Friday, September 30, 2005

BS Friday

Welcome to BS Friday once again. I post it and you tell me if it is true or just a big ol pile of BS. Today's post is called: Evil Knievel Wannabees

When I was a kid BMX Bicycle racing was just becoming a big thing. In my neighborhood, you would have thought it was always a big thing. It was a lifestyle. Everyone would build their own bikes and race everyone else and build ramps and jump over stuff or jump over people. Jumping over people without a ramp (we called it "hopping", I don't know what it's called today) was exciting. I once even jumped over the back of a tractor trailer, but that's a subject for another time.

Anyway, it got to the point that the 'dudes' who were considered the best in the neighborhood would keep trying to think up ways to outdo one another. (Note the aforementioned jump of the tractor trailer). There were many ridiculous plans and actual stunt attempts done by insanely unaware kids. We were all sure that we were invulnerable, you know. No thought to injury ever popped into our heads.

One day a bunch of us were cruising the dirt roads along the river when one of my friends stopped suddenly and just stared at the water. When we all came back to him we weren't at all surprised to hear him say that he thought he could jump over the water. "Easy", he said. Now, you'd have to know this guy to understand what that simple little word meant. When he said "Easy" it simply meant that he was going to do it. No discussion. No concern. It just was going to happen. The problem was that the river was quite wide and on the opposite side from us was a construction company. The bank was big chunks of stone most of the way up. There was a pile of gravel at the top of the bank about 10 yards from the edge. The edge to the bank was gravel too. If he made the jump, the landing would be interesting, to say the least. Assuming he made the jump.

Funny thing was, none of us even gave it a second thought. We all considered it a cool idea and accepted it without question. So we got to work.

We built a ramp out of our stash of old plyboard. We kept a bunch of ramp building materials handy at all times. We cleared the path to the ramp of as many obstacles as possible. It took several hours to get it done and ready, but we were pros by this time.

The time finally came for the stunt. Mr. Fearless rode across the field. We were all waiting at the edge of the river. Like guys do, we were all betting on the outcome. "Hey, I bet these 2 pieces of Bubblicious he crashes!" "OK, I'll bet my Chuckles on that." "Hey, I want in on this. I've got some Atomic Fireballs." (We all wanted the Fireballs!)

Well, the bets were made, the time had come and Mr., Fearless started his run toward the ramp. He picked up speed and became a streak against the evening sky as we all waited to see how this would turn out. He got closer and closer and when he got to the ramp for a split second I remember thinking "Geez, I hope he doesn't land ON the rocky bank." Good time to think about that, I guess.

He hit the ramp and we all held our breath as he took to the air. Deathly silence surrounded us as he floated into space. For a moment I was thrilled as he seemed to float in mid air. Then I realized that he shouldn't be floating, he should be progressing across. He seemed to float and then he went straight down into the middle of the river with a giant splash. Everyone roared with laughter as he landed and then struggled to keep hold of his bike and get back out.

I looked over at the ramp and saw that it was now laying flat on the ground. That explained it. Turns out that the jumpers brother had set the ramp to fall as soon as it was hit. That way he was sure to get wet. Mr. Fearless never had a chance. It was awesome!

Needless to say, I began checking ramps when it was my turn to be crazy. I didn't mind the joke though. I won a couple of Atomic Fireballs and no one got hurt.

Thursday, September 29, 2005

BoredBoredBoredBored

Being off sick (legitimately) is boring. I’m going a bit stir crazy. Anyone ever try to watch daytime TV? It sucks. I also never knew how many times in a row ESPN shows Sportscenter. They ran the same show 3 times in a row. The 2nd time I thought I was psychic or something. The 3rd time it got through my head that it was the same show. Duh!

So I decided I had to do something. I got myself up, got some tools together and put in a kitty door. The kitty litter has it’s own home and I had been planning to put the kitty door in so we could stop leaving the door to the little room cracked open.

There were only 2 incidents during the install. Two mad dashes toward the bathroom and that was it. Then I cleaned up and waited. I wanted to make sure the kitty was cool with having a new entryway to her dumping ground. Can you imagine the boredom you are experiencing when you are doing nothing but waiting for a cat to take a whiz? That’s the kind of day this is. Fun.

At any rate, I feel like I’m getting better. I am finally thinking about some food. That’s a good sign. Maybe I’ll give that a shot. Hopefully it stays inside for a little while at least. I hate to waste food. Maybe I should eat something I only marginally like. Then it wouldn’t be as big a waste if it came back out prematurely.

BTW, the kitty likes her new door. Me too.

Sick(ening) Day

So here I sit, trying o keep down whatever is left inside, looking at HNT pics. I can't stand being sick. I can't stand wasting a day off when I'm really feeling bad. When I'm off, I want to be off for fun stuff.

I felt fine yesterday. Maybe a little more run down than usual but nothing that I thought should be a big deal. Now I'm feeling like I've been run through the ringer.

Isn't that a cool term? I remember when I was little my Mom had one of those old washing machines that had the ringer attached to the back. No matter how bad I knew it would be, I alway wanted to stick my finger in between the rollers when it was running. It was a need for some reason. Luckily I never did it. That would have hurt. It was so tempting though.

Anyway, I'll be checking in periodically. Hopefully this will pass quickly. What a waste of a day. I didn't even have much to do at work. It would have been an easy time there. Damn the luck!

Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Cool Vs. Uncool

This morning's lesson is the difference between cool vs. uncool, done as a visual demonstration. Pay attention. "Right. Learn it, know it, live it." (Brad Hamilton, F.T.A.R.H.)



Cool:

(Need I say more?)

Uncool:

(This is a sport?)


Cool:

(Supersize me.)

Uncool:

(No more boring fast food in the universe.)


Cool:

(Embodiment of cool!)

Uncool:

(Freaky poser.)


Cool:

(Bloggers rock!)

Uncool:

(Print is undead, but limited, not to mention the paper is messy.)


Cool:

(Oh yeah!)

Uncool:

(Yikes!)


Cool:

(Isn't she adorable?)

Uncool:

(Suburban dominatrix wannabee.)


Cool:

(Mr. Smooth)

Uncool:

(Never got over the Sean Connery thing.)


Cool:

(Or the beer of your choice.)

Uncool:

(It wants to be a beer.)


Cool:

(None better than the original!)

Uncool:

(Comic strip soap operas? No thanks.)


Cool:

(True coolness.)

Uncool:

(Not even a good geek.)


Cool:

(A true Muscle Car.)

Uncool:

(Muscle Car wannabee.)

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

Chowder

Recently Peachy and I were talking about a show she had watched. It was about a Chowder Cookoff somewhere in the northeast, I think. It made me hungry for some good chowder. But that's not my point right now.

This thought keeps coming back to me; how does one sit and watch a show dedicated to chowder? A whole show dedicated to nothing but a chowder cookoff.

I was trying to think of any time when I was younger and I sat and watched anything about cooking. Never. Can you imagine trying to get a kid to watch that show? I promise you that if someone had suggested to my friends and I that we watch that, we wouldn't have even considered it. Not when we were young. We would have run away laughing at the 'old fuddy-duddy' and their old people show. Now, I find myself curious about it.

Maybe I'm old now? If so, does being old(er) and interested in cooking shows mean that I am boring? Probably to a kid it does. Maybe it means that I am a more well rounded person. Wouldn't that mean I'm more interesting?

I dunno. Maybe it just means that I am craving some chowder.

Monday, September 26, 2005

Bored Post

I'm having a busy day and can't get to blogging properly. So the next best thing is to post fun stuff. Pics and comics I like are easy.


Here's a novel I would definitely read.





Meritt posted music by Kate Bush a few days ago. I found this pic of her recently. How cool is it?




I wonder if Cindy-Lou knows this guy?




This is what happens when someone starts making negative movies about something. (Supersize Me) Some people have to take matters into their own hands.




I just find this one amusing.



Well, that's all the time I have right now. Enjoy!

(Thanks to Funnyjunk for the last 3 pics.)

Latest Poll Results

Here are the latest Poll results. I guess we have quite the diverse ideas of when enough is enough. With the exception of us being beach bums. That's what I take from no one voting for the skin turning red choice. Once we're on the beach, we're there! I really am like that, btw.

The new Poll is posted. A lighthearted one since I haven't had enough coffee yet and my brain isn't totally functioning.

As always, if I've missed one you want to vote for just say so via the comments section. I don't remember all of the great ones.


When is enough really enough?

Selection
When you are too sore to continue. 6 votes
When the money runs out. 3 votes
When you wake up in jail. 5 votes
When you have gained an extra 50 lbs. 3 votes
When you start forgetting their names. 4 votes
When you fantasize about knocking their head with a hammer. 6 votes
When your eyes are burning from the monitor's glow. 3 votes
When your skin passes red and turns maroon. 0 votes
When you can't hear and the speakers are cracked. 2 votes
When the good stuff is all gone. 6 votes

Saturday, September 24, 2005

BS Friday Answers

OK, here are the answers to yesterday's BS Friday Quiz. This was fun but if it happens again, I'll be sure to make it much shorter.


1. True – blogging brings me much pleasure.
2. False – I only imagined it for the guy who stole my girlfriend. Seemed a fitting punishment.
3. True – sure made the party a bit more interesting.
4. True – well duh! Who in their right mind wouldn’t?
5. True – it was a thing I did back in Jr. High. Try it, you’ll like it (or not).
6. False – I love kids. Other people’s kids are awesome. I’ve just never been responsible enough to have my own.
7. True – in a way, Sandy has been purged from my system. Almost. Maybe. I guess this one could be either. I only killed her off figuratively.
8. False – it’s actually Cleveland I wonder about.
9. True – I’m not bleeding heart. If they want to go, let them go.
10. True – love them both but dogs take too much attention.
11. True – I never wanted to be tied to a place.
12. True – a 1963 Chevy Impala SS convertible. Soon, very soon....
13. True – Kid Rock lives the rock star life. I am jealous.
14. False – There are a few I can tolerate. Only a few.
15. True – Absolutely! An all expenses paid blogger vacation with all my blog buds!
16. True – I worked at the Humane Society for 6 years. There was a lot of killing going on. It still bums me out to think of it.
17. True – Daily. What a chump, eh?
18. False – I understand it and how it became popular. It just is really stupid to me.
19. False – Love does not conquer all. Don’t be fooled by anyone.
20. True – I got carried away. I could have done more but it was already too long.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Today's Helpful Tip

...From your helpful friend, Helpie Helperson.

Tip: Try not to breathe in when you are dumping a Pixy Stix candy into your mouth. It will make you choke and cough and blow all the powdery candy all over everything directly in front of you. People don't usually like to have candy spit on them.

