So, the people downstairs have moved out. We suspected as much, but it was confirmed today. The landlord stopped by to inquire about the squirrels. We haven't caught any.
Well, he and I got to talking about the downstairs apartment. He asked if we would be interested, I asked how much the rent would be. $150 more than what we're paying now, and it's a lot bigger. It's also fucking filthy.
Next thing I know, I had agreed to do all the painting for him. He offered to pay me. KG and I talked it over, and took a look at the place ourselves, and decided what the hell. We'll move.
The landlord is taking a loss for the month of June. Me... I'll be spending ALL my nights and weekends downstairs. When I say it's going to be a major job to get that place livable, I ain't joking around. It's a total rehab. Everything needs to be cleaned and repainted. Cabinets and doors need to be replaced. It's going to be a major undertaking.
I should smack myself for signing up.
I called my sister to see if her and CC would be interested in renting our current apartment. It's the same scenario we pitched if we bought this place, except we'll all be renting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed they can pull it off. It'd be nice to have all family here rather than some new strangers to adjust to.
So, I guess I'm going to be spending a lot of time at Lowes . I put a lot of work into getting our current apartment fixed up, as it too was a shit pit when we moved in. At the time, it was very stressful. I was training all the TCs at work on the new system. KG was way heavy with child, due any day. But I managed to do it, with a lot of help. This time I'll have a month to get it done, and there's nothing huge looming over my head. That said, if anyone out there digs painting and listening to music, I wouldn't turn down any offers for help. Oh, and pizza and beer. That's always part of the deal.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Sunday, May 29, 2005
Deactivated battle droids for sale
I just got home from my fifth viewing of ROTS. I'm wondering now... just what does Palpy do with all those decommissioned battle droids? Twenty years later, cira Episode IV, we don't see any hanging around. I'm guessing they got melted down and turned into star destroyers.
The Braintree cineplex sucks. ROTS was on a small screen, porno size theater. The projectionist screwed up the first five minutes of the film. The sound wasn't right, and the picture kept moving all over the screen. He/she straightened it out, but it distracted me from looking for the kitchen sink. Oh well... I'll catch it at the next viewing.
Today ended up being a pretty good day. Got up with Junior around 6. He went down for a nap at 11, so KG got to sleep in pretty late. My mom picked up the little guy, and brought me their old lawnmower. For keeps. So, I made a quick pass over the yard, and went shopping with KG. We had a good time, and we got back here before the thunder and rain arrived.
We discovered this morning that the downstairs neighbors are moving out. Unexpected development. I'll have to call the landlord tomorrow and see what's going on. If the rent isn't too much more, I'd like to move downstairs. It's bigger, but I have no idea what kind of condition it is in. Much food for thought there, as we're still kicking around the idea of buying the place.
Seems like TK Junior may have a cold. He's been stuffed up, and started coughing today. I can hear him on the monitor right now, and the coughing sounds pretty bad. Poor little guy. I'm hoping for some sun tomorrow morning so I can take him to the park.
Time to put my pjs on. TK 8103, out.
The Braintree cineplex sucks. ROTS was on a small screen, porno size theater. The projectionist screwed up the first five minutes of the film. The sound wasn't right, and the picture kept moving all over the screen. He/she straightened it out, but it distracted me from looking for the kitchen sink. Oh well... I'll catch it at the next viewing.
Today ended up being a pretty good day. Got up with Junior around 6. He went down for a nap at 11, so KG got to sleep in pretty late. My mom picked up the little guy, and brought me their old lawnmower. For keeps. So, I made a quick pass over the yard, and went shopping with KG. We had a good time, and we got back here before the thunder and rain arrived.
We discovered this morning that the downstairs neighbors are moving out. Unexpected development. I'll have to call the landlord tomorrow and see what's going on. If the rent isn't too much more, I'd like to move downstairs. It's bigger, but I have no idea what kind of condition it is in. Much food for thought there, as we're still kicking around the idea of buying the place.
Seems like TK Junior may have a cold. He's been stuffed up, and started coughing today. I can hear him on the monitor right now, and the coughing sounds pretty bad. Poor little guy. I'm hoping for some sun tomorrow morning so I can take him to the park.
Time to put my pjs on. TK 8103, out.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Wilhelm's screaming
Well, I'll be damned. I didn't know until this afternoon that the Saturn dealer in Quincy is gone. So is the one in Hanover. Nearest ones? Norwood and Medford. So, guess what didn't get fixed today.
I opted to hit the laundry mat instead. Vacuumed out the water in the car while I was at it.
KG took TKJunior to the cemetery for a walk. The cemetery near us is nice, and has a lot of room to run around. It's a weekend tradition. Most of it is old, but there is a new section. KG told me today, some lady was kneeling, praying at what turned out to be her son's grave. TK Junior walked over to her, knelt down, and held his hands in prayer, like her. He stayed next to her until she got up.
Pretty cool. There's a lot going on in that little head of his, and it's going to be a while yet before he can tell me about it. I'm looking forward to it.
I made a few calls while letting my unmentionables spin. Set a date to see ROTS with the Weymouth After Dark brothers tomorrow afternoon. Fifth viewing. I discovered a few things to look for this time around. I had already noticed Lucas in his cameo, but I had missed the Falcon and the sink. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled.
Hung out with the Diva's this evening. They got me at a week moment, and I agreed to create 11th Hour Productions with them. Long story I may get into later if anything develops.
Well, it's my turn to get up with the little guy in the morning. Time to smoke a last butt or two, and TV myself into sleepiness.
I opted to hit the laundry mat instead. Vacuumed out the water in the car while I was at it.
KG took TKJunior to the cemetery for a walk. The cemetery near us is nice, and has a lot of room to run around. It's a weekend tradition. Most of it is old, but there is a new section. KG told me today, some lady was kneeling, praying at what turned out to be her son's grave. TK Junior walked over to her, knelt down, and held his hands in prayer, like her. He stayed next to her until she got up.
Pretty cool. There's a lot going on in that little head of his, and it's going to be a while yet before he can tell me about it. I'm looking forward to it.
I made a few calls while letting my unmentionables spin. Set a date to see ROTS with the Weymouth After Dark brothers tomorrow afternoon. Fifth viewing. I discovered a few things to look for this time around. I had already noticed Lucas in his cameo, but I had missed the Falcon and the sink. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled.
Hung out with the Diva's this evening. They got me at a week moment, and I agreed to create 11th Hour Productions with them. Long story I may get into later if anything develops.
Well, it's my turn to get up with the little guy in the morning. Time to smoke a last butt or two, and TV myself into sleepiness.
Friday, May 27, 2005
Rain Dogs
Well, today was fun. My cubemate has been more or less absent all week, training the temp who replaced one of our recently downsized TCs. Don't know if I've mentioned the high level of incompentency of our support staff. It's pretty bad, and mostly due to laziness. At any rate, the powers to be finally started cleaning house.
So... I finished off the week doing my job all by myself. Which is what I used to do before the arrival of my cubemate.
I actually left my desk for lunch today, joining Molius and DC in the office lunchroom.
CH bitched at me all day about my hair. I haven't had it cut for some time now, and seeing as today was very moist, I ended up with a shaggy jewfro. Doesn't bother me... it's just hair.
The drive home took over an hour and a half. Should have been 40 minutes at most, but traffic was a mess. I spent 80% of the trip in second gear. This was compounded by the fact that either my moon roof or windshield leaks, and the entire interior of the car was sopping wet. I'm talking 2 inches of standing water on the floor in the back. My pant cuff was soaked half way up my calf, and my ass was damp and itchy. Now that the weather is growing warm, the car is starting to smell. Soon it will be the Beast.
So, since people have asked, my plans for the weekend: Sleep late tomorrow, take the car to a Saturn dealer. Hopefully join KG and TK Junior at the park. Do laundry and buy groceries. Hang out with the Divas , see ROTS (again) with the WAD brothers, and possibly take the baby to the aquarium. Oh, and one of the aunties is coming up for a visit, and my mom wants to take him on Sunday. Which might mean going to my grandmothers. All in all, a pretty full plate. I'd like to add mowing the lawn to the list, as the grass is now taller than the baby. I shit you not. But, the mower is broke, and my parents have a ride on. So my options are pretty limited at the moment. I actually enjoy mowing. I'd like a mower with a bag, though. I'm not overly fond of raking up all the clippings and dumping them behind the tree line. A bag would make dumping them a lot easier.
So... I finished off the week doing my job all by myself. Which is what I used to do before the arrival of my cubemate.
I actually left my desk for lunch today, joining Molius and DC in the office lunchroom.
CH bitched at me all day about my hair. I haven't had it cut for some time now, and seeing as today was very moist, I ended up with a shaggy jewfro. Doesn't bother me... it's just hair.
The drive home took over an hour and a half. Should have been 40 minutes at most, but traffic was a mess. I spent 80% of the trip in second gear. This was compounded by the fact that either my moon roof or windshield leaks, and the entire interior of the car was sopping wet. I'm talking 2 inches of standing water on the floor in the back. My pant cuff was soaked half way up my calf, and my ass was damp and itchy. Now that the weather is growing warm, the car is starting to smell. Soon it will be the Beast.
