They set up the hay-bale spider at the pumpkin patch!!

Slept in until about 10, and then we toddled off to the Renfaire. Highlights of the day were Johnny Fox, Hack & Slash, Swami Yohmahmi, Horsemen, Bear-baiting and Witch Trial, and time at the Kadon games building again. BHK and I swapped off on taking pictures with the new camera – viewable here.

BHK got pulled into participation on two shows, as well – As Hack’s Mom in the Cruel and Unusual Show, and face-spike examiner (she got to keep the spike – eww) at the Swami’s. Also obtained was a Swami Yo sticker.

We looked at quite a few boardgames, but none grabbed us hard enough for an immediate purchase. I was a little disappointed in Y, (it seemed a bit limited) but Star may have some longer-term potential – maybe a bit too much like go, though. I’d say that my favorite of the wooden games so far is still Quintillions– I’m tempted to make my own set as well as purchase the original from the source. The Kadon people have some nifty plastic art/ game boards… I wouldn’t mind commissioning a custom 8×8 volcano-type one with a frosted transparent bottom for playing sleestak/pylon icehouse games.

Food Sampled at the Fair by BHK and/or me –

Mac & Cheese on a stick.
BBQ Turkey on a bun (BHK only)
Deep-fried Oreos (I wonder how many days-worth of calories *that* was?)
Broccoli Cheese Soup in a bread bowl
A ton of water / diet pepsi

Went right from the Rennfest to the in-laws for supper… like we could eat anything after all of that stuff… still, I managed a plate, sans seconds.

snagged from all over-

1. Whats something thats heavily weighing on your mind?
Solidification of current programming tasks overseas. taking time, doing it right.

2. Whats one thing you’ve learned from a good friendship gone bad?
Communication is key.

3. Whats one thing you’ve learned lately from love?
There’s a time to lead, and a time to follow… mostly though, it’s a time to walk side by side.

4. Is there anyone special in your life in general at the moment?
Dern tootin’!

5. Whats a happy time you’ve had in the past week?
I’ve had quite a few! Review the last 7 days in the journal for more info. Overall, I just love being with BHK.

6. Is there anything in your past that you’d like to try again?
I don’t want one of those weird time-travel paradox things to break my current existance, which is pretty dang keen. a simulation viewer, sure, I wouldn’t mind seeing a few revisions on key events in school, socialization, and so on.

7. Who do/did you like to spend your nights with?
BHK, Newt, Pye.

8. Are you an emotional person?
I certainly can be.

9. Are you self conscious?
I can be shy at times, or concerned about “bull in a china shop” syndrome.

10. Do you think of others before yourself?
Generally so, but I have lapses.

11. What’s something that can always make you feel better?
BHK hugs, Newt Headbutts, Pye flurfies.

THERE IS NO NUMBER 12. Why do people remove questions?!?!

13. Where do you see yourself this time next year?
Pretty much the same, only more stable financially and physically.

14. Do you tend to make relationships complicated?
I try to simplify them.

15. Who do you feel the most comfortable around?
BHK

16. Is there something that you’re waiting for?
I tend to take things as they come – But I’m looking forward to October.

17. One thing you’re not looking forward to?
Getting my fillings next week. I am looking forward to *after* getting them, though.

18. How do you feel about change?
It can be good, it can be bad. Take ‘em both and there you have… the facts of life.

19. What are you most looking forward to?
The rest of my life.

20. What are your plans for your next birthday?
That’s in February… I don’t know just yet, but I imagine it’ll involve family, cake and a buttered nose.

21. Do you even care about your birthday?
Not really… I like the social gathering, cake and presents, though!!

22. Do you think anyone in general out there loves you?
I feel certain that it’s so.

23. When do you think the world will end?
My world, humanity as a whole, or planet earth? I think that Earth will be a round a long time, Man, not as long. Me, not as long as that. I suspect that the end of mankind will be the result of either a terrible disease or accident beyond our control. I fear no zombies, aliens or plastics.

24. Whats the most expensive piece of clothing you own?
One of my business suits, I think. A single piece? A jacket, I guess. Not too expensive.

25. Why do you drive the car you have right now?
Our car was a gift to BHK for graduation Law school… and/or a wedding present, depending on who you ask/time of day.