It also makes your eyes water and burns in your nose. For something so yummy, it sure can be a hazard if used improperly.

Remember, Helpie says any help is good help. :)

Welcome To BS Friday

It's BS Friday once again. This week we'll be doing something a little different. Usually I write a story and you have to figure out if it's BS or not. This week I decided it might be fun to write a quiz using some of my life experiences (or not) and you get to guess. Have at it and good luck. (Prizes may be announced at a later date.)

The "Is it Truth or is it BS Quiz"

1. I think blogging is the coolest invention since the pc.

2. I once invented the aluminum foil condom. It didn't take off.

3. I once had a threesome before a party with 2 friends girlfriends who were helping me set up the place.

4. I hate ALL things related to the boston red sux.

5. I used to drink Sprite with ketchup in it.

6. I hate kids.

7. I used to love her but I had to kill her.

8. I constantly wonder why anyone would voluntarily move to Idaho.

9. I believe that anyone who fails at suicide should be put out of their misery anyway.

10. I think cats are way cool and dogs are too much work.

11. I never wanted to own a home.

12. I never wanted any other car than a Chevy.

13. I think Kid Rock is cool.

14. I think reality shows suck.

15. I wish daily that I could win the lottery just so I can have a blogger party.

16. I have personally killed about 18,000 animals.

17. I fall into and out of love/crushes almost daily.

18. I do not understand the whole 'I hate the French' thing.

19. I believe in the power of love.

20. I only intended to write 10 questions on this quiz.

** A slight edit on #5. (Didn't like the original.)

Thursday, September 22, 2005

I Am Dilbert

Yesterday I went on “The Big Interview”. It was one of those where you start in the morning and end in the late afternoon. An all day job where you are poked and (mentally) prodded by 9 different people. You get a free lunch, but with 3 other people still trying to gauge everything about you. It was tiring. Interesting, but tiring.

I didn’t have much trouble with the people in general. Most of the time I find them interesting and what they have to say is easy to follow. Talking about my experiences is easy. I’ve been there, you know? So that’s not a problem. The problem comes in when I meet someone who is far better educated than I am and he/she starts talking about details and I don’t have a clue. In the Biotech/Pharma world, that happens a lot.

The first person I interviewed with was a woman from HR. Very charming and easy to talk with. No problem. The next person was another woman who apparently didn’t have much to talk with me about and passed me off to the next guy in about 5 minutes. Nice lady, no problem. The 3rd person was a problem.

This guy was very laid back. He was a scientist who began the conversation by talking about the history of the company (which I could follow quite well) and then started on some of the products. This is where I got lost. He was using catch phrases and acronyms and totally expected that I knew all of what he was saying. The truth is, I was lost almost immediately. I’m no chemist and I had no idea what he was talking about for a good 10 minutes. After a while all I could hear was *mumble*mumble*glort*snort*mumble*. Then I started noticing stuff I normally wouldn’t like his eyes didn’t open all the way. They really did look half opened like they couldn’t open fully. Now I was amused.

Suddenly I heard Dilbert in my head wondering what his nickname must be. Maybe ‘Squinty’ or ‘Blinkey’ or something. Dilbert told me to offer him my sunglasses since he apparently had trouble with bright lights. Then I started thinking I should test his eyesight. Maybe drop a pen or a dollar bill on his periphery just to see what would happen. I could here this voice in my head telling me to be cool and to pay attention, but I also heard Dilbert in there totally making wise-cracks like he does with his boss. Finally the nice scientist man got back onto the job I was applying for and the remainder of the interview went well. I’m sure I was misty-eyed for a minute or two though.

This happened once more when I met the Mr. Big Cheese of the place. He started talking abba-dabba for a while and lost me. That’s when I noticed he had a uni-brow. I started imagining being a tiny little skier and cruising the slopes of his brow. It looked neat! Thankfully, he didn’t blabber on. He turned out to be a cool guy and we hit it off pretty well. Dilbert still liked his brow the best.

One thing almost every interviewer asked me was how I got along with others. Isn’t that a silly thing to ask someone? Has anyone ever fessed-up to not getting along with others? Dilbert wanted me to say that I get along fine with those who get along with me. He wanted to see how they interpreted that one. Of course I didn’t. They also asked me if I thought I could fit in with their group. Dilbert said, “Weelll, since I just met you I’m not 100% sure but I think I could learn to love each and every one of you with all my heart. Group hug!” Another silly question in my mind. The truth is that I can get along with almost anybody. Especially at work. Work is temporary. I hope that’s what they were asking.

All day long I kept hearing Dilbert’s sarcastic voice in my head. I had a hard time fighting it, but I did manage to resist the urge to let it out. Interviews are hard sometimes, especially the all day ones where each person asks pretty much the same thing. Answering the same questions over and over is hard. Having the same discussions is tiresome. By the end of the day, you become Dilbert. The trick is, never let it show. Just let him stay in your head and keep you entertained.


Hodgepodge Brain

This morning I’m driving down the highway and the song “Leaving on a Jet Plane” was running through my brain. I guess it came from wondering how Yoj was feeling today. I know she’s been feeling bad and I remembered a post she did sometime ago with that title.

