Kyle asked about the route the year I went on RAGBRAI. I replied that it was one of the flattest ever, but that sometimes they routed RAGBRAI across southern Iowa, near Missouri, which is a great big rolling series of foothills. It's only 442 miles, the 6th shortest route ever. But the 22,806 feet of climb makes it historically the 10th hilliest RAGBRAI. Start practicing on Mt. Lemmon, John.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090129/NEWS04/90128048
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Lemony Snicket on the Law
"An old expression, used even before the schism, says that people should not see the creation of laws or sausages. This makes sense, as the creation of sausages involves taking various parts of different animals and shaping them until they are presentable at breakfast, and the creation of laws involves taking various parts of different ideas and shaping them until they are presentable at breakfast, and most people prefer to spend their breakfasts eating food and reading the newspaper without being exposed to creation of any sort whatsoever.The High Court, like most courts, was not involved in the creation of laws, but it was involved in the interpretation of laws, which is as perplexing and unfathomable as their creation, and like the interpretation of sausages is something that also should not be seen."
The Penultimate Peril, A Series of Unfortunate Events - Chapter 11
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Lynktopia
Lynktopia. Like dystopia, but not as soul searingly painful and sans the boot to the face.
Instantwatcher.com (via ReadWriteWeb) - a mashup to track instant viewing options on NetFlix, including most popular, least popular, and expiring.
Eagan Community Indoor Garage Sale - this Saturday, January 31, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Twin Cities Bike Swap - February 8, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in Blaine
Eagan Daddy Daughter Dance (additional info) -February 10, 6:30-8:30 p.m. February 1, 5:30-8:00 p.m. and now called "Daddy's Little Sweetheart Dance". Eagan needs to update their html schedule to 2009.
Facebook murder via ReadWriteWeb - fits in nicely with an earlier post where I mentioned I know someone who switched their Facebook status from married to single.
Instantwatcher.com (via ReadWriteWeb) - a mashup to track instant viewing options on NetFlix, including most popular, least popular, and expiring.
Eagan Community Indoor Garage Sale - this Saturday, January 31, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Twin Cities Bike Swap - February 8, 9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. in Blaine
Eagan Daddy Daughter Dance (additional info) -
Facebook murder via ReadWriteWeb - fits in nicely with an earlier post where I mentioned I know someone who switched their Facebook status from married to single.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
An Open Letter to The Frumpy Index
Dear The Frumpy Index,
We, Don't Kick the Baby, currently have 5,687,616 fans on Rock Bank II and rate 5,682. You have 298,400 fans and are rated 63,131. While this in no way makes us good at Rock Band II, merely persistent, as there are plenty of band with more fans, we do respectively ask you to please catch up.
P.S. when are we playing head to head?
We, Don't Kick the Baby, currently have 5,687,616 fans on Rock Bank II and rate 5,682. You have 298,400 fans and are rated 63,131. While this in no way makes us good at Rock Band II, merely persistent, as there are plenty of band with more fans, we do respectively ask you to please catch up.
P.S. when are we playing head to head?
Monday, January 26, 2009
How To Fix the Washing Machine
Another chapter in the annals of applicance repair. How do you fix your washing machine once you determine it's not a belt or something you know how to fix?
1.) Call the fix-it guy.
2.) Have him take a look at it and tell you it's $135 (which is an accident, the company will refund you $25 for your coupon), but that it would be $300 if he has to replace the whole switching unit.
3.) Have him leave.
4.) Run a load of laundry and have it do exactly what it did before he fixed it.
5.) Call him.
6.) Have him come back from the end of the block.
7.) Have him fix it again.
8.) Have it fail again after one load of laundry.
9.) Remove the screws to the top unit.
10.) Get the rubber oven mitt from the kitchen.
11.) Repeat. Get the rubber oven mitt from the kitchen.
12.) Reach into the wires next to the switching unit and push and pull.
13.) Spin the knob and make sure it's in an agitation general angle.
14.) Reach into the wires (with the oven mitt on) and push and pull.
15.) Spin the knob and make sure it's in an agitation general angle.
16.) Reach into the wires (with the oven mitt) and determine a quick yank upward as close to the unit as possible is best.
17.) Jump when the switching unit sparks, remembering it's a two-prong electrical outlet and you're wearing a rubber oven mitt. It shouldn't kill you. Unlike the time Pooteewheet plugged into a three prong outlet without unwrapping the wires on the other end.
18.) Go upstairs.
19.) Come back down and discover the cycle has cycled past the end of the current cycle and refilled with the wash/rinse cycle from the delicates portion on the dial.
20.) Repeat 1-17 until the agitation/spin cycle begins again.
21.) Attempt to catch the end of the spin cycle before the washer hits a new wash or rinse cycle.
22.) Begin the search for a new washer.
1.) Call the fix-it guy.
2.) Have him take a look at it and tell you it's $135 (which is an accident, the company will refund you $25 for your coupon), but that it would be $300 if he has to replace the whole switching unit.
3.) Have him leave.
4.) Run a load of laundry and have it do exactly what it did before he fixed it.
5.) Call him.
6.) Have him come back from the end of the block.
7.) Have him fix it again.
8.) Have it fail again after one load of laundry.
9.) Remove the screws to the top unit.
10.) Get the rubber oven mitt from the kitchen.
11.) Repeat. Get the rubber oven mitt from the kitchen.
12.) Reach into the wires next to the switching unit and push and pull.
13.) Spin the knob and make sure it's in an agitation general angle.
14.) Reach into the wires (with the oven mitt on) and push and pull.
15.) Spin the knob and make sure it's in an agitation general angle.
16.) Reach into the wires (with the oven mitt) and determine a quick yank upward as close to the unit as possible is best.
17.) Jump when the switching unit sparks, remembering it's a two-prong electrical outlet and you're wearing a rubber oven mitt. It shouldn't kill you. Unlike the time Pooteewheet plugged into a three prong outlet without unwrapping the wires on the other end.
18.) Go upstairs.
19.) Come back down and discover the cycle has cycled past the end of the current cycle and refilled with the wash/rinse cycle from the delicates portion on the dial.
20.) Repeat 1-17 until the agitation/spin cycle begins again.
21.) Attempt to catch the end of the spin cycle before the washer hits a new wash or rinse cycle.
22.) Begin the search for a new washer.
My Father in Law, State Criminal
Secrets of the City (MNSpeak - I should change that href on the right) has a link to the LaCrosse Tribune's article about strange Minnesota laws. I think the law about not trapping or molesting squirrels might make my father in a law crabby.
However, after seeing this article quoted all over the web, I went looking for the law in question that stated, "It is illegal to trap, kill or molest squirrels in any way." I can't find it. Perhaps someone else will have better luck than me, but what I can find is the 1919 session law (Chapter 400, section 47) that states, "Sec. 47. Squirrels, bear and racoon—Open season—Prohibited places.—-Black, gray and fox squirrels, and racoons may be taken and possessed between October 15th and the 1st day of March following, both inclusive. No person shall pursue, hunt, molest or take any gray, black, red, fox, flying or other timber squirrel at any time within the corporate limits of any city or village, or within 'one quarter of a mile thereof. It shall not be unlawful to take black bear at any time."
It was revised in 1925.
"5541. Squirrels, bear and raccoon open season.—Gray and fox squirrels tfiay be taken and possessed between October 15th and January 1st following, both inclusive. Bear may be taken and possessed at any time. Raccoon may not be taken until the year 1928 and then only between October 15th and November 15th following, both inclusive. No person shall hunt, molest or take any gray, black, red, fox flying, or other timber squirrel at any time within the corporate limits of any city or village, or within one-quarter mile thereof. A person may take during the open season not to exceed 10 gray or fox squirrels in the aggregate of all kinds in any one day
and may have not to exceed 15 gray or fox squirrels in the aggregate in possession at any time. Black squirrels may not be taken or possessed at any time.
Steel traps may be used for the purpose of taking or catching bear only upon permission of the Game and Fish Commissioner to do so. Rules and regulations for the safe use thereof shall be prescribed by tht Commissioner and any one setting them so as to become a danger to persons walking in the woods shall be guilty of gross misdemeanor. Any person desiring to retain in possession during the closed
season the skins of protected fur bearing animals shall apply to the commissioner within five days after the close of the season for a permit so to do, and the commissioner or a game warden shall issue to the licensee <* distinctive tag for each pelt to be retained in possession; and itpon receipt thereof the licensee shall affix one such tag to each pelt retained in possession. Such pelts lawfully tagged
may be bought and sold at any time. This shall also apply to furs taken from animals trapped or killed on land owned or occupied by the trapper."
There's a big difference between a law outlawing the justified execution of squirrels for squirrel melt sandwiches, and not allowing people to shoot their guns within city limits or engage in blatant trapping of the town critters for their own gain. I think the law was quoted incorrectly for humor purposes. Which is sad. Because I really wanted to turn my father in law in for a sweet reward.
However, after seeing this article quoted all over the web, I went looking for the law in question that stated, "It is illegal to trap, kill or molest squirrels in any way." I can't find it. Perhaps someone else will have better luck than me, but what I can find is the 1919 session law (Chapter 400, section 47) that states, "Sec. 47. Squirrels, bear and racoon—Open season—Prohibited places.—-Black, gray and fox squirrels, and racoons may be taken and possessed between October 15th and the 1st day of March following, both inclusive. No person shall pursue, hunt, molest or take any gray, black, red, fox, flying or other timber squirrel at any time within the corporate limits of any city or village, or within 'one quarter of a mile thereof. It shall not be unlawful to take black bear at any time."
It was revised in 1925.
"5541. Squirrels, bear and raccoon open season.—Gray and fox squirrels tfiay be taken and possessed between October 15th and January 1st following, both inclusive. Bear may be taken and possessed at any time. Raccoon may not be taken until the year 1928 and then only between October 15th and November 15th following, both inclusive. No person shall hunt, molest or take any gray, black, red, fox flying, or other timber squirrel at any time within the corporate limits of any city or village, or within one-quarter mile thereof. A person may take during the open season not to exceed 10 gray or fox squirrels in the aggregate of all kinds in any one day
and may have not to exceed 15 gray or fox squirrels in the aggregate in possession at any time. Black squirrels may not be taken or possessed at any time.