So, since people have asked, my plans for the weekend: Sleep late tomorrow, take the car to a Saturn dealer. Hopefully join KG and TK Junior at the park. Do laundry and buy groceries. Hang out with the Divas , see ROTS (again) with the WAD brothers, and possibly take the baby to the aquarium. Oh, and one of the aunties is coming up for a visit, and my mom wants to take him on Sunday. Which might mean going to my grandmothers. All in all, a pretty full plate. I'd like to add mowing the lawn to the list, as the grass is now taller than the baby. I shit you not. But, the mower is broke, and my parents have a ride on. So my options are pretty limited at the moment. I actually enjoy mowing. I'd like a mower with a bag, though. I'm not overly fond of raking up all the clippings and dumping them behind the tree line. A bag would make dumping them a lot easier.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Having fun in my Underoos
As I believe I have mentioned at one time or another, I am quite the Star Wars enthusiast. I like me some SW.
There's some funny things going on in the fandom universe these days. The 501st has had some really heated debates this past week about new costumes and such. It got a little ugly.
I'm wondering if perhaps some of us fans aren't a little emotional now that the saga has run it's course. Seems to me some people are acting out, as we do when we try to supress emotions.
Me... I'm remembering what it was like to be a child. A little boy. Those days when I played with action figures for hours and enjoyed the shit out of it. Afternoons of imagination, mornings full of cartoons. Cub scouts, sleepovers.
I'm grateful that I can reach out and touch those memories right now. I have a little boy. He'll soon be entering an age of wonder. I'm really excited for him, because I have no idea what his fancies will be. What will capture his imagination. Of course, I am attempting to lay a solid SW foundation, but ultimately TK Junior will be moved by what ever moves him.
I really dig the idea of passing the torch. I'll admit, I never really knew what to do with it when it got thrust into my hand. Here's hoping my guy does.
KG reminded me tonight of the herring run . I'm looking forward to their return, as the back river is a stone's throw from our apartment. We stumbled across it one evening walking to the pizza joint up the street. The water was teeming with thousands of these fish, and there were a bunch of weird, giant birds hiding in the trees. It didn't quite look like this. (second picture down) Very cool.
There's some funny things going on in the fandom universe these days. The 501st has had some really heated debates this past week about new costumes and such. It got a little ugly.
I'm wondering if perhaps some of us fans aren't a little emotional now that the saga has run it's course. Seems to me some people are acting out, as we do when we try to supress emotions.
Me... I'm remembering what it was like to be a child. A little boy. Those days when I played with action figures for hours and enjoyed the shit out of it. Afternoons of imagination, mornings full of cartoons. Cub scouts, sleepovers.
I'm grateful that I can reach out and touch those memories right now. I have a little boy. He'll soon be entering an age of wonder. I'm really excited for him, because I have no idea what his fancies will be. What will capture his imagination. Of course, I am attempting to lay a solid SW foundation, but ultimately TK Junior will be moved by what ever moves him.
I really dig the idea of passing the torch. I'll admit, I never really knew what to do with it when it got thrust into my hand. Here's hoping my guy does.
KG reminded me tonight of the herring run . I'm looking forward to their return, as the back river is a stone's throw from our apartment. We stumbled across it one evening walking to the pizza joint up the street. The water was teeming with thousands of these fish, and there were a bunch of weird, giant birds hiding in the trees. It didn't quite look like this. (second picture down) Very cool.
Tuesday, May 24, 2005
I hate night guy!
I love my wife. I love my little boy. I'm pretty fond of my occupation.
But I like some me time. A few hours to kill any way I see fit.
So that's why I'm sitting here, very late on a school night. Should be in bed, but I'm blogging instead.
Tomorrow morning I'll probably have that stupid dream again. The one where the alarm clock is practicing and it's OK to keep hitting the snooze.
And of course, I'll finally come to my senses, and find myself late once again.
It's trash day, it's raining and blowing, and my ass will be completely damp by the time I get to work. I'm loving it already.
But I like some me time. A few hours to kill any way I see fit.
So that's why I'm sitting here, very late on a school night. Should be in bed, but I'm blogging instead.
Tomorrow morning I'll probably have that stupid dream again. The one where the alarm clock is practicing and it's OK to keep hitting the snooze.
And of course, I'll finally come to my senses, and find myself late once again.
It's trash day, it's raining and blowing, and my ass will be completely damp by the time I get to work. I'm loving it already.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Oneify
I have no frickin idea what that is supposed to mean. Well, after a little poking around, I learned this. Pepsi. Sure, I'm a drinker. They are after all running a SW promotion, which means I'm duty bound to buy it. Also, I like Mountain Dew, and make no bones about my short lived addiction to Pitch Black. But enough with the lame marketing tricks, guys. Coke tried this in the mid 90's. It was called OK SODA . The actual product tasted like shit, and was only launched in maybe 4 cities. But let me tell you, they had an awesome ad campaign. Truely original and entertaining. Short lived and long missed.
A few things that bother me about the cineplex:
Other people.
Sticky floors.
$3.45 for a 16oz bottle of Diet Coke.
TV commercials. TV is for TV. The small screen. If I want to watch TV, I'll stay home and do it. I like the trailers, it's part of the experience. And lame PSAs are OK. But I do not want to see ads for TV shows.
Parents that bring infants. I shit you not, some one had a baby at the 7:30 ROTS show the other night. Give me a break.
Hhhhmmm... thought I had something more to say. I still have work on my mind, and today was one of those days I'd like to put behind me. As much as I enjoy a day or two off, I really hate coming back and cleaning up the mess. Puts me in a mood for a day or two, and this week is no exception.
Here's a good one: I signed up for an "art selection" committee. Seems were getting 8-20 pieces of art donated to us, so they were looking for some people to make the selections. So, I signed up. I enjoy being on sensless committees. Sounded like it could be fun. Got an email about it today... it's going to be a 2-3 hour meeting. Knowing the people I work with, it'll probably end up being a heated debated over what to chose. And I'm betting there won't be one single SW piece or any nudes in there. Oh well. 10 people in a conference room for 3 hours to select some wall decorations? Argh. I'm still pushing for this . I think that about sums it up. On the other hand, both RB and CH will be there, so at least we should have a few laughs. They told us to bring lunch. Mayhap I'll get myself some baked beans.
A few things that bother me about the cineplex:
Other people.
Sticky floors.
$3.45 for a 16oz bottle of Diet Coke.
TV commercials. TV is for TV. The small screen. If I want to watch TV, I'll stay home and do it. I like the trailers, it's part of the experience. And lame PSAs are OK. But I do not want to see ads for TV shows.
Parents that bring infants. I shit you not, some one had a baby at the 7:30 ROTS show the other night. Give me a break.
Hhhhmmm... thought I had something more to say. I still have work on my mind, and today was one of those days I'd like to put behind me. As much as I enjoy a day or two off, I really hate coming back and cleaning up the mess. Puts me in a mood for a day or two, and this week is no exception.
Here's a good one: I signed up for an "art selection" committee. Seems were getting 8-20 pieces of art donated to us, so they were looking for some people to make the selections. So, I signed up. I enjoy being on sensless committees. Sounded like it could be fun. Got an email about it today... it's going to be a 2-3 hour meeting. Knowing the people I work with, it'll probably end up being a heated debated over what to chose. And I'm betting there won't be one single SW piece or any nudes in there. Oh well. 10 people in a conference room for 3 hours to select some wall decorations? Argh. I'm still pushing for this . I think that about sums it up. On the other hand, both RB and CH will be there, so at least we should have a few laughs. They told us to bring lunch. Mayhap I'll get myself some baked beans.
Sunday, May 22, 2005
Your father wanted you to have this...
Well, my Star Wars weekend has drawn to a close. KG and I trekked out to Randolph last night to see ROTS with Molius and M. 4th time for me, and that's it for a while. I was still enthralled, even after seeing it almost every twelve hours, 4 days in a row.
I had to bail on the KISS 108 gig I was supposed to troop at. I checked the boards, and it sounds like the 2 troopers who did go had a blast, and made a long day out of it, despite the weather. Wish I could have been there.
So, being the fanboy I am, I loved the new movie. One thing that's been driving me crazy, though. All the ads and promos show Vader with his red lightsaber. Well, there was no red lightsaber in the movie! I know it's iconic and all, but he didn't once weild it. I guess seing Vader in a duel pre ANH will remain the stuff of dreams.
Speaking of ANH, KG and I watched most of it last night. It resonated with new energy this time, as I suspected it would. Deeper, everything took on a new angle. I suspect I'll be dedicating a few nights to rewatching the original trilogy this week.
Today, it's back to normal life and the responsibilities that entails. Logging into work, laundry, dishes and groceries.
One last SW note... ROTS brought in $85 million as of Friday. Most of the shows yesterday were sold out. Looks like this one is going to be a record breaker!
I had to bail on the KISS 108 gig I was supposed to troop at. I checked the boards, and it sounds like the 2 troopers who did go had a blast, and made a long day out of it, despite the weather. Wish I could have been there.
So, being the fanboy I am, I loved the new movie. One thing that's been driving me crazy, though. All the ads and promos show Vader with his red lightsaber. Well, there was no red lightsaber in the movie! I know it's iconic and all, but he didn't once weild it. I guess seing Vader in a duel pre ANH will remain the stuff of dreams.
