What is wrong with these kids?

Yesterday I was pulled out of work by a call from TKJr's preschool. Seems he puked, so I had to bring him home.

Of course, once we got home, he was all about playing and not resting.

In the wee hours of this morning, he was coughing in his sleep, and Izzy (in bed with us) woke up shivering, puking and crying. She had a fever of almost 103. So, both KG and I stayed home so we could take these two to the doctor.

Junior gets diagnosed with a sinus infection, Izzy probably the same thing. We get them home, and after a mini nap, they spend the rest of the night running around, being general pains in the ass.

I'm exhausted, stressed, my back is killing me, and I doubt I'll get a good night's sleep. Little girl is already in bed with KG while I sit down here tugging on a beer. To boot, my nose is starting to drip.

I actually would have preferred to be at work today.

You got my vote, brother

RIP Paul Tibbets

Brigadier General Paul Tibbets (USAF, Ret) died today at the age of 92. Godspeed to you, good sir.

I grew up in the shadow of nuclear annihilation. During the late 70's and through the 80's, the threat of global thermonuclear war seemed very real and very frightening. Being a morbid child by nature, I was slightly obsessed with nuclear war.

Until recently, I was revolted by the fact that America had dropped atomic bombs on the citizens of Japan. The thought that 100,000 people could die in an instant is a horror nearly impossible to comprehend. Innocent civilians, children, vaporized. Hundreds of thousands more suffering and dying for generations after.

Then I learned about the Japanese and their quest to conquer the world. I learned about their mindset, their culture. The lengths they went to in fighting their war. The lengths they were prepared to go to to avoid surrender.

Suddenly the Little Boy and Fat Man made a lot of sense.

All Things Considered did a piece on him this afternoon. When countering the charge that the dropping of the atomic bomb was immoral, Tibbets made a remark that really moved me. He said somrthing to the effect that "first you have to consider that there is no morality in war. War itself is immoral."

That it is.

When all is said in done, no nuclear device has ever been used in conflict since the surrender of Japan. For that, we should all be thankful.

Paul Tibbets lived with the burden of ushering in the nuclear age. He appeared to accept it.

Hurm

Rorschach's Journal October 31, 2007

Woke up early. Arrived at work and prepared for the day's events.
Found myself surrounded by flying monkeys. Hallucination? Must investigate further.

Sexy Mustard

It Approaches

Halloween is almost here. KG and I are still trying to decide who is staying home to pass out candy. If she stays, I'm donning the TK and making the rounds with the kids. If I stay home, it'll probably be the zombie costume and loud spooky music to scare the trick or treaters. Of course, I'm hoping for the latter.

My costume is almost complete. Gave it a test fit, and it looks good. Mask is done. Coat is weathered. Hat and gloves fit. Just need to clean up the pin and apply the blood, and find some pants.

The whole project ended up being more trouble than anticipated, but it looks good. That's all that counts.

Ketchup

So, let's see. Since the last time I blogged...

We've had weather consistently in the high 70's. So much for fall. Every tree on the South Shore is turning, except the 42 in my yard. I still haven't taken the blower out of the trunk.

I spent Saturday moving all of my shit out of my parent's garage. One trailer full, and now it's all up in my attic. Not too bad. Mice got into a number of boxes. So far, the worst of the damage was to an old pith helmet. That had to be tossed. They ate a promotional "Devil Woman" chocolate bar that I got when Crumb was released on VHS. Yes, VHS. Remember 1994?

I found my original Coleco game system. That was covered in mouse shit and piss, but doesn't seemed to be damaged. After I clean it up, I'll give either Donkey Kong or Dig Dug a test run.

I rediscovered several boxes full of potential money. Old comics and action figures, etc. I made a point of putting every thing in the attic, although I was sorely tempted to dump in all in the office so I could dig through it.

The one thing I did do, just tonight, was to set up my dart board. I'm a bit rusty, but after a week or so I should be back up to snuff.

Good times, y'all. Good times.

Yeah, it's fall alright

All in all we had a pretty nice weekend over here. Had Friday off for my sister-in-law's wedding. It was at a chapel in Sudsbury. Very pretty. It rained the whole drive up, but the sun came out just in time for the ceremony, so that was cool.

The reception was fun. J & C gave me a Holiday Vader figure. He's red! TKJr was a big hit. He was a dancing fool.

Saturday was fairly uneventful. I hammered some nails and cut some wood.

Today, we bundled up and headed out to a local farm to do some pumpkin picking. Both kids got nice, large pumpkins. On the way home, I grabbed some firewood and we had our first fire in the fireplace.

Oh, and I bought a leaf blower. So, yeah, fall is here alright. I'm sipping a Post Road Pumpkin Ale and freezing my ass off out in the office.

I made the local paper!

Much to my bemusement, the Patriot Ledger published an article about Weymouth After Dark today, with a nice big picture of me. You can see it here.