Steel traps may be used for the purpose of taking or catching bear only upon permission of the Game and Fish Commissioner to do so. Rules and regulations for the safe use thereof shall be prescribed by tht Commissioner and any one setting them so as to become a danger to persons walking in the woods shall be guilty of gross misdemeanor. Any person desiring to retain in possession during the closed
season the skins of protected fur bearing animals shall apply to the commissioner within five days after the close of the season for a permit so to do, and the commissioner or a game warden shall issue to the licensee <* distinctive tag for each pelt to be retained in possession; and itpon receipt thereof the licensee shall affix one such tag to each pelt retained in possession. Such pelts lawfully tagged
may be bought and sold at any time. This shall also apply to furs taken from animals trapped or killed on land owned or occupied by the trapper."
There's a big difference between a law outlawing the justified execution of squirrels for squirrel melt sandwiches, and not allowing people to shoot their guns within city limits or engage in blatant trapping of the town critters for their own gain. I think the law was quoted incorrectly for humor purposes. Which is sad. Because I really wanted to turn my father in law in for a sweet reward.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Things That Suck
1.) Finding the clothes in a pool of water in the washing machine.
2.) Realizing it's not a fluke, the machine is broke, and it doesn't seem to be just something stuck between the barrel and the edge or a broken belt.
3.) Preparing to call the repairperson and coming to terms with disconnecting the hoses.
4.) Deciding to clean the washroom before disconnecting the hoses.
5.) Your wife uses the washroom to house the cat bathrooms.
6.) All the dust you cleanup has the smell of cat urine/litter.
7.) Finding a cat turd hidden behind the water softener.
8.) Finally getting rid of the dirt and making space for the repairman and discovering the hoses are corroded in place on both ends.
9.) The spigots/faucets are corroded too and won't turn.
10.) Sending the wife to get two new faucets/spigots and waiting.
11.) Taking a wrench to the threaded spigot, giving it half a turn, and feeling the tube inside the wall spin as well.
12.) Knowing the tube in the wall sheared as the water starts to shoot out of the sheet rock.
13.) Turning the water off before you've had a shower to get the cat litter/dirt off and realizing there won't be any water soon because you had to turn it off to the house.
14.) Cutting a hole in the sheet rock and discovering everything is welded together tight against the cement with wood bracings and insulation.
15.) Calling the emergency repair plumber to come in and take care of it so there's hot water by tomorrow instead of three days from now which is how long it would take me to do it myself.
16.) Hearing him say "This is a tough one."
17.) Paying him the equivalent of a big car repair to fix the pipe and replace the faucet.
18.) Knowing I'll have to patch sheet rock sometime in the not too distant future.
19.) Sitting here preparing to call the washing machine repair man, which was Step #1.
2.) Realizing it's not a fluke, the machine is broke, and it doesn't seem to be just something stuck between the barrel and the edge or a broken belt.
3.) Preparing to call the repairperson and coming to terms with disconnecting the hoses.
4.) Deciding to clean the washroom before disconnecting the hoses.
5.) Your wife uses the washroom to house the cat bathrooms.
6.) All the dust you cleanup has the smell of cat urine/litter.
7.) Finding a cat turd hidden behind the water softener.
8.) Finally getting rid of the dirt and making space for the repairman and discovering the hoses are corroded in place on both ends.
9.) The spigots/faucets are corroded too and won't turn.
10.) Sending the wife to get two new faucets/spigots and waiting.
11.) Taking a wrench to the threaded spigot, giving it half a turn, and feeling the tube inside the wall spin as well.
12.) Knowing the tube in the wall sheared as the water starts to shoot out of the sheet rock.
13.) Turning the water off before you've had a shower to get the cat litter/dirt off and realizing there won't be any water soon because you had to turn it off to the house.
14.) Cutting a hole in the sheet rock and discovering everything is welded together tight against the cement with wood bracings and insulation.
15.) Calling the emergency repair plumber to come in and take care of it so there's hot water by tomorrow instead of three days from now which is how long it would take me to do it myself.
16.) Hearing him say "This is a tough one."
17.) Paying him the equivalent of a big car repair to fix the pipe and replace the faucet.
18.) Knowing I'll have to patch sheet rock sometime in the not too distant future.
19.) Sitting here preparing to call the washing machine repair man, which was Step #1.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Burlesk
Every once in a while I get it in my head to do something I wouldn't normally do, like attend Point Break the Play. This week I felt I was long overdue and I noticed in some of the local papers that the Midwest Burlesk show was playing Thursday through Sunday at the Ritz Theater, right next to the 331 (home of Liberally Drinking). It fit the bill, and I pinged Kyle to ask him if he'd go. He was game, so we decided to make it a full Thursday, and hit Origami for sushi, and then the show.Sushi was great, and the highlight was trying Monkfish liver, which the menu touted as the foie gras of the sea. Fortunately, I can't picture anyone trying to force feed a monkfish, which is why I don't eat real foie gras. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised. It was smooth, with a slight tang from the lemon and sauce, and had a light fish flavor that wasn't at all like eating a piece of fish fat. Just a light, sea flavor that you hear about on Food TV, but never really bump into if you're not a world traveler or living in Seattle. Delicious. And that machine with the two bottles sticking out of it. That's a sake warmer. I guess I should have known that, but I've always been a cold sake sort of guy.
On to the burlesque (burlesk). I realize that no matter how I explain this, there's likely to be a wide swath of people I know who think, "I don't care what he says. That must have been lame. He was drunk. Or an idiot. No. I know Scott. It was both." I'm not denying I'm an idiot. I'm not denying I was drinking. The Ritz Theater had a wide selection of wines and beer and I had some great Angry Planet Pale Ale from Flat Earth Brewing. But the show was wonderful. Truly spectacular. Seriously. Damn. Fun.
One of my early memories is staying in a hotel and how excited my parents were to discover that on pay television there was a burlesque show. Despite how young I was, they let me watch the show and told me about seeing live shows when they were younger. There was a guy singing about being the top banana, and later in the show a woman came on the screen to do her act. My mother was ecstatic that she was a tassel twirler, and when the woman gave evidence to how she could twirl in both directions at once, my mother was visibly and vocally happy about how professional she was because it took real talent to twirl appropriately. The Midwest Burlesk show gave me an idea of why having seen live shows when she was younger would have been such a memorable event.
My favorite acts of the night were:
Nadine Dubois - the emcee for the night. Funny. Sexy (I never thought I'd say that about someone in sparkly red lipstick). She sings. She does burlesque. She makes jokes about whiskey and cowbells. She was engaging from front to back and really pulled the show together.
The first act - I don't know who they were, but a strip tease done in snowmobile suits, furry hats, and other accoutrements. Hilarious.
Foxy Tann and the Wham Bam Thank You Ma'ams - great dance moves, afros and Hendrix's Foxy Lady. Some serious cheering from the audience.
Ned the Magnificent - not really a stripper. He was the comic entertainment. He did a superman schtick with a folding chair that was great.
Boylesque Hot Toddy - not quite equal time for the guys. But I point out this member of Belmont Burlesque of Chicago (who also had a great red head doing an act) because his act was so classically burlesque and done so well. The audience seemed to be about 60/40 women, so his act was well met. Four of the women from Belmont Burlesque came out with very large pillows and did a dance, then met in the middle of the stage and brought the pillows together in a 2x2 formation as Boylesque stripped behind the pillows. Left - lots of flesh, hat on head. Right - lots of flesh, hat on head. Front, with the fedora strategically placed.
Fanny Tastic - Fanny came out dressed in a very shiny flight attendant outfit, carrying a flight case, the sort your mother converted into a makeup case, or a storage container for old photos. She bent over and pulled out a belt and demonstrated how to prepare for your fight. Pulled out a can of coke and poo pooed it in favor of a bottle of Jack Daniels. Then did an amazingly athletic dance.
Michelle L'amour - I saw Michelle on television when she was doing her balloon dance on America's Got Talent. The Hoff and company ruined her gig which seemed silly when they made fun of her not-for-family-viewing antics, because she did the balloon dance during the burlesque show, floating away several pieces of clothing, and it was funny and sexy at the same time. But that wasn't the highlight. The highlight was her show-closing performance. Michelle had a large heart rolled out on the stage that looked like it was covered wth your grandmother's old, green couch. She did a great burlesque dance on stage that then moved to the heart, which had posts around the outside so she could do some acrobatics along the sides and top. Just when you thought she was done, more clothing came off, her champagne glass turned out to be full of baby oil instead, and hands shot out through the heart-couch to rub in the baby oil. Kyle put it well. He said it was like a fireworks display. You kept expecting the end, and she kept upping the stakes. This is the part where you think I'm crazy, or a perv, but you had to be there to see it to appreciate just what a show it was.
They're sold out for Friday and Saturday, but tickets are still available for Sunday (and Lily's Burlesque does regular shows at Bryant Lake and Michelle L'amour in Chicago) and it's definitely an event you can bring a date to (and many people did).
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Pedal Pedal Pedal
I'm back up to 20 miles every other night on my bicycle trainer for the first time since I ate the giant pizza and went into surgery. Took a while. Can't say it's completely comfortable, but at least I'm up and running at the rate I like to be at if I'm going to hit the spring pedaling so I'm ready for RAGBRAI. And particularly if I want to try and do the 60+ mile route at the Ironman.
This should serve as fair warning to my father. Get on your bike. Pedal. And make sure you hit some hills. There's a bike group down there that bikes almost 365 days a year. I guess TCBC bikes almost 365 days a year too, but that's what trainers are for, so I ignore that craziness, despite my brother-in-law being proud of his mid-winter riding.