26. Do you still talk to the person you LAST kissed?
Well, yes.

27. Have you ever seen your best friend cry?
Yes.

28. What kind of vitamins did you take as a kid?
Variable – we didn’t take ’em regularly, but Flintstones, and generic kids stuff from the GNC.

There is no 29, either.

30. Did you get any compliments today?
Yes, BHK was very complimentary to me all day today.

31. Are you friends with your neighbors?
We’re friendly, but not friends. Most are nice folks, I’d like to get to know ’em better.

32. What were you just thinking about?
How to develop a lightbox board for multiple game use – fun to play in the dark!

33 disappeared, too!

34. When was the last time you drove more than 15 minutes?
Drove? A long time. Rode? The In-laws from the renfest

35. Have you ever had a crush your on your sister’s/brother’s friend?
Nah, too broad a age difference.

36. What’s your favorite smell?
Tough call. I like baking bread, pine (natural, not synthetic), BHK and Newt. Pye when he’s been in the sun.

37. Have you ever been on a roller coaster?
Yes, many… but not for ages.

38. Do you care what others think about you?
As a whole, not really. Some others are more important than other others.

39 went away as well

40. What do you do all the time in a car?
play punchbuggy with BHK

41. Do you trust people easily?
Not really. I like people easily, though.

Dude, no 42 either

43. Do you think you’ll be married in 10 months?
I hope so, since I am now!

44. What do you look forward to in the next 3 months?
Christmastime, cool weather.

45. Who was the last person you called?
Larry

46. What happened at 10:00 am today?
A shower.

47. What’s your ring tone?
The loudest, most annoying ring in the deault set. (I almost always set it to vibe only, however)

48. Do you have any pets?
Newton (cat), Pyewacket (cat), and any assorted outdoor nature we can feed.

49. What were you doing at 9 pm last night?
Playing Fluxx with the Annapolis Chapter of GCoM.

50. Are your parents married/divorced/separated?
Divorced. Mother remarried over a decade ago.

1 year ago

– october plans for in-laws meetup, geotagged photos, comedy show, go game

2 years ago – confirmed Deerfield condo, iguanas, wonder woman, pb&h, 2nd life, songs meme, quizzies

3 years ago -future life, fly-eating bot, living in Broward, Maroon, tracking Ivan,Danny’s students read my lj, on call all weekend, HIP/Bag lady

4 years ago – Run, Trism-Gollum, Run, robot zoo, dirty-sounding words, palm-day atwork, lifetime membership in there, time marks the beginning of the end for prop2

5 years ago – oatmeal, remembrance rant, touch screen voting, flash CAD thingie.

6 years ago – hardscrabble, Daily Life in Chaucer’s England, (and other daily life books), good things

7 years ago – saw a black tip shark, conch fritters, everway (via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)

Slow day at home this morning/ early afternoon.. I was tired/ headachy and BHK still allergy-ridden, so we took it easy and napped / rested until the sun dropped lower in the sky. We hung out, watched a few episodes of League of Gentlemen – I was tired and grumpy, and still quite enjoyed the casual ly surreal evil of it all.

Headed off to annapolis and grabbed a snack at The Fix deli – good potato knishes, and BHK’s Turkey Sammich looked tasty. (some new people working got the order a little out of whack, but it was minor stuff like leaving off condiments and not toasting bread.. easily fixed.)

Right about 5ish, we headed out to hit the Annapolis games club – BHK, Brent, Alison, Paul, Neil, James, Brien and I played many rounds of apples to apples, Fluxx, Aquarius, and Chrononauts (Early American history version) – surprisingly, Aquarius beat Fluxx as the popular new game of the night. I think the matching and quick launch rules were just a little bit faster to run with, due to no body text on any of the cards. Brien seemed to really dig Fluxx, however – He brought a lot of Rio Grande games and Big M – I really wanted to investigate Power Grid and Manila. I suspect that we’ll be playing more of the German-style games next go-round at the main club. Brent and Alison invited us to thier regualr game night at home, too – about 5-20 people show up at any given session, and it should be fun. I liked the group – everyone was interested in learning new things, playing fair and being good sports. We all ordered chinese food at about 7, and I think we called it a night at just about 11:30ish.

We stayed too late to bounce from there to the Cheeky Monkey Sideshow, but we’ll probably catch Swami Yohmahmi tomorrow at the renfest.