Speaking of ANH, KG and I watched most of it last night. It resonated with new energy this time, as I suspected it would. Deeper, everything took on a new angle. I suspect I'll be dedicating a few nights to rewatching the original trilogy this week.
Today, it's back to normal life and the responsibilities that entails. Logging into work, laundry, dishes and groceries.
One last SW note... ROTS brought in $85 million as of Friday. Most of the shows yesterday were sold out. Looks like this one is going to be a record breaker!
Friday, May 20, 2005
Do what must be done. Show no mercy.
I will preamble with this caveat.... Spoilers Ahead!
That said...
Anakin was sired by a Sith lord. Interesting. The Sith brought him into being to serve one purpose: destroy the Jedi.
He's got a dual purpose. On the one hand, for the Jedi, he fulfills a prophecy. The Chosen One, who will destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. I gather the prophecy didn't bother to get into specifics regarding just how we would accomplish this.
On the other hand, he was created to destroy the Jedi and usher in the return of Sith rule.
Of course, Anakin managed to very nicely fulfill both these chores.
The moment he drops his lightsaber and surrenders to the dark side, he understands his purpose. Why he is the way he is. He accepts it. Not with relish, but with resignation. And so begin an unfortunate chain of events.
I don't think the Sith planned on him having children. They wanted him raised as a Jedi, so the possibility must have seen remote at best. Not something to worry about.
And there was their undoing. I'm sure they scoffed at the Jedi prophecy. Little did they realize that because those children came to be, Anakin did indeed bring balance to the Force, and would find the compassion and selflessness within him to destroy the Sith. Destroy his master, and himself.
Good job, Mr. Lucas. Once again, the movie itself matters less than the story it tells. Star Wars remains greater than the sum of it's part.
Say what you will about directing, execution, wooden acting or stilted dialog. It's the story.
And the story kicks ass.
On a different note, there's tons of new armor! All kinds of variations. I swear Lucas does this to screw with the 501st. He's very tolerant, and indulgent, of our costuming group. We're a great group of people, and I'm proud to be a member of Vader's Fist. But, we have a lot of hard core fanboys. SW seems to have that effect on people. There are a lot of arguments over canon and screen accurate costumes. As with any activity that demands a lot of money and devotion, people tend to take it very seriously.
So here's Lucas, making it harder and harder to have hard line rules and stances on what is and what isn't "canon". Harder to make or own all the variations. He's having a little fun.
Hey... Kenobi said it best.
"Only Sith deal in absolutes."
That said...
Anakin was sired by a Sith lord. Interesting. The Sith brought him into being to serve one purpose: destroy the Jedi.
He's got a dual purpose. On the one hand, for the Jedi, he fulfills a prophecy. The Chosen One, who will destroy the Sith and bring balance to the Force. I gather the prophecy didn't bother to get into specifics regarding just how we would accomplish this.
On the other hand, he was created to destroy the Jedi and usher in the return of Sith rule.
Of course, Anakin managed to very nicely fulfill both these chores.
The moment he drops his lightsaber and surrenders to the dark side, he understands his purpose. Why he is the way he is. He accepts it. Not with relish, but with resignation. And so begin an unfortunate chain of events.
I don't think the Sith planned on him having children. They wanted him raised as a Jedi, so the possibility must have seen remote at best. Not something to worry about.
And there was their undoing. I'm sure they scoffed at the Jedi prophecy. Little did they realize that because those children came to be, Anakin did indeed bring balance to the Force, and would find the compassion and selflessness within him to destroy the Sith. Destroy his master, and himself.
Good job, Mr. Lucas. Once again, the movie itself matters less than the story it tells. Star Wars remains greater than the sum of it's part.
Say what you will about directing, execution, wooden acting or stilted dialog. It's the story.
And the story kicks ass.
On a different note, there's tons of new armor! All kinds of variations. I swear Lucas does this to screw with the 501st. He's very tolerant, and indulgent, of our costuming group. We're a great group of people, and I'm proud to be a member of Vader's Fist. But, we have a lot of hard core fanboys. SW seems to have that effect on people. There are a lot of arguments over canon and screen accurate costumes. As with any activity that demands a lot of money and devotion, people tend to take it very seriously.
So here's Lucas, making it harder and harder to have hard line rules and stances on what is and what isn't "canon". Harder to make or own all the variations. He's having a little fun.
Hey... Kenobi said it best.
"Only Sith deal in absolutes."
Thursday, May 19, 2005
The circle is complete
1977. I was four years old, sitting in a darkened movie theater with my father.
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far way..."
That was when I was introduced to Darth Vader, dark lord of the Sith. I wondered, who was this man? How did he come to be incased in black, full of evil and hatred?
It's 28 years later, and now I know.
The saga has come to a close. Vader's story has been told.
I'm satisfied. I'm thrilled. I can't wait to see it again.
My favorite moment?
Obiwan standing over his defeated padawan. The anguish on his face and in his voice.
And Anakin's reply.
"I hate you."
What else can I say? Not much right now. The birds are chirping, and it's time for me to shower up and get ready to troop.
The countdown has ended.
"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far way..."
That was when I was introduced to Darth Vader, dark lord of the Sith. I wondered, who was this man? How did he come to be incased in black, full of evil and hatred?
It's 28 years later, and now I know.
The saga has come to a close. Vader's story has been told.
I'm satisfied. I'm thrilled. I can't wait to see it again.
My favorite moment?
Obiwan standing over his defeated padawan. The anguish on his face and in his voice.
And Anakin's reply.
"I hate you."
What else can I say? Not much right now. The birds are chirping, and it's time for me to shower up and get ready to troop.
The countdown has ended.
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
The time is nigh
9 hours to go. Color me excited.
I've given up on the the prospect of getting any work done today, or leaving early. I had every intention this morning of getting a bunch of things done in anticipation of my 4 day weekend.
It only took a matter of minutes for that to go to shit.
Transfer problems this morning. I was commandeered by the IS department to do some troubleshooting, and that ate up a good chunk of my morning. Not that I mind... I actually prefer that to my other duties. I managed to get my mid week reports done, and answer my voicemail. At 11 I had to teach a class, and well... that pretty much destroyed any motivation I might have had for doing work.
So I didn't send out my summaries. Hardly looked at the error report. Didn't resolve any bad data. Shit... just remembered I have to replace holds.
On top of that I'm bone tired. I know my second wind will kick in shortly after I've left, but for now I'm dragging. I wanted to leave an hour early to spend some time with Dad, but there's no way I'm getting out early. Still lots to do.
Anyhow... this is the last post before I plop down to see ROTS. I have a feeling I'll be back with my impressions afterwards. I have a 3 hour window between getting home from the movie and heading out for my next trooping gig, so I think I'll skip sleep and just run on empty.
To all those not braving the midnight screening... May the Force be with you!
9 hours, 1 minute, 26 seconds.
I've given up on the the prospect of getting any work done today, or leaving early. I had every intention this morning of getting a bunch of things done in anticipation of my 4 day weekend.
It only took a matter of minutes for that to go to shit.
Transfer problems this morning. I was commandeered by the IS department to do some troubleshooting, and that ate up a good chunk of my morning. Not that I mind... I actually prefer that to my other duties. I managed to get my mid week reports done, and answer my voicemail. At 11 I had to teach a class, and well... that pretty much destroyed any motivation I might have had for doing work.
So I didn't send out my summaries. Hardly looked at the error report. Didn't resolve any bad data. Shit... just remembered I have to replace holds.
On top of that I'm bone tired. I know my second wind will kick in shortly after I've left, but for now I'm dragging. I wanted to leave an hour early to spend some time with Dad, but there's no way I'm getting out early. Still lots to do.
Anyhow... this is the last post before I plop down to see ROTS. I have a feeling I'll be back with my impressions afterwards. I have a 3 hour window between getting home from the movie and heading out for my next trooping gig, so I think I'll skip sleep and just run on empty.
To all those not braving the midnight screening... May the Force be with you!
9 hours, 1 minute, 26 seconds.
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
Not the Jedi I should be
So, Dad came over tonight. Him and I went out for pizza and had a nice long chat about affairs of the heart. There's something very rewarding and refreshing about talking to your parent as a peer. It helps put this whole growing up business in perspective.
There's no such thing as an adult. We're all children. Only some of us have been around long enough and done the same shit so many times that we've learned a thing or two.
In other news, I just discovered there's a freaking icon on this blog template for inserting links. I've been writing out the HTML code every time. D'oh!
Speaking of links... My favorite site, Vader's blog is coming to an end. Sad, but brilliant. The author has timed it so that Vader's sacrifice coincides with the release date of ROTS. I'm going to miss it, it's been an enjoyable read every day.
Got the directions for my trooping gig on Thursday, and my work pass for the KISS 108 concert came in the mail. I've gotten more use out of my armor these past few weeks than in all the time I've owned it. While it'll be nice to see my schedule return to some degree of normalcy after this weekend, I must admit I've been bitten by the costuming bug. I'm already scheming up my next costume. Either an Imperial officer, or Palpatine himself. Looks like I'll be ebaying away some of my precious crap to finance it.
Anyhow, I'm tired. Time to call it a night and rest up for a very eventful few days.
1 day, 1 hour, 34 seconds.
There's no such thing as an adult. We're all children. Only some of us have been around long enough and done the same shit so many times that we've learned a thing or two.
