Today was pretty groovy. I did very little, but it's the kind of inactivity that is relaxing, not boring. We all had a really awesome dinner. Baked potatoes, pork chops, watermelon, grapes, salmon, baked beans with meatballs, corn on the cob. Good stuff. I don't eat around a table with family very often, since my mom, my dad, and I are on totally different sleeping and eating schedules. It's nice to be able to do it every once in a while.
Today, we watched Transformers and Iron Man back-to-back, which was pretty cool. After consuming microwave popcorn, I decided we need a professional popper. Microwave popcorn is by no means bad, but it simply cannot compare with the popcorn they have at the movie theatres. I don't know exactly what it is that makes movie popcorn so much better, but it's got to be something.
I've only just noticed that Blogger.com says that "theater" is an acceptable spelling, but "theatre" is not. For some reason, I have a big problem with that. Blogger, you need to fix this. If it's good enough for the dictionary, it's good enough for you, damn it.
I got two Ultimate X-Men volumes today. I figured I need to start getting caught up sometime. Might as well be now.
I want to draw something. But I have no idea what, and nothing has really satiated me yet. Hopefully I figure it out soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: New comics are fun.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Artist's block is sucky.
Song addiction of the day: "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang. This, in my opinion, is rapping at its best. This is only one version of the song, but there are tons. All of them great.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009: The End of a Brief Hiatus
I put my blog on a two-day hiatus to concentrate on studying for an online exam, but I am back now, and I'm enjoying it.
So my godson and his mom are staying the weekend, and that's pretty dandy. What's not dandy is the fact that they went to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry without me. Not. Okay. In what universe does my mom exist that she thinks leaving me asleep at home while they go to what is probably the coolest museum exhibit in the history of cool museum exhibits ever? Oh well, at least it's going to be here all summer.
Today we saw back-to-back movies in the theatre. First, it was Pixar's newest movie, Up, and then it was the new Star Trek movie. Avid readers of my blog will know that I have already seen Star Trek. This is my third time seeing it, and it has not lost any of its novelty. As for Up, it's a very different sort of Pixar experience. It's a bit darker, and it's got a fair bit of violence, but it continues the proud tradition of taking every main character on some sort of journey and personal growth. It presents itself very well, and makes a lot of really funny references. The ones that stuck out to me were a reference to a famous painting and a Star Wars reference. It was very funny, and also very heartwarming, but also a bit more grown up than previous Pixar works. This is not to say that Pixar has not had some very grown up stories, but Up is grown up in a different sort of way than its predecessors. To say any more would be to cross into the realm of spoilers, which I refuse to engage in, so I will move on.
Today I also went to the driving range with my dad. I don't really golf much, but I hit a few balls. Mostly, I sat in the shade drawing and watching my dad hit balls.
And now you're all caught up.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good movies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Didn't get to go to the exhibit. ...mrrrrggggh...
Song addiction of the day: "ABC" by the Jackson 5. It's just fun. And makes for a great Clerks II dance scene.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
So my godson and his mom are staying the weekend, and that's pretty dandy. What's not dandy is the fact that they went to see the Harry Potter exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry without me. Not. Okay. In what universe does my mom exist that she thinks leaving me asleep at home while they go to what is probably the coolest museum exhibit in the history of cool museum exhibits ever? Oh well, at least it's going to be here all summer.
Today we saw back-to-back movies in the theatre. First, it was Pixar's newest movie, Up, and then it was the new Star Trek movie. Avid readers of my blog will know that I have already seen Star Trek. This is my third time seeing it, and it has not lost any of its novelty. As for Up, it's a very different sort of Pixar experience. It's a bit darker, and it's got a fair bit of violence, but it continues the proud tradition of taking every main character on some sort of journey and personal growth. It presents itself very well, and makes a lot of really funny references. The ones that stuck out to me were a reference to a famous painting and a Star Wars reference. It was very funny, and also very heartwarming, but also a bit more grown up than previous Pixar works. This is not to say that Pixar has not had some very grown up stories, but Up is grown up in a different sort of way than its predecessors. To say any more would be to cross into the realm of spoilers, which I refuse to engage in, so I will move on.
Today I also went to the driving range with my dad. I don't really golf much, but I hit a few balls. Mostly, I sat in the shade drawing and watching my dad hit balls.
And now you're all caught up.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good movies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Didn't get to go to the exhibit. ...mrrrrggggh...
Song addiction of the day: "ABC" by the Jackson 5. It's just fun. And makes for a great Clerks II dance scene.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009: A Full Day, Finally
I finally got out of the house today, and it was great.
Today I went to a children's museum with my godson, his mom, the boy she nannies for, and my mom. For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept of a children's museum, it's not really a museum in the traditional sense. It would be better described as a building full of imagination exercises and giant puzzles in disguise. They teach children about anything from basic colors to how different things are put together. They typically feature a giant house that is "under construction," which children can attach siding, shingles, and things of the like to. Often times there are face painting stations, something to do with cars, someplace to make all sorts of art projects, a waterworks station, and interestingly enough, play supermarkets. Yeah. Full of plastic fruit, boxes of cereal, bread, shopping carts, even checkout stations with fake money. It's really cool stuff, and it was a lot of fun.
After the museum, we went to Steak N' Shake. I was rather ravenous, being that I had eaten nothing besides a bowl of cereal that day. I consumed the following: Chicken strips, french fries, a mini burger, baked beans, a glass of Sprite, and a scoop of ice cream with two chocolate chip cookies, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. I also nibbled on some fruit. Yeah, it's a lot of food. I usually don't eat that much, I promise.
My dog Jake had a good thorough grooming today. He is very fluffy at the moment, and has had a nice trim. He's a snazzy looking guy.
Yahtzee released a new Zero Punctuation review today, and I think it is one of his funniest yet. If you are involved with video games at all, you should be watching this guy. Warning: Very bad language.
And that'll be all.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing my godson is always a big plus.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I didn't get much practical work done today.
Song addiction of the day: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's. What I love about the song is that finally, finally, there's a ballad that I really love to sing that also transfers well to a bass octave. Oh happy day.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today I went to a children's museum with my godson, his mom, the boy she nannies for, and my mom. For those of you who may not be familiar with the concept of a children's museum, it's not really a museum in the traditional sense. It would be better described as a building full of imagination exercises and giant puzzles in disguise. They teach children about anything from basic colors to how different things are put together. They typically feature a giant house that is "under construction," which children can attach siding, shingles, and things of the like to. Often times there are face painting stations, something to do with cars, someplace to make all sorts of art projects, a waterworks station, and interestingly enough, play supermarkets. Yeah. Full of plastic fruit, boxes of cereal, bread, shopping carts, even checkout stations with fake money. It's really cool stuff, and it was a lot of fun.
After the museum, we went to Steak N' Shake. I was rather ravenous, being that I had eaten nothing besides a bowl of cereal that day. I consumed the following: Chicken strips, french fries, a mini burger, baked beans, a glass of Sprite, and a scoop of ice cream with two chocolate chip cookies, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry. I also nibbled on some fruit. Yeah, it's a lot of food. I usually don't eat that much, I promise.
My dog Jake had a good thorough grooming today. He is very fluffy at the moment, and has had a nice trim. He's a snazzy looking guy.
Yahtzee released a new Zero Punctuation review today, and I think it is one of his funniest yet. If you are involved with video games at all, you should be watching this guy. Warning: Very bad language.
And that'll be all.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing my godson is always a big plus.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I didn't get much practical work done today.
Song addiction of the day: "Hey There Delilah" by The Plain White T's. What I love about the song is that finally, finally, there's a ballad that I really love to sing that also transfers well to a bass octave. Oh happy day.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009: A Horticultural Inconvenience
So I had more issues mowing the lawn today. I encountered another dead bird, which was admittedly not nearly as unpleasant as a dead squirrel, but still not a lot of fun. But the bird was not the main thing that bothered me this time. It was the fact that the dang lawn mower broke.