Then the next thing I know I had Judas Priest’s Hell Bent For Leather in my head. I have no idea why, but I did. I haven’t heard a Priest song for a while. I started laughing about it and thought “My brain must be toasted today.” Of course that thought made me think of Quyen’s kitty she called Toasty. I had to smile about that. I think Toasty is a cute name. Then I started wondering how Toasty was doing and how Quyen’s Quartet was doing.

My brain then suddenly went from that to the way the Yankees have come back again this year. First place as of this moment. A moment to savor, to be sure. I knew that Karen would be posting something good about the subject, since it seems the whole Yankee world has been down on this year’s team. Oh ye of little faith. Can’t wait to see how our Captain is enjoying the moment.

Next thing I know, I’m singing “Diamond’s Are A Girls Best Friend” from the movie Gentleman Prefer Blonds. (I’m a Marilyn Monroe freak, btw.) Of course this made me thing of Meritt and what kind of coffee was brewing this fine morning. Somehow that led me to wondering how it is that we get into ‘blogger blocks’ (Meritt had one recently) and I wondered if Grace had gotten over her mini block ok. This led me to wonder where Nina and Mike have been. They haven’t been posting much lately. (I hope all is well out there in AZ). Then that naturally led to wondering how Veronica is doing. She didn’t post for a while and when she did it wasn’t great news. I knew I’d be checking in on her first thing this morning.

That thought led me to the realization the this was HNT. That sure has become a huge blogger thing since Osbasso started it. I admit to it being one of the highlights of the week for me. Bloggers sure can be creative (and sexy).

All this went through my brain during the first part of the commute. I haven’t written all the stuff that came in between. Mostly because my mind was just wandering and I don’t really remember it all. I drove Nicci’s car this morning and I couldn’t find the radio, so I guess my brain was trying to substitute for radio chatter. Before you start snickering too much, it’s a new car and it was dark. The radio has this cover that pulls down to cover it up (I found out once I got to work) and finding it while driving in the dark wasn’t happening today.

Anyway, bloggers are always a part of my consciousness these days it seems. I don’t know if you should be afraid about that or not. Don’t worry, I’m not a stalker (except when it comes to Cindy-Lou, I can’t help myself), so there isn’t anything to be afraid about.

Trust me. ;)

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

See Ya Later

Well, no blogging for me today. I have one of those all day meetings to go to and I won't be near my pc at all. Tonight I will be back but during the day, not. I am sure to have serious withdraw at some point today. Blogging is addictive.

Everyone have a great day and post some cool stuff. See ya!

Tuesday, September 20, 2005

Today's Helpful Tip

...From your helpful friend, Helpie Helperson.

Tip: When you get bored and start sticking pencils into the ceiling, make sure to wear safety glasses. Sometimes they don't stick the first time and come right back at you.

Remember, Helpie says any help is good help. :)

Running Late

I just got in to work, an hour and a half late. There was an accident on the highway and I got caught up in the traffic. One of those kamakazi dump truck drivers rolled his giant Indy Racer on the road and dumped a full load of sand everywhere.

What's weird about these things for me is how pissed I get when I see the results. I get pissed because most of the time the driver is being an ass. Then other people pay for his assholiness. (Now theres a word.) I've seen enough of these dump truck maniacs to be able to make an educated guess as to how his truck got trashed like that. He was probably doing between 80 and 90 mph, weaving around traffic and misjudged the combinations of the slight curve, the slight downhill grade and the potential of his load to shift too much.

Traffic will be screwed up for hours now. That truck was totalled. This brings me to the point where I feel bad for getting so pissy. The driver had to be injured. Maybe severely. There was no room left in that cab for a person. It was mashed.

So I get to where I can finally go around the mess, totally pissed because some idiot has ruined my schedule and I see the mangled remains of what once was a big dump truck. Now I feel bad for being so pissy about my schedule when that driver obviously has some more serious worries. But he probably brought those on himself. There's my conumdrum. Be selfish and stay mad or be more forgiving and hope for the health of the driver?

Oh well, that's my morning so far. I hope the driver is OK. I hope he learned something from this accident. I also hope he's well enough to suffer a bit for screwing everyone else this morning.

Monday, September 19, 2005

Today's Cruel Thought

So Renee Zellweger and Kenny Chesney split. Normally I don't like to feel happy about people breaking up, but my distaste for almost all things country music related has made this a happy tiding in my warped mind. How about that? 4 months of wedded bliss down the tubes.

That's a shame.

Whatever

So, it's Monday morning again. Yippee. The weekends do fly by, don't they? This weekend was no exception. The best part for me was getting my house back into some kind of decent order. Soon, all the dumb stuff will be done and I'll quit my crying.

I did manage to get together with my friends for a poker game on Saturday. I lost, but I don't play to win anyway. I go just for the social part of it. I get bored anyway, especially with Texas Hold'em. (Did I spell that right?) I'm still learning that game, but I can see myself having concentration problems with it no matter how good I get. I'm the type of person who will play poker properly for a while but then I get tired of waiting for something good to show up in my hand(s) and I'll start getting adventurous. Trying to make hands miraculously happen doesn't usually work in poker. Sometimes you get lucky but mostly you just spend money. My short attention span gets me every time and I start doing dumb stuff just to try and keep it interesting.

