hmm… I have the feeling I’ll be doing more playing than working today…
Maybe I’ll fiddle with my homepage, if I’m between projects… that’s long overdue for a rewrite.
I’m feeling good today.. my beloved is chipper, and Newt’s a little snuggle-muffin, too. Not bad at all for a Monday!
Well that’s convenient. A free spell-checker for web-based text input boxes in Internet explorer.
Things to write about –
Do you remember exactly when you became aware of vampires? Do you remember your first shower? Do you remember when you made your first phone call by yourself? Do you remember when you started to dress yourself in the morning? Brushing your teeth? The first song on the radio? The first animal you touched?
I’ll follow up with stories as I go.
When I was a little pod, perhaps three or four years old, I got a sesame street “The Count” doll from my godfather, uncle Tommy. He was one of those friends of my dad’s that wasn’t a blood relation, but got the “uncle” prefix stapled on by general closeness. Now, Tommy was probably about 26 or 28 years old at the time, being in the same graduating class as my dad. He had a bright yellow corvette stingray, and I was small enough to fit in the back when he and my pop would go out driving around… We went out to a store somewhere, I’m not sure, exactly… Woolworth’s I think, (because he showed me the gargoyle that day, at Pleasant St. church too…) and he told me I could have any toy I wanted… At first, in all honesty, I would’ve preferred Cookie Monster or Oscar the Grouch at the time, but Tommy sold me on The Count because of his strange powers and abilities. In his Brockton accent, sort of a JFK meets Dennis Leary voice he told me, “Nah, Scotty… man, you want The Count! Check it out… He’s a vampire, little buddy! He can hypnotize you, turn into a bat, has a legion of rats, bats and wolves at his command, is wicked good at math, can make it thunder and lightening outside, and he drinks blood! How cool is that?” Well, if uncle Tommy thought the Count was cool, it made sense to me. Plus, he was purple and had a cool cape, like a superhero… and the final selling point was the Count’s laugh… “Five! five tiny caterpillars *thunderclap* Mwah-ha-ha-ha!!”
Aside from the fact that thinking about him now causes me to contemplate muppet OCD… that, and I now wonder if he fed on other muppets or the humans that lived on Sesame Street? He’s got the fangs, after all. Upon reflection, I think he just eats felt. So, that’s how I learned about vampires. Later, I’ll go into why I thought vampires would come out of the toilet when I flushed it. There’s a silly little kid fear… leave everything in the bowl, wash your hands, put the seat down, and flush… then run out of the bathroom, slamming the door behind you.
Uncle Tommy died when I was about eight years old, and he didn’t have any kids of his own. His was the first funeral I went to, and probably the first time I remember seeing my father sad. He was also the first person I ever saw smoke pot. He taught me a little about how to juggle and rollerskating (on 2×2 skates, with metal wheels… this was back in the 70’s, after all). I like to think that he and my dad are hanging out somewhere together now, shooting pool and smoking cigs guilt-free.
…And now finally here is the answer to Oil Dependency.
I’m not going to preach.
I’m not going to rant.
I am simply going to make sure the next car I drive is a diesel.
On that note.. nigh nigh, dear journal
*purr*
Deep inside a placid grove
Where we find comfortable rest
There exists a hidden, small pond
Brimming with clear water, surrounded by reeds;
And as our mind-moons brighten together
She and I see its echoes reflected therein.
ok.. maybe there’s something wrong with the modem.. I just got disconnected *again*
I’m going to have to call bellsouth tomorrow and find out what the deal is.
Hmmm… I can’t seem to maintain my DSL connection when I’m away from the machine… for some reason it drops signal and then can’t reconnect. If this keeps up, I won’t be able to use this service as a reliable web-host like I’d planned. Ah well, I may be seeking other living quarters soon, anyhow… not sure what to make of a new landlord that has no respect for privacy and personal space.
Back from Mother’s Day Breakfast… the lei Derek made for mom was very nice. We tried to get piccies of the three of us, but the guy we asked couldn’t figure out the point and click aspect of the digital camera… got a couple wacky shots, but nothing worth posting. After breakfast, mom showed us a few condos that she’s thinking about getitng, and we called Grammy up on the phone to wish her some good cheer too.
From what I hear, Derek was up late last night with his new buddy, Charlie… she sounds like a nice gal. They met at starbucks and seem to have a lot in common. I think she has a livejournal, too… I’ll have to get the address from her when we meet.
a pic of my mom and brother in front of IHOP, and an obligatory newton shot
Well, today was a day of surprises! Saw Robb online…and he’s still the swell guy I remember. He went into “incognito-mode” for a while, but looks to be back on track. (For those just tuning in, Robb was Newt’s first foster-father, way back when, for a brief period before I got him.) Robb’s got a girlfriend now, and sounds very happy. I’m so glad I got to talk to him again! I wonder if he’ll start using his LJ again…
Saw Spider-man with Jenjen… she’s doing well, lost a lot weight so that she can do the transplant thing for her father. I should really hook her up with Kevin… they’d make a cute couple, and I think that they’re well-suited for one another.