Our lawn mower is adjustable, capable of leaving 5 different lengths of grass. You have to adjust each wheel independently, and one of the wheels broke, leaving it moving freely between all 5 lengths. Of course, it didn't do this as I was adjusting the wheels to start mowing. It did this about halfway through the mowing of the back yard, leaving me with the task of mowing the lawn with a constantly adjusting lawn mower. Fun.
On the brighter side of things, I got a cheap subscription to Game Informer (a gaming magazine), with the added benefit of a 10 percent increase on the return of any games, systems, or system accessories that I sell to GameStop, and a 10 percent decrease on prices for purchasing used games. So that's pretty cool.
That's all for now, home slices.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The subscription's groovy.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Mowing issues. This lawn has it out for me, I swear...
Song addiction of the day: "How To Save A Life" by the Fray.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Our lawn mower is adjustable, capable of leaving 5 different lengths of grass. You have to adjust each wheel independently, and one of the wheels broke, leaving it moving freely between all 5 lengths. Of course, it didn't do this as I was adjusting the wheels to start mowing. It did this about halfway through the mowing of the back yard, leaving me with the task of mowing the lawn with a constantly adjusting lawn mower. Fun.
On the brighter side of things, I got a cheap subscription to Game Informer (a gaming magazine), with the added benefit of a 10 percent increase on the return of any games, systems, or system accessories that I sell to GameStop, and a 10 percent decrease on prices for purchasing used games. So that's pretty cool.
That's all for now, home slices.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The subscription's groovy.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Mowing issues. This lawn has it out for me, I swear...
Song addiction of the day: "How To Save A Life" by the Fray.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009: Quick Time
This is going to be a fast one, there's good conversation to be had at the Ning right now and I don't want to miss it.
Today I had dinner with my grandparents. It was tasty, as always. We also visited a few graves and payed our respects. I'll be taking care of the lawn at an apartment they own around the end of June. Should be groovy. Good Memorial Day.
Told you it was a short one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good times with family.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Commuting.
Song addiction of the day: "The Big Show Theme." Really simple, but it appeals to me.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today I had dinner with my grandparents. It was tasty, as always. We also visited a few graves and payed our respects. I'll be taking care of the lawn at an apartment they own around the end of June. Should be groovy. Good Memorial Day.
Told you it was a short one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Good times with family.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Commuting.
Song addiction of the day: "The Big Show Theme." Really simple, but it appeals to me.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009: Anniversary Present
Okay, I can tell you now.
Yesterday was my parents' anniversary, and I gave them this video as a present, and they loved it. I ended up with 246 views, and I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. I'd like to thank all my friends and family who helped me spread the video around. Thanks also go out to everyone on the Ning and all the YouTubers who left comments. Special thanks go out to Jim MacDougal, for all his support on the message board thread, and Jethro for his awesome response video. You guys are all made of awesome, and this would not have been the project it was without your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I'm really glad my mom and dad enjoyed the present.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Everything was great.
Song addiction of the day: "We're Gonna Miss You, Carla" from the Scrubs musical episode.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Yesterday was my parents' anniversary, and I gave them this video as a present, and they loved it. I ended up with 246 views, and I couldn't have done it without everyone's help. I'd like to thank all my friends and family who helped me spread the video around. Thanks also go out to everyone on the Ning and all the YouTubers who left comments. Special thanks go out to Jim MacDougal, for all his support on the message board thread, and Jethro for his awesome response video. You guys are all made of awesome, and this would not have been the project it was without your support. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I'm really glad my mom and dad enjoyed the present.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Everything was great.
Song addiction of the day: "We're Gonna Miss You, Carla" from the Scrubs musical episode.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009: A Delay
Okay, I was going to talk about something today, but that something now has to wait until tomorrow. This will all make sense then. Promise!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being lazy was nice.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: In a way, being lazy was also not nice.
Song addiction of the day: "The Anglerfish Song Regarding the Human Mentality In Respect To How To Interpret Perpetually Felt Emotions While Educating You On The Subject Of Anglerfish."
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Being lazy was nice.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: In a way, being lazy was also not nice.
Song addiction of the day: "The Anglerfish Song Regarding the Human Mentality In Respect To How To Interpret Perpetually Felt Emotions While Educating You On The Subject Of Anglerfish."
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009: Horticultural Unpleasantry
Warning: This blog is a bit gross.
So I finally mowed the lawn today, and it sucked. It didn't suck because I don't like mowing the lawn. It didn't suck because it was hot outside. It didn't suck because I missed part of Scrubs because of it. No, it sucked for a very different sort of reason.
It sucked because there were corpses in my backyard.
Specifically, the corpse of a squirrel and the corpse of a bird. The squirrel was fresh, and the bird was picked clean, presumably by flies. I'm actually rather glad that I happened to look down when I did, because if I had looked down a few seconds later, a squirrel frappe would have been a real possibility. Of course, I had to dispose of said corpses, and let me tell you, that squirrel felt like it weighed a million pounds as I used the poop scooper to transfer it from lawn to bag. I threw the corpses away, went inside, scrubbed my hands and forearms, and put on Scrubs to avoid thinking about the events that had just taken place.
Many don't know this, but I am terribly squeamish when it comes to dead stuff. This is the reason that I don't do well at funerals, and also the reason I would like to be cremated. I would like to spend as little time being dead stuff as I possibly can.
Well, I'm going to go spend some time on the Ning. Good night, everyone, and may your days be free of dead stuff.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting out of the house to buy food for the weekend.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Dead stuff. Not fun.
Song addiction of the day: "YMCA" by the Village People. I just love these guys. I also love the fact that when people think of the Young Men's Christian Association, they immediately think of the Village People. Makes my acceptance feel tingly.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
So I finally mowed the lawn today, and it sucked. It didn't suck because I don't like mowing the lawn. It didn't suck because it was hot outside. It didn't suck because I missed part of Scrubs because of it. No, it sucked for a very different sort of reason.
It sucked because there were corpses in my backyard.
Specifically, the corpse of a squirrel and the corpse of a bird. The squirrel was fresh, and the bird was picked clean, presumably by flies. I'm actually rather glad that I happened to look down when I did, because if I had looked down a few seconds later, a squirrel frappe would have been a real possibility. Of course, I had to dispose of said corpses, and let me tell you, that squirrel felt like it weighed a million pounds as I used the poop scooper to transfer it from lawn to bag. I threw the corpses away, went inside, scrubbed my hands and forearms, and put on Scrubs to avoid thinking about the events that had just taken place.
Many don't know this, but I am terribly squeamish when it comes to dead stuff. This is the reason that I don't do well at funerals, and also the reason I would like to be cremated. I would like to spend as little time being dead stuff as I possibly can.
Well, I'm going to go spend some time on the Ning. Good night, everyone, and may your days be free of dead stuff.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting out of the house to buy food for the weekend.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Dead stuff. Not fun.
Song addiction of the day: "YMCA" by the Village People. I just love these guys. I also love the fact that when people think of the Young Men's Christian Association, they immediately think of the Village People. Makes my acceptance feel tingly.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Thursday, May 21, 2009: A Presence of Furry Ones
Today I reached level 70 on my mage in World of Warcraft. Maybe some people don't see this as a worthwhile accomplishment, but I do. WoW is a good, fun thing to do with my dad, and it's got a lot you can do with it. This is the first character I've gotten to level 70. Now I just have to get to 80, and I'll be at the maximum level. That'll be cool. At least, I think so.
My cousins' dog Tate and their chinchilla Yoda are staying with my family for a bit. If you're not familiar with chinchillas, I would describe them as kind of like rabbits without ribcages. And yes, they actually lack ribcages. They're also quite possibly the world's fluffiest animal. So fluffy, in fact, that if they get wet, it kills them, since the water can't evaporate from their fur and it causes medical problems for them. To keep clean, they bathe in dust. If you've never seen a chinchilla taking a dust bath, it's adorable. Here, check it out.