I heard something this morning I thought was funny. A local city had a j-walking sting type of operation going. Kinda like a sobriety checkpoint but for j-walkers. They gave out a bunch of tickets too. That idea in itself makes me smile but the best part was that they got one guy for j-walking and he also got busted for marijuana. Imagine that one in the lock-up. The dude is acting all cool with the other cons, "Yeah, they got me for pot." They are all feeling camaraderie then one asks how they busted him. He quietly and quickly quips, as he's looking away, "When I was j-walking." That would end his good impression, I'm sure. It's a different thing to get busted in a drug sting but to get it while breaking the city ordnance for walking on the street? Bummer for him.

Anyway, it's Monday. Hmm... I think I've said that already. Whatever.

OK, good morning to all. Coffee Marge... large coffee...

Sunday, September 18, 2005

BS Friday Answer

I am finally blogging from home! Remember a little over a week ago when I said it would take me until Tuesday (last Tuesday) to get my home pc up and running again? Yeah well, the best laid plans of mice and men, eh? It only took me 5 more days than I thought. Maybe I need to learn how to estimate better.

It's all this home improvment stuff we've got going on. Finally, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The projects are dwindling, except for the painting, which I do not do. Under (almost) no circumstances will I paint walls, ceilings, home stuff. Nope, if it ain't an art painting project, it ain't a Bob project.

I did learn today that I suck at using a mitre saw. Well, to be more specific, I suck at doing baseboards and quarter round. Almost nothing I did today fit together well. I did manage to re-do some things and make them nice, but there were some horrible corners left in our bathroom. Good old paintable caulk stuff. Fills in any screw-ups, even mine. I will not be doing that job again. Not without Helpie Helperson around to give me pointers.

OK, back to the BS Friday story. It was false. Sorry to those of you who are terminally bad guessers. I got the idea from someone in line trying to use the old coupon, but they didn't get all irate. They just laughed when they realized their mistake and went on about their business. The checkout lady then told me that some people try that and get really crazy when they can't use the expired coupon, so there was my inspiration. I guess it was a half true story, but I didn't get to see it happen. Darn the luck!

OK, now it's time to surf and see what all of you have been doing this weekend. I hope theres some good stuff going on. I could use a smile.

Friday, September 16, 2005

BS Friday

Welcome once again to BS Friday. I'll tell it and you tell me if it's true or just BS. Today’s story is called: Aren’t Discount Coupons Good Forever?

Not long ago I went to return few items to Lowe's that we didn't need. 3 Locks that we decided not to use in lieu of what the Locksmith recommended. While I was in line, an irate man was tying up the place, talking really loud (almost yelling) at the clerk about something. He kept getting louder and louder and then came the swearing and personal insults against the poor Lowe's worker.

Soon another Lowe's person came up and tried to calm him down and when that didn't work, the Manager finally showed up. All this time the people in line were bitching and complaining about how long it was taking or they were going to other lines, but not me. I was totally amused for some reason. I stayed for the show. It didn't take long until I was next to the yelling guy, so I naturally started to understand what his problem was.

He had a 10% off coupon that had expired in May and he wanted them to honor it still. (It was August!) He did have a big load of stuff, but c'mon dude! That thing was 3 months past usable. He insisted that they had allowed this type of thing before. He also claimed that he had called and someone had said he could still use the coupon. Conveniently, he didn't get a name.

Well, they went on for a while and he finally looked me in the face and said, "Can you believe the s%$#?" I just started laughing and told him I was amazed that he even thought for a moment that a 3 month old coupon should be honored. That did it! He was even more irate and started yelling about the Lowe's management being crooked and yada...yada....yada... I just stood there smiling, enjoying the show.

Finally, he gave up. He left without any of his stuff saying he would never be back. I was sure that the store personnel were real sad about that.

Love Of My Life, Where Have You Been?

Lovely, luscious, delectable, delicious, fantastic, soul warming and just plain old yummy! That's what my Starbuck's Grande Latte with whipped cream was this morning. Yes, I know it's a shock to think I have been without my Starbuck's for several weeks, but it is true. This morning I had time to stop at my old favorite shop, so I did. It was well worth the time.

It is true that I have made Starbuck's at home several times. It is good that way. There is just something about your favorite Barrista whipping up a Latte for you that makes a big difference though. Plus, I got to get caught up a little on my Starbuck's buds life happenings a bit. Funny thing; the Manager there is having similar experiences with home renovations to mine. She is actually moving out for 2 months to do some major stuff which is way beyond what I'm doing right now. Kinda puts my complaints into perspective a bit.

I do believe what some of my blogger buds have claimed about Starbuck's coffee; it must have some crack mixed into it or something. I really missed it. My friend in San Francisco recommended Peet's Coffee to me yesterday. Apparently it is the forerunner to Starbucks. Now I have to try it. She also says that where she lives there are three different coffee shops to choose from on her street alone. How cool would that be? Who needs food? Just stay on a caffeine high all the time. I bet I could get more stuff done in a day.

OK, I didn't really intend to do a coffee post this morning. (I don't want to step on Meritt's toes.) I guess I just got all lovey-dovey after my trip to coffee nirvana. I'll stop now. Mainly because my coffee here at work is now ready. Starbuck's Anniversary Blend. It came highly recommended this morning at the shop so I had to give it a try.

Nah, no coffee addiction here.

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Question Of The Day

Is it OK to feel like some of your internet blogger friends are cooler than some of your real life friends?

Working.... Working....

Remember on some episodes of the original Star Trek series how the computers in the conference rooms would say "Working" when they were asked a question? That's how my brain is feeling this morning. It's kinda confused about some stuff and trying to decide what to think.