---

100 Reasons to Get Rid of It

I’m not a big MS fan, but these are good.

1. 1.4 million Americans suffer from chronic hoarding & clutter.
2. People burn 55 minutes a day looking for things.
3. 80 percent of what we own we never use.
4. 1800GotJunk.com
Pay someone else to take out the (big, cumbersome) trash.
5. Publicstorage.com
Lock it up in more than 2,100 locations around the U.S.

6. redshield.org
Schedule a pickup with your local Salvation Army.
7. earth911.org
Find local recycling and reuse programs for all kinds of household items.

Because It’s Fun
8. 127sale.com
Set up shop at the World’s Longest Yard Sale, August 2-5, along 450 miles of Highway 127 in the southeastern U.S.
9. Or peddle your wares in your own front yard on National Garage Sale Day, August 10.
10. Swaporamarama.org
Attend nationwide clothing exchanges and do-it-yourself alteration workshops.
11. Wildzipper.com
Watch as a pile of your favorite old T-shirts is converted into a quilt.

Because Someone Else Needs It
Cell Phones
12. Verizonwireless.com
Put a refurbished phone (of any brand) into the hands of a domestic violence victim.
13. Eco-cell.com
Or let its sale benefit an environmental charity.
14. Care.org
Send a phone to the field staff of a poverty-fighting mission.

Digital Cameras
15. Operationhomefront.net
Help keep service members in touch with their families.

All Technology
16. Rethink.Ebay.com
Work with charities to find homes for consumer electronics.
17. youthfortechnology.org
Put scanners, computers, and cameras in the hands of deserving, impoverished kids around the world.

Air Miles
18. Redcross.org
For Red Cross staff and volunteers
19. Heromiles.com
For deployed soldiers
20. Marrow.org
For transplant patients
21. Childrenscancerassociation.org
For terminally ill kids

Furniture & Appliances
22. excessaccess.org
Match your household items with a local non-profit’s wish list.
23. help1up.org
Furnish homes for disaster victims.
24. dressforsuccess.org
Give interview and work clothing to disadvantaged women.
25. makingmemories.org
Donate a wedding gown to benefit breast-cancer patients.
26. www.operationfairydust.org
Send formal wear to teenage girls who need help getting to the prom.
27. onewarmcoat.org
A free coat to anyone who needs one.
28. boulderrunning.com
Ship shoes and sportswear to struggling athletes around the world.

29. Suitcasesforkids.org
Supply children in foster care with luggage.
30. Uniteforsight.org & givethegiftofsight.org
Send eyewear to men and women in underdeveloped countries.
31. Savethechildren.org
Convert American Express credit card points to cash donations.
32. Cartalk.com
Donate a used vehicle to support your local public radio station.
33. Booksforafrica.org
Give everything from storybooks to encyclopedias.
34. Cap4pets.org
Send towels and newspapers to animal shelters.
35. Goodwill.org
Fund job training programs and social services.
36. Freecycle.org
Post donations for charities (and regular folks) to claim.
37. Habitat.org
Donate leftover building supplies to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores.

Computers
38. Cristina.org
Technology and training for the disabled and disadvantaged.
39. Sharetechnology.org
Connecting donations with charities across the U.S.
40. Worldcomputerexchange.org
Send computers to more than 50 developing countries.