Well, that's that. DFTBA.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Level 70, baby.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Should have mowed the lawn today.
Song addiction of the day: "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. Yes, more Miley. Deal with it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
My cousins' dog Tate and their chinchilla Yoda are staying with my family for a bit. If you're not familiar with chinchillas, I would describe them as kind of like rabbits without ribcages. And yes, they actually lack ribcages. They're also quite possibly the world's fluffiest animal. So fluffy, in fact, that if they get wet, it kills them, since the water can't evaporate from their fur and it causes medical problems for them. To keep clean, they bathe in dust. If you've never seen a chinchilla taking a dust bath, it's adorable. Here, check it out.
Well, that's that. DFTBA.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Level 70, baby.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Should have mowed the lawn today.
Song addiction of the day: "The Climb" by Miley Cyrus. Yes, more Miley. Deal with it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009: A Well Made Purchase
I am now the proud owner of an Xbox 360. Along with it, I bought the game Saints Row 2. The system, the hard drive, and two controllers, all cost me a grand total of 100 dollars, and everything works fine. The game was 45 dollars. I am very happy about this. I got it through a friend of my friend Conor. His name is John, and he's a pretty cool dude. He also agreed to refund me if it bricks before I go back to school in August, since the warranty is up. Even if it breaks afterward, GameStop buys Xboxes for 80 dollars, so I'm only out 20 dollars if that happens. The only two technical problems still covered by the warranty are the E73 error and the three red lights. That part of the warranty lasts until October of this year. I almost hope it gets one of those errors so they have to send me a new one. That'd be cool.
In other news, I began work on my online class today. I have a plan set out for how to do well on it, and as long as I stick to it, I shouldn't have too much trouble in the class. I'll spare you the dull details.
I'm also posting all this stuff on my blog widget on the Ning, starting tonight. Hooray, Nerdfighter participation!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Saints Row 2.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting much time with my dad on World of Warcraft.
Song addiction of the day: "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
In other news, I began work on my online class today. I have a plan set out for how to do well on it, and as long as I stick to it, I shouldn't have too much trouble in the class. I'll spare you the dull details.
I'm also posting all this stuff on my blog widget on the Ning, starting tonight. Hooray, Nerdfighter participation!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Saints Row 2.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting much time with my dad on World of Warcraft.
Song addiction of the day: "Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009: Just A Short One
All continues to go well with the project.
I'm finally starting to participate in the Ning, and it seems pretty cool so far. I'll talk more about it once I've gotten it farther underway.
I really don't have much else to say today. Nothing has really happened. Bye bye.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Textbooks finally arrived.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not having much to do.
Song addiction of the day: "Welcome To Sacred Heart" from the Scrubs musical episode. There seems to be a pattern developing here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
I'm finally starting to participate in the Ning, and it seems pretty cool so far. I'll talk more about it once I've gotten it farther underway.
I really don't have much else to say today. Nothing has really happened. Bye bye.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Textbooks finally arrived.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not having much to do.
Song addiction of the day: "Welcome To Sacred Heart" from the Scrubs musical episode. There seems to be a pattern developing here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009: I Love It When A Plan Comes Together
I began a super special secret project today. I began it in the late morning, and so far it is going quite swimmingly. Suffice it to say, it involves a whole lot of people, and will hopefully involve many more as the project goes on. I cannot divulge the details of this project here on this blog just yet, because any information I put here can be too easily compromised. As soon as this project is completed, I will tell you fine readers all about it. If any of you have already become involved in the project, thank you very much, you're making it awesome.
Today I had dinner at Pete's house with him, his mom, his dad, Conor, and Meagan. Cheese tortellini was the dish, and it was rather tasty. Pete made a dessert consisting of a special thin cake rolled up with home-made raspberry whipped cream. All I can say about this dish is that I am glad I am sharing a kitchen with him next year. We all hung out for a while doing not a whole lot, and then I got the "get the hell out of here so I can can have Pete all to myself" vibe from Meagan, so I took my leave and encourage Conor to do the same.
A simple day, but a very good one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Roll cake. Dear God, it's great.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The remote broke and I had to go buy a new one. That was frustrating.
Song addiction of the day: "Everything Comes Down To Poo" from Scrubs. Man, I love that show.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today I had dinner at Pete's house with him, his mom, his dad, Conor, and Meagan. Cheese tortellini was the dish, and it was rather tasty. Pete made a dessert consisting of a special thin cake rolled up with home-made raspberry whipped cream. All I can say about this dish is that I am glad I am sharing a kitchen with him next year. We all hung out for a while doing not a whole lot, and then I got the "get the hell out of here so I can can have Pete all to myself" vibe from Meagan, so I took my leave and encourage Conor to do the same.
A simple day, but a very good one.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Roll cake. Dear God, it's great.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The remote broke and I had to go buy a new one. That was frustrating.
Song addiction of the day: "Everything Comes Down To Poo" from Scrubs. Man, I love that show.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009: An Unambiguous Chunk of A Whole Lot
My friend Meagan came to Illinois to visit!
Yes, that was the surprise.
Okay, so first, let's talk about Saturday. Meagan got here around 6:30 or so, and I introduced her to some family and we went to the mall near my house. We went around looking at all sorts of stuff and buying nothing, because we're both stingy and all that good stuff. Eventually I took her to McCarthy's, which is a chain Irish pub in the mall. There, I introduced her to the king of all sandwiches, the Monte Cristo. It starts with sliced turkey breast and ham with Swiss cheese on sourdough bread. This is then dipped in batter and deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with lingonberyy sauce for dipping. If you don't know what lingonberry sauce is, it's kind of like cranberry sauce, except cranberry sauce is made out of cranberries, and lingonberry sauce is made out of hope. Then we went to see the Star Trek movie. First time for her, second time for me. Rocked, of course. Funny thing, it was the fourth day in a row that she had been to a movie theatre to see a movie.
Then today, we went to the Civil War Days in Naperville to see Pete and Conor in the re-enactment. And here comes the surprise part: Pete didn't know Meagan was coming. (For anyone not filled in on this yet, they're a couple, and a good one at that.) It was priceless. We ran up to the side of the tent, and I walked out and said simply, "Hey, Pete, I brought something." I gestured behind me to Meagan, Pete's eyes followed hy hand, and then he stopped working. I don't mean he stopped performing a task. I mean he ceased function for a few seconds. He just kind of stared for about two seconds, and then his brian turned back on, Meagan's presence computed, and he jumped up and yelled "Oh my God!" and hugged her. It was pretty darn great.
So it was a fun time at the Civil War Days. There were all sorts of shops, with some really cool stuff. I bought a really unique pocket knife, and Meagan bought shoes, gloves, and a snood. Pete and Conor did great on the cannons, as always. North won, for the record. There were amazing home-made corn dogs and home-made root beer there, and they were totally worth the buy. Eventually I drove Pete and Meagan to Pete's house, where Meagan is staying until Tuesday. I'm glad to see them having such a good time together.
That's all for now, sports fans.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The visit. Whoo!
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Darn it all, I fell asleep downstairs again. I seriously need to get to my actual bed more often.
Song addiction of the day: "The Steak Night Song" from Scrubs.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Yes, that was the surprise.
Okay, so first, let's talk about Saturday. Meagan got here around 6:30 or so, and I introduced her to some family and we went to the mall near my house. We went around looking at all sorts of stuff and buying nothing, because we're both stingy and all that good stuff. Eventually I took her to McCarthy's, which is a chain Irish pub in the mall. There, I introduced her to the king of all sandwiches, the Monte Cristo. It starts with sliced turkey breast and ham with Swiss cheese on sourdough bread. This is then dipped in batter and deep fried, dusted with powdered sugar, and served with lingonberyy sauce for dipping. If you don't know what lingonberry sauce is, it's kind of like cranberry sauce, except cranberry sauce is made out of cranberries, and lingonberry sauce is made out of hope. Then we went to see the Star Trek movie. First time for her, second time for me. Rocked, of course. Funny thing, it was the fourth day in a row that she had been to a movie theatre to see a movie.
