I send my love a kiss on the wind… The next breeze she feels will also contain my caress.

Nigh nigh, dear journal.

And only when the invasion was well under way did the sinister truth become known. If only the significance of the floating silver ball had been understood . . . See the Associated Press story.

Off to work, dear journal… have some Homer MMMmmms… hope today is a good ‘n.

Up and have Newtie and myself holed up in the bedroom while the maintenance man replaces the front door. It didn’t really need replacing, but the new owner wants them all to match. I got my quiz wrong the other day… Dan was offered the chance to have a bit of cadaver bone added, or to have the bone taken from himself. no mention of plastic was made.

A follow up on Barbie

http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml

Talked to Doug & Cathy Wu online tonight… weird hearing from them both after all this time, but nice, too. They want to do some online gaming… 40’s supers, I told ’em I’d give it a try… it might be like old times. I wonder what Ray and Kathleen are up to… I hope that they’re doing well and are happy. Kind of a shame how we parted ways, but that year was a weird and stressful time for everyone. A pity that Dan isn’t more online.. he’d probably dig chatting with the Wu’s, too. He and Cathy were big buddies, and Doug and I always got along better.

Of that gaming group, I think that Ray and I were of the most similar minds… same stripe of weirdness and dark humor. Kathleen I admired too, because she was probably the first girl gamer I met that didn’t always play the skulky assassin-thief hybrid… plus, she actually role-played was just *nice*. I think I liked her even more because she and Ray were such a great couple… you could see that they really were in love. They offset each other… quite complimentarily, too. When it came down to my teaming up with another player or two, they would certainly be at the top of my list at that time. I could bounce banter off of either of them, and it worked out well. Kat’s Dr. Mid-nite and my Green Lantern, Kyoko & Trism, Blare & Khudrin, Spring & Zero, Ghost & Minimax. Great team-ups, all, under Ray’s GMing. probably some of the best times I had in role-play. We could team up as one group, the Wu’s could pair off as a second. I never could effectively run for Ray and Kathleen as a duo, though… Ray liked to get himself killed (it’s nigh impossible to have gotten one of the other GMs at the time to allow a killing blow), and my storytelling skills at that time weren’t the best.

The Colinas… I really liked them a lot. It’s too bad about how things worked out at the end. I’d like to rewrite that last three months or so, if I could.

Rik Landis… he, I still see online now and then… a swell guy, and I’m glad he found a nice wife and has his world in order. I gamed with him a few times after the main group broke up, but he was doing D&D 2nd ed… not my thing. I still like to see him yearly at the RenFaire, though. He’s my favorite monopod. A good hammy actor, well suited for boisterousness and such. Does a good wookie growl, too. A good-natured fellow.

Dan’s characters were always Dan’s. The Weasel… Zircon, Jasper… Man of Iron. Just nuts. Entertainingly so, usually… fortunately. I never really got into his epic fantasy school of GMing, but he did a good job with the cooperative cyberpunk universe, and his props were really nice. His NPCs were not the best, and stuff could drag on, but he was well prepared, and social banter at the table made things go pretty nicely.

Doug’s games I liked for the pure nostalgia side of it… he knows *everything* about the silver age of comics, and a heck of a lot about most everything else, too.

I haven’t thought much about those games in a little while.. those were some really good times.

In other news, Dan’s dad’s going in to have a whipple procedure done, and I hope everything turns out ok. I know Danny is quite concerned about it.

ugh, I’m drowsing here. Nigh nigh, dear journal.

Spidah-main!

A fellow lurker, waiting for the bus

Also Hanging out at 10th and Federal

A birdie

question and answer

fixed a year later due to dead picturetrail links.

oooh… good day, Sunday.

There’s an opening right next door to my brother’s apartment… I’d be two doors over from him, if I get it!

How cool would that be? very!

I hope it works out… it’s right near los olas, and downtown ft. lauderdale, but far enough away to be away from the crime and noise. Nearby bus routes and better amenities. *crossing fingers*

I’ll know more Monday night.