This should serve as fair warning to my father. Get on your bike. Pedal. And make sure you hit some hills. There's a bike group down there that bikes almost 365 days a year. I guess TCBC bikes almost 365 days a year too, but that's what trainers are for, so I ignore that craziness, despite my brother-in-law being proud of his mid-winter riding.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Highland Cathedral - Amy Grant
Klund tagged me for a music meme on Facebook. I almost missed it in all those notifications. So I dragged it out and answered it here, cutting across social networks and blogs in a way designed to give people a headache and make them feel they're on Facebook when they're really not. And I can be annoying and include a video for each song (or as close as possible when lacking an appropriate video on YouTube). By the way, my blog status is, "Scott is answering a music meme."
If you can't tell. We have yet to switch our playlists off of the Christmas season.
1. Put Your iTunes (or iPod) on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends (include me please)
What do your friends think of you?
Mustang Sally - The Commitments
If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton
How would you describe yourself?
Silent Night - Amy Grant
What do you like in a guy/girl?
Bad Babies - Adam Bryant (Rhinoceros Tap)
Can't find it, so here's Rhinoceros Tap
How do you feel today?
The Brain is not the Mind - Dan Reeder
(I can't find the song, so I'll post "I Drink Beer")
What is your life’s purpose?
Lover Please - Melissa Etheridge
What is your motto?
Feliz Navidad - Jose' Feliciano
What do you think about very often?
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
What is 2 + 2?
LA. Song - Beth Hart
What do you think of your best friend?
Scotty Doesn't Know - Lustra
What do you think of the person you like?
Ob-li-di, Ob-la-da - The Beatles
What is your life story?
Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away - Amy Grant
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Barnyard Dance - Adam Bryant (Rhinocerous Tap)
What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Joker and the Thief - Wolfmother
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Beautiful Wreck - Shawn Mullins
What will they play at your funeral?
Mister Santa - Amy Grant
What is your hobby/interest?
Emmanuel - Kathy Mattea
Can't find a good cut. Here's "Ready for the Storm" instead
What is your biggest fear?
Still the One - Orleans
What is your biggest secret?
Nothing But a Child - Kathy Mattea
Can't find this one either - so here's "Mary Did You Know"
What do you think of your friends?
Down in Mexico - The Coasters
Starts 1:10 into this scene from Grindhouse. Pooteewheet downloaded it, but I have yet to get a lapdance to it (alt).
What will you post this as?
Highland Cathedral - Amy Grant
Also unfindable - so here's "I Need a Silent Night"
If you can't tell. We have yet to switch our playlists off of the Christmas season.
1. Put Your iTunes (or iPod) on Shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. You must write down the name of the song no matter how silly it sounds!
4. Put any comments in brackets after the song name.
5. Tag at least 10 friends (include me please)
What do your friends think of you?
Mustang Sally - The Commitments
If someone says, “Is this okay?” You say?
Lay Down Sally - Eric Clapton
How would you describe yourself?
Silent Night - Amy Grant
What do you like in a guy/girl?
Bad Babies - Adam Bryant (Rhinoceros Tap)
Can't find it, so here's Rhinoceros Tap
How do you feel today?
The Brain is not the Mind - Dan Reeder
(I can't find the song, so I'll post "I Drink Beer")
What is your life’s purpose?
Lover Please - Melissa Etheridge
What is your motto?
Feliz Navidad - Jose' Feliciano
What do you think about very often?
Paper Planes - M.I.A.
What is 2 + 2?
LA. Song - Beth Hart
What do you think of your best friend?
Scotty Doesn't Know - Lustra
What do you think of the person you like?
Ob-li-di, Ob-la-da - The Beatles
What is your life story?
Christmas Can't Be Very Far Away - Amy Grant
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Barnyard Dance - Adam Bryant (Rhinocerous Tap)
What do you think of when you see the person you like?
Joker and the Thief - Wolfmother
What will you dance to at your wedding?
Beautiful Wreck - Shawn Mullins
What will they play at your funeral?
Mister Santa - Amy Grant
What is your hobby/interest?
Emmanuel - Kathy Mattea
Can't find a good cut. Here's "Ready for the Storm" instead
What is your biggest fear?
Still the One - Orleans
What is your biggest secret?
Nothing But a Child - Kathy Mattea
Can't find this one either - so here's "Mary Did You Know"
What do you think of your friends?
Down in Mexico - The Coasters
Starts 1:10 into this scene from Grindhouse. Pooteewheet downloaded it, but I have yet to get a lapdance to it (alt).
What will you post this as?
Highland Cathedral - Amy Grant
Also unfindable - so here's "I Need a Silent Night"
Speck - Conventional Lover
Pooteewheet and I both chuckled when we heard Speck's "Conventional Lover" (lyrics) on Rock Band II. Very Shakespearian title. Pete. Sarah. Did you play it during your wedding? I have posted a video (just the vocals for the most part) and lyrics below as I thought both Mean Mr. Mustard and Kyle might enjoy them.
Who left you hanging on that peg all alone?
You look near mint to me babe and I wanna make you my own
I wanna be your captain, my Pon Farr is a-risin'
So step on over here girl, my love is enterprisin'
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me show you some conventional love
I don't mean to boast, I don't mean to brag (ooh love long and prosper)
But I'm a man whose only issues all come in mylar bags
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you nice (ooh love long and prosper)
And the games that I play only have twenty-sided dice
They're polyhedral!
Let's hit the dealer's room and get you something fine
That collectors bust of Cthulhu reminds me of how you blow my mind
Now let me take you dancing in my best Starfleet dress uniform
You'll want to tap my mana once you've seen me perform
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me show you some conventional love
I don't mean to boast, I don't mean to brag (ooh love long and prosper)
But I'm a man whose only issues all come in mylar bags
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you nice (ooh love long and prosper)
And the games that I play only have twenty-sided dice
Uh oh
Saving throw!
And when we get to mating, I'll always treat you kind
I'll never bend you too far back or ever crease your spine
But there's one thing I won't promise, there's one thing I won't do
Can't leave you in the box babe, this collector is coming through
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me show you some conventional love
I don't mean to boast, I don't mean to brag (ooh love long and prosper)
But I'm a man whose only issues all come in mylar bags
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you nice (ooh love long and prosper)
And the games that I play only have twenty-sided dice
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you fine
And I'll make sweet love to you while we're watching Deep Space Nine
Who left you hanging on that peg all alone?
You look near mint to me babe and I wanna make you my own
I wanna be your captain, my Pon Farr is a-risin'
So step on over here girl, my love is enterprisin'
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me show you some conventional love
I don't mean to boast, I don't mean to brag (ooh love long and prosper)
But I'm a man whose only issues all come in mylar bags
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you nice (ooh love long and prosper)
And the games that I play only have twenty-sided dice
They're polyhedral!
Let's hit the dealer's room and get you something fine
That collectors bust of Cthulhu reminds me of how you blow my mind
Now let me take you dancing in my best Starfleet dress uniform
You'll want to tap my mana once you've seen me perform
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me show you some conventional love
I don't mean to boast, I don't mean to brag (ooh love long and prosper)
But I'm a man whose only issues all come in mylar bags
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you nice (ooh love long and prosper)
And the games that I play only have twenty-sided dice
Uh oh
Saving throw!
And when we get to mating, I'll always treat you kind
I'll never bend you too far back or ever crease your spine
But there's one thing I won't promise, there's one thing I won't do
Can't leave you in the box babe, this collector is coming through
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me show you some conventional love
I don't mean to boast, I don't mean to brag (ooh love long and prosper)
But I'm a man whose only issues all come in mylar bags
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you nice (ooh love long and prosper)
And the games that I play only have twenty-sided dice
Let me be your conventional lover
Let me give you my conventional love
I'll give you my heart, I'll treat you fine
And I'll make sweet love to you while we're watching Deep Space Nine
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Facebook Reflections
I've been reading this article by Time.com, "Does Facebook Replace Face Time, Or Enhance It?" It's an intriguing question (there are a bunch of related articles at the bottom around Facebook as well). In the spirit of my recent discussion about Wordle and Technorati, the article seemed a motivator to talk about other services I use. Over the last few months I've seen some of my blogger friends move to Facebook (with a decrease in activity or cessation of their blog, or a bit of cross posting), or take up a semblance of online communication again via Facebook since their blog lapsed into disuse (at Code Freeze last week, Neal Ford made a point of pruning those dead feeds in order to eliminate a source of distraction). Other friends and family, who would never have blogged, have found a home on Facebook, poking, updating their status, and posting the odd set of photos. I update my Facebook status once in a while, or throw a link at a friend who might appreciate it, but I find myself using the service as more of what the article refers to as a "self-updating address book", one that ties together people I know from my past (high school) and people I know now (work). Usually it's not something along the lines of this quote:
"Jenny and I, along with three of our childhood pals from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., learned that a dear old friend had ended her seven-year relationship through a Facebook status change. We expressed dismay, albeit through Facebook's IM feature, that we had to learn such potent information in this impersonal way."
I'm not saying that they're right and the friend should have let them know in person. Quite the opposite. If you can't come to terms with remote communication as a norm, or at least the norm as a catalyst for most communication, you're not making the leap to the digital culture and it's too bad your children will one day have to listen to your diatribes about how in the good old days you saw everyone face to face and now everything is bad and, by the way, what should you do with the sea shells? I did learn about a friend's divorce via Facebook when she changed her status. And I'm guilty of letting people know I was in the hospital with an infection via Facebook, although primarily because of the immediacy of Facebook over blogging and because the interface to Facebook via my PDA is much cleaner and easier to access when you're falling asleep too fast to type anything substantial. I imagine Twitter would have sufficed just as well if my friends were Twitterites. The full story of something as personal as surgery, or divorce (only if Pooteewheet never throws away the Discovery Channel defective rock polisher she's hidden in the house, which I prefer to call by the appropriate title "trash"), generally follows on my blog, which sees 1/30th of the "friends" I have on Facebook.
