but between running late and feeling a bit blah, I skipped it and walked around the neighborhood instead. Works for me - the gym ain't going anywhere.

Is Halloween really in 11 days? Holy Christ. Gotta get going!

Also, for those of you who follow such things, "No God" is a trending topic on twitter, but not because twitter's full of unholy heathens. A bunch of folks were retweeting "Know God, Know Peace. No God, No Peace" which, while clever linguistically in English, really isn't particularly biblical.

I hope your days are awesome. Rock on!

What's New, Easy Weekend, Angels, D&D, Halloween, Birthday

Happy Monday! Happy late birthday to Lisa!

Picture of the day!

Marek amused, Halloween 2006. Wait until he turns around...

Finally got the Halloween stuff out of the garage this weekend, and a few projects presented themselves. The costume idea is strong, but the acquisition of said costume is still pending.

My D&D game is finally up and running (I'm the DM this time - new role for me). It's exciting! Well, to me at least...

Angels would do well to win today. That is all.

This weekend was fairly laid back and easy - and it's the last one for a while. Friends in town this weekend, Halloween the next, and November begins all sorts of family birthdays, etc.

What's new, my friends?

Busy Weekends, Fried Eggs, Half Birthday, Balloonboy, Sunny, Birthdays

Friday! Happy Birthday Tolga and Niyaz today!

Picture of the day!

Tolga and Lisa, Halloween 2006.

It's very sunny today - not normal sunny, but like super extra sunny. There's also a haze rising from outside my window, like they're moving a lot of dirt in Tustin.

Count me in the camp that thinks the Heene family's balloon adventure yesterday was a publicity stunt.

Hey, today's my half-birthday. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person anywhere who cares, other than perhaps my mother.

There's nothing quite as awesome as a perfectly cooked fried egg. Now, getting them perfectly cooked every time is a pain and requires some alchemy and magic, but when they're good, they're really good.

No hard weekend plans, and that's good, because most every weekend for the rest of the year is busy. Have a great one!

That's It, Caffeine, October Weather, White Suit Halloween, OC Atheists, Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Mike and Colleen, Halloween 2005. A fine, fine party.

Great OC Atheists meeting last night - 35 or so people, lots of good discussion. I'm starting to think "atheist" as a blanket term isn't particularly useful - the range of viewpoints is surprising.

I've got two front-runner costumes for Halloween - one grandiose, one funnier and more gruesome. Both awesome, and both require a white suit. To the thrift stores!

As happens in October, we had rain yesterday, and a mini heat wave this weekend. At least no Santa Ana winds/fires/evil air, yet.

Weening myself off caffeine. Slowly but surely (don't want any side effects). There was a time it was an effective drug - waking me up when I wanted it to. It'd be cool to get back there.

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

With That, Beef Fat, Teresa's India Blog, Food, Atheists, Checkbook, Rainy, Wednesday

A very good Wednesday to you!

Picture of the day!

Great Caesar's Ghost! Eric, Halloween 2004.

It's rainy outside, but we don't seem to have gotten a huge amount of it. It's gray and wet without being miserable. I can dig it.

Anybody seen my checkbook?

OC Atheists meet tonight in Irvine - if you're of the atheist/freethinker persuasion or just curious, come by and meet some new folks!

No one told me one of the consequences of getting older is not being able to eat as oddly. Heartburn? What the hell? The worst part is that if you cut out the worst foods, they bite you harder when you have them occasionally. That's messed up right there.

If you're not reading Teresa's Gone Abroad blog about her travels in India, you really should be. There's a lot about everyday life (since she's temporarily living there, not just traveling) - my favorite lately is that there are informercials selling products to counteract the Evil Eye. Wow.

I've known for many years that Hostess and Dolly Madison products have beef fat, but the Go Eggless blog found out all sorts of fun stuff, like the beef fat is used "for taste" in the creamy filling, the gelatin is pork based and only in the squiggles, and even the frying medium there has some beef fat in it. Yikes.