In other news, I just discovered there's a freaking icon on this blog template for inserting links. I've been writing out the HTML code every time. D'oh!
Speaking of links... My favorite site, Vader's blog is coming to an end. Sad, but brilliant. The author has timed it so that Vader's sacrifice coincides with the release date of ROTS. I'm going to miss it, it's been an enjoyable read every day.
Got the directions for my trooping gig on Thursday, and my work pass for the KISS 108 concert came in the mail. I've gotten more use out of my armor these past few weeks than in all the time I've owned it. While it'll be nice to see my schedule return to some degree of normalcy after this weekend, I must admit I've been bitten by the costuming bug. I'm already scheming up my next costume. Either an Imperial officer, or Palpatine himself. Looks like I'll be ebaying away some of my precious crap to finance it.
Anyhow, I'm tired. Time to call it a night and rest up for a very eventful few days.
1 day, 1 hour, 34 seconds.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Sith Happens
The lure of the dark side is strong. Merch, that is. I can't resist. Popped into KMart yesterday to pick up a Super deformed Vader for myself, and a really cute Vader hooded towel for TK Junior. The SW mania is growing, I'm having a hard time thinking of anything else.
Pictures from the charity premier are now up on the NEG site. There's one good picture of me, and I look like a total psycho. For the record, the theater manager had just made a big point about not leaving trash, and I was searching in vain for a trash barrel!
Anyhow... Dad is coming up for a visit tomorrow. Talk about picking a busy week to have a personal crisis. That's OK, there's always time for Dad.
I watched some ROTS trailers tonight. Call me a geek, but this one actually gave me chills.
Work today was fairly unexciting. I, as well as my buds, were all pretty busy, so there wasn't much time for entertainment. Tomorrow I'm going to have to get some serious work done so I can try and leave early on Wednesday to visit with Dad. Then, Thursday and Friday off for SW relatd activities.
Oh... which reminds me. The Ledger called me today... I won a pair of tickets to see ROTS on Saturday. Super sweet!
That said...
2 days, 1 hour, 13 minutes.
Pictures from the charity premier are now up on the NEG site. There's one good picture of me, and I look like a total psycho. For the record, the theater manager had just made a big point about not leaving trash, and I was searching in vain for a trash barrel!
Anyhow... Dad is coming up for a visit tomorrow. Talk about picking a busy week to have a personal crisis. That's OK, there's always time for Dad.
I watched some ROTS trailers tonight. Call me a geek, but this one actually gave me chills.
Work today was fairly unexciting. I, as well as my buds, were all pretty busy, so there wasn't much time for entertainment. Tomorrow I'm going to have to get some serious work done so I can try and leave early on Wednesday to visit with Dad. Then, Thursday and Friday off for SW relatd activities.
Oh... which reminds me. The Ledger called me today... I won a pair of tickets to see ROTS on Saturday. Super sweet!
That said...
2 days, 1 hour, 13 minutes.
Sunday, May 15, 2005
Putting the folks in a home
So, Luke Skywalker had it pretty rough, discovering that his father was the most evil man in the galaxy. None other than Lord Vader himself.
I've got no serious baggage like that, but I am discovering that my old man is a nut.
My parents divorced when I was 12, Dad's decision. Probably a wise one. Knowing my parents now, I don't understand how they managed to get together and stay together for 16 years.
Dad remarried. His second wife, Deb, she was a "complex" woman. I tried hard to like her. I respected her. But she's got some issues. Not the kind of stuff I feel like going into. They adopted a baby from China. My little sister, Emmi.
Well, two years ago, Deb kicked my Dad out the door. He had a nervous breakdown, ended up in the psych ward for the weekend. He's since got his shit together, somewhat. Declared bankruptcy to get out from under crushing debt. Got his own place, retired from the church. Started substitute teaching, bought an XBox. He's seemed pretty happy and on an even keel as of late.
So... a few weeks ago, he met this female funeral director. (He's still doing the priest thing part time, so this isn't all that unusual.) She's 33. Well, they ended up going on a date. Strange, but not crazy. These things happen.
Mind you, Dad is 56. He's lonely, I'm sure. He's had two marriages end, and found himself single and middle aged. So he's been pretty excited about his new girlfriend.
From what I can gather, he hadn't heard from this new girl in a week or two. They talked back and forth, but no second date. He decided to leave her a card and a rose, along with a 2 page letter filling her in on all that has happened to him over the last few years. Bad idea! I've written a few of those letters in my day, and they never, ever have the intended result. As a matter of fact, they tend to scare of the fairer sex.
As one would expect, he has not heard from her since. Spidey sense says let it lie. Give the girl the space she apparently wants.
Not my Dad. I just got off the phone with him, and he's camped outside her apartment with a dozen roses, waiting to "talk". D'oh!
D'oh, d'oh, d'oh, d'oh, d'oh. d'oh, d'oh!
Dad, if you happen to read this, I love you. But cut the shit! To quote young Skywalker, "I have a bad feeling about this."
I guess that's the joy of growing up. You have kids, who require all your attention and energy. Then your parents start acting nutty, and you have to take care of them as well.
3 days, 3 hours, 6 minutes.
I've got no serious baggage like that, but I am discovering that my old man is a nut.
My parents divorced when I was 12, Dad's decision. Probably a wise one. Knowing my parents now, I don't understand how they managed to get together and stay together for 16 years.
Dad remarried. His second wife, Deb, she was a "complex" woman. I tried hard to like her. I respected her. But she's got some issues. Not the kind of stuff I feel like going into. They adopted a baby from China. My little sister, Emmi.
Well, two years ago, Deb kicked my Dad out the door. He had a nervous breakdown, ended up in the psych ward for the weekend. He's since got his shit together, somewhat. Declared bankruptcy to get out from under crushing debt. Got his own place, retired from the church. Started substitute teaching, bought an XBox. He's seemed pretty happy and on an even keel as of late.
So... a few weeks ago, he met this female funeral director. (He's still doing the priest thing part time, so this isn't all that unusual.) She's 33. Well, they ended up going on a date. Strange, but not crazy. These things happen.
Mind you, Dad is 56. He's lonely, I'm sure. He's had two marriages end, and found himself single and middle aged. So he's been pretty excited about his new girlfriend.
From what I can gather, he hadn't heard from this new girl in a week or two. They talked back and forth, but no second date. He decided to leave her a card and a rose, along with a 2 page letter filling her in on all that has happened to him over the last few years. Bad idea! I've written a few of those letters in my day, and they never, ever have the intended result. As a matter of fact, they tend to scare of the fairer sex.
As one would expect, he has not heard from her since. Spidey sense says let it lie. Give the girl the space she apparently wants.
Not my Dad. I just got off the phone with him, and he's camped outside her apartment with a dozen roses, waiting to "talk". D'oh!
D'oh, d'oh, d'oh, d'oh, d'oh. d'oh, d'oh!
Dad, if you happen to read this, I love you. But cut the shit! To quote young Skywalker, "I have a bad feeling about this."
I guess that's the joy of growing up. You have kids, who require all your attention and energy. Then your parents start acting nutty, and you have to take care of them as well.
3 days, 3 hours, 6 minutes.
Saturday, May 14, 2005
What do you get a Wookie for Christmas?
Peace and understanding. Goodwill to men.
Because he's already got a comb, and he doesn't use shaving foam.
But that's beside the point. I was just thinking about Episode I , and how much I really do like it. It was, after all, not for me, the grown SW fan. It was for kids.
TK Junior isn't even two yet. His favorite characters are Elmo, Pooh and friends, Teletubbies and Boobahs . And R2. For a little boy, R2 and Chewie are characters that are really appealing. Nick likes bears, and he thinks Chewie is a bear. I think he'd like Jar jar. Sort of like Barney. The young Anakin would probably appeal to him as well.
Eventually, he'll reach an age where he's ready to see TPM. He'd probably really enjoy it. Cartoony characters, a brave young boy saving the day, a cute girl in peril.
Starting him off with Episode I and moving forward in order really makes sense, and watching how he takes to it will be really cool. Will he identify with Anakin? How will he feel when Anakin falls? Of particular interest to me is how he'll feel when he's introduced to Luke in ANH. I don't know what my childhood impression of Luke would have been if I had known his backstory. Knew who his father was, who his sister was. Had seen Obi-Wan's involvment with the Clone Wars, having seen him teaching his pupil. I'd have a whole different perspective, that's for sure. The one that Nick will get.
Neat. Really neat.
In other news...
The lanlord stopped by with traps . He set them, and I placed them up in the attic. He'll be coming by Monday night to check them. Apparently, once we catch a squirrel, he has to kill it. On our property. He plans to accomplish this by immersing the entire cage in a bucket of water unitl the squirrel drowns. The traps are big enough that he'll need to fill a trash barrel at least half way with water. I don't know if he realizes it or not, but all our trash barrels have holes in the bottem, and there is no working spigot outside. I'm not sure how he'll manage to accomplish his murders.
It was a laundry day today. The forecast was for a shitty day, so I decided to do a few loads down at the 'mat. It needed to get done, and the place isn't busy on Saturdays. I had been doing laundry on Sundays, but it's usually packed with annoying people, so I prefer Saturday. Anyway, it ended up being a really nice day, and I wish I had taken the kid to the park instead. I could tomorrow, but it'll probably actually be shitty then. Figures.