I think the difference for me between the two is that my blog has been for me, while Facebook is not. If I'm updating my status on Facebook, it's an announcement to the effect, "Hey, I'm alive and you can find me if you're looking for me." If I update my blog, it's because I'm thinking about something, want to work out something I haven't quite formulated in my head, want to record something for my future use, or want to record something for Eryn to read some day. Only secondly is it a place to share information with others, although I make the effort to record details around processes and experiences I think are helpful in a wider context, like packing on RAGBRAI, doing a Biztalk install or n-depth updategram, and fixing the green screen if streaming Netflix. Because I record so much out there, it is a good update for what me and my family are up to and how I'm feeling, something I can't capture in a Facebook status blurb. I rationalize away the need for a Christmas letter because of my blog. If you're a Facebook friend, you don't need a Christmas update because you and I probably don't see each other facetime wise at all. If you read my blog, you don't need one because you know what I've been up to for the last six years, no doubt in more detail than you're comfortable with when bumping into me.
Because of that, I don't run into this issue, "but stays logged on to Facebook all day at work, and then spends an hour or two, or lately three, at night checking in with old acquaintances, swapping photos with close friends, instant messaging those who fall somewhere in between." I devote a little bit of time to my blog and trust that the next time I have facetime with whoever reads it, we'll have a good place to start a conversation. Facebook feels more like sending thank you notes, and if I post something non-flippant I have to individually IM and comment to everyone who thinks it's interesting. The idea of doing that at work, where the context switching interrupts trying to think about mainframe migrations, is enough to keep me from ever being a Facebook regular.
Over the years, I've been asked several times, "Where do you get the time to blog? I could never find enought time to write something almost every day." Blogging is easy. Thirty minutes max for most posts, it's focused, and I can practice some writing skills I need to bring to other efforts. If you add up Facebook time, status updates, poking, VW bug and jail escapes, and hopping between IM-ing and responding to a few comments, it can easily chew up considerably more time for less mental gain, although it may seem like less if you can coordinate it on your PDA in the minutes on the bus, at the doctor, or walking between meetings.
I should finish with an answer to the initial question. Facebook doesn't replace face time. It enhances it. It's a way to keep in touch and now and then generate enough of a poke to give people an insight into when they should be contacting you in person to see how you're doing, or to catch up with you when you're in the neighborhood despite time having moved you far apart, or as a gentle reminder that you should be getting together because their kids seem older than the last time you saw them. If it reduces face time at all, it's with your family when you're busy facebooking instead of spending time together, and then it's just one of a number of equivalent distractions, not a sole culprit.
"Jenny and I, along with three of our childhood pals from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., learned that a dear old friend had ended her seven-year relationship through a Facebook status change. We expressed dismay, albeit through Facebook's IM feature, that we had to learn such potent information in this impersonal way."
I'm not saying that they're right and the friend should have let them know in person. Quite the opposite. If you can't come to terms with remote communication as a norm, or at least the norm as a catalyst for most communication, you're not making the leap to the digital culture and it's too bad your children will one day have to listen to your diatribes about how in the good old days you saw everyone face to face and now everything is bad and, by the way, what should you do with the sea shells? I did learn about a friend's divorce via Facebook when she changed her status. And I'm guilty of letting people know I was in the hospital with an infection via Facebook, although primarily because of the immediacy of Facebook over blogging and because the interface to Facebook via my PDA is much cleaner and easier to access when you're falling asleep too fast to type anything substantial. I imagine Twitter would have sufficed just as well if my friends were Twitterites. The full story of something as personal as surgery, or divorce (only if Pooteewheet never throws away the Discovery Channel defective rock polisher she's hidden in the house, which I prefer to call by the appropriate title "trash"), generally follows on my blog, which sees 1/30th of the "friends" I have on Facebook.
I think the difference for me between the two is that my blog has been for me, while Facebook is not. If I'm updating my status on Facebook, it's an announcement to the effect, "Hey, I'm alive and you can find me if you're looking for me." If I update my blog, it's because I'm thinking about something, want to work out something I haven't quite formulated in my head, want to record something for my future use, or want to record something for Eryn to read some day. Only secondly is it a place to share information with others, although I make the effort to record details around processes and experiences I think are helpful in a wider context, like packing on RAGBRAI, doing a Biztalk install or n-depth updategram, and fixing the green screen if streaming Netflix. Because I record so much out there, it is a good update for what me and my family are up to and how I'm feeling, something I can't capture in a Facebook status blurb. I rationalize away the need for a Christmas letter because of my blog. If you're a Facebook friend, you don't need a Christmas update because you and I probably don't see each other facetime wise at all. If you read my blog, you don't need one because you know what I've been up to for the last six years, no doubt in more detail than you're comfortable with when bumping into me.
Because of that, I don't run into this issue, "but stays logged on to Facebook all day at work, and then spends an hour or two, or lately three, at night checking in with old acquaintances, swapping photos with close friends, instant messaging those who fall somewhere in between." I devote a little bit of time to my blog and trust that the next time I have facetime with whoever reads it, we'll have a good place to start a conversation. Facebook feels more like sending thank you notes, and if I post something non-flippant I have to individually IM and comment to everyone who thinks it's interesting. The idea of doing that at work, where the context switching interrupts trying to think about mainframe migrations, is enough to keep me from ever being a Facebook regular.
Over the years, I've been asked several times, "Where do you get the time to blog? I could never find enought time to write something almost every day." Blogging is easy. Thirty minutes max for most posts, it's focused, and I can practice some writing skills I need to bring to other efforts. If you add up Facebook time, status updates, poking, VW bug and jail escapes, and hopping between IM-ing and responding to a few comments, it can easily chew up considerably more time for less mental gain, although it may seem like less if you can coordinate it on your PDA in the minutes on the bus, at the doctor, or walking between meetings.
I should finish with an answer to the initial question. Facebook doesn't replace face time. It enhances it. It's a way to keep in touch and now and then generate enough of a poke to give people an insight into when they should be contacting you in person to see how you're doing, or to catch up with you when you're in the neighborhood despite time having moved you far apart, or as a gentle reminder that you should be getting together because their kids seem older than the last time you saw them. If it reduces face time at all, it's with your family when you're busy facebooking instead of spending time together, and then it's just one of a number of equivalent distractions, not a sole culprit.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Responses - Wordle, Mean Mr. Mustard
A reply to Jonathan Feinberg first, as I personally offended Wordle, much to Klund's amusement. This is presumably what he took umbrage with "Wordle is cool. It's just not accurate." So I'll clarify, although up until that point in the post I'd been pointing out that the cloud generated didn't capture the essence of my blog. Not that Wordle had a problem, only that the resulting cloud wasn't accurate in the sense that it wasn't representative - e.g. as dissociated from the Wordle program. That may sound like criticism of Wordle, but it's not. Wordle did it's job with what it had - that doesn't make the result any more indicative of the content of NodToNothing.
My real issue, and I could have phrased it better, is that when I pointed at a completely different month by putting that month's URL into Wordle, in order to grab the details that weren't related to the last 100 posts in the Atom feed and generate something a bit more representative based on what I hoped was a more representative month squarely in the middle of geocaching and bicycling season, Wordle instead regrabbed the Atom feed for the last month, not the content from the month I selected. That's understandable as well. After all, if it just grabbed the URL and went on it's merry way, it would probably have to parse out all the HTML and CSS-type tags. I sympathize with using a structured Atom or RSS feed and forgoing that mess. I could resolve a bit of that by using the paste-into-a-textbox function, but that was painful as I ended up grabbing the tags (meaning some words were counted twice) and some of the template information, which didn't turn out well. My assertion that the Technorati cloud was more accurate was in no way a reference to a program or algorithm, but only to how Technorati tracked my tags, resulting in a cloud based on what I had personally tagged as important in my blog and that seemed to capture keywords more appropriate to what it's about: bicycling, geocaching, Eryn, beer, and for some reason, the City of Rosemount.
To give Mr. Feinberg a nod (to something, not nothing), and perhaps invite a retaliation from Dave Sifry, Mr. Feinberg's Wordle program a.) creates more aesthetically pleasing clouds and b.) is no doubt more accurate in assessing the actual content cloud of my blog from an appropriate dump of text than Technorati's cloud is, which relies on my own ability to tag my content with appropriate metadata, a skill of questionable ability in anyone who isn't an information architect with a library science background.
I have a much shorter response for Mean Mr. Mustard, who commented on the post Pain. Despite my choice of language in the post, it was still a better call overall than telling an architect at work today, "You can blow me off any time. You're only two minutes away." Fortunately, I've switched jobs enough times that no one realized, or was unwilling to comment upon it, that I was snickering at my own stupidity as I transitioned to a new topic. And, on a more personal note directed specifically at you, I appreciate that I have so many a**holes in my life, so that only one had to have hemorrhoid surgery. I hope your back feels better soon.
My real issue, and I could have phrased it better, is that when I pointed at a completely different month by putting that month's URL into Wordle, in order to grab the details that weren't related to the last 100 posts in the Atom feed and generate something a bit more representative based on what I hoped was a more representative month squarely in the middle of geocaching and bicycling season, Wordle instead regrabbed the Atom feed for the last month, not the content from the month I selected. That's understandable as well. After all, if it just grabbed the URL and went on it's merry way, it would probably have to parse out all the HTML and CSS-type tags. I sympathize with using a structured Atom or RSS feed and forgoing that mess. I could resolve a bit of that by using the paste-into-a-textbox function, but that was painful as I ended up grabbing the tags (meaning some words were counted twice) and some of the template information, which didn't turn out well. My assertion that the Technorati cloud was more accurate was in no way a reference to a program or algorithm, but only to how Technorati tracked my tags, resulting in a cloud based on what I had personally tagged as important in my blog and that seemed to capture keywords more appropriate to what it's about: bicycling, geocaching, Eryn, beer, and for some reason, the City of Rosemount.
To give Mr. Feinberg a nod (to something, not nothing), and perhaps invite a retaliation from Dave Sifry, Mr. Feinberg's Wordle program a.) creates more aesthetically pleasing clouds and b.) is no doubt more accurate in assessing the actual content cloud of my blog from an appropriate dump of text than Technorati's cloud is, which relies on my own ability to tag my content with appropriate metadata, a skill of questionable ability in anyone who isn't an information architect with a library science background.