For example, how come a lot of people don't clean out their coffee pots everyday? I've noticed that people just rinse them without doing a real cleaning. Don't they realize that coffee is a food thing and germs like it too? Guess not. (Let's not even mention the people who refuse to rinse their coffee mugs daily. Yuck!)

Also, isn't it weird that a lot of online pop-ups are ads offering to help you get rid of online pop-ups/advertisements? I guess that's an effective way to advertise themselves.

Have you noticed that when you go to a fast food place you end up paying a lot for a soda that is about 80 percent ice? I like the places where you can get your own. At least that way you can wash down the food properly. What's that really cost the store, like $.05 maybe?

I wish people would stop talking about who they want to blame in New Orleans and focus on the rescue/relief efforts. It's a tired subject. Actually, it was a tired subject from the first. But that seems to be the American way anymore. Bitch and complain and oh yeah, I guess we should get to helping out.

Lastly, I'm wondering if this woman practiced this at home? She had to. She stole someones phone, on a crowded bus, and shoved it up her butt to hide it. (How would you like to be the guy who extracted that one?) My guess is she is one of those people who, when they say they have to go to the can, they really mean they have to go now! My brain still is having a hard time working this one out.

It's one of those mornings I guess.

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

I Have Returned (Again)

Yes, I am back to the blog world once again. My home PC still isn't back in it's place and won't be until tomorrow (I think), but I am back to work. I am glad too. I think anyone who moves into a new house (new to them at least) and decides to do too much renovation all at once deserves a smack in the head. I deserve one right now.

I know, there is something to be said for just getting it done, but we have been non-stop since August 20th. I'm tired. Plus, I haven't had time to enjoy the place at all. But soon it will be done. I'll keep telling myself that. Of course, my employer benefits from it all. I am happy to get a break by coming in and working here. It's good for them.

For those who have requested pictures, I'll get some soon. First, I need to put the place back in order. Having the floors installed these last 2 days has everything in complete disarray.

Second, I need to find the camera, wherever it is hiding. ;)

BTW, I have gotten pretty far into Ian's book. It's vintage Ian, so everyone should go order it. If you like his blog, you will like the book. Besides, I think he needs the funds for his Papal election campaign.

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Another Forced Break

Just a quick note to let everyone know I will be without my PC until sometime Tuesday afternoon/evening. (More house stuff.) If I get really lucky, I’ll be back again late Monday, but I seriously doubt that.

Don’t miss me too much. ;)

Good afternoon, good evening & goodnight.

Saturday, September 10, 2005

BS Friday Answer

The answer to the BS Friday story is it's true. I am now living a few doors away from the ex wife. She knew I was moving here. I had no idea where she lived.

I was surprised to see that so many of you assumed I would know where she was. Funny, I haven't paid any attention for a few years.

I don't think there will be any issues. She isn't the type to stop by. She's not even the type to say hi if she walked by and I was outside. I would have to instigate the first contact. I prefer to leave it that way. Nicci loves the neighborhood so I won't screw it up for her unless there is no choice.

Another episode of "There's always something" eh?

Friday, September 09, 2005

If I Only Was A Cyborg

Got this from Chicken. It cracks me up.






What's Your Cyborg Name?


Wish I looked that studly as a human.

Welcome To BS Friday

It's that time again. I'll BS you, or not, and you tell me which it is, truth or BS. This week’s installment is called:

So this past couple of weeks has been busy. It’s been a constant home improvement show at the new house. Not that it really needs work. It just needs updating. I've already let everyone know that the neighborhood is like something right out of a 50's or 60's TV show, maybe even like Stepford (too good to be true), so what happened recently was a bit of a surprise.

Anyway, one of my friends was over helping with something and he casually asks me how I feel about my ex living so close to me. I didn't get it at first so I asked what he was talking about. He told me that my ex-wife lives on the same street that I live on. He also mentioned that on moving day he and another of my best friends were joking about it. It was obvious to them I didn't know. She knew before I moved in that I would be soon arriving.

Needless to say, I was surprised. Here's a little background for those who don't know the scoop: my ex and I hooked up back in the crazy party-Bob days. It was a hot affair when it started, then we got married and it sucked so we got divorced after about 8 months. Then it got hot again. We had some of the best times together after we were divorced.

Now she is my neighbor. I did some checking and she lives 4 doors down on the opposite side. Neat, eh?

I'm not sure I'll mention it to Nicci. I don't know what her reaction would be and she loves the neighborhood so much. Plus, D won't be stopping by. There isn't anything to worry about there. It's just one of those weird coincidences that make you wonder sometimes.

Thursday, September 08, 2005

Yes, I Am Here

I haven't posted today. I've been too busy. I have been spending all my spare time trying to pass Michelle's 3rd test. Unfortunately, I haven't made a lot of progress. Oh well, I gave it a shot.

Anyone who hasn't checked out The Peevery should, btw. I'm sure there is something there you can identify with.

So today has been a quiet blog day for YB. I haven't even seen all the HNT posts! That in itself is a wonder!

Earlier today I saw a picture of Katie Holmes. I just looked away and didn't even try to see what the deal was. A few months ago, I would have checked it out to see if she had a new movie coming or something. Not now. I guess her association with you-know-who has soured me on her. That surprises me, but it is what it is.

Well, I'll be trying to get caught up sometime this evening. Trying after the contest deadline expires, that is. Wish me luck.