When I got home today, I got a call from FP informing me that not only was the article in today's paper, but the picture was on the front page. So, I hopped in the car and headed for the Qwiki Mart. They were sold out. I went to 2 other sundry stores, and they were out as well. On my way to a fourth store, I passed a Ledger paper box on the corner. Sure enough, prominently displayed in the window of the machine was yours truly.

Zany.

A little late in the season

During my fruitless search for a freaking Spongebob costume yesterday, I was informed by one not so helpful employee of Halloween Express that it was a little late in the season.

Excuse me? Season? Late? As of yesterday, there were 23 days left until All Hallow's Eve.

Hurm.

At any rate, I ordered the costume from their website, and received an email today informing me that it had shipped.

In other seasonal news, my costume is slowly coming together. I got my face mask in the mail today. I'd be happy, except they sent me the wrong model. I ordered a closed face mask, and that's not what I got. We'll see how that works out.

What am I going as, you ask?

Now With 30% Less Snark!

So, I got a talking to from my boss today.

It would appear that my reputation at work is at stake due to my tendency to run my mouth. I have caused offense by making blunt, off the cuff remarks about coworkers. I have thrown people under the bus in an attempt to force senior management in to dealing with some of our biggest problems. I have been honest.

I have developed a bit of an attitude.

Duly noted.

My eval is due in a couple of months. I'm counting on that almighty 5% raise. So, if a kinder, gentler me is what they want, a kinder, gentler me they will get.

You want a team player? I'll be the "I" in team. You want me to play nice and play by the rules? OK. No prob, Bob.

Since the end result will be more money in my pocket and less acid in my stomach, I'm game. I'm going to let go of the stress, and just do what I'm paid to do. Shit, I'll be the hap-hap-happiest asshole that ever worked there. It might actually be fun.

Unexplained bacon

So, I checked in mycall's blog and discovered a meme. It's been a while since I posted one, so here it be.


Does someone love you?
Yes, indeed. That's the grease that keeps my wheels turning.

Do you know anyone named Dave?
I do.

Ever kissed anyone with the name starting with a J?
I did. A few times.

Has anyone ever mistaken you for a family member?
My father many, many times.

What colour are the walls of your parent's bedroom?
Huh? Off white, I think.

Do you think that hair extensions look skanky?
There's one girl at work that looks dynamite in them. Not my thing really, but some people can pull it off

Are you named after a grandparent?
Nope, for a saint who is no longer a saint.

Say you were given a drug test right now. Would you pass or fail?
I keep talking about quitting my job to work at Home Depot. They wouldn't hire me.

Are you taller than 5'6"?
By 3 inches..

Do you know anyone in jail/prison?
Not that I'm aware of. But that's just because they haven't been caught.

Ever see a dead body?
Hundreds of them.

Do you like the colour green?
I do.

What is your best friend's Dad's name?
Bill.

How old are you?
34.

Who was the last person to send you a text message?
KG when we were playing with our new phones.

Ever drove into the ghetto to buy drugs?
I used to work in Bridgeport, CT. So yes.

Last restaurant you went to?
China Pearl, which used to be International Buffet. I usually wouldn't suggest International Buffet, but this one was attached to a Chinese supermarket and had really good food.

What is the weather like today?
Foggy morning breaking up into midday sun. In the high sixties.

Last voice mail you received?
A clinician with a problem which I ignored.

What did you do yesterday?
Woke up, went to work, got in trouble, picked up Belly from daycare, went home, had dinner, watched the last installment of The War, cruised Fark, went to bed.

What's the first thing you would do with five million dollars?
I really don't know. I'd probably buy something foolish. Because I could.

What nationalities are you?
Heinz 57.

How many hours did you sleep for last night?
5

Any upcoming concerts you want to attend?
I'd love to see the Zepp reunion.

Who's the last person that you felt was stalking you?
My ex wife.

What jewellery are you wearing?
My wedding ring. That's it.

If all of your friends were going on a road trip, would you?
Depends on where they were going.

How much money do you have?
Not nearly enough

Do you swear at your parents?
If they ask for it.

Is your phone right beside you?
yes, I'm on call tonight.

Have you cried today?
I had to pretend to cry to entertain TKJr..

Do you think that someone is thinking about you right now?
Probably not. That's not a bad thing.

Do you untie your shoes every time you take them off?
Never!

What is the colour of your bedsheets?
Beige.

Have you ever crawled through a window?
Many times.

Are you photogenic?
I guess.

What's your star sign?
Aquarius.

Where do you spend most of your money?
Home repairs.

What was the last thing you did?
Scratched my balls.

Do you have a tattoo?
Three. You want details? A tribal dragon on my right shoulder, Kokopelli on my left arm, and a bluebird on my right arm with Belly's name.

Do you still watch cartoons on Saturday mornings?
I have kids.

Is there a secret you've never told any of your friends?
Possibly.

Have you ever told someone you loved them but didn't mean it?
Nope.

Have you ever changed your clothes while in a vehicle?
On occasion.

What are you doing in 2008?
Sleeping, hopefully.

What is your ring tone?
The Imperial March

What were you doing at 2am last night?
Drooling into my pillow.

Are your parents married/divorced/separated?
Divorced, remarried, divorced again, remarried.