With that, I leave you to your own Wednesdays. Have a great one!

White Tuxedo, Bare Fridge, Soda Water, Fall Beer, Feelin' Good, Busy, Tuesday

Happy Tuesday!

Picture of the day!

Pre-Halloween mohawk dance. I hope you're not tired of Halloween pictures yet, because you've got another 3 weeks of them to come.

You know it's gonna be a busy day at work when you don't even turn on your computer until you've been here an hour.

Feelin' good today. Got in some exercise before the rain (which judging by the look of the streets out my window, has begun). A little change of weather is refreshing.

Looking for a good fall beer, and I'm not opposed to something with a hint of pumpkin. Suggestions?

I'm starting to find all sodas, including diet, too sweet-tasting for my liking. This is causing me to drink more soda water (naturally calorie free) - but the soda water (and seltzer, and club soda) all cost more in cans than their soda counterparts (at least at Albertsons). That ain't right.

Speaking of shopping, I don't remember the last time our fridge was as bare as it is now. Mind you, it's probably still better-stocked than most people's, but we're out of a lot of basics. It's strange. Groceries tonight!

Speaking again of shopping, it's time to hit the thrift stores in search of a white tuxedo. Oh yeah. On that happy thought, Ta ta!

New and Exciting, Rainytime, Feelin', Instant Replay, Angels, Monday

Happy Monday!

Picture of the day!

Chris as Mario, Halloween 2002. Too many 1up mushrooms.

Wooo! The Angels handed the Boston Red Sox walking papers this weekend, ending any lingering thought that the Halos are "cursed" against Boston. I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to a seven-game series against the Yankees, but bring 'em on.

Speaking of baseball, fuck the "purity of the game" in regards to instant reply. There've been at least 3 blown calls in the ALDS and NLDS that have affected the outcome of the game, not to mention a missed hit batter call in the Twins-Tigers one-game playoff. If you want a "pure" game, give us one where the outcome of the game is based on the play on the field, not the split-second rulings from a bunch of old dudes.

Feelin' pretty good, though feelin' for my peeps who are still sick. This thing (or things) is a monster.

Looks like it's rainytime out there. I'm not totally against this. I'm really, really loving this cool weather.

What's new and exciting, my friends?

Fantastic Weekend, Inboxes, Anaheim White House, Weather, Bombed The Moon, Good Week, Gary's Birthday

Happy Friday! Happy birthday Sunday to Gary!

Picture of the day!

Chris and me, Halloween 2006. Easily one of my best costumes ever.

Pretty good week here. Feeling better, finally (I'd say I'm up to 90%, closing in on 95%), the Angels won a playoff game against Boston, and it's very nearly the weekend.

We bombed the moon today. Good times.

The weather here in southern California has been nothing short of perfect. Cool mornings, warm afternoons, beautiful sunsets, just enough clouds to keep it interesting, and nice nights, just this side of "brisk" (for us, at least). It's hard to say no to such awesomeness.

Anyone been to the Anaheim White House? It looks tasty and elegant for being in the middle of Anaheim.

I'm hoping to clear out both my personal and work inboxes today (which are effectively my to-do lists). I believe it can be done.

I hope you have a fantastic weekend, my friends and readers! Enjoy life!

Donut, Roomba, Getting Better, Geeky Day, Pumpkin, Thursday

Happy Thursday!

Picture of the day!

Jenn, Halloween 2005.

Fall is in the air. I bought a pumpkin yesterday that I'll open, de-seed, cook, blend, and make into a pie. Then I'll realize that it's far too much trouble, and canned pumpkin tastes better in pies anyway.

I had a very geeky afternoon and evening yesterday, filled with lots of D&D-related stuff and Audio/Visual projects. Time to read up on composite video overlay and impedance matching!

I just realized that I almost didn't put in an illness update because I didn't think about my illness. Getting better rules!