Then today, we went to the Civil War Days in Naperville to see Pete and Conor in the re-enactment. And here comes the surprise part: Pete didn't know Meagan was coming. (For anyone not filled in on this yet, they're a couple, and a good one at that.) It was priceless. We ran up to the side of the tent, and I walked out and said simply, "Hey, Pete, I brought something." I gestured behind me to Meagan, Pete's eyes followed hy hand, and then he stopped working. I don't mean he stopped performing a task. I mean he ceased function for a few seconds. He just kind of stared for about two seconds, and then his brian turned back on, Meagan's presence computed, and he jumped up and yelled "Oh my God!" and hugged her. It was pretty darn great.
So it was a fun time at the Civil War Days. There were all sorts of shops, with some really cool stuff. I bought a really unique pocket knife, and Meagan bought shoes, gloves, and a snood. Pete and Conor did great on the cannons, as always. North won, for the record. There were amazing home-made corn dogs and home-made root beer there, and they were totally worth the buy. Eventually I drove Pete and Meagan to Pete's house, where Meagan is staying until Tuesday. I'm glad to see them having such a good time together.
That's all for now, sports fans.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The visit. Whoo!
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Darn it all, I fell asleep downstairs again. I seriously need to get to my actual bed more often.
Song addiction of the day: "The Steak Night Song" from Scrubs.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Saturday, May 18, 2009: An Ambiguous Hunk Of Not Very Much
Okay, so my day was awesome. unfortunately, I can't say anything about it, because it involves surprises. The person that this surprise is for pretty much has no chance of seeing this blog before the surprise is carried out, but I am not taking any chances. So this will be a short one, but I will make up for it with a long one on the morrow. Promise.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Mmm, can't tell you that.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not being able to tell you guys anything.
Song addiction of the day: "Imaginary" by Evanescence.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Mmm, can't tell you that.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not being able to tell you guys anything.
Song addiction of the day: "Imaginary" by Evanescence.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Friday, May 15, 2009: Men's Ritual
I made some omelets this morning for breakfast. Well, not exactly. First, I made a pile of scrambled eggs, sausage slices, and shame. Then I made an omelet. It was tasty.
Today was the men's ritual at my church. Every year, when the young men go through their Affirmation and come of age, we have a special gathering. (Affirmation is my faith's equivalent of confirmation, for those of you not versed in Unitarian Universalism.) It's not for all the men in the church, pretty much just for the relatives, mentors, and close friends of the boys who are coming of age, as well as a few of the men who do it every year. My cousin Kenny is going through his Affirmation this year, so myself and my father went this year. It was the first time going to the ritual since my own Affirmation year, and it was cool to experience it from the other side of the ritual. Congrats to my cousin on this time in his life, and good luck to him in all things.
Tomorrow will be a good day.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Morning omelets. Yum.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting Long John Silver's. I've been craving a chicken plank from there for some reason, and I was hoping to get it tonight, but I didn't. Oh well.
Song addiction of the day: "Chacarron." It's so very weird, but I can't quit watching it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Today was the men's ritual at my church. Every year, when the young men go through their Affirmation and come of age, we have a special gathering. (Affirmation is my faith's equivalent of confirmation, for those of you not versed in Unitarian Universalism.) It's not for all the men in the church, pretty much just for the relatives, mentors, and close friends of the boys who are coming of age, as well as a few of the men who do it every year. My cousin Kenny is going through his Affirmation this year, so myself and my father went this year. It was the first time going to the ritual since my own Affirmation year, and it was cool to experience it from the other side of the ritual. Congrats to my cousin on this time in his life, and good luck to him in all things.
Tomorrow will be a good day.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Morning omelets. Yum.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting Long John Silver's. I've been craving a chicken plank from there for some reason, and I was hoping to get it tonight, but I didn't. Oh well.
Song addiction of the day: "Chacarron." It's so very weird, but I can't quit watching it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009: Technological Rejoicing and Missing Bread Buddies
So, I've got the TV and the PlayStation hooked up in my room now. Watched two stand-up comedy DVDs on it to celebrate the occasion. Jeff Foxworthy and Jeff Dunham, if you're curious.
And by the way, yes, it is "PlayStation," not "Playstation." Failure to capitalize mid-word when appropriate annoys the crap out of me, I don't know why. Grammar pet peeves...nobody likes them. Please, folks, remember your PlayStations and YouTubes.
Dad and I went out to get groceries today. I bought lots of juices and fruits and vegetables and healthy things and was proud of myself for it. Then I bought a large loaf of hard-crust wheat bread and missed my friends from school. We would periodically buy a big loaf of bread just like that one and pass it around, breaking it and sharing it. It was a very cool, Old World kind of bonding experience, and as I ate some of that bread today, I couldn't help wishing I was back in Ohio with them. Hopefully I will get to see them at some point this summer.
I think that's all for today. Stay frosty.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting some good food in the house.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Falling asleep on the couch and waking up late in the night, groggy, and realizing I still have to write this blog.
Song addiction of the day: "Citizen Soldier" by Three Doors Down. Another one from my power ballad phase.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
And by the way, yes, it is "PlayStation," not "Playstation." Failure to capitalize mid-word when appropriate annoys the crap out of me, I don't know why. Grammar pet peeves...nobody likes them. Please, folks, remember your PlayStations and YouTubes.
Dad and I went out to get groceries today. I bought lots of juices and fruits and vegetables and healthy things and was proud of myself for it. Then I bought a large loaf of hard-crust wheat bread and missed my friends from school. We would periodically buy a big loaf of bread just like that one and pass it around, breaking it and sharing it. It was a very cool, Old World kind of bonding experience, and as I ate some of that bread today, I couldn't help wishing I was back in Ohio with them. Hopefully I will get to see them at some point this summer.
I think that's all for today. Stay frosty.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting some good food in the house.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Falling asleep on the couch and waking up late in the night, groggy, and realizing I still have to write this blog.
Song addiction of the day: "Citizen Soldier" by Three Doors Down. Another one from my power ballad phase.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009: Another Good Day
Well, I'm finally unpacking all my stuff from the move. Looking for a place to put it all. Thing is, my room at home is roughly the size of my dorm room at school, but you know, my dorm room came empty. My room has stuff in it already. Plus, I'm probably going to be moving a TV in there so I can use the PlayStation (and hopefully, the Xbox that I will probably be getting) in my room. So, this is going to be quite an adventure in space management. And in case anyone's wondering, yes, I will be storing things under the bed. I don't get why that particular method of storage gets such a bad rap. I think it's a perfectly legitimate way to store things.
In other news, my uncle ran out of gas about ten minutes from my house today. We went there with a gas can and bailed them out, so I got to see my uncle and two of my cousins. That was awful nice. Gotta do that again soon.
I'm almost done ironing out the details for my D&D ninja character. Gonna be a fun one.
Well, that's about it. Night, everybody.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I was very relaxed today. I think that makes today a pretty good day. Small mercies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that unpacking is going to be an ordeal. I was hoping that it...you know...wouldn't.
Song addiction of the day: "The Reason" by Hoobastank. Fell in love with this one during my power ballad obsession.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
In other news, my uncle ran out of gas about ten minutes from my house today. We went there with a gas can and bailed them out, so I got to see my uncle and two of my cousins. That was awful nice. Gotta do that again soon.
I'm almost done ironing out the details for my D&D ninja character. Gonna be a fun one.
Well, that's about it. Night, everybody.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: I was very relaxed today. I think that makes today a pretty good day. Small mercies.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that unpacking is going to be an ordeal. I was hoping that it...you know...wouldn't.