On the way there, I picked up the Ledger for their SW special. Nick's picture is on their website, along with KG and I. We didn't make the actual paper, but I didn't know it at the time and wanted to see it. I also picked up MAD magazine , as they had a ROTS cover. I actually really enjoyed MAD, and was surprised at how political the humor was.
While at the laundromat, I kept getting distracted by commericals for SW Creatures on Animal Planet. Looks fun, but I'll be on my way to see it that night.
Finished up my laundry, then hit the grocery store next door. Back home, I attempted to start up the mower so I could cut the lawn. Put some gas in the tank, it leaked out through a rust hole. Tried to start it anyway, and the whole engine casing pulled off when I yanked the starter. That jammed as well. So... won't be trimming the back 40 any time soon. It's already a jungle out there.
Nick and I planted some flowers, then I walked down to Classic for some dinner. All in all, a full day.
Now KG and I are hanging out, per usual. I'm thinking about my little padawan and chilling to some Floyd.
4 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes.
Because he's already got a comb, and he doesn't use shaving foam.
But that's beside the point. I was just thinking about Episode I , and how much I really do like it. It was, after all, not for me, the grown SW fan. It was for kids.
TK Junior isn't even two yet. His favorite characters are Elmo, Pooh and friends, Teletubbies and Boobahs . And R2. For a little boy, R2 and Chewie are characters that are really appealing. Nick likes bears, and he thinks Chewie is a bear. I think he'd like Jar jar. Sort of like Barney. The young Anakin would probably appeal to him as well.
Eventually, he'll reach an age where he's ready to see TPM. He'd probably really enjoy it. Cartoony characters, a brave young boy saving the day, a cute girl in peril.
Starting him off with Episode I and moving forward in order really makes sense, and watching how he takes to it will be really cool. Will he identify with Anakin? How will he feel when Anakin falls? Of particular interest to me is how he'll feel when he's introduced to Luke in ANH. I don't know what my childhood impression of Luke would have been if I had known his backstory. Knew who his father was, who his sister was. Had seen Obi-Wan's involvment with the Clone Wars, having seen him teaching his pupil. I'd have a whole different perspective, that's for sure. The one that Nick will get.
Neat. Really neat.
In other news...
The lanlord stopped by with traps . He set them, and I placed them up in the attic. He'll be coming by Monday night to check them. Apparently, once we catch a squirrel, he has to kill it. On our property. He plans to accomplish this by immersing the entire cage in a bucket of water unitl the squirrel drowns. The traps are big enough that he'll need to fill a trash barrel at least half way with water. I don't know if he realizes it or not, but all our trash barrels have holes in the bottem, and there is no working spigot outside. I'm not sure how he'll manage to accomplish his murders.
It was a laundry day today. The forecast was for a shitty day, so I decided to do a few loads down at the 'mat. It needed to get done, and the place isn't busy on Saturdays. I had been doing laundry on Sundays, but it's usually packed with annoying people, so I prefer Saturday. Anyway, it ended up being a really nice day, and I wish I had taken the kid to the park instead. I could tomorrow, but it'll probably actually be shitty then. Figures.
On the way there, I picked up the Ledger for their SW special. Nick's picture is on their website, along with KG and I. We didn't make the actual paper, but I didn't know it at the time and wanted to see it. I also picked up MAD magazine , as they had a ROTS cover. I actually really enjoyed MAD, and was surprised at how political the humor was.
While at the laundromat, I kept getting distracted by commericals for SW Creatures on Animal Planet. Looks fun, but I'll be on my way to see it that night.
Finished up my laundry, then hit the grocery store next door. Back home, I attempted to start up the mower so I could cut the lawn. Put some gas in the tank, it leaked out through a rust hole. Tried to start it anyway, and the whole engine casing pulled off when I yanked the starter. That jammed as well. So... won't be trimming the back 40 any time soon. It's already a jungle out there.
Nick and I planted some flowers, then I walked down to Classic for some dinner. All in all, a full day.
Now KG and I are hanging out, per usual. I'm thinking about my little padawan and chilling to some Floyd.
4 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes.
Friday, May 13, 2005
Bantha poodoo
Thanks to DP, I got the first wave of BK toys today. Very cool. I of course had to remove them from their packaging so they can be played with. TK Junior was less than impressed, but I'm thrilled. I should be getting the next five on Monday. The best part... I'm not forced to eat at BK every day. That said, I'm sure I'll end up stopping in any way.
My dental appointment was a tad annoying. I thought I was getting a permanent crown put in, but it turned out I had to get impressions made. My temporary actually fell out during lunch today, so that was replaced with another temp. I have to go back in 3 weeks, and then I should finally be done with that tooth. Six visits and $1150 for one stinking tooth.
I hooked up with the Weymouth After Dark brothers tonight, and ended up spending almost 4 hours discussing SW. They're both trying to remain spoiler free, so I had to be careful. Sometimes I wish I could be spoiler free. But I can't. I need to know as much as I can as soon as I can.
The anticipation is reaching fever pitch. I'm kind of glad I didn't get to see the movie last night. This is it... the last SW movie ever. I'll never get to experience the excitement of the build up again. So I'm glad I can enjoy it while it lasts.
While hanging with the WAD brothers, we got into a discussion about dead malls and departed department stores in the area. The list is long... Paperama, Bradlees, Zayre, Ames, Lechmere and Caldor . Most of these places are Building #19s or WalMarts now. We also touched on the long gone treasure of the South Shore, King's Castleland . I have many fond memories of that place. And one bad one. There was a big statue of a knight that talked when you stood in front of him. I remember informing him that he had a caterpillar on his shoulder. I became irrate when he refused to acknowledge me, and continued to blabber on about the park. I thought he was alive. I was 6.
I wonder where I'll take Nick when he's a little older. There aren't many of these mom and pop bemusement parks around anymore. It's a shame.
4 days, 23 hours, 13 minutes.
My dental appointment was a tad annoying. I thought I was getting a permanent crown put in, but it turned out I had to get impressions made. My temporary actually fell out during lunch today, so that was replaced with another temp. I have to go back in 3 weeks, and then I should finally be done with that tooth. Six visits and $1150 for one stinking tooth.
I hooked up with the Weymouth After Dark brothers tonight, and ended up spending almost 4 hours discussing SW. They're both trying to remain spoiler free, so I had to be careful. Sometimes I wish I could be spoiler free. But I can't. I need to know as much as I can as soon as I can.
The anticipation is reaching fever pitch. I'm kind of glad I didn't get to see the movie last night. This is it... the last SW movie ever. I'll never get to experience the excitement of the build up again. So I'm glad I can enjoy it while it lasts.
While hanging with the WAD brothers, we got into a discussion about dead malls and departed department stores in the area. The list is long... Paperama, Bradlees, Zayre, Ames, Lechmere and Caldor . Most of these places are Building #19s or WalMarts now. We also touched on the long gone treasure of the South Shore, King's Castleland . I have many fond memories of that place. And one bad one. There was a big statue of a knight that talked when you stood in front of him. I remember informing him that he had a caterpillar on his shoulder. I became irrate when he refused to acknowledge me, and continued to blabber on about the park. I thought he was alive. I was 6.
I wonder where I'll take Nick when he's a little older. There aren't many of these mom and pop bemusement parks around anymore. It's a shame.
4 days, 23 hours, 13 minutes.
Thursday, May 12, 2005
Access Denied!
Well, hoorah for City Year, they managed to sell out the charity premier. Which meant we didn't get to see the movie. We got to hear the movie, but that was it. Alas, the countdown continues.
But, a fun time was had by all. This was my first time out at a big event, so I got to meet a lot of the NEG. That was pretty cool, and now I won't have to take guff for being the garrison's lone trooper. I also got the chance to meet Lenny Clarke and Tom Brady. Lenny I actually talked to, Brady was in the same room. So, that was kind of cool.
I decided to skip the post party as I was pretty sore, and have to work tomorrow. So now I'm back home, chilling with KG and looking forward to hitting the sack.
My sister got herself arrested today. Apparently a cop ran her plate and came up with a bench warrent. In reality, the warrent had been reversed, but it hadn't been entered in the SCMODS. So, she was handcuffed, taken to the station, and then had to appear in court in shackles. JeeBee thinks the whole thing was pretty funny. My mother, she did not. Anyhow, JeeBee now has a mug shot, which I need to get a framed copy of.
Tomorrow promises to be a fun day. Abbreviated work day due to a dental appointment to get my permanent crown, and the landlord is coming over to put squirrel traps in the attic. Which means I have to place the D Con up there, since I told him I did two weeks ago. D'oh.
Well, enough is enough. I'm still wearing my body glove, and I think it's time to get it off.
6 days, 43 minutes, 58 seconds.
But, a fun time was had by all. This was my first time out at a big event, so I got to meet a lot of the NEG. That was pretty cool, and now I won't have to take guff for being the garrison's lone trooper. I also got the chance to meet Lenny Clarke and Tom Brady. Lenny I actually talked to, Brady was in the same room. So, that was kind of cool.
I decided to skip the post party as I was pretty sore, and have to work tomorrow. So now I'm back home, chilling with KG and looking forward to hitting the sack.