I was strangely prophetic with the Spider-man doodle-cartoon…no real spoilers, but the origin sequence was interesting. very loyal to the comics, save for how the web-shooters work, and even that was fine, really.
Planning a “Hawaiian Mother’s Day breakfast” with my brother… he’s making her a lei, and we’ll all wear Hawaiian shirts to IHOP for pancakes and such. His idea, and I think it’s a fun one…. I just have to wrangle a card before 10am tomorrow morning… I’ll swing by Mack’s first thing and get her one there, along with some regular flowers.
Despite really digging galactic battlegrounds and the operative, lately, I find myself really enjoying games like asteroids and bejeweled a lot, too. (I have a little age of kings craving, too.)
Did you know Microsoft was convicted of software piracy last year by a French court? Not many people do. The Commercial Court of Nanterre fined Microsoft 3 million francs because it illegally included another company’s proprietary source code in SoftImage 3D, a top-of-the-line animation package.
Whoa. How did we miss this? Freedom To Innovate Indeed.
Well, let’s see what’s in the fridge… applesauce and beer, and there’s precious little in the cupboard… Time to restock. I’ll do groceries tomorrow after breakfast. (best time to shop is when you’re full!)… so tonight I will have Chinese… Spicy Orange Tofu with Broccoli, and a side of hot green tea, please!
Laundry day, and then lunch, out with Spider-man…. defragging a 120 gig drive doesn’t take as long as I’d suspected… it’s new, yet, though.
more of an update later, dear journal… probably from the palm.
Don’t forget! Saturday 5/11 is the hunger food drive! Leave some non-perishable food out by the mailbox!
Do it now… step away from the computer, and go! The internet will still be here in five minutes.
I set out a nice little bag o’goodies… (all food I like, too… corn, sweet peas with little onions, string beans, a bag of rice, a jar of peanut butter, and vegetarian baked beans.)
hee… now I have to restock my pantry.
My sweetie is off with her muvva tonight, and I have a programming project to work on (a few, actually…) but before I go swimming in code, I think I’ll duke it out with mr Newt.
This sums up pretty well how my day’s been today. That’s a Yawwwn! Note the piece of kibble he’s saving to snack on post-yawnies.
but first, the friday five –
What flavor doughnut is your favorite?
chocolate honey-dipped, or bavarian cream
Are you wearing socks right this instant?
Nosiree-bob!
What’s the temperature where you are?
79f/29c
Pretend you’re eating a salad, what kind of dressing does it have?
Cranberry Vinaigrette… yum, yummy
White or wheat?
Wheat.. but I prefer Pumpernickel or Rye.
I pick up my MRI films today… if I can find a light table at work, I’ll take pictures, and post ’em.
NPR – something to tune into…
Speaking of which, a hearty *thankee thankee* goes out to juliabee for reintroducing me to CBS mystery theatre. It’s been my other source of groovy listening goodness for weeks now.
I’m wondering if my CD’s have made it to their respective landing points yet… little silver circles landing in Maryland, Texas, California, Washington and Massachusetts, launched from my starting point. Somehow, the physical nature of snail-mail is really incredible to me… I’d like to mail a gps to some friends in california, and have them mail it somewhere else, and so on, just to watch the path it travels. I’m a nut for tracing paths and seeing patterns. J-track has a great way to follow satellites, the 3d one is especially nifty.
I had a nice time gabbing with my sweetheart last night… she’s so amazing… smart, beautiful, artistic and loving… a real wonder.
and now, your moment of Zen.
At night, deep in the mountains,
I sit in meditation.
The affairs of the world
Never reach here;
Everything is quiet and empty,
All the incense has
Been swallowed up
By the endless night.
My robe has become a garment of dew.
Unable to sleep I
Walk out into the woods
Suddenly, above the highest peak,
The full moon appears.– Ryokan (1758-1831)
Thank goodness for the internet… I had Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back (freshly downloaded last night to CD)going in the background as I chew on my daily ration of programming hubbub.
I saw by peeking into my cam at home (on an available machine… still no local access.. bah!) that the people were by… and though I was told that they were only going to check to see if the appliances worked… they opened and went into my closet. There are *no outlets* there, and the only thing at all is a clothes-pole for hanging things. I’m pretty put out about that. Upside, it looks like Newt is hale and hearty. I’m sure I’ll hear nothing about the inspection at all unless I ask.
Did I mention that I really dislike having people I don’t really know at my house when I’m not there?
Ah, well, I’m home now, and decompressing, gabbing with my sweet pea. Life is good.