41. Nikereuseashoe.com
Recycled footwear materials become sports and playground surfaces.
42. Patagonia.com
Donated Capilene base layers become polyester fibers for new Capilene garments.
43. Pangea organics’ packaging becomes an herb garden when planted in soil.
44. Cargo cosmetics’ PlantLove lipstick tubes come in plantable boxes that sprout wildflowers.
45. Pencilthings.com
Old newspapers become colored pencils.
46. Vivaterra.com
Rubber tires become sleek purses…
47. Passchal.com
…or rugged iPod covers.
48. Gaiam.com
Plastic soda bottles become durable hammocks.
49. Recycline.com
Yogurt containers become colorful plates, flatware, toothbrushes, and razors.
50. Getting rid of clutter will reduce housework by 40 percent.
51. Erase a $10K credit card debt (with an average interest rate) 65 percent faster – and pay 75 percent less total interest – when you pay double the typical minimum monthly payment.
52. Download security software like Stopzilla to keep a lid on computer pop-ups.
53. Around 23 percent of people pay late fees on bills they cannot find.
54. Return six MAC Cosmetics containers to any MAC store and receive a free lipstick.
55. Trade in an old iPod and receive a 10 percent discount on a new one.
56. Coinstar.com
Easily convert spare change into “real” money.
57. Craigslist.org
Sell it to your neighbors.
58. ebay.com
Sell it to anyone.
59. giftcardbuyback.com.
Get cash for gift cards you’ll never use.
60 Paperbackswap.com
Trade the books you have for the ones you want.
61. Peerflix.com
Trade the DVDs you’ve seen for the ones you haven’t.
62. Spun.com
Clear off your CD shelves, and make money in the process.
63. Titletrader.com
The great entertainment exchange: books, music, movies, and games, all swapped in one place.
64. energystar.gov
Replacing old appliances with new, energy-efficient ones saves money and fuel.
65. Running shoes should be retired after 300 to 500 miles in order to prevent injuries.
66. Deep-six your toothbrush every three to four months.
67. Swap your pitcher’s water filter every two months (or as directed).
68. Change out disposable air conditioner filters once a month during cooling season.
69 Replace the batteries in your smoke detector at least once a year.
70. foodsafety.gov
Find the USDA’s recommended storage limits for refrigerated and frozen food.
71. Throw out mascara and moisturizer after three months.
72. Discard foundation and sunscreen after six months to a year.
73. Keep concealer, lipstick, eye- and lip liners, fragrances, powders, blushes, and shadows for only a year and a half to two years.
74.-76. Say goodbye to the dried-out remnants of your favorite no-longer-available lipstick, and check out threecustom.com, T.J.Maxx stores, or Lancome’s beauty bye-bye program for replacements or duplicates of discontinued cosmetics.
77. And these five tunes are among the most persistent: Chili’s “Baby Back Ribs” jingle, “We Will Rock You,” the “Mission Impossible” theme, “YMCA,” and “It’s a Small World After All.” (Tip: Try drowning them out with classical music, which is less likely to haunt you after it’s turned off.)
78. File your taxes through an authorized IRS e-file provider.
79. Eliminate paper statements by banking and paying bills online.
80. Call 1-888-567-8688 to stop unwanted credit card solicitations.
81. Opt out of mailing and telemarketing lists by logging on to dmaconsumers.org.

82. Search for phone numbers online instead of storing bulky Yellow and White Pages volumes.
83. Lose the road maps and get a GPS system to download up-to-date travel guides.
84. Read “Dating Up: Dump the Schlump and Find a Quality Man,” by J. Courtney Sullivan (Warner Books, $14, 2007).

85. Miss Havisham in “Great Expectations”
86. Big Edie and Little Edie Bouvier Beale in “Grey Gardens”
87. Oscar Madison in “The Odd Couple”
88. The family in the documentary “Packrat” (packratthemovie.com)
89. The Bronx, New York, man who, in 2003, was trapped in his home under an avalanche of books and newspapers for two days before being rescued.

90. “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” -Leonardo da Vinci
91. “Less is more.” -Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
92. “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” -William Morris
93. “You’ve got to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.” -Johnny Mercer
94. “The joy of giving is indeed a pleasure, especially when you get rid of something you don’t want.” -Frank Butler and Frank Cavett, “Going My Way”

95. It has no value, sentimental or monetary.
96. It hasn’t been used in over a year.
97. There is no logical place to keep it.
98. It doesn’t work.
99. An ex gave it to you.
100. And what’s the worst that can happen if you throw it out?

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1 year ago

– land lobster, argenti’s lets me down, tired, heart walk, nairobi trio,

2 years ago – vtm quiz, hole digging, checking out the condo, fake red cross, voice of vince, teachers, lost and found poll, 65 questions

3 years ago – Work power out, disco-hitler, Ivan, WoW, Chocolate 3-d printer, making fiends, America’s army, Giant strip-miner of dooom

4 years ago – Meredith moves out, Frankie mooch’s wank machine, saw Ray-I, Dubai-mail, some cool links

5 years ago – Got dave into mage knight, Saw Mark Archilla, 12 dragons smells of cat pee, I got some perfect pre-dyed sheets.

6 years ago – If I were, nice night, purple monkey dishwasher

7 years ago – rant and UB-X (via Scotto’s Wall Scrawls)