Song addiction of the day: "The Reason" by Hoobastank. Fell in love with this one during my power ballad obsession.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Tuesday, May 12, 2009: A Good Day and a Blogular Resolution
I don't believe I've mentioned this on my blog yet, but I'm in the market for an Xbox 360. And I may be getting one for 120 dollars. That comes with the system, a controller, a hard drive, and a game. Awesome.
So I spent some time with my friend Conor today. I met a bunch of his friends, and then we went back to his house and watched a few movies. Oh, a little fun fact for you: The movie Dodgeball was edited by one guy. Seriously. Watch the credits. Under "film editor" there is only one name. That's actually pretty damned impressive. Kudos.
Mowed the lawn today. Got money. That was cool. Bought Dairy Queen for my family. Good stuff. Not much else happened today.
Geez, remember back at school when I had friends, and I would do stuff and think about things? That was cool. I really need to get myself engaged in something again, or this blog is going to stagnate real fast. I'll work on it. That's my bloggy resolution. Bloggy? Bloggish? Blogular? I like "blogular." Let's go with that.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Got to see Conor again. That was pretty sweet.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that my phone's battery has rapidly decreased in efficiency. It now lasts 3 days on one charge, instead of the 8 days that it used to. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: "To Be Loved" by Papa Roach. It just catches my fancy today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
So I spent some time with my friend Conor today. I met a bunch of his friends, and then we went back to his house and watched a few movies. Oh, a little fun fact for you: The movie Dodgeball was edited by one guy. Seriously. Watch the credits. Under "film editor" there is only one name. That's actually pretty damned impressive. Kudos.
Mowed the lawn today. Got money. That was cool. Bought Dairy Queen for my family. Good stuff. Not much else happened today.
Geez, remember back at school when I had friends, and I would do stuff and think about things? That was cool. I really need to get myself engaged in something again, or this blog is going to stagnate real fast. I'll work on it. That's my bloggy resolution. Bloggy? Bloggish? Blogular? I like "blogular." Let's go with that.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Got to see Conor again. That was pretty sweet.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Realizing that my phone's battery has rapidly decreased in efficiency. It now lasts 3 days on one charge, instead of the 8 days that it used to. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: "To Be Loved" by Papa Roach. It just catches my fancy today.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009: An Exercise in Playful Parody
I've got nothing to talk about today. Seriously. I have done nothing today. At all. So how in the world am I supposed to make this interesting? Hmm...I've got it!
Rorschach's Journal.
May 11, 2009.:
Woke up this morning in haze. Didn't sleep well. Often don't these days. Realized I'd lost track of entries. Promised to enter twice today. This is second time.
No real meals to speak of in first half of day. Ate what I could when I could. Sat in front of brainwashing box absorbing all the advertisements and mindless activity masquerading as entertainment as I could. Spent some wasted time on the computer. Wonder what the point of it is sometimes. Must remember to investigate further.
Father came and followed suit on computer. He and I collaborated, as we are often prone to do. Ate again soon after, if one can call what happened true ingestion. Hardened bread, covered in pasty tomato derivative, cheeses, and meats of all sorts, drenched in more grease than the sweating back of a man running for his life in the dead of a hot summer night. Not fit to call itself nutrition.
Enjoyed creating a new persona for the role I will soon play in a group of others like myself. Did not care for my lack of productivity. Found myself lacking time for the frivolities of beats and notes today. Managed to avoid self-medicating myself with the sleeplessness drug I find myself having such trouble kicking.
Rorschach's Journal.
May 11, 2009.:
Woke up this morning in haze. Didn't sleep well. Often don't these days. Realized I'd lost track of entries. Promised to enter twice today. This is second time.
No real meals to speak of in first half of day. Ate what I could when I could. Sat in front of brainwashing box absorbing all the advertisements and mindless activity masquerading as entertainment as I could. Spent some wasted time on the computer. Wonder what the point of it is sometimes. Must remember to investigate further.
Father came and followed suit on computer. He and I collaborated, as we are often prone to do. Ate again soon after, if one can call what happened true ingestion. Hardened bread, covered in pasty tomato derivative, cheeses, and meats of all sorts, drenched in more grease than the sweating back of a man running for his life in the dead of a hot summer night. Not fit to call itself nutrition.
Enjoyed creating a new persona for the role I will soon play in a group of others like myself. Did not care for my lack of productivity. Found myself lacking time for the frivolities of beats and notes today. Managed to avoid self-medicating myself with the sleeplessness drug I find myself having such trouble kicking.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009: Finally Getting Around to It.
Well, I fell asleep last night before writing this, so I'll be writing two blogs today. This first one will be in the morning, and will be dated as posted on Sunday, since that's what I'm going to be talking about. I'll write another later in the evening about whatever happens today.
Okay, the moving-back-home experience is here. Told you I'd write about it eventually.
It was a two-day ordeal. On Thursday, my roommate Pete and I had gotten a good chunk of our packing done. We finished our last finals that day, and my dad arrived right around 3. My dad and I made trips to the storage space and back that we rent out during the summer, so as not to have to move everything from Ohio back to Illinois. While my dad and I moved stuff, I simply told Pete to pack the rest of his stuff and then go hang out with Meagan. This served the dual function of letting my roommate spend some of the last few hours in Ohio with his girlfriend and getting him out of our hair. If there's one thing Pete's always hated, it's moving in and out of that dorm room, and I figured it would be better for him to just go have fun instead of have him standing around complaining. And I think it worked out well for both parties.
The next morning, after a final evening with my friends, I woke up, showered, then told Pete to shower and get the hell out again. Go get breakfast, spend more time with Meagan, just don't be here. Because if there's one thing that's worse that Pete during moving time, it's Pete during moving time when he's tired. So Dad and I did most of everything else. I called Pete when it was time to finish the last bits, like vacuuming the room and de-lofting the beds, signing out, all that. Finally we finished, loaded the last bits into the car, and got on the road. About 4.5 hours later, we had made it home. We got Pete unpacked and into his house, and then went home ourselves. We got my stuff into the house, and then I dashed over to my high school to see the final performance I loved so much.
So that was my moving experience. The final time I'll ever have to move out of that residence hall. Next year, it's an apartment. Wish me luck.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing some people from church that I haven't seen in a while.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I forgot to charge my phone. Again. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: Just for fun, this one is going to be a surprise. Here's the song. No, it's not a Rick Roll. Promise.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Okay, seriously, I was going for like, days at a time earlier. Time to step it back up.
Okay, the moving-back-home experience is here. Told you I'd write about it eventually.
It was a two-day ordeal. On Thursday, my roommate Pete and I had gotten a good chunk of our packing done. We finished our last finals that day, and my dad arrived right around 3. My dad and I made trips to the storage space and back that we rent out during the summer, so as not to have to move everything from Ohio back to Illinois. While my dad and I moved stuff, I simply told Pete to pack the rest of his stuff and then go hang out with Meagan. This served the dual function of letting my roommate spend some of the last few hours in Ohio with his girlfriend and getting him out of our hair. If there's one thing Pete's always hated, it's moving in and out of that dorm room, and I figured it would be better for him to just go have fun instead of have him standing around complaining. And I think it worked out well for both parties.
The next morning, after a final evening with my friends, I woke up, showered, then told Pete to shower and get the hell out again. Go get breakfast, spend more time with Meagan, just don't be here. Because if there's one thing that's worse that Pete during moving time, it's Pete during moving time when he's tired. So Dad and I did most of everything else. I called Pete when it was time to finish the last bits, like vacuuming the room and de-lofting the beds, signing out, all that. Finally we finished, loaded the last bits into the car, and got on the road. About 4.5 hours later, we had made it home. We got Pete unpacked and into his house, and then went home ourselves. We got my stuff into the house, and then I dashed over to my high school to see the final performance I loved so much.
So that was my moving experience. The final time I'll ever have to move out of that residence hall. Next year, it's an apartment. Wish me luck.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing some people from church that I haven't seen in a while.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: I forgot to charge my phone. Again. Dang it.