I have a much shorter response for Mean Mr. Mustard, who commented on the post Pain. Despite my choice of language in the post, it was still a better call overall than telling an architect at work today, "You can blow me off any time. You're only two minutes away." Fortunately, I've switched jobs enough times that no one realized, or was unwilling to comment upon it, that I was snickering at my own stupidity as I transitioned to a new topic. And, on a more personal note directed specifically at you, I appreciate that I have so many a**holes in my life, so that only one had to have hemorrhoid surgery. I hope your back feels better soon.
Dystopic Highways
I should turn that into a song. It would be catchy I think. "Dystopic highways, authoritarian byways...dum, de, dum, de....I AM A BOOT STAMPING ON YOUR FACE FOREVER!!!!!"
Oh yeah. That's the stuff with which I could oppress a population. Perhaps not as good as my boss's inadvertent country title, "Cold Husband, Warm Car", which is destined to be a Minnesota classic, but I could get some mileage out of my song on the punk scene.
Pooteewheet had noticed this license plate in our area before, and she finally managed to snap a picture with her cell phone. It could be a Lucas fan, but I prefer to think it's someone else in love with the idea of making everyone live in a repressive society.
Oh yeah. That's the stuff with which I could oppress a population. Perhaps not as good as my boss's inadvertent country title, "Cold Husband, Warm Car", which is destined to be a Minnesota classic, but I could get some mileage out of my song on the punk scene.
Pooteewheet had noticed this license plate in our area before, and she finally managed to snap a picture with her cell phone. It could be a Lucas fan, but I prefer to think it's someone else in love with the idea of making everyone live in a repressive society.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Pain
Someone - two someones actually, my aunt-in-law among them - asked me today about all my issues from the past few months. Restless leg (less of an issue now that I drink less caffeine, and even less so when I'm not drinking within a few hours of bedtime). Hemorrhoid surgery. Kidney Stone. And I noted that I was happy about these things because they were finite. They had a start, and they had an end. Per the brackets above, the restless legs seem at least somewhat under control. I'm not going sleepless for weeks at a time. The surgery happened and was over. There's recovery. But I'm capable of riding my bike trainer despite the healing process. And the kidney stone. Well, passing that was the most painful thing I've ever done, but the whole event was done in two days and only involved four forty-minute episodes, only the last one being a heaving pain fest, and some concern about peeing on the floor because the filter sprays urine in 256 directions. Yes, I could have one of the other stones they CT-ed drop loose. But it's still an event with an end.
So I look at my friends. Tall Brad who threw his back. Again. Presumably having problems lifting his daughter or pulling her in the sled I gave him. And definitely laying out some big bucks for a bed in order to address the issue. Mean Mr. Mustard who also has back problems that x-rays can't identify. At least not yet. I can feel the disruption in his life over morning coffee and how it exacerbates all the other issues he faces. My admin, who is back at the doctor for a second round of combating breast cancer. My wife, who has spent over two years with nerve pain and is combating it with four rounds of painful shots interspersed with hopping on and off narcotics. A process which takes her away from our family for a day or two each time she has to DT.
My issues, despite that they seem to be related to turning 40 in some weird way, are contained and manageable and the end is right there where I can grasp it and deal with it and know I'm coming out the other side. I am thankful for how fortunate I am and that how limited my pain has been leaves me time to listen to my friends and family, have breakfast with them, and do what I can to help them through their pain, and hopefully provide them some ability to laugh at my travails and extrapolate that if there's an end in sight in the short term, maybe there's an end in sight in the long term.
So I look at my friends. Tall Brad who threw his back. Again. Presumably having problems lifting his daughter or pulling her in the sled I gave him. And definitely laying out some big bucks for a bed in order to address the issue. Mean Mr. Mustard who also has back problems that x-rays can't identify. At least not yet. I can feel the disruption in his life over morning coffee and how it exacerbates all the other issues he faces. My admin, who is back at the doctor for a second round of combating breast cancer. My wife, who has spent over two years with nerve pain and is combating it with four rounds of painful shots interspersed with hopping on and off narcotics. A process which takes her away from our family for a day or two each time she has to DT.
My issues, despite that they seem to be related to turning 40 in some weird way, are contained and manageable and the end is right there where I can grasp it and deal with it and know I'm coming out the other side. I am thankful for how fortunate I am and that how limited my pain has been leaves me time to listen to my friends and family, have breakfast with them, and do what I can to help them through their pain, and hopefully provide them some ability to laugh at my travails and extrapolate that if there's an end in sight in the short term, maybe there's an end in sight in the long term.
Wordle
My coworker Alex (I'll get a link out here for him soon now that his blog is public - I haven't sent the address home yet) sent me a link to Wordle and a word cloud he made from my blog. I've looked at Wordle before and there's a tag cloud somewhere on the blog in the past, but it's always fun to rerun those things to see if it looks different than the last time.
Here's the image Alex generated. I looked at it for a while and decided it only really captured the last month of my blog. It looks like I'm obsessed with Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, instead of obsessed with alcohol, sex, and bicycling, which is really the case.
So I ran it again trying to tag the last 100 posts by using a parameterized blogger url. This seemed a little more accurate. I do talk a lot about Eryn. I do put a lot of photos and pictures on my blog. But Christmas is limited to a single month. And surgery was the topic du jour for December, but otherwise it's not a consistent blog topic. And Sparky and Hannigan were one-post topics. So clearly, this wasn't capturing the essence of my blog either.
Wordle is cool. It's just not accurate. Fortunately, I remembered that Technorati does a word cloud that focuses on your tags, not your words from the last # posts. This seems more accurate, although less aesthetically pleasing. I'm willing to believe that bicycling, geocaching, friends, humor, eryn, memes and "postpourri" occupy quite a bit of my writing. I'm disappointed "Mean Mr. Mustard's Sister" doesn't make the cut.
Here's the image Alex generated. I looked at it for a while and decided it only really captured the last month of my blog. It looks like I'm obsessed with Lemony Snicket's Series of Unfortunate Events, instead of obsessed with alcohol, sex, and bicycling, which is really the case.
So I ran it again trying to tag the last 100 posts by using a parameterized blogger url. This seemed a little more accurate. I do talk a lot about Eryn. I do put a lot of photos and pictures on my blog. But Christmas is limited to a single month. And surgery was the topic du jour for December, but otherwise it's not a consistent blog topic. And Sparky and Hannigan were one-post topics. So clearly, this wasn't capturing the essence of my blog either.
Wordle is cool. It's just not accurate. Fortunately, I remembered that Technorati does a word cloud that focuses on your tags, not your words from the last # posts. This seems more accurate, although less aesthetically pleasing. I'm willing to believe that bicycling, geocaching, friends, humor, eryn, memes and "postpourri" occupy quite a bit of my writing. I'm disappointed "Mean Mr. Mustard's Sister" doesn't make the cut.
Wii Pole
In my spare time, I came up with the idea that Rock Band really needs a stripper pole. Just a pole with five buttons on the top and five buttons on the bottom, maybe spaced around the pole at various heights/positions instead of next to each other like the Wii guitar. The interface to the game would be the same, except the bars would have "H' for hand and "F" for foot. You could obviously cheat, but not if you wanted to put your video on YouTube.
Monday, January 12, 2009
She Says' Choice Gets Cooler in Retrospect
When we were in D.C. over the summer, She Says and her husband (to be, at the time) took us to Ben's Chili Bowl for dinner to have some cheese fries. So "What does the president-elect order on his first Saturday afternoon since moving into town? A chili dog and cheese fries. (Huff Post)" That story obviously loses a little bit of it's luster as Obama wasn't there at the same time we were, but I'm not sure I've ever eaten anywhere else where a president ate, so it's sort of exciting. However, I do have this vague memory of eating with the Boy Scouts at what I swear was an automat frequented by congresspeople near the Capitol in D.C. back in 1981 (is that a dream? or was there some sort of automat-like cafeteria in the area back then? Perhaps not a real automat, but where they put your food in automat-like receptacles?) which would presumably have hosted a president or two if it was real.
Because I Care
On the way home from the ER on Friday, I got to thinking about how kidney stones are really painful, and that it might be a valuable path for one's life if one were to come up with either a cure, or a way to ease the suffering, perhaps by some medical drink or by shortening the duration, of individuals with kidney stones. These sorts of issues weigh heavily on me when I think about how I'd like to make sure anyone else I meet is best prepared to combat their stones. With all manner of altruism foremost in my mind, the embodiment of a modern day Albert Schweitzer, I asked Pooteewheet, "Do you think sucking would help?"
You can blame my lack of experimental knowledge, inability to make a lasting impact on the medical community, and inability to brighten the lives of millions of victims of their own evil kidneys on her unwillingness to try until there was some measure of success. All she could do was look at me and remark, "Didn't you just leave the ER?"
In response to which I can only quote Mignon McLaughlin, who said in The Second Neurotic's Notebook (1966), "Grasp your opportunities, no matter how poor your health; nothing is worse for your health than boredom."
You can blame my lack of experimental knowledge, inability to make a lasting impact on the medical community, and inability to brighten the lives of millions of victims of their own evil kidneys on her unwillingness to try until there was some measure of success. All she could do was look at me and remark, "Didn't you just leave the ER?"
In response to which I can only quote Mignon McLaughlin, who said in The Second Neurotic's Notebook (1966), "Grasp your opportunities, no matter how poor your health; nothing is worse for your health than boredom."
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Renal Calculi
Friday afternoon, during my 2:00-3:30 meeting, I started to develop a back ache. I'd been sitting in meetings all day, so it wasn't anything of a surprise, but when I moved around and tried to reposition myself and couldn't find anything comfortable I was a bit confused by how bad it ached. I made it through the meeting, despite an incessant amount of squirming about, and was thankful that it was time to head home. Maybe I was having some sort of blockage from the surgery a month ago? Maybe I just needed to take a heating pad to my back or a hot bath. The pain got worse as I drove home. However, once I was in a warm tub it started to feel a little better and a little better and a little better. Things were good. Back ache taken care of without so much as an ibuprofen.