Ran my Roomba this morning, and the battery it came with (this is the replacement Roomba I got about 6 months ago) is dying. Right before my last Roomba went insane, I got it a new battery - but that newer battery isn't in the old, insane Roomba. Where the hell would I have put it otherwise?

That's all for today. I'll leave you with this: Doesn't a donut sound REALLY good right now?

Have A Great Day, Ice Cream, Halloween, Online Retailers, Illness, Hump Day

Happy Hump Day!

Picture of the day!

Reflection of my legs and feet in the grandfather clock. Kinda ghostly.

Man, this illness lingers. I'm thinking the flu has mostly passed, but something lingering in my lungs is giving me issues. Some of the day I'm feelin' great and just about totally normal. But others I feel like and old smoker who doesn't get enough oxygen. There is improvement every day, but it's up and down too.

I wish more retail websites would list where a product is made in their online item listing. I don't wanna buy from China, but sometimes it's impossible to find out where something is made. I'm looking at you, Amazon.com.

Halloween is starting to excite me - I have projects that need starting, though.

Made ice cream last night for the first time in months (my freezer is old and doesn't completely freeze my ice cream maker's bowl). Yesterday, though, everything was working so I made vanilla with caramel ribbons. I bet it doesn't suck.

Have a great day!

That's That, Halloween Costume, Fast Food Bible Verses, Hair, Jeebus, Better, Good Day

Good day to you!

Picture of the day!

Me. Mirror shot. Plastic fish.

Getting a little better every day, but the duration of this thing is pissing me off. I'd like to breathe again someday, and by extension, be able to work out, or even just exert myself.

I forgot to mention that while at the Atheist convention this weekend, I got a "Jesus" fish that says "Jeebus" instead. It's awesome.

Trimmed the goatee down to something respectable, and got a hair cut today. I was tired of looking like a homeless surfer. In an interesting twist, I'm starting to notice more and more gray hairs. I'm 31. Seriously.

Why do businesses put Bible chapter/verse notations on packaging? When I went to throw away the pizza box from Redbrick Pizza last week, on the bottom, in the corner, was "Deuteronomy 31:6" - not the whole verse, just the notation. If you're interested, it's pretty benign: "Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Maybe it's for their drivers? They're not alone in this: While I love In-n-Out, most of their packaging has verse notations too. But why?

I'm still at a loss for a good Halloween costume. This doesn't bode well. Though I've got some great ideas for the party - we'll see if they come together.

That's that. How's it going?

Work, Awesome, Fall, Reunion, Atheist Convention, Sick, Lindsey's Birthday

Monday! Happy Birthday Lindsey!

Picture of the day!

Lindsey.

Wow, I've been gone a while from the internets. Some highlights:

- Still sick. Not "critical condition" sick, but persistently, annoyingly, "you shouldn't do anything" sick, and I'm just now starting to get better. Unfortunately, I had a weekend of obligations that needed doing.

- Good atheist convention this weekend - got to see Richard Dawkins, Lawrence Krauss, and all sorts of folks from the national scene. I manned the table in the early part of the day on Friday and Saturday, and did the heavy lifting and moving (it really wasn't that heavy, but I'm sick). I think everything went well. One thing about conventions: Even if I like the speakers, even if I find the topic interesting, I don't wanna go 8-12 hours a day. Too much.

- Had a family reunion of my mom's side of the family yesterday - all her siblings and lots of their kids (and their kids). There were more than 20 of us total. Good times were had by all.

- It's Fall! The weather's been awesome all weekend, and I woke up cold this morning and took a hot shower. I'm really looking forward to baking and other cool-weather activities.

- Someone left a note on a post-it for me on my monitor here at work reading "Michael Doss is Awesome!!!". Mystery person, you rock my world.

For being gone four days, work isn't too bad right now - let's hope it stays that way. Let's hope also that sitting here at my desk is the least phyical activity I have to do all day, 'cause I could use the break.