Song addiction of the day: Just for fun, this one is going to be a surprise. Here's the song. No, it's not a Rick Roll. Promise.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Okay, seriously, I was going for like, days at a time earlier. Time to step it back up.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009: In Defense of a Film
Okay, talking about the moving process and family and everything is going to have to wait again, because I want to talk about the movie X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
So I saw the movie with my parents, my godson, and his mother today. It was pretty darn cool. I'd like to spend the bulk of this blog talking about a few common complaints that I've heard. The main one is that I've heard people say that they take far too many creative liberties with Deadpool's appearance. Admittedly, going from this to this is a pretty big leap. But I don't have as much of a problem with it as most do. The Marvel movies are establishing their own unique universe, separate from the other Marvel universes that have been created. Creating a Deadpool that looks like the original version just wouldn't work within the context of the rest of the Marvel movies. Yeah, maybe it's less than true to the source material, but for the interconnected world that Marvel is creating with the movies, I think it works, and that's what matters to me.
People also complain that a lot of mutants have been marginalized by this movie and the other X-Men films. Well, duh. You can't devote loads of screen time to every single mutant in the franchise, there's a ton of them. I'm pretty much just happy with the cameo roles. Personally, I'd rather have ten minutes of Gambit than no Gambit at all. More Gambit would have been nice. God, would it have been nice. But you can't expect everything from these people.
Overall, I like the movie. I like the story and the characters, and I love the action. If you praise nothing else about the movie, you have got to admit that the action scenes kick butt. I recommend the movie to any fans, and would definitely see it again.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie, of course.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Nothing, really. This was a pretty groovy day.
Song addiction of the day: I've listened to no music today. Really. None. That's very odd for me. But it does mean that I have no song addiction today. Sorry. We will return to your regularly scheduled program tomorrow.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
So I saw the movie with my parents, my godson, and his mother today. It was pretty darn cool. I'd like to spend the bulk of this blog talking about a few common complaints that I've heard. The main one is that I've heard people say that they take far too many creative liberties with Deadpool's appearance. Admittedly, going from this to this is a pretty big leap. But I don't have as much of a problem with it as most do. The Marvel movies are establishing their own unique universe, separate from the other Marvel universes that have been created. Creating a Deadpool that looks like the original version just wouldn't work within the context of the rest of the Marvel movies. Yeah, maybe it's less than true to the source material, but for the interconnected world that Marvel is creating with the movies, I think it works, and that's what matters to me.
People also complain that a lot of mutants have been marginalized by this movie and the other X-Men films. Well, duh. You can't devote loads of screen time to every single mutant in the franchise, there's a ton of them. I'm pretty much just happy with the cameo roles. Personally, I'd rather have ten minutes of Gambit than no Gambit at all. More Gambit would have been nice. God, would it have been nice. But you can't expect everything from these people.
Overall, I like the movie. I like the story and the characters, and I love the action. If you praise nothing else about the movie, you have got to admit that the action scenes kick butt. I recommend the movie to any fans, and would definitely see it again.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie, of course.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Nothing, really. This was a pretty groovy day.
Song addiction of the day: I've listened to no music today. Really. None. That's very odd for me. But it does mean that I have no song addiction today. Sorry. We will return to your regularly scheduled program tomorrow.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009: Coming Home, Feeling Home
I'm back at one of my two homes. My other is in Ohio, but this one is here in Illinois, with my family. I'll talk plenty about the moving experience and seeing my family in my next blog, but right now I want to talk about what happened tonight.
I used to be in my high school's Show Choir, and I went back this evening to see the final performance for the year. It was amazing...more than amazing, I can't really think of an adequate adjective. I just love those guys so much, and I am really proud of all of them. They sounded beautiful and the dancing was fantastic. I saw so many people that I have missed a lot. A number of my old SoundFX (the all-male division of the show choir) boys were there, along with many of the lovely ladies, including her, but that's a subject for another blog.
I guess I'm just really high on the experience, and I'm just kind of incapable of adequately expressing it all right now. Oh well, maybe I'll be more eloquent next time around.
Once again, sorry about the lack of fun links. I'll get on that soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing the people I cared about most in high school.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The long car ride. Not that it was the worst thing in the world, it just stiffened my legs up a lot.
Song addiction of the day: Mmm...In the spirit of moving out and getting away from somewhere, I'm going to say "Bugger Off." That particular rendition is my favorite, by The Real MacKenzies, but a lot of Irish and Scottish bands perform it. Warning: Lots of bad language in that one.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
I used to be in my high school's Show Choir, and I went back this evening to see the final performance for the year. It was amazing...more than amazing, I can't really think of an adequate adjective. I just love those guys so much, and I am really proud of all of them. They sounded beautiful and the dancing was fantastic. I saw so many people that I have missed a lot. A number of my old SoundFX (the all-male division of the show choir) boys were there, along with many of the lovely ladies, including her, but that's a subject for another blog.
I guess I'm just really high on the experience, and I'm just kind of incapable of adequately expressing it all right now. Oh well, maybe I'll be more eloquent next time around.
Once again, sorry about the lack of fun links. I'll get on that soon.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Seeing the people I cared about most in high school.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The long car ride. Not that it was the worst thing in the world, it just stiffened my legs up a lot.
Song addiction of the day: Mmm...In the spirit of moving out and getting away from somewhere, I'm going to say "Bugger Off." That particular rendition is my favorite, by The Real MacKenzies, but a lot of Irish and Scottish bands perform it. Warning: Lots of bad language in that one.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009: A Fulfillment
So I saw the new Star Trek movie.
There are two basic kinds of movies based on old TV series. First, there are the kinds primarily made for money. These are the ones that, ironically, never make much dough. This is because they suck. They're pretty much slapped together in the hopes of capitalizing on something that people loved, and the stories, acting, and cinematography suffer for it.
Then there are kinds made for fans. These are usually good and make tons of money, because they are made to make people happy, not just to take their money. They're typically full of references to the old shows, both visually and auditorially. They've usually got good actors and decent budgets to their names, as well.
I am pleased to say that the new Star Trek movie is in the latter category.
The acting is great, the actors actually look like younger versions of the characters they play, the story is well-constructed, with compelling characters and a well-motivated villain. I won't give away who, but I will say that one of the original actors from the show makes an appearance in the movie. And it rules. The visuals rock, and despite being a lot more realistic-looking, it still feels like it takes place in the Star Trek world. There's all sorts of references to the series, including some of our favorite catch phrases. Once again, I won't give away which ones. If you're a Star Trek fan, go see it. In fact, even if you're not, go see it.
That's all for tonight. Wish me luck on moving out tomorrow. Sorry there's not many fun links in this blog, I just don't have the energy for it tonight.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie. Duh.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Packing and moving. God, it's boring.
Song addiction of the day: Honestly, I've listened to zero music today. But for the purposes of this, I'm going to recommend "If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears. It's really funny, and just gleefully aware of its own lack of subtlety. Easily my favorite song by her. Younger audiences, exercise discretion. This is Britney Spears we're talking about here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. I'm on a roll again.
There are two basic kinds of movies based on old TV series. First, there are the kinds primarily made for money. These are the ones that, ironically, never make much dough. This is because they suck. They're pretty much slapped together in the hopes of capitalizing on something that people loved, and the stories, acting, and cinematography suffer for it.
Then there are kinds made for fans. These are usually good and make tons of money, because they are made to make people happy, not just to take their money. They're typically full of references to the old shows, both visually and auditorially. They've usually got good actors and decent budgets to their names, as well.
I am pleased to say that the new Star Trek movie is in the latter category.
The acting is great, the actors actually look like younger versions of the characters they play, the story is well-constructed, with compelling characters and a well-motivated villain. I won't give away who, but I will say that one of the original actors from the show makes an appearance in the movie. And it rules. The visuals rock, and despite being a lot more realistic-looking, it still feels like it takes place in the Star Trek world. There's all sorts of references to the series, including some of our favorite catch phrases. Once again, I won't give away which ones. If you're a Star Trek fan, go see it. In fact, even if you're not, go see it.