My sister got herself arrested today. Apparently a cop ran her plate and came up with a bench warrent. In reality, the warrent had been reversed, but it hadn't been entered in the SCMODS. So, she was handcuffed, taken to the station, and then had to appear in court in shackles. JeeBee thinks the whole thing was pretty funny. My mother, she did not. Anyhow, JeeBee now has a mug shot, which I need to get a framed copy of.
Tomorrow promises to be a fun day. Abbreviated work day due to a dental appointment to get my permanent crown, and the landlord is coming over to put squirrel traps in the attic. Which means I have to place the D Con up there, since I told him I did two weeks ago. D'oh.
Well, enough is enough. I'm still wearing my body glove, and I think it's time to get it off.
6 days, 43 minutes, 58 seconds.
Wednesday, May 11, 2005
Cuddlesome clone fun
So, tomorrow is the big event! I'm not sure what I'm looking forward to more: a day off from work, trooping, or possibly getting to see the movie. OK, that's a lie. I'm hoping to see the movie!
It's closing this week, so work has been pretty busy and stressful. Seems the second week of every month it's the same deal. Occupational menstruation . I managed to get my error list down to 9 patients. Not too shabby, considering I started the week at 120 or so. Got the two huge ones off, all that is left is stuff that is out of my control, or can be resolved on Friday. So we should make it, and I can enjoy my day off without stressing over it. Nice!
Watched Lost, and then got sucked into the begining of Next Stop Wonderland . I became disengaged the moment they had a scene on the T. Brought back very unpleasant memories of my commuting days.
KG bought me a present at the supermarket. Have I mentioned that KG rocks? I might have to bring my new buddy into work with me.
So, another night winds down. Think I'll putz around here a little more, and then play some more XBox. Finally killed Dooku last night. Woohoo!
Tomorrow: Polish the armor, clean the litter boxes, and head into town for the charity event. I have a feeling my butt will be dragging on Friday. If I don't get to see the movie, it'll be a late night, probably won't get home until after 1AM. If I do see it, I probably won't be able to sleep.
7 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes.
It's closing this week, so work has been pretty busy and stressful. Seems the second week of every month it's the same deal. Occupational menstruation . I managed to get my error list down to 9 patients. Not too shabby, considering I started the week at 120 or so. Got the two huge ones off, all that is left is stuff that is out of my control, or can be resolved on Friday. So we should make it, and I can enjoy my day off without stressing over it. Nice!
Watched Lost, and then got sucked into the begining of Next Stop Wonderland . I became disengaged the moment they had a scene on the T. Brought back very unpleasant memories of my commuting days.
KG bought me a present at the supermarket. Have I mentioned that KG rocks? I might have to bring my new buddy into work with me.
So, another night winds down. Think I'll putz around here a little more, and then play some more XBox. Finally killed Dooku last night. Woohoo!
Tomorrow: Polish the armor, clean the litter boxes, and head into town for the charity event. I have a feeling my butt will be dragging on Friday. If I don't get to see the movie, it'll be a late night, probably won't get home until after 1AM. If I do see it, I probably won't be able to sleep.
7 days, 2 hours, 5 minutes.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
I have a fan!
Last week while I was trooping at the SSP, I had one of those funny little moments in life. A group of teenagers wandered into the store, mostly boys shopping for games. At any rate, there was one cute girl, and she got all excited when she saw me. She came over and said "Can I hug you?". Well, who am I to turn down such a request? I gave her a hug.
It was a cute and funny moment. The store manager asked me if that happened often. He was going to get himself some armor if it did. Well, it was a first for me.
Anyhow, while checking my email tonight, I found one titled "hello stormtrooper, I have a question..." Turns out it's the hugging girl.
hey!
I was looking at your webpage, and I had a question.... were you the stormtrooper at the South Shore Plaza? If it was you, then I saw you there on May 5th and I was so excited to see you that I ran up to you and gave you a hug! and I came back the next day with a camera but you werent there ;/ i went back to the mall today, and asked the emplyees of you were coming back, and they said probabally not..... but they knew who I was. They knew that I was "that girl" who ran up to you and gave you a hug. Even some customers knew who I was. I found this really amusing, how did they know? hehe, I dunno, but I thought it was the koolest thing though, so I had to email you and see if it was you. I would really appreciate it if you wrote me back!
thanks so much!
Lana
Too funny. KG and I had a good laugh over it.
Speaking of armor, I need to spend my evening tomorrow polishing it for the charity screening on Thursday. Apparently City Year hasn't done a good job of promoting it, and has only sold 600 tickets. Rumor is if the sales remain flat, we'll get to see the movie. So, I'm not linking to the City Year site. I don't want any of my one or two readers buying tickets and leaving me shut out!
Had one of those days today at work where pretty much every one was annoying me. Closing week always gets me stressed, and it doesn't help that I have a day off. Sure, I deserve it, and it's laughable to think they won't function without me. But I worry anyway.
Well, RB lent me a tape of 20/20 with interviews from the cast of Lost, so I think I'll go check that out. Then I'll go kick Dooku's ass. Never got around to it last night.
8 days, 2 hours, 25 minutes.
It was a cute and funny moment. The store manager asked me if that happened often. He was going to get himself some armor if it did. Well, it was a first for me.
Anyhow, while checking my email tonight, I found one titled "hello stormtrooper, I have a question..." Turns out it's the hugging girl.
hey!
I was looking at your webpage, and I had a question.... were you the stormtrooper at the South Shore Plaza? If it was you, then I saw you there on May 5th and I was so excited to see you that I ran up to you and gave you a hug! and I came back the next day with a camera but you werent there ;/ i went back to the mall today, and asked the emplyees of you were coming back, and they said probabally not..... but they knew who I was. They knew that I was "that girl" who ran up to you and gave you a hug. Even some customers knew who I was. I found this really amusing, how did they know? hehe, I dunno, but I thought it was the koolest thing though, so I had to email you and see if it was you. I would really appreciate it if you wrote me back!
thanks so much!
Lana
Too funny. KG and I had a good laugh over it.
Speaking of armor, I need to spend my evening tomorrow polishing it for the charity screening on Thursday. Apparently City Year hasn't done a good job of promoting it, and has only sold 600 tickets. Rumor is if the sales remain flat, we'll get to see the movie. So, I'm not linking to the City Year site. I don't want any of my one or two readers buying tickets and leaving me shut out!
Had one of those days today at work where pretty much every one was annoying me. Closing week always gets me stressed, and it doesn't help that I have a day off. Sure, I deserve it, and it's laughable to think they won't function without me. But I worry anyway.
Well, RB lent me a tape of 20/20 with interviews from the cast of Lost, so I think I'll go check that out. Then I'll go kick Dooku's ass. Never got around to it last night.
8 days, 2 hours, 25 minutes.
Monday, May 09, 2005
Order 66
Well, I was trying to be a good boy tonight. Figured I'd hang out with KG and make it a relatively early night. That was my intention, at any rate.
So here, it is, almost 11:00. I haven't played my ROTS game since I got it. But now the Dark Side calls me, and I feel compelled to try and kill Dooku.
Talked to the Weymouth After Dark brothers tonight, and re-scheduled our get together for Friday night. Seems they are planning on filming this summer, and want to incorporate my Weymouth Zombie Patrol into the script. Should be fun. From what F told me, the plot centers around a mockumentary about the Bridgewater Triangle . Promises to be a hoot. I enjoyed my two public access stints with them. They are pretty funny guys, and their unnerving knowledge of minor characters from The Phantom Menace is something to behold.
So... time to face the Count.
9 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes.
So here, it is, almost 11:00. I haven't played my ROTS game since I got it. But now the Dark Side calls me, and I feel compelled to try and kill Dooku.
Talked to the Weymouth After Dark brothers tonight, and re-scheduled our get together for Friday night. Seems they are planning on filming this summer, and want to incorporate my Weymouth Zombie Patrol into the script. Should be fun. From what F told me, the plot centers around a mockumentary about the Bridgewater Triangle . Promises to be a hoot. I enjoyed my two public access stints with them. They are pretty funny guys, and their unnerving knowledge of minor characters from The Phantom Menace is something to behold.
So... time to face the Count.
9 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes.
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Move along, please
I've got nothing witty or even remotely interesting to post tonight. It's late... too late for a school night. I figured if I wrote something here, I might then get myself to bed.
Poked around google looking up prog rock classics. Found this, um, rather thorough annotation of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway . I used to be a big Genesis fan. Haven't listened to that album in years, and I only have it on cassette.
Also read a little Floyd history. It's been nice having KG digging Floyd. She endures if I go all out prog and actually pull out Genesis. I resisted tonight, as I recoverd my lost copy of Dark Side and Echoes. We enjoyed hearing them again.
Anyway... my back is killing me and I have a very sore throat, so time for bed.
Oh... speaking of the esoteric, check out this site . Don't get me started on how much I love The Residents.
OK, for real. That's it.
10 days, 17 minutes and 40 seconds.
Poked around google looking up prog rock classics. Found this, um, rather thorough annotation of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway . I used to be a big Genesis fan. Haven't listened to that album in years, and I only have it on cassette.
Also read a little Floyd history. It's been nice having KG digging Floyd. She endures if I go all out prog and actually pull out Genesis. I resisted tonight, as I recoverd my lost copy of Dark Side and Echoes. We enjoyed hearing them again.
Anyway... my back is killing me and I have a very sore throat, so time for bed.