No dice on getting together with the hippies today, but I had a wonderful lunch and video-game session with the bro… not to mention just hanging out and talking.

Today’s NY Times has an article about the 22nd Annual National Barbie Doll Collectors Convention in Denver.

Some of the observations will resonate for Philip K. Dick fans; he was definitely on to something in “The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.”

“It’s all about projecting themselves onto the Barbie. The most refreshing aspect of this event was hearing the participants acknowledge – even volunteer – that self-analysis. “I can’t afford a Mackie,” Ms. Ballard said.

“I can’t afford a Versace. But my Barbie can. And I can imagine myself wearing it.” No denial at this show. Terms like “vicarious,” “role-playing” and “projection” were tossed about like vinyl replacement parts.”

On the other hand, there were attendees that could afford Mackies and Versaces, but can only enjoy them in a Barbie state of mind.

“If this were a Hollywood movie, Ms. Baumer might be cast as an unfulfilled suburban housewife, fleeing to Denver, where Barbie could block out the emptiness of her existence. But she’s actually a physician and chairman of the family medicine department at the largest public hospital in Fort Worth.

Ms. Alegre is a registered nurse heading up two units at Ventura County Medical Center in California. She flew herself to Denver in her own Beechcraft T-34. And each woman raised children while pursuing her career.

But sometimes, they just want to have fun.

“We were really active in the feminist movement,” Dr. Baumer explained. “But it tended to ignore sexuality, which was kind of silly.” There were very few housewives at this convention. Most were successful professionals – ambitious overachievers eager to slip into four-inch pumps and marabou swing coats, toss back a couple of bonbons and savor the brief heady taste of a blissfully unambitious, Barbie lifestyle.”

Across the country there are housewives that are “closet collectors,” keeping their Barbies hidden in the upper shelves among the sweaters and spare blankets.

“They sneak off from families and husbands to nestle in among the shoe trees, pull down the treasured boxes and compose elaborate dioramas: Barbie facilitating a brainstorming session, Barbie treating trauma victims in the emergency room, Barbie embarking on a mission to outer space.”

There is a large peripheral industry supplementing the Barbie universe. Top designers are commissioned to produce signature gowns to Barbie dimensions, and every year there is a new wedding dress. Mattel is not the only manufacturer anymore. Although they are not licensed for the most part, there are companies that design clothing and accessories to Barbie dimensions for the enthusiast.

Whenever dolls crop up in horror or fantasy, the focus is on the eeriness of the doll itself. However, I find it is the relationship to the doll that is fascinating.

Navajo Talkers – the truth is more interesting to me than the movie, I think. 🙂

reprinted here for future writing reference –

Well, I now have three options for my next place of residence…. one sounds particularly good, as it’s still reasonably close by to my current domain, and the landlord not only allows cats, but actively likes ’em.

When I went out with Danny on Thursday, I saw a tearoom… is that purely a girl thing, or could I take my sweetheart there without breaking any social graces? I could go for some earl gray and sugar cookies right about now, for that matter.

Tomorrow, I visit with the Bro, and possibly with Dave & Cathi for a bite of dinner, too… We’ll see.

random Scotto factoid – the first time I saw star trek, I thought the breast insignia that they wore were surfboards.

Had a lovely long night with my sweetheart.. talking and sharing… lots of topics, thought provoking, fun, or both. Her laughter is a balm to me as is her purr. happy sigh

Y’know, I think the “mad quiz phase” on my friend’s list has finally settled down…I only noticed perhaps one or two trickling in now.

and I’m late, but figured it’d be fun to do anyhow….

Hmm… it’s a-rainin’. Do I brave the wet, and walk the local blocks, looking for rental signs and phone numbers, or do I call my rental headhunter back? I’ll opt for the latter first, after my morning time in the pod’s steam chamber… hopefully by then I can do my walkabout search in more comfort.

before I go, here’s some search terms that found me recently.