That's all for tonight. Wish me luck on moving out tomorrow. Sorry there's not many fun links in this blog, I just don't have the energy for it tonight.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The movie. Duh.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Packing and moving. God, it's boring.
Song addiction of the day: Honestly, I've listened to zero music today. But for the purposes of this, I'm going to recommend "If U Seek Amy" by Britney Spears. It's really funny, and just gleefully aware of its own lack of subtlety. Easily my favorite song by her. Younger audiences, exercise discretion. This is Britney Spears we're talking about here.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. I'm on a roll again.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009: Praise for the Voice of a Clown
Oh, no. I don't have anyone else's blog to tell me what to write about today. Whatever shall I do?
Well, it's back to the rambling on about whatever catches my fancy for today. First of all, I am officially dedicating a portion of my free time to perfecting my impression of Mark Hamill's Joker voice. It's so freakin' cool. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of cool Joker voices out there. We all know that Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did great Joker work, but Mark Hamill probably did the best voice work, especially for the portrayals of Joker he worked with. He really knew how to combine gleeful insanity and psychotic rage into one performance. One of my particular favorite mood swings takes place in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where Joker, his voice dripping with contemptuous anger, says, "Don't touch me, old man!" He then immediately switches to his gofiest voice possible, saying, "I don't know where you've been!" If you'd like to see it, it's 2 minutes and 40 seconds into this video. And just listen to Hamill's Joker laughs and try not to have nightmares. His success as a voice actor is far-reaching, but his Joker work is probably his best. He's voiced the Joker in multiple Batman-related series and movies, and some other Joker voice actors are clearly inspired by his work. If Nicholson and Ledger are the best live-action Jokers of all time, Mark Hamill is clearly the best animated Joker of all time.
Now that I've nerded myself inside out, it's back to studying.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting a really good night's sleep. That was cool.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: As is the norm this week, all this friggin' packing. It's such a pain.
Song addiction of the day: The Alvin and the Chipmunks cover of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day." The song sounds great in their style, the key they sing in rocks, and I just love it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Well, it's back to the rambling on about whatever catches my fancy for today. First of all, I am officially dedicating a portion of my free time to perfecting my impression of Mark Hamill's Joker voice. It's so freakin' cool. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of cool Joker voices out there. We all know that Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger did great Joker work, but Mark Hamill probably did the best voice work, especially for the portrayals of Joker he worked with. He really knew how to combine gleeful insanity and psychotic rage into one performance. One of my particular favorite mood swings takes place in Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, where Joker, his voice dripping with contemptuous anger, says, "Don't touch me, old man!" He then immediately switches to his gofiest voice possible, saying, "I don't know where you've been!" If you'd like to see it, it's 2 minutes and 40 seconds into this video. And just listen to Hamill's Joker laughs and try not to have nightmares. His success as a voice actor is far-reaching, but his Joker work is probably his best. He's voiced the Joker in multiple Batman-related series and movies, and some other Joker voice actors are clearly inspired by his work. If Nicholson and Ledger are the best live-action Jokers of all time, Mark Hamill is clearly the best animated Joker of all time.
Now that I've nerded myself inside out, it's back to studying.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Getting a really good night's sleep. That was cool.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: As is the norm this week, all this friggin' packing. It's such a pain.
Song addiction of the day: The Alvin and the Chipmunks cover of Daniel Powter's "Bad Day." The song sounds great in their style, the key they sing in rocks, and I just love it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009: Answering AlanDistro
Another one of my frequently-read-blogs, AlanDistro, has listed three basic different types of blogs and asked readers to tell him what kind of blogs they write. The three types are as follows and I quote:
"The Cat Blog: this is a blog about your cat, your boyfriend, your plant cactus. This is a blog you write for yourself, a diary. Cat blogs (unless preceded by 'lol') are typically only interesting to the blog's author and the blog author's pets.
The Boss Blog: this is a blog written for a pre-defined circle of readers. Not necessarily your employees, but a pre-defined social circle or ethnicity, or community. Boss blogs are rarely interesting to readers outside of this social circle.
The Viral Blog: this is a blog that exists to get retweeted, linked, dugg, bookmarked, etc. Most blog authors begin thinking they are writing a viral blog before settling into either cat blogging or boss blogging."
Okay, I'm definitely not a viral blog. I have no intention of becoming famous or having a bunch of people read this, and I think it would be arrogant to assume that I'll get recognition for anything I do on this blog site. I just like to participate in online communities, and I like to talk. This blogging thing fulfills both desires.
On some level, this could be thought of as a cat blog, because it's sort of about my daily life and what's on my mind at any given time, but I'm not really writing it for myself, and I think it could be interesting to some people.
I think I'm probably a boss blog, because of how it started, which I will tell you about here. So I was watching a video that Hayley made in which she mentioned the "Blog Every Day in April" project, aka BEDA. I started out by reading Hayley's blog, read a few others, and thought it might be fun to do one of my own, though I didn't really think anything I would have to talk about would be interesting. Then I thought of my family, who rarely get the chance to hear from me anymore because I go to college 5 hours away. I figured that daily blogs would be a good way for my family to get updates on how I'm doing and what's on my mind, so I started there. By the time I made my actual blog, I had already commented a few times on Hayley's blog, and so I pretty much use this blog in two ways: to participate in the blogging community, and to let my family and however many of my friends are interested know how I'm doing on a day-to-day basis. Given that intention of writing for a particular group of people, I'm going to say I'm a boss blog.
Thanks, Alan, for the awesome blog topic; I enjoyed writing about this a lot.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The massive Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal marathon in which I watched my friend and future housemate Alex play the game practically all the way through.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Having to pack up so much stuff in preparation to move back home. It's so very boring.
Song addiction of the day:"A Song About An Anglerfish" by Hank Green. It's just...great. Watch it. Yes, you.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. Hey, that's good!
"The Cat Blog: this is a blog about your cat, your boyfriend, your plant cactus. This is a blog you write for yourself, a diary. Cat blogs (unless preceded by 'lol') are typically only interesting to the blog's author and the blog author's pets.
The Boss Blog: this is a blog written for a pre-defined circle of readers. Not necessarily your employees, but a pre-defined social circle or ethnicity, or community. Boss blogs are rarely interesting to readers outside of this social circle.
The Viral Blog: this is a blog that exists to get retweeted, linked, dugg, bookmarked, etc. Most blog authors begin thinking they are writing a viral blog before settling into either cat blogging or boss blogging."
Okay, I'm definitely not a viral blog. I have no intention of becoming famous or having a bunch of people read this, and I think it would be arrogant to assume that I'll get recognition for anything I do on this blog site. I just like to participate in online communities, and I like to talk. This blogging thing fulfills both desires.
On some level, this could be thought of as a cat blog, because it's sort of about my daily life and what's on my mind at any given time, but I'm not really writing it for myself, and I think it could be interesting to some people.
I think I'm probably a boss blog, because of how it started, which I will tell you about here. So I was watching a video that Hayley made in which she mentioned the "Blog Every Day in April" project, aka BEDA. I started out by reading Hayley's blog, read a few others, and thought it might be fun to do one of my own, though I didn't really think anything I would have to talk about would be interesting. Then I thought of my family, who rarely get the chance to hear from me anymore because I go to college 5 hours away. I figured that daily blogs would be a good way for my family to get updates on how I'm doing and what's on my mind, so I started there. By the time I made my actual blog, I had already commented a few times on Hayley's blog, and so I pretty much use this blog in two ways: to participate in the blogging community, and to let my family and however many of my friends are interested know how I'm doing on a day-to-day basis. Given that intention of writing for a particular group of people, I'm going to say I'm a boss blog.
Thanks, Alan, for the awesome blog topic; I enjoyed writing about this a lot.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: The massive Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal marathon in which I watched my friend and future housemate Alex play the game practically all the way through.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Having to pack up so much stuff in preparation to move back home. It's so very boring.