Oh... speaking of the esoteric, check out this site . Don't get me started on how much I love The Residents.
OK, for real. That's it.
10 days, 17 minutes and 40 seconds.
Saturday, May 07, 2005
The post war dream
It's great to be an american.
We've got ourselves, when all is said and done, a cool little country going on. We have freedom. We have liberty. And we pursue happiness, with varying degrees of success. That's what a bunch of guys in wigs set out to create, and so far we've all done a pretty good job of making it so.
You know what's really cool about being american? No one ever dropped bombs on us. No one ever flew over our sleeping suburbs and rained fire upon us. No cities leveled, no air raid sirens.
I've never had a Wednesday night tv viewing interrupted for potential shelling. I'm grateful for that. Because that would suck.
It's why I spend time thinking about zombies. The idea of our society falling apart around us due to some overwhelmingly destructive event fascinates me. It was nuclear war as a child. The undead as an adult.
But there are whole countries out there that live in the shadow of just such events. A young British man remembers hiding from the bombs. Remembers losing his dad to some unseen enemy. He grows up and sings in a band.
They make some good music. Then things go south. A wall gets built.
Tonight KG and I listen to the separate halves of Floyd. Roger always gets me thinking about war. I guess that's his intent. Post Waters Floyd just makes me miss Roger. Even if he makes me think about war.
The wind is blowing tonight, shivering me timbers as I type. Did a laundry run today and hit the grocery store. Not fit for man or beast out there. I wonder how RB faired with his outdoor event.
At Shaw's I used the self check out. I'm a big fan of the concept, even if it does cost me $1.25 to use it. Anyhow, the belt misread and kept insisting I remove a non-existent unexpected item. Someone had to come over and over ride it, then confirm there was indeed no unexpected item.
Now it's later, and I'm about ready to wind down with the tube and prepare for a day of baby play and house cleaning. I decided to honor mother's day by being a good husband to my wife. It's the least she deserves.
11 days, 1 hour, 49 minutes.
We've got ourselves, when all is said and done, a cool little country going on. We have freedom. We have liberty. And we pursue happiness, with varying degrees of success. That's what a bunch of guys in wigs set out to create, and so far we've all done a pretty good job of making it so.
You know what's really cool about being american? No one ever dropped bombs on us. No one ever flew over our sleeping suburbs and rained fire upon us. No cities leveled, no air raid sirens.
I've never had a Wednesday night tv viewing interrupted for potential shelling. I'm grateful for that. Because that would suck.
It's why I spend time thinking about zombies. The idea of our society falling apart around us due to some overwhelmingly destructive event fascinates me. It was nuclear war as a child. The undead as an adult.
But there are whole countries out there that live in the shadow of just such events. A young British man remembers hiding from the bombs. Remembers losing his dad to some unseen enemy. He grows up and sings in a band.
They make some good music. Then things go south. A wall gets built.
Tonight KG and I listen to the separate halves of Floyd. Roger always gets me thinking about war. I guess that's his intent. Post Waters Floyd just makes me miss Roger. Even if he makes me think about war.
The wind is blowing tonight, shivering me timbers as I type. Did a laundry run today and hit the grocery store. Not fit for man or beast out there. I wonder how RB faired with his outdoor event.
At Shaw's I used the self check out. I'm a big fan of the concept, even if it does cost me $1.25 to use it. Anyhow, the belt misread and kept insisting I remove a non-existent unexpected item. Someone had to come over and over ride it, then confirm there was indeed no unexpected item.
Now it's later, and I'm about ready to wind down with the tube and prepare for a day of baby play and house cleaning. I decided to honor mother's day by being a good husband to my wife. It's the least she deserves.
11 days, 1 hour, 49 minutes.
Friday, May 06, 2005
No dark sarcasm in the classroom
My mind is feeling a little restless tonight. Not quite sure what train of thought it wants to catch.
Totally forgot I was supposed to meet the Weymouth After Dark brothers tonight. My social calendar is usually so wide open that any engagement is an event. However, this being a SW spring, I've actually had a lot on my plate, so I easily forget one here or there. How annoying.
I've been wanting to write about the curfuffle with my cubemate, but everytime I sit down to do it, I just can't be bothered.
One of my regular readers on journal space has been mentioning Roger Waters alot, and it's got me jonesing for Amused to death . Strange in of itself, since old Mr. Rogers always puts me in a queer mood.
Weekend forecast: shitty. I have a ton of laundry to address, an apartment to clean, and a mother or two to pay my respects to.
I also need to whup Dooku's ass so I can progress in my damn game. (Loved you in The Creeping Flesh , Christopher.) For an old coot, he's got some serious fight in him.
KG overheard a conversation between our landlord and the folks downstairs. Seems they are in arrears with their rent. Reminds me I need to look into that whole home ownership thing.
Sign... work.
12 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Totally forgot I was supposed to meet the Weymouth After Dark brothers tonight. My social calendar is usually so wide open that any engagement is an event. However, this being a SW spring, I've actually had a lot on my plate, so I easily forget one here or there. How annoying.
I've been wanting to write about the curfuffle with my cubemate, but everytime I sit down to do it, I just can't be bothered.
One of my regular readers on journal space has been mentioning Roger Waters alot, and it's got me jonesing for Amused to death . Strange in of itself, since old Mr. Rogers always puts me in a queer mood.
Weekend forecast: shitty. I have a ton of laundry to address, an apartment to clean, and a mother or two to pay my respects to.
I also need to whup Dooku's ass so I can progress in my damn game. (Loved you in The Creeping Flesh , Christopher.) For an old coot, he's got some serious fight in him.
KG overheard a conversation between our landlord and the folks downstairs. Seems they are in arrears with their rent. Reminds me I need to look into that whole home ownership thing.
Sign... work.
12 days, 2 hours, 15 minutes.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
No taking pictures in the mall!
That's what security told us this afternoon during my trooping stint. Odd, to say the least. First I was asked to stay in the store because the mall president was there, and then we were told no pics.
First off... I'm the Imperial agent. Isn't it my job to be the oppressor?
Anyhow, it was a good time. 6 hours in armor. I walked away with the ROTS video game, a poster, and the strategy guide. Not too shabby. I didn't have any problems, and was generally well received by the mall rats. One old lady did ask me what I was supposed to be. When I replied "a stormtrooper", she took off her glasses and said "That's all we need. More guns."
Odd.
KG and TK Junior came by at the end of my gig. TK Jr was especially cute, wearing a stormtrooper ringer T. He was shy at first, then kept running around yelling "Daddy! Daddy!" Best part... he saw the cover to the SW Battlefronts game, which has a TK on the cover. He pointed at it and said "Daddy!" Very, very cool.
KG posted a Poem for Vader on her blog. It's refreshing to read something both creative and NOT written by a rabid fan boy. I'm reminded once again why I love that beeyatch so much.
13 days, 2 hours, 12 minutes.
First off... I'm the Imperial agent. Isn't it my job to be the oppressor?
Anyhow, it was a good time. 6 hours in armor. I walked away with the ROTS video game, a poster, and the strategy guide. Not too shabby. I didn't have any problems, and was generally well received by the mall rats. One old lady did ask me what I was supposed to be. When I replied "a stormtrooper", she took off her glasses and said "That's all we need. More guns."
Odd.
KG and TK Junior came by at the end of my gig. TK Jr was especially cute, wearing a stormtrooper ringer T. He was shy at first, then kept running around yelling "Daddy! Daddy!" Best part... he saw the cover to the SW Battlefronts game, which has a TK on the cover. He pointed at it and said "Daddy!" Very, very cool.
KG posted a Poem for Vader on her blog. It's refreshing to read something both creative and NOT written by a rabid fan boy. I'm reminded once again why I love that beeyatch so much.
13 days, 2 hours, 12 minutes.
Wednesday, May 04, 2005
So it begins...
I was poking around Boston.com and found my picture today! Tomorrow is my SSP gig. Should be fun. I have a new body glove to test, so I got that going for me. The previews I've seen for the game look pretty sweet.
No sleep until May 19th. I figure I'll play the game through the week ahead. Then, I'll watch Episode I and II before I go see III. Gotta get in shape before the big night.
Anyhow... hung out with Names and the Big C tonight. Played some Lego SW and watched Lost. A pleasant evening out with the boys.
I'm looking forward to a day away from work. I have a feeling I'll dial in for a while in the morning. It's a fair trade, though, because I'll get a lot more work done.
Then, it'll be off to serve the Empire. My sworn duty.
TK8103, out.
No sleep until May 19th. I figure I'll play the game through the week ahead. Then, I'll watch Episode I and II before I go see III. Gotta get in shape before the big night.
Anyhow... hung out with Names and the Big C tonight. Played some Lego SW and watched Lost. A pleasant evening out with the boys.
I'm looking forward to a day away from work. I have a feeling I'll dial in for a while in the morning. It's a fair trade, though, because I'll get a lot more work done.
Then, it'll be off to serve the Empire. My sworn duty.
TK8103, out.
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
In a nutshell
My two favorite Simpson's lines ever:
Grampa Simpson- "Here comes three!"
Homer Simpson- "I'll regroup at Red Lobster."
I just watched the bonus DVD that came with the ROTS soundtrack. Best piece of SW merchandise I own. And that's coming from a guy who has his own stormtooper armor.