After dinner, it started to act up again, so I called my sister, the nurse practitioner, to ask what it might be, particularly as it was extending around the back to my abdomen and was localized to the right side of my body. While I was on the phone asking about whether it was urgent care or ER, the pain ramped up so much it was getting unbearable. And it wasn't leveling off. Pooteewheet and Eryn bundled me into the car and we were off to the ER in Burnsville again. How often have we been there? Often enough that when they had me on the gurney (we'll get to that) I recognized the back tattoo of a woman bending over her child. When she stood up, I was sure we'd bumped into her at the ER in the last year.
By the time we got to the hospital, it was letting up, although I was dry mouthed and shaking. The took my blood pressure and temperature and released me back into the waiting room where I was a cheerful soul for 40 minutes, when the pain ramped up again and I laid down on the floor. Which was sort of pointless. Pooteewheet watched me squirm for a while and then went to find someone, someone who promptly put me on a rolling stretcher/bed and left me where I could see the lower-back tattoo lady while I tried not to groan and squirmed like a worm. None of these incidents involved the same level of pain. Each time was just a bit worse.
After a while they rolled me in the back and my pain slowly let up again while they did a CT and an EKG (the doc likes EKGs, I didn't really need one) and finally came back with the pronouncement "one kidney stone, approximately 2 mm" (and a "couple" more in the kidney, not currently a problem). As I was fine, they gave me my second prescription for percoset in a month, a strainer to pee into to catch the stone, a jar to put the stone in, some other drugs to relax the muscles, and sent me home to pass the stone as it was under 5 mm. But not before Doctor Palomino drew me this very nice picture of the problem.
That thing in the upper right is my kidney, where the stone starts. Then it goes through that tube, which is where it was at the time, causing the spasming. Then it ends up in the bladder, and goes through the urethra on the bottom. At which point she noted, drawing that rather strange sideways oval and pointing at it, "that's your penis". Apparently I have a putter for a whang.
Everything was fine until Saturday morning when the backache started up again so bad I was throwing up (I did manage to make it to the bathroom). That was the magic bullet, however, and the stone passed a few hours later. All I'm left with now is the stone in it's jar for the clinic, a nasty lower back ache (I still biked 12.5 miles tonight), some stories to tell Ming, Brad (suffering from his own back pain), Kyle and Logan over breakfast at the Capital View Cafe' this morning, that nice picture, the threat of more stones, and a nice story by my mother about a 7 month pregnant woman who got staghorn calculus (wiki, kidney stones) so bad it ruptured her kidney.
If you're counting how many health problems I've had since turning 40, or since switching jobs, please stop. I'd like to. What cheers me up is that most of them seem somewhat self contained. One cured with a decrease in alcohol and caffeine. One fixed with surgery. One self-resolved (with the potential for more, but resolved for now). Unfortunately, I don't know how I'm going to fix my club-foot penis.
After dinner, it started to act up again, so I called my sister, the nurse practitioner, to ask what it might be, particularly as it was extending around the back to my abdomen and was localized to the right side of my body. While I was on the phone asking about whether it was urgent care or ER, the pain ramped up so much it was getting unbearable. And it wasn't leveling off. Pooteewheet and Eryn bundled me into the car and we were off to the ER in Burnsville again. How often have we been there? Often enough that when they had me on the gurney (we'll get to that) I recognized the back tattoo of a woman bending over her child. When she stood up, I was sure we'd bumped into her at the ER in the last year.
By the time we got to the hospital, it was letting up, although I was dry mouthed and shaking. The took my blood pressure and temperature and released me back into the waiting room where I was a cheerful soul for 40 minutes, when the pain ramped up again and I laid down on the floor. Which was sort of pointless. Pooteewheet watched me squirm for a while and then went to find someone, someone who promptly put me on a rolling stretcher/bed and left me where I could see the lower-back tattoo lady while I tried not to groan and squirmed like a worm. None of these incidents involved the same level of pain. Each time was just a bit worse.
After a while they rolled me in the back and my pain slowly let up again while they did a CT and an EKG (the doc likes EKGs, I didn't really need one) and finally came back with the pronouncement "one kidney stone, approximately 2 mm" (and a "couple" more in the kidney, not currently a problem). As I was fine, they gave me my second prescription for percoset in a month, a strainer to pee into to catch the stone, a jar to put the stone in, some other drugs to relax the muscles, and sent me home to pass the stone as it was under 5 mm. But not before Doctor Palomino drew me this very nice picture of the problem.
That thing in the upper right is my kidney, where the stone starts. Then it goes through that tube, which is where it was at the time, causing the spasming. Then it ends up in the bladder, and goes through the urethra on the bottom. At which point she noted, drawing that rather strange sideways oval and pointing at it, "that's your penis". Apparently I have a putter for a whang.
Everything was fine until Saturday morning when the backache started up again so bad I was throwing up (I did manage to make it to the bathroom). That was the magic bullet, however, and the stone passed a few hours later. All I'm left with now is the stone in it's jar for the clinic, a nasty lower back ache (I still biked 12.5 miles tonight), some stories to tell Ming, Brad (suffering from his own back pain), Kyle and Logan over breakfast at the Capital View Cafe' this morning, that nice picture, the threat of more stones, and a nice story by my mother about a 7 month pregnant woman who got staghorn calculus (wiki, kidney stones) so bad it ruptured her kidney.
If you're counting how many health problems I've had since turning 40, or since switching jobs, please stop. I'd like to. What cheers me up is that most of them seem somewhat self contained. One cured with a decrease in alcohol and caffeine. One fixed with surgery. One self-resolved (with the potential for more, but resolved for now). Unfortunately, I don't know how I'm going to fix my club-foot penis.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Sledding at Elm Creek Park Reserve
Last weekend we went sledding with Kyle, Matthew, Cynthia, Jonny and Zoe at the Elm Creek Park Reserve. We did the same thing last year (sans Matthew, Cynthia, Jonny and Zoe), so it's been an annual event for two years (Flickr Photostream), although Kyle's chicken stew with dumplings made a much stronger showing than his uncooked roasts from 2008. On a positive note, I seem to be far enough past surgery (despite going in for a checkup yesterday) that sledding was a possibility. That's a positive development.
Cynthia and Zoe. Cynthia likes to put on the break a lot.
The whole group, except Pooteewheet, who's taking the pictures. Last year you could slide down from further up the hill. This year they left some of the weeds in place. Weeds do not make for a good sledding surface.
Matthew, who doesn't care if he goes barreling down the hill with his children at a high rate of speed. He doesn't believe in foot brakes.
Kyle, likewise inclined. Enclined? But then it's not his kid. Just some nephew.
Zoe likes sledding just that much.
For a while Eryn was practicing stunt falls. She was having fun, but to a 40 year old they looked dangerous as hell. Later Matthew smacked me with a sled as I was coming down the hill and pushed me (you know you pushed me. It was your fault as soon as that sled touched me) into a frozen orange cone that covered a chunk of cement, so I got mine. Eryn announced at the end of the day that she wanted to do "one more" and promptly ran into the same cone, smacking her arm. We thought she was going to hit her leg instead, which she was holding out stiffly in front of her, but she managed to miss it, avoiding a potential broken bone. It'll ruin our whole "grandpa broke your arm" schtick if she breaks something on our watch.
Making sure she's on the sled.
Movies! Everyone sledding!
The Scooter perspective
Cynthia and Zoe. Cynthia likes to put on the break a lot.
The whole group, except Pooteewheet, who's taking the pictures. Last year you could slide down from further up the hill. This year they left some of the weeds in place. Weeds do not make for a good sledding surface.
Matthew, who doesn't care if he goes barreling down the hill with his children at a high rate of speed. He doesn't believe in foot brakes.
Kyle, likewise inclined. Enclined? But then it's not his kid. Just some nephew.
Zoe likes sledding just that much.
For a while Eryn was practicing stunt falls. She was having fun, but to a 40 year old they looked dangerous as hell. Later Matthew smacked me with a sled as I was coming down the hill and pushed me (you know you pushed me. It was your fault as soon as that sled touched me) into a frozen orange cone that covered a chunk of cement, so I got mine. Eryn announced at the end of the day that she wanted to do "one more" and promptly ran into the same cone, smacking her arm. We thought she was going to hit her leg instead, which she was holding out stiffly in front of her, but she managed to miss it, avoiding a potential broken bone. It'll ruin our whole "grandpa broke your arm" schtick if she breaks something on our watch.
Making sure she's on the sled.
Movies! Everyone sledding!
The Scooter perspective
RAGBRAI
Our group got notice today that we're officially in the lottery for RAGBRAI. That doesn't mean we'll get to go, it is a lottery (below), but there's an extreme likelihood that my sister, brother-in-law, Kyle, father and myself will be bicycling while Eryn, my nieces and mother drive an R.V. and meet us in the anchor towns. If you look for us online, you're likely to find us under our team name, the Pan-pacific Unified Multicultural Pedallers. P.U.M.P.
"RAGBRAI is limited to 8,500 week-long riders and 1,500 day riders. Entries can exceed the number of riders allowed, so a random computer lottery takes place after all of the entries are entered in the computer. If your entry is not drawn, we will issue a refund check. Just because your check is cashed or your credit card is charged, it does not mean you were selected in the lottery. In 2008, RAGBRAI had too many entries (800 over the limit) and had to turn away riders in the lottery. The odds of getting in the lottery are very high, but certainly not 100%. The computer lottery can select Individuals or groups of more than one person, so that people who wish to participate together are not split up."
"On May 1, you may go to the RAGBRAI home page accessible at www.ragbrai.org and view the Lottery Results."
"RAGBRAI is limited to 8,500 week-long riders and 1,500 day riders. Entries can exceed the number of riders allowed, so a random computer lottery takes place after all of the entries are entered in the computer. If your entry is not drawn, we will issue a refund check. Just because your check is cashed or your credit card is charged, it does not mean you were selected in the lottery. In 2008, RAGBRAI had too many entries (800 over the limit) and had to turn away riders in the lottery. The odds of getting in the lottery are very high, but certainly not 100%. The computer lottery can select Individuals or groups of more than one person, so that people who wish to participate together are not split up."