Song addiction of the day:"A Song About An Anglerfish" by Hank Green. It's just...great. Watch it. Yes, you.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 0. Hey, that's good!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009: Thoughts Spurred by Hayley
First of all, if you're not reading The Hayleylujah Chorus, why? Quit reading this right now and go read her blog instead, she's far better at this blogging thing than I am. But please, do come back once you're done. I enjoy having you around. :)
So anyway, my favorite blogger, hayleyghoover, mentioned in one of her recent blogs that there are lots of different versions of herself that different people know her as from school, family, the Internet, et cetera. This got me thinking about different ways that people know me. Most of the people in my hometown know me as I was two years ago in high school, my family knows me pretty much as I am, my best friends Pete and Conor know me as only best friends can, friends at college know me as my family knows me, except with less historical context, more swear words, and a more off-color sense of humor. There's my YouTube self, which is basically me, just a more well-edited and articulate version. Then there's this version of me, the one you're reading right now. My "blogself," as it were. I think I am fairly honest with the readers of this blog about who I am. I like to talk about whatever happens to be on my mind, I like to talk about my day, and I like to go off on random tangents. I think that as far as the Internet goes, my blogself is the most like my IRL self. I am quite honest about who I am and what is going on with my life, and these blogs are rather like my thought process: constantly differing, all falling off as many drops into the ocean of cranial leakage. See what I did there? Referenced my own title? Yeah, baby. It's interesting to think about all these different versions of myself that exist out there. I like being able to honestly say that they are all pretty much the same.
And now it's bedtime.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: My very easy Canadian Studies final, and coining the term "blogself."
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting a shower this morning or my laundry done this afternoon. Now I have one more thing to do tomorrow, and I feel icky and smell a bit. (See? I'm really honest with my readers.)
Song addiction of the day: "Word Disassociation." It is weirdly pleasant to listen to.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Wow, my discipline is slipping a bit. *slaps hand*
So anyway, my favorite blogger, hayleyghoover, mentioned in one of her recent blogs that there are lots of different versions of herself that different people know her as from school, family, the Internet, et cetera. This got me thinking about different ways that people know me. Most of the people in my hometown know me as I was two years ago in high school, my family knows me pretty much as I am, my best friends Pete and Conor know me as only best friends can, friends at college know me as my family knows me, except with less historical context, more swear words, and a more off-color sense of humor. There's my YouTube self, which is basically me, just a more well-edited and articulate version. Then there's this version of me, the one you're reading right now. My "blogself," as it were. I think I am fairly honest with the readers of this blog about who I am. I like to talk about whatever happens to be on my mind, I like to talk about my day, and I like to go off on random tangents. I think that as far as the Internet goes, my blogself is the most like my IRL self. I am quite honest about who I am and what is going on with my life, and these blogs are rather like my thought process: constantly differing, all falling off as many drops into the ocean of cranial leakage. See what I did there? Referenced my own title? Yeah, baby. It's interesting to think about all these different versions of myself that exist out there. I like being able to honestly say that they are all pretty much the same.
And now it's bedtime.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: My very easy Canadian Studies final, and coining the term "blogself."
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not getting a shower this morning or my laundry done this afternoon. Now I have one more thing to do tomorrow, and I feel icky and smell a bit. (See? I'm really honest with my readers.)
Song addiction of the day: "Word Disassociation." It is weirdly pleasant to listen to.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Wow, my discipline is slipping a bit. *slaps hand*
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009: A Loss For Words
So we didn't see X-Men Origins: Wolverine today. Yeah, just didn't happen. That stinks.
But I did get to eat actual food at an actual restaurant with Meagan. So that was cool.
Um...I went to the recycling center today with my friends Meagan, Kelsey, and Pete to get boxes for packing our stuff up in. That was a fun little short adventure.
Um...God, I've got so very little to talk about today; I really didn't do much. I did a bit more work on some D&D stuff, which took a bit, but was fairly amusing. I got some truly epic spells, and I can't wait until...next fall to use them. Crap. Oh well, they're still pretty darn cool.
But I did get to eat actual food at an actual restaurant with Meagan. So that was cool.
Um...I went to the recycling center today with my friends Meagan, Kelsey, and Pete to get boxes for packing our stuff up in. That was a fun little short adventure.
Um...God, I've got so very little to talk about today; I really didn't do much. I did a bit more work on some D&D stuff, which took a bit, but was fairly amusing. I got some truly epic spells, and I can't wait until...next fall to use them. Crap. Oh well, they're still pretty darn cool.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Watching Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal being played by my friend Alex. It's so amusing.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Not seeing the Wolverine movie. Seriously, I was really looking forward to that.
Song addiction of the day: "I'll Be Your Everything (Inspector Gadget Version)" from the end credits of the live-action Inspector Gadget movie. Yeah, I like the song, and what's more, I like the movie. Deal with it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 1. Yeah, I had four this weekend, but come on, I'm not going to see these people for a long time.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Saturday, May 2, 2009: Essentially Still Saturday
Okay, it's technically Sunday now where I am. But you know how your "day" kind of begins when you wake up and ends when you go to sleep? Yeah, I'm going by that logic with this blog. The clock says "Sunday", my sleep schedule says "Saturday." Dispute if you like. I won't listen.
So tomorrow I will probably seeing X-Men Origins: Wolverine. That should be excitingly awesome, and I look forward to it greatly.
Last night we had a session of Nerf Wars, which is kind of like paintballing with Nerf guns and different types of missions involved. It was the first time I had done it, and it was great fun. I look forward to future games.
Today, we got bored during the evening and played an impromptu one-session D&D game, and it was awesome. Simple, fun, lots of slices and kabooms. I essentially played an evil version of one of my characters, and by doing so, was able to create an explanation for the good version of that character's existence. That was pretty friggin' awesome.
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: All the awesome stuff I have been doing with friends. It makes me happy that I am getting some final fun times with them before leaving for the summer.
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: Trying to build a Nerf Maverick from spare parts taken from old, broken Mavericks, and being one friggin' piece short.
Song addiction of the day: "John McCain and His Vegetable Friends." Okay, this one is just as much about the video as the music, maybe more so. But I like it. Watch it.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the past 24 hours: 3. Yeah, I was bad today.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009: Getting Older with your Inner Child and Superheroes
As a friend of mine on Facebook said this afternoon, "It's May already? WHERE IS THE YEAR GOING?" I am inclined to wonder the very same. It's astonishing to me how fast the years are starting to go by, and I think it's one of the many things that come to you with age.
I remember at a younger age, I would be in awe of the many details that my parents could recall about my early years, when I could barely remember a day of anything before 6 years of age. But ever since my godson was born, I understand how easy it is to recall things like that when you're older and looking at the life of another. When I was younger, the years seemed to drag on forever, and getting to the next year felt like trying to move a Snorlax uphill with a chopstick. But now, they're just seeming to fly by, and I can only imagine the years will get shorter as I get older. I hope that as I age, I will get wiser, and more importantly, retain my ability to connect with my inner child.
So there are real superheroes out there. Okay, so none of them have actual super powers, but still, there are freakin' superheroes running around! Citizens who put on costumes and use legal weapons to fight crime. You can click on this sentence if you don't believe me. They're out there, and they're organized. I have two thoughts on this. One, I think it's really cool that people are trying to help out. I approve of it wholeheartedly. Two, these people need some better costumes. A costume should induce fear and respect, not make you look homeless.
Hey, I managed to get through this blog without mentioning Miley Cyrus! Oh wait...DANG IT!
Thing I like about the past 24 hours: Chocolate fountain in the Loft, plus going to the
Thing I dislike about the past 24 hours: The final exam scramble.
Song addiction of the day: "Bathtime in Clerkenwell." Seriously, just...go watch it. I don't know any adequate adjectives to describe this song.
Number of caffeinated beverages in the last 24 hours: 0
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