Google oscillation overthruster flux capacitor
Google sex head in horse ass
Yahoo squished gallery
Google boys in apple jacks commercial watching a black and white mob movie

Until later, dear journal!

two years ago –

“The Constitution only gives people the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself.”
-Ben Franklin

one year ago –

My face has been scraped, the body soaped, steamed, pressed and rubbed. A healthy poop evacuated, and a breakfast composed of french toast, juice and coffee is due in about an hour. (I’ve decided to reward Danny for driving me all over creation by buying him breakfast before we get down to brass tacks.) I’m playing milk ring fetch with Newtie… he didn’t want to snuggle this morning, too much in pounce-mode. I don’t know why he gave up on paperwads, but I’m really happy he resumed milk rings and twist-ties.

Going to seek out apartments before work. I really hope something avails itself to me today.

Hee… some things don’t change much with time… except for a link’s validity.

Little Red Monkee is still available. I love my little red monkee.

Wired.com reports: (supplemental links by me)

Fourteen cows were given to the people of the United States this week by members of a Masai tribe who live in a remote village near Kenya’s border with Tanzania. The tribe sent the cows — the most precious gift they can give — to help America recover from the terrorist attacks nearly nine months ago.

Hot diggity, that’s cool. There’s a website where us ‘mericans can express our thanks, although I wonder how the Masai would get to it.

Masai are a fascinating people… one of the cultures I’ve been interested in for a little span now.

How can a person stay annoyed when there’s a Newtie in the house? 🙂 I just spent a few minutes chasing him around here, and being chased in return. good for the circulation and giggles are good for the soul. Sweeping him up and nibbling on Newt-ears is just the thing to bring a smile on… that and my sweetheart. I just look into my heart and see her there… a warmth and strength rallies me to good cheer.

Had a nice night out with Dan… Thai & sushi at the cove, good conversation. A pleasant time.

I come home tonight, and get a note in my mailbox from the new landlady telling me that I need to sign a new lease effective July 1 (two weeks from now) jumping my rent $125 more a month if I go yearly, or $175 more a month if I decide to stay on a month-to-month basis. To heck with that. I’m looking for a new place to stay in earnest, starting tomorrow. I know where that newfound bro-money is going to, now. Not into her pockets, surely… it’ll become a new security to add to my new place.

It’s a shame, but that amount is simply unacceptable for the neighborhood. for that price I could get a two bedroom. I hope I don’t have to deal with any other nonsense this month and can get my security deposit back with little difficulty.

via apartments.com, I already have about five decent options, and one allows pets right in the ad… not to mention this neighborhood has for rent signs up everywhere. I should’ve seen this coming, but I was hoping that she’d maintain the thinnest veneer of civility. too bad for her… she’s losing a quiet tenant that pays on time. I know the old landlord will write me a lovely recommendation. In a way, I’m glad it came to this… at least now I have an objective and know where I stand.

I’m overdue to hit the sack… more to follow tomorrow, dear journal. I’m off to meet up with my sweetheart in dreamland.

More thunderstorms, so no walkies today.

New Landlady came by today… this morning at 7am, knocked on my door as I was soaking up lovely rainstorm nap-thoughts with Newt on my neck. I guess some guy is coming by today and the rest of next week to do some renovating…. replacing the doors so they all match, painting, window screens, etc. I didn’t even know the deal had gone through, yet but my “old landlords” are out of the country for a week on business, and I can’t get hold of them. I wonder if what the new lady is doing is ethical or even legal.

She didn’t like when I told her that she’s going to have to have me present for when any workmen are here… I don’t want Newtie getting out while I’m at work, and I’m gun-shy about new people roaming my halls when I’m not home anyhow.

I’ve posted a new sign on my door for the workers… “No entry unless occupant is home and lets you in”

My fear is that my request will go ignored by uncaring or illiterate types. I’m thinking that Newtie may be holed up in my bedroom for a while, just in case.

Some stupidity