In my 28 years of watching SW, that was the most satisfying 70 minutes. Ever. The entire saga brought together and given the proper perspective. Loved it!
If you buy nothing else, it must be this.
I also managed to score myself a
Darth Dew Slurpee at 7/11. I don't remember if I chronicled my obsession with Pitch Black here, but I was pretty hooked for a while. I didn't enjoy the actual Slurpee as much as I would have in my younger days. But it was nice taste the grape goodness again.
Had a difficult day at work today. It so reminded me of junior high that I don't feel like going into it. Suffice to say, crow tastes great. I love it.
Also picked up some work gloves for the yard. Now I won't get another blister on my thumb from raking. I finally found a toy rake and hoe for TK Junior. It's never to early to get them working!
Final thought for the night: When the nice folks who design highways decided that lane merges were a good idea, I wonder if they had ever actually driven on a highway and met all the wonderful assholes who use them daily. They might have thought twice about forcing people to cooperate.
I need to get this for my new cube. D'oh, sorry. That was one extra thought.
Grampa Simpson- "Here comes three!"
Homer Simpson- "I'll regroup at Red Lobster."
I just watched the bonus DVD that came with the ROTS soundtrack. Best piece of SW merchandise I own. And that's coming from a guy who has his own stormtooper armor.
In my 28 years of watching SW, that was the most satisfying 70 minutes. Ever. The entire saga brought together and given the proper perspective. Loved it!
If you buy nothing else, it must be this.
I also managed to score myself a
Darth Dew Slurpee at 7/11. I don't remember if I chronicled my obsession with Pitch Black here, but I was pretty hooked for a while. I didn't enjoy the actual Slurpee as much as I would have in my younger days. But it was nice taste the grape goodness again.
Had a difficult day at work today. It so reminded me of junior high that I don't feel like going into it. Suffice to say, crow tastes great. I love it.
Also picked up some work gloves for the yard. Now I won't get another blister on my thumb from raking. I finally found a toy rake and hoe for TK Junior. It's never to early to get them working!
Final thought for the night: When the nice folks who design highways decided that lane merges were a good idea, I wonder if they had ever actually driven on a highway and met all the wonderful assholes who use them daily. They might have thought twice about forcing people to cooperate.
I need to get this for my new cube. D'oh, sorry. That was one extra thought.
Monday, May 02, 2005
9 to 5, for service and devotion
Started off my day rolling in to work half an hour late. Doesn't matter what time I leave the house, I always end up getting in at the same time. Late.
Said good morning to my cube mate. Ran two huge reports. KS came in, needed a cab. Called the cab company. CK dropped in, wagged her new boobs in my face and somehow talked me into cleaning up a huge mess of hers. FK came in to have me fix a service code. CS emailed me about visits in the wrong episode. Turned out to be an episode that should have been deleted, resulting in several emails and phone conversations with BM. Still not resolved. JM returned two incomplete FIFs. I checked the logs and emailed the coordinators who were supposed to review them. Then walked the FIFs back to them. KE left me a voicemail to delete a visit. BM left me a voice mail about erroneous notes in the system. I researched that and emailed her back. Ms. Newman emailed me wanting to know my vacation schedule so she could write up the POC support schedule. Ran 2 smaller reports and distributed those. SB came by with 485 problems. I fixed those. MC left me some overlaps to resolve. 2 people left me parking tickets to contest. DM came by and wanted to smoke. My cubemate left sick, leaving me the cube to myself (woohoo!). Got a meatball grinder for lunch. LL interrupted with a question about 110s. KB came in with a problem, ignored me stuffing my face and hovered. I chose not to look at her... she went away. BM called me again with more follow up note problems. PG called and needed visits unlocked. Started looking at my huge error report, 189 patients that have to be off by next Friday. Discovered that my cubemate fucked up big time. Huge mess. I had to start cleaning it up, eat crow and apologize to all the clinical managers over it. Meeting with Molius and RB bumped back, ended up being the high point of the day. KS called, her cab didn't show up. I called the cab company, had another one sent. MP came in to get her laptop back. DT needed help with hers. KS found a loaner laptop sitting in her office, I returned that to MT. Bitched a bit to MT. Managed not to do a single thing on my list of daily tasks. No data export, no final claims. No bad data. Packed up my shit, stopped to chat with KB on the way out. 10 minutes before I could pry myself away.
Got home, took a dump, turned on the laptop to work again. Decided to give Molius a hard time when I discovered I hadn't updated my password. Worked an additional hour and a half from home.
Pretty typical day, except for my cubemate's big mess up. That I'll end up cleaning up, and taking some of the blame for the fall out. Because that's what I do.
Said good morning to my cube mate. Ran two huge reports. KS came in, needed a cab. Called the cab company. CK dropped in, wagged her new boobs in my face and somehow talked me into cleaning up a huge mess of hers. FK came in to have me fix a service code. CS emailed me about visits in the wrong episode. Turned out to be an episode that should have been deleted, resulting in several emails and phone conversations with BM. Still not resolved. JM returned two incomplete FIFs. I checked the logs and emailed the coordinators who were supposed to review them. Then walked the FIFs back to them. KE left me a voicemail to delete a visit. BM left me a voice mail about erroneous notes in the system. I researched that and emailed her back. Ms. Newman emailed me wanting to know my vacation schedule so she could write up the POC support schedule. Ran 2 smaller reports and distributed those. SB came by with 485 problems. I fixed those. MC left me some overlaps to resolve. 2 people left me parking tickets to contest. DM came by and wanted to smoke. My cubemate left sick, leaving me the cube to myself (woohoo!). Got a meatball grinder for lunch. LL interrupted with a question about 110s. KB came in with a problem, ignored me stuffing my face and hovered. I chose not to look at her... she went away. BM called me again with more follow up note problems. PG called and needed visits unlocked. Started looking at my huge error report, 189 patients that have to be off by next Friday. Discovered that my cubemate fucked up big time. Huge mess. I had to start cleaning it up, eat crow and apologize to all the clinical managers over it. Meeting with Molius and RB bumped back, ended up being the high point of the day. KS called, her cab didn't show up. I called the cab company, had another one sent. MP came in to get her laptop back. DT needed help with hers. KS found a loaner laptop sitting in her office, I returned that to MT. Bitched a bit to MT. Managed not to do a single thing on my list of daily tasks. No data export, no final claims. No bad data. Packed up my shit, stopped to chat with KB on the way out. 10 minutes before I could pry myself away.
Got home, took a dump, turned on the laptop to work again. Decided to give Molius a hard time when I discovered I hadn't updated my password. Worked an additional hour and a half from home.
Pretty typical day, except for my cubemate's big mess up. That I'll end up cleaning up, and taking some of the blame for the fall out. Because that's what I do.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
WWID
Caught the new Family Guy tonight. Not bad. I'm not going to get all critical, because it was the first show in a few years. I'm sure team FG is excited to be back to work, and I'm confident they'll hit their stride before too long. The opening dig at FOX was good. Made me chuckle.
Tomorrow starts a busy couple of weeks at work. We're heading into closing again, and I'm taking a lot of time off for various SW events. This Thursday it's to pimp the ROTS video game . I get a free copy for doing a 6 hour gig at the Plaza. Incidently, that's the same mall that I played the Easter Bunny at back in '92. Next Thursday I'm doing the charity premier. That's the week of closing, so I might actually come in, or work from home for part of the day.
Speaking of work... last week I was tasked with adding all the clinicians' titles to their names in our personel files. Something about HIIPA regulations. I had to print a list of all the clinicians in our district, and then go in and add SN, PT or OT to all their names. I was feeling a tad capricious, and decided to add GOD to my name. I don't document visits or anything like that, so I figured no one would notice. Well.... I noticed two days later while running some reports that I do write a lot of notes in the system, and suddenly they all read Schultz, Christopher GOD. Figured I'd better rectify that. Luckily, when I removed the suffix, it got pulled from any existing notes as well.
So, I was God for a few days, and no one noticed.
I did managed to get a TPS Report created, and it's actually used. Soon I shall distribute a memo about the need for cover sheets. Call me a geek, but I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow. I do enjoy that place.
Tomorrow starts a busy couple of weeks at work. We're heading into closing again, and I'm taking a lot of time off for various SW events. This Thursday it's to pimp the ROTS video game . I get a free copy for doing a 6 hour gig at the Plaza. Incidently, that's the same mall that I played the Easter Bunny at back in '92. Next Thursday I'm doing the charity premier. That's the week of closing, so I might actually come in, or work from home for part of the day.
Speaking of work... last week I was tasked with adding all the clinicians' titles to their names in our personel files. Something about HIIPA regulations. I had to print a list of all the clinicians in our district, and then go in and add SN, PT or OT to all their names. I was feeling a tad capricious, and decided to add GOD to my name. I don't document visits or anything like that, so I figured no one would notice. Well.... I noticed two days later while running some reports that I do write a lot of notes in the system, and suddenly they all read Schultz, Christopher GOD. Figured I'd better rectify that. Luckily, when I removed the suffix, it got pulled from any existing notes as well.
So, I was God for a few days, and no one noticed.
I did managed to get a TPS Report created, and it's actually used. Soon I shall distribute a memo about the need for cover sheets. Call me a geek, but I'm looking forward to going back tomorrow. I do enjoy that place.
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