"On May 1, you may go to the RAGBRAI home page accessible at www.ragbrai.org and view the Lottery Results."
Fancy
The other day I was sitting around. Really bored. So for fun I just started staring at Eryn.
Eryn, "What?"
Me, "Nothing."
Eryn, "What?"
Me, "Nothing."
Eryn, "Why are you staring at me?"
Me, "I'm not."
Eryn, "Why are you staring at me?"
Me, "I'm not."
Eryn. Long pause, "What? You think I'm fancy or something?"
Hard not to laugh at that and persist with weird staring behavior. It's led to many days of me saying she looks fancy and her exclaiming, "I'm not fancy!" Finally, the day before yesterday she was in the tub and I commented that it looked like all the fancy had washed off. She thought that was pretty funny.
Eryn, "What?"
Me, "Nothing."
Eryn, "What?"
Me, "Nothing."
Eryn, "Why are you staring at me?"
Me, "I'm not."
Eryn, "Why are you staring at me?"
Me, "I'm not."
Eryn. Long pause, "What? You think I'm fancy or something?"
Hard not to laugh at that and persist with weird staring behavior. It's led to many days of me saying she looks fancy and her exclaiming, "I'm not fancy!" Finally, the day before yesterday she was in the tub and I commented that it looked like all the fancy had washed off. She thought that was pretty funny.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Holiday Photos
The holidays were busy. I was recovering from surgery, my folks were in town, and we had family pictures, Macy's, my niece's first birthday, Colin's birthday, other birthdays, Christmas Eve, Christmas morning, Christmas afternoon, New Year's... Nonstop festivities. So here are a few photos for the family.
I wasn't at this event. I was laying at home on the couch in a percoset fugue. Adele is checking out the sword I made for her Korean toll (?) where she picks an item and it determines her future. The sword wasn't the first item picked, despite my effort to make it very shiny and attractive to babies. Apparently I should have coated it with chocolate as well, because it doesn't look like it tastes all that good. I did send along some Hostess Cupcakes in case there was a repeat of the carrot birthday cake fiasco.
I can't believe my sword tasted worse than a used toilet stopper. Nasty.
We had the family photos at the Walker Sculpture Garden. Not in front of the big cherry, but in the arboretum area with the big glass fish. The photographer wanted me to help move some planters and I had to explain that moving concrete blocks was off my list after surgery. After the pictures, we went to Macy's to see the elves living in Santa's workshop display. Eryn and Ame' wore their matching dresses. However, Eryn later took a tumble on the escalator which ensured that her holey, bloody tights in no way matched Ame's.
Ame' doesn't get a lot of candy at her house. Grandma indulged her at Macy's. She's the Charlton Heston of candy fiends. You'd have to pry those bones out of her cold dead hands if you wanted to take them away.
Eryn at the company Christmas party meeting with the Clauses.
And one reindeer.
And getting her picture taken in front of the poinsettia tree.
Christmas before Christmas Eve. We opened our presents so we didn't have to haul them north of the cities and haul them back again. A good idea as the car was full on the way home. In this photo, Eryn is confused because she's just gotten a big bag full of rocks. Several of them.
Ah...a rock polisher. A real one that's designed to run forever and ever, not a Discovery Channel piece of crap which broke after three days and which my wife has hidden somewhere in the house so I don't have to look at it so there's no possibility of a divorce over my irritation with junk in the house and her irritation that I'm obsessed with getting rid of junk in the house, even that junk which she feels might not be junk.
All of which reminds me, it's (the new one) been running downstairs for a week and it's probably time to check the rocks.
Christmas Eve. My mother learning how to play Raving Rabbits on the Wii.
Ame's most hated game on the Wii. Raving Rabbits' pull the worms out of the rabbits teeth game. Only slightly less scary than Artie's new remote controlled brontosaurus.
A tap dancing fairy princess ballerina vetinarian. At least if you asked Lemony Snickett. Adele is somewhere under that pile of Jurassic Park.
Grandpa gets a hug for electronic battleship. And yes, my brother's tree does have some sort of problem that might best be solved by dropping some viagara in the water resevoir.
Artie wants to know where my face went. I'm wearing that hoody right now. It's creepy and super comfortable. If it were managerial, it would be perfect.
Christmas morning. Eryn is excited about the second part of the Lion, The Witch and Wardrobe series she got from Santa. She'd been wanting it since long before it came out. I don't believe, 12 days later, that she's watched it end to end yet.
Christmas afternoon. Cousin Max sporting his Obama shirt and talking to Santa.
I wasn't at this event. I was laying at home on the couch in a percoset fugue. Adele is checking out the sword I made for her Korean toll (?) where she picks an item and it determines her future. The sword wasn't the first item picked, despite my effort to make it very shiny and attractive to babies. Apparently I should have coated it with chocolate as well, because it doesn't look like it tastes all that good. I did send along some Hostess Cupcakes in case there was a repeat of the carrot birthday cake fiasco.
I can't believe my sword tasted worse than a used toilet stopper. Nasty.
We had the family photos at the Walker Sculpture Garden. Not in front of the big cherry, but in the arboretum area with the big glass fish. The photographer wanted me to help move some planters and I had to explain that moving concrete blocks was off my list after surgery. After the pictures, we went to Macy's to see the elves living in Santa's workshop display. Eryn and Ame' wore their matching dresses. However, Eryn later took a tumble on the escalator which ensured that her holey, bloody tights in no way matched Ame's.
Ame' doesn't get a lot of candy at her house. Grandma indulged her at Macy's. She's the Charlton Heston of candy fiends. You'd have to pry those bones out of her cold dead hands if you wanted to take them away.
Eryn at the company Christmas party meeting with the Clauses.
And one reindeer.
And getting her picture taken in front of the poinsettia tree.
Christmas before Christmas Eve. We opened our presents so we didn't have to haul them north of the cities and haul them back again. A good idea as the car was full on the way home. In this photo, Eryn is confused because she's just gotten a big bag full of rocks. Several of them.
Ah...a rock polisher. A real one that's designed to run forever and ever, not a Discovery Channel piece of crap which broke after three days and which my wife has hidden somewhere in the house so I don't have to look at it so there's no possibility of a divorce over my irritation with junk in the house and her irritation that I'm obsessed with getting rid of junk in the house, even that junk which she feels might not be junk.
All of which reminds me, it's (the new one) been running downstairs for a week and it's probably time to check the rocks.
Christmas Eve. My mother learning how to play Raving Rabbits on the Wii.
Ame's most hated game on the Wii. Raving Rabbits' pull the worms out of the rabbits teeth game. Only slightly less scary than Artie's new remote controlled brontosaurus.
A tap dancing fairy princess ballerina vetinarian. At least if you asked Lemony Snickett. Adele is somewhere under that pile of Jurassic Park.
Grandpa gets a hug for electronic battleship. And yes, my brother's tree does have some sort of problem that might best be solved by dropping some viagara in the water resevoir.
Artie wants to know where my face went. I'm wearing that hoody right now. It's creepy and super comfortable. If it were managerial, it would be perfect.
Christmas morning. Eryn is excited about the second part of the Lion, The Witch and Wardrobe series she got from Santa. She'd been wanting it since long before it came out. I don't believe, 12 days later, that she's watched it end to end yet.
Christmas afternoon. Cousin Max sporting his Obama shirt and talking to Santa.
Mr. Mustard Turns 50
Last year I got Mean Mr. Mustard (pretty soon I'm going to have to just point at Facebook profiles instead of blogs) The Menorah Game for his 49th birthday. It required a lot of work, and I'm not so sure he was impressed. So this year, I went a little easier on the effort and gave him two framed photos of Alyson Hannigan in her T.V. Guide elf outfit, including green and white thigh-high stockings. He DID say at one point when I was referring to Sarah Michelle Geller that Buffy wasn't his favorite Buffy the Vampire Slayer character. Willow is. I took this to mean Alyson Hannigan is hotter, not that Willow is a much cooler character, because the second option labels him as a bit of a nerdy fanboy instead of a virile young turk. I guess I should have been able to sort that one out on my own now that he's 50. Regardless, I'm sure his wife doesn't approve of the pictures of Alyson Hannigan that will eventually be in the frames secreted away behind family photos. I count that as a minor win. Happy belated 50th birthday, MMM.
Video Interlude - Marshmallows
How is it that I can score a 5-star performance (on easy, mind you) singing The Guess Who's American Woman on Rock Band II, but only a 3 after two failures on the same setting when singing The Steve Miller Band's Rock'n Me? So sad.
Pooteewheet sent me this link to a video revolving around marshmallow consumption on a Japanese game show:
Pooteewheet sent me this link to a video revolving around marshmallow consumption on a Japanese game show:
Monday, January 05, 2009
Family Photo Blogging
I need to catch up on a few pictures of the kids for friends and family that read the blog. So today's post will be pictures from before the holidays and tomorrow's post will be pictures from the holidays. I'd have posted these some time ago, but the whole surgery debacle interrupted my normal picture commentary.
I could blog about the Vikings game instead, as I was there last night with Ming, Mike and Adam, but the less said about that whole mess the better. I should append that my favorite exchange of the evening was in the men's bathroom where an Eagles fan bellowed during a very crowded halftime, "The Eagles' fans are in the bathroom!" Followed closely by "That's where assholes belong." Followed shortly thereafter by the first voice exclaiming, "Hey, don't push me, I'm peeing!"
Ming and Eryn fighting after the pizza event. This is why there are video games. So no one loses an eye. Unless it's from a flying Wii remote.
Eryn, me and Colin at the Minnesota Children's Museum sorting food tiles. I was biking 30 miles a day the day before this picture, so I look pretty healthy. I need to get back in a groove, because I don't feel that healthy now.
Eryn got to take home the class mascot, Sparky. Sparky has a journal and Eryn filled several pages with pictures of Sparky's adventures. There was a previous picture of Sparky in a coffin at a geocache, but that was only part of his weekend. He also attended a birthday party and ate a donut.
And wrestled under the Christmas tree.
And listened to a book about sharks. Eryn has since had those bangs reduced.