Wednesday, September 07, 2005

It's A Dog's Life

Have you ever heard of someone sending their dog on a vacation? I just did. Peachy just told me that she sent her dog Jemma to Tennessee for a vacation with her Dad. She asked Jemma if she wanted to go and she did. Smart doggie.

I've never heard of someone sending their pet on a vacation. That is a new one on me. I guess it makes sense, in a way. They get to visit with other people, get to poop in a new patch of grass, maybe make some new animal friends. I guess I can see it.

I'll bet the best part for Jemma was traveling all that way with her head out the window and her tongue flapping in the wind. That is probably fun for her. Besides, the trip is a big part of the fun anyway.

Now I think Peachy is missing her friend. I hope she has a good vacation and comes home soon. :)

New Poll (Finally!)

Here are the latest Poll results. We either don't get NASCAR or we really like crunching cars. Either way, it's not the actual racing that is interesting. Go figure.


Why do you think NASCAR is so popular?

Selection
The beer. 4 votes
The pretty colored cars. 1 vote
The sexy outfits. 2 votes
The mindlessness of it. 4 votes
The drivers awesome left turn ability. 3 votes
The crashes. 15 votes
Rednecks are popular these days. 4 votes
The cool endorsement patches. 1 vote
Whats NASCAR? 2 votes
I don't understand it at all! 10 votes


New Poll is posted (right sidebar). Have at it.

I'm Bummed!

Gilligan is gone! Bob Denver passed away yesterday after a fight with cancer. I always like him, no matter what he did. Not just for Gilligan's Island, which I still find hilarious, but for the character Maynard G. Krebs from Dobie Gillis.

Remember him from the Saturday morning kids show "The Far Out Space Nuts"? That show cracked me up.








You were great Bob. RIP.

Tuesday, September 06, 2005

Welcome To The Neighborhood

Lately I feel like I'm part of the Ozzie and Harriet show or something. The neighborhood we moved into is so far and away different from our old one that it seems surreal sometimes.

Our first day there, before we had moved everything in, we had 2 visits from neighbors just to say hi. The second evening we had a couple drop by to introduce themselves and bring us homemade grape jelly. Now, if you knew how much I love grape jelly, you would know how that affected me. Sweet! Later that evening a couple from across the street stopped in to say hi. The big surprise there was that they were from South Africa. Just like Nicci. What are the odds?

We have had a steady stream of new neighbors stopping by to introduce themselves. Not to mention, everyone who drives past the house waves. They don't even know us, but they wave. I've gotten used to it so I just wave back. Sometimes I even wave first.

This weekend was the best yet. Over the weekend a neighbor lady came over to introduce herself and brought us an apple pie she made from scratch. It is yummy! She said she was making a couple of them for her family and she thought maybe we'd like one too. Then, later when I was mowing, the neighbor man from behing us drove up on his riding mower and helped me. Then he stopped his mower and introduced himself. I've never heard of someone doing something like that! It's a rather large yard and I sure didn't mind, but that was a little unusual.

It is an old neighborhood. Everyone tells us that the turnover there is almost non-existant. Most people buy their houses and live there until they die. I feel like I'm in some Twilight Zone episode or something. Coming from a city type mentality to a super-friendly neighborhood like this is a bit of a shock. But I'm not complaining. So far, it's been pretty nice.

Kinda makes me worried for my neighbors though. If they only knew me better.....

In Defense Of Me

Before anyone gets a really bad impression due to the recent BS Friday revelations, I just want to clear a few things up.

First, I am not a pop music fan nor have I ever been much of one. I don't have any music by Debbie Gibson or Tiffany. I do remember having a cassette single (remember those?) by Debbie a long time ago though. The only thing I have from those days is a wall poster of DG that I don't remember where it came from but I intend on keeping and framing for my cool new basement wall. (Yes, that was a joke. I won't be framing it.)

Second, I have quite a large collection of celebrity autographs. I have been collecting them for a few years. Some I pay for and some I receive via direct/indirect communication with celebrities. The reason I came across the Deborah pic was that I was sipmly checking out something on Ebay and there it was. Of course, once I saw it, I couldn't resist the urge. I'm like that. It's that 80's thing that gets me going the most. I had a pretty kick-ass decade back then. ;) I didn't go looking for her or anything. I just found the pic and that made me think of Tiffany.

Ah, the way the mind works.

So, for those who were disappointed and thought I was becoming an uber-geek, don't fret. I'm just a little geeky sometimes.

But you know, these days, geeks are cool!

That's something to think about.

Sunday, September 04, 2005

BS Friday Answer

My internet connection has been down all day, but I'm finally here to post this.


The BS Friday story is true! Below are the pics I mentioned.





Here is the first Tiffany pic I mentioned. The modern version....




and here is the second Tiffany pic I mentioned, the classic 80's look.




And here is the sexy Deborah one. Hot, eh?

Oh yeah, I am totally geekin out now!

Saturday, September 03, 2005

Disaster Of The Morning

I had a major disaster this morning in my kitchen! It was horrible! It happened when I was making the morning coffee. (Starbuck’s House Blend) As I was attempting to put the coffee back into the fridge, the thing became unstable in my hand, wobbled around a bit, and fell to the floor. Well, not directly to the floor. My foot was in the way so it bounced off the top of my foot onto the floor. Of course, that made it even worse because that extra bounce allowed the lid to come all the way off and the coffee to spill everywhere. (I know Meritt! Deep breaths…breathe….)