What are you doing tonight?
Catching up on Curb Your Enthusiasm, smoking butts and typing out a meme.

What are you doing tomorrow?
Same shit.

Who did you last message on Myspace?
An old friend from high school.

What's your opinion on sex without emotional commitment?
Why the hell not?

Does it annoy you when someone says they'll call but never do?
Not really.

What did you dress up as for your first Halloween?
The Lone Ranger.

Favourite Disney movie?
Cars

What is the wallpaper on your cellphone?
"Cyberspace"

Ball Buster!

Who the fuck are you?

KG dropped off two rolls of pictures at CVS. When I popped the CDs in to upload the pictures, one was not my children.

Looks like someone had a good time in Vegas.

Me and My Girl

Fireside Thoughts

My week long sabbatical has come to an end. I'm not usually one to take a vacation purely for shits and giggles, but this one was needed.

Work has been tiresome and grating for far too long. I've been in a rut and squeezed too tight. I needed a week off to clear my head. It seems to have done some good.

I bought some new clothes and tended to some of the many chores here that needed doing. There are still too many left to name, but I feel like I've made some progress.

TKJr survived his first week of preschool, and actually seems to be enjoying it. We took him to Edaville yesterday for the Day Out With Thomas. Both kids enjoyed it.

I fucked up my back pretty good on Friday digging out the front yard. It's on the mend now.

Although not entirely rested, I feel refreshed. My head is screwed on more or less straight, and I'm ready to dive back into this thing called life.

The difference between cats and dogs

It's quite simple really, so please forgive the gross generalization.

Men do dumb shit as much as they can get away with.

Women do what's necessary, and then have some fun.


So guys, be mindful of your priorities, and don't begrudge a woman her down time.

Ladies, keep and eye on those boys, and don't begrudge yourself your down time.

Not Enough Undead

I'm a little disappointed in myself. i just searched through my post tags for zombie entries, and found only three.

Considering I have more than a passing interest in the subject, this was a bit of a surprise.

Oddly enough, what spurred this was the fact that if you do a google search for "warm-blooded animals," my blog comes up with a post about defending the apartment we lived in in Weymouth. Strange.

We've since moved. Although I am proud to be a home owner, I am sorry to report that our current domicile would have to be abandoned in the event of an outbreak. There is no reasonable way to defend this house. It's one story, with three front doors. The basement level has a glass slider and a large front window. I've got lots of wood, but it's too risky. Flight is the only option.

So I'm reworking my plan.

On an interesting side note, I was revisiting the Bridgewater Triangle last night. If you follow the link and check out the map, you'll note that the top of the triangle is in Abington. Further examination shows that the exact point of the triangle falls on the intersections of Route 18 and Route 123.

That's pretty much where we live.

The Great Zombie Debate

Because it's not a question of if, but a question of when.

Best Fan Film. Ever.

My cousin Mat is back from boot camp . He's a private 2nd Class, United States Army, now. He's a good kid, and still a kid at heart even at 21. My aunt and uncle had a cookout, and Mat assured there was a huge inflatable bouncing house (shaped like a purple dragon).

TKJr spent the entire day in there, jumping to his content. Let me tell you, his content is HUGE. He requested that I join him several times. I reluctantly agreed. At one point, I had 4 little kids shooting me and blasting me with Force powers to knock me over so they could pig pile me.

It turns out Star Wars is popular with the youngins. I didn't bring it up, nor was I wearing a SW T shirt today. I was pleasantly surprised, and delighted to join in and try to convince them that the Jedi are the bad guys.

Had I know, I would have brought my armor.

At any rate, TKJr had a blast, and wore himself out jumping all day. Isabel entertained herself with my cousins' 2 cats and dog. She loves puppies.

Last night I watched Rob Zombie's Halloween. I was a tad closed minded going in, I must admit. Some movies can stand a remake. Some, however, are damn near perfect the first time around and don't need to be retold. Halloween was perfect. It stands the test of time. It's unsettling and frightening in it's simplicity. The Shape: Heartless, remorseless, relentless. A blank face with no eyes that just did not stop.

His origin was disturbing because of it's simplicity. Just the notion that some generic middle class suburban family could produce a sociopath of such monstrous proportion out of thin air was scary. That one night he unleashed his demon, and then quietly brooded for fifteen years before unleashing it again.

Zombie went in a different direction. He lowered the tax bracket of the Myers family, and spent the first third of the movie humanizing Michael. You get to know the boy. You begin to feel for him a bit, though you're shown pretty damn quick what a monster he already is.

Rob then quickly blows through the rest of the movie, dispensing with most of, if not all, the character development of the original. Sadly, he also dispenses with everything that made the original scary. There's no fear to be had here, just the thrill of watching a madman go to work.

Not that that is without it's charms. I'm just saying.

What am I saying? I didn't dislike it. In fact, I rather enjoyed it. It was engaging, well executed, and I liked it. Most importantly, it didn't shit on the original. Zombie took his favorite movie and put his own stamp on it. I'm cool with that.