And he rode a giant ant. If I was a giant ant, I'd eat Sparky. But maybe this isn't a bear eating ant. It's not a siafu as it has eyes.
Sparky gets a massage after a stressful weekend.
Sparky and Eryn listen to Pooteewheet read Harry Potter. They're now on The Halfblood Prince.
The wrestling over, it's time to pose for a Christmas picture. To everyone that was expecting a Christmas letter from me, this will have to do. I'm just not very good at Christmas letters, and there are almost 500 posts out here every year. If you haven't found opportunity to read yourself nauseous about my family, you're just not trying.
Conner blowing out the candles on his cake at the Children's Museum. I like this picture because just before it there was some concern that there were no candles for the cake. Conner's mom noted that this would result in a "pretend blow". I hate those.
Eryn playing Castle Wars on the computer. A very simple card game that works great for kids. Make your castle bigger than 100 levels. Or make the other person's castle smaller than 1 level. She goes back to it frequently, so it must maintain some of it's fun factor.
I could blog about the Vikings game instead, as I was there last night with Ming, Mike and Adam, but the less said about that whole mess the better. I should append that my favorite exchange of the evening was in the men's bathroom where an Eagles fan bellowed during a very crowded halftime, "The Eagles' fans are in the bathroom!" Followed closely by "That's where assholes belong." Followed shortly thereafter by the first voice exclaiming, "Hey, don't push me, I'm peeing!"
Ming and Eryn fighting after the pizza event. This is why there are video games. So no one loses an eye. Unless it's from a flying Wii remote.
Eryn, me and Colin at the Minnesota Children's Museum sorting food tiles. I was biking 30 miles a day the day before this picture, so I look pretty healthy. I need to get back in a groove, because I don't feel that healthy now.
Eryn got to take home the class mascot, Sparky. Sparky has a journal and Eryn filled several pages with pictures of Sparky's adventures. There was a previous picture of Sparky in a coffin at a geocache, but that was only part of his weekend. He also attended a birthday party and ate a donut.
And wrestled under the Christmas tree.
And listened to a book about sharks. Eryn has since had those bangs reduced.
And he rode a giant ant. If I was a giant ant, I'd eat Sparky. But maybe this isn't a bear eating ant. It's not a siafu as it has eyes.
Sparky gets a massage after a stressful weekend.
Sparky and Eryn listen to Pooteewheet read Harry Potter. They're now on The Halfblood Prince.
The wrestling over, it's time to pose for a Christmas picture. To everyone that was expecting a Christmas letter from me, this will have to do. I'm just not very good at Christmas letters, and there are almost 500 posts out here every year. If you haven't found opportunity to read yourself nauseous about my family, you're just not trying.
Conner blowing out the candles on his cake at the Children's Museum. I like this picture because just before it there was some concern that there were no candles for the cake. Conner's mom noted that this would result in a "pretend blow". I hate those.
Eryn playing Castle Wars on the computer. A very simple card game that works great for kids. Make your castle bigger than 100 levels. Or make the other person's castle smaller than 1 level. She goes back to it frequently, so it must maintain some of it's fun factor.
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Year in Review Meme - 2008
Pilfered from She Says. I always do her memes.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Tried to eat a 30” pizza (with help). Had a disagreeable surgery. Biked a historic trail in the West Virginia/Maryland/D.C. area (and the accompanying vacation with my family, and cross country beer delivery to She Says). Viking Brewery tour with Kyle and Adam.
2. Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I don’t usually make New Year’s resolutions except to promise myself sometime around New Year’s (two months before or after) what ride I’m going to aim for that year so I know how much I should train. My big goal was to ride the C&O Trail, so I guess I succeeded.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Physically, mentally, familial or spiritually? No…I think all the kids are at least 1 year old now.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
No one extremely close to me. But I was sad that George Carlin died.
5. What countries did you visit?
None! We did an in-country vacation. I did travel to
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
A more concrete sense of direction. I never feel quite as organized as I’d like to be.
7. What dates will you remember from 2008?
November 14th, my 40th birthday.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Became a manager. Finished the MS 150. Did a ton of bicycle riding. Any year I do a lot of riding I count as an achievement.
9. What was your biggest failure?
Failures suck. I generally just decide something in them is a success. Seriously – I’m very anti-failure. My middle of the road attitude keeps me happy, but it’s also the reason for #6.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I suffered surgery. Not exactly illness or injury – but the follow up infection was probably illness and recovery has lasted about a month so far. Today was the first day I’ve climbed on my bike since the day before I visited the doctor. Leaning forward in the bars is fine. Sitting straight up in the seat to rest isn’t so restful.
11. What was the best thing you bought/received?
Super cool bike posters from many of my relatives/inlaws for my 40th birthday.
12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My wife’s. She’s been much more cheerful most of 2008 despite lots of visits to the pain doctor and some nasty injections.
13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
The general behavior of everyone I meet in public. I like people, but in general I despise their behavior toward other human beings.
14. Where did most of your money go?
Health care. School tuition for Eryn. The ethereal plane (at least the money that was in my 401(k)s and stock plan).
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Bicycling with Ming and Kyle throughout the summer and bicycling in D.C. Bicycling makes me excited. And when it falls through, it’s one of the few things that depresses me.
16. What song(s) will always remind you of 2008?
Katy Perry: I Kissed a Girl. Finger Eleven: Paralyzer.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you: fatter or thinner?
Thinner.
18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Bicycling. Seriously. Hmm….I have another answer as well. I reserve that one for my own amusement.
19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Reading bad books. Watching television (that I watched while not on my bike trainer).
20. How did you spend Christmas?
Christmas eve with my side of the family at my brother’s house north of the cities. Christmas day with Pooteewheet’s side of the family at her parents’ house north of the cities.
21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Like with a dream? With an ideal? With a commitment to excellence? No… Although Eryn had a little paper fortune teller that told me I would. When I mentioned I’d have to divorce her mother first, she was very irritated with me. I pointed out that whoever I fell in love with, presumably a British woman of some sort, and a doctor according to Eryn’s fortune telling device, would be her new mother, so it wasn’t that bad. But she wasn’t having any of it.
23. What was your favorite TV program?
I like The Office. 30 Rock. Fringe. Dexter. Heroes.
24. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I’m not a hater. I’m a lover. Or maybe I’m a loser baby… But no. I reserve my hate for institutions and political entities.
25. What was the best book you read?
I covered this in my book list. The top of the crop included The Fifth Elephant (Discworld XXIII), Absurdistan, The Android's Dream, The Rape of Nanking: The Forgotten Holocaust of World War II, Welcome to Tranquility, The Practice of Management, Confederates In the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War. If I had to pick one, then The Practice of Management with Confederates in the Attic a close second.
26. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Probably Rock Band at Klund’s house. We now own Rock Band II, which we bought
27. What did you want and get?
A management job. To ride the C&O Trail in D.C. To meet She Says.
28. What did you want and not get?
Someone else to fix the rental properties.
29. What were your favorite films of this year?
I had a list for this too. Woman in the Dunes. In Bruges. Batman.
30. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Pretty low key, but we did eat out. I turned 40 this year.
31. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
See #28. More bicycling. More by myself. More with my bike group. More with Ming and Kyle. More with Eryn.
32. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Managerial. At least after about March. I’m no longer a jeans guy.
33. What kept you sane?
Eryn. She’s a good egg and keeps
34. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
I’ve always fancied Minnie Driver. But that’s not really a 2008 thing. Sarah Silverman was sort of my thing the last few years. But that’s not really 2008 either. Maybe Emmanuelle Chriqui. I’ve always thought she was cute, although that whole You Don’t Mess With the Zohan thing was really too bad. Wait. I recant and revise. Definitely Brad Pitt. I watched him pimp his eco friendly housing for hurricane victims project and talk about how much he loves his family. He seems like he’d be fun, and inspiring, to know, although I wouldn’t want to be in his Fight Club.
35. What political issue stirred you the most?
Getting the current administration out of office. What a clusterfuck.
36. Who did you miss?
Friends when I’m on a ride without them. My old work group. I really had fun with a few of them. Particularly Bruce and Jody.
37. Who was the best new person you met?
I met She Says and her husband (to be). I met my new boss and new group and all the people associated with my department that I didn’t know well before. I met some great programmers from the UK. I met a bunch of coworkers on the MS150 ride I didn’t know very well. I met all the Facebook friends that I’d lost touch with. I met a strange group of people at a campground in Chetek who thought I was there as some sort of a gay karaoke ménage.
38. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Same lesson I have always embraced. (Despite my fascination with dystopias and the inevitability of the world to try to make life miserable for everyone) Things always get better.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Movies 2008
I think my movie list is getting pointless. Like I opined last year, I spend quite a bit of time watching movies in other venues, and this year I can add Hulu to the mix of media I use to keep abreast of entertainment. The stationary bike, at least prior to surgery, kept me in front of Hulu more than I'd have guessed. But here's our Netflix list, in case it helps anyone avoid a stinker. Our favorites this year (if you exclude television like Dexter and Flight of the Conchords) were In Bruges, Persepolis, No Country for Old Man and Protagonist. I'd like to make a special mention of Woman in the Dunes - an old Japanese movie that will probably stick with me forever, and Son of Rambow which was cute.
| The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 1.0 | 12/29/08 |
| Hellboy II: The Golden Army | 3.0 | 12/29/08 |
| Neverwhere: Disc 1 | 4.0 | 12/23/08 |
| Neverwhere: Disc 2 | 4.0 | 12/23/08 |
| Whisper of the Heart | 4.105 | 12/23/08 |
| I Want Someone to Eat Cheese With | 2.607 | 12/17/08 |
| Paranoid Park | 2.894 | 12/17/08 |
| Lars and the Real Girl | 3.681 | 12/09/08 |
| Billy the Kid | 1.0 | 12/05/08 |
| Journey to the Center of the Earth | 3.0 | 12/02/08 |
| Samantha: An American Girl Holiday | 2.0 | 11/26/08 |
| Brain Dead | 2.0 | 11/26/08 |