I was stunned as I just stood and looked at all that beautiful Starbuck’s coffee wasted on the kitchen floor. Tears started to well up in my eyes while the swelling welled up on the top of my foot. I wanted to scream out loud “Why, why??!!!”

Once under control again, I started the sad process of cleaning up the mess. As the once luscious Starbuck’s was slowly being sucked up into my shop vac, I felt a burning sensation building deep inside me. I felt a huge anger building. A rage against all things unholy, like the wasting of purely innocent coffee. Coffee that was put here for one purpose; our pleasure. It never had a chance, poor Starbuck’s House Blend.

Well, being the good American I am, I did 2 things. First, I decided that this tragedy had to be the President’s fault. Somehow, someway, it just had to be. Since he is responsible for every minute detail of life in this country, whether he is around or not, I became sure that it had something to do with his negligence. That’s when I realized that our President should have seen that this disastrous spill could have been prevented if every American had been warned that carrying more than one thing to the fridge could result in a spill. That’s the ticket. I also noticed that he sent no aid whatsoever for the cleanup. None!

So now I am writing directly to the President to force him to pass a law that prohibits someone from handling too many things in their kitchen at once. It is the government’s responsibility to regulate everything, isn’t it? I just can’t wait for his next vacation. I always wanted to go to Texas. I think the vigil outside his ranch will be quite lovely.

The second thing I did, as a true American was to look up the manufacturer of the coffee storage canister and then called my lawyer. (His name is Jackie Chiles, btw.) You see they owe me big time for my pain (literal) and suffering. There is no warning label on the canister anywhere that states that it will hurt your foot if you drop it on yourself. Nowhere at all. Can you believe that? They are gonna pay! We all know that everything we use has to have some kind of written warning and/or instructions along with it or we shouldn’t be allowed to touch it.

Come to think of it, how come the President hasn’t taken care of that issue too? Oh boy, will he be in trouble now!

So, with every disaster there is a profit. My foot still hurts and I will never get over the loss of all that delicious Starbuck’s wasted, well before it’s time. But if there weren’t negligent people in the world to blame, this would have been a much bigger tragedy.

Once I get my settlement, I’ll spring for a cup for everyone. (There will be a legal disclaimer to sign first, of course.)

Friday, September 02, 2005

This Is Meritt's Fault



Meritt mentioned a "Hooterville Thong" on a recent post and me being a guy, I started wondering if that was a real name or just something she and her blog buds made up. When I did a search, this is what came up.

Horrible sight for a sober man!

Gas Prices

I was checking out Jarod's blog and he was mentioning how gas had gotten to $1.99 a gallon. I was wishing I was there with him.

On Wednesday night I was too tired and didn't feel like filling up the Jeep so I decided I'd do it in the morning. Dumb-ass me, I should'a known to go with my instincts. When I got to the pumps the price had risen from $2.29 a gallon the evening before to $2.79 a gallon in the morning. It wasn't even 12 hours! That sucked!

On my way home I just happened to glance at the gas price sign and about ran off the road. It was now at $3.19 per gallon! A $.90 per gallon jump in less than 24 hours! Unbelievable!

I can't wait to see what it is tonight. Sheesh!

Meritt, I know what you meant when you mentioned buying your truck just in time for crazy gas prices. I just got the Jeep in late February. Bummer for us.

Welcome to BS Friday

Once again it's BS Friday. Here is the latest edition. You tell me if it's true or if it's BS. This one is called "Pop Music Geekin Out":

Here comes a geeky confession I haven't mentioned in years; Back in the 80's I had a crush on Debbie Gibson. Not only her but I liked Tiffany too. (She's a natural redhead, no surprise.) I thought they were both pretty hot. I especially liked Debbie when I found out that she wrote and played all her own music. That's very cool to me. So naturally I had some of their music and a poster or 2 hanging around. Yes, I was and still am basically a headbanger/hard-rocker, but there was something about them I liked.

Yesterday on Ebay I came across this autographed picture of Deborah Gibson. (She wants to be called Deborah now.) It was sexy! She has turned out to be quite the hottie. Anyone who has seen the pics of Tiffany in Playboy knows that she is a looker, but I didn't think DG was as sexy. Surprise!

I couldn't resist the urge, so I bid on it and to my surprise, I won.

This got me thinking about Tiffany. So I did a search and found her official site and when I saw she had autographed pics for sale, I bought 2 of them.

So now I am officially a pop music uber-geek. I have purchased autographed pics of 2 of the biggest pop music icons of the 80's.

I feel so cheesy!

Thursday, September 01, 2005

A New Baseball Stat




This cracks me up! Baseball is notorious for keeping stats for everything. Sometimes useless information. (I said that before someone else did.) I would not be surprised to see a stat like this come about since the big steriod thing just keeps getting bigger.

Where's The Help?

Has anyone else noticed that there hasn't been any helpers from other countries with the relief effort after Hurricane Katrina? I just tried to find something on the subject via internet searching, but I haven't seen anything yet. There doesn't appear to be any other countries helping out. Should have figured that one.

The US is constantly helping out everywhere in the world when something like this happens and even when we do we get criticism for not doing enough. So, when we could use a hand? Nothing.

Someone can correct me if I've missed something. I hope someone will, but right now, it looks like we are on our own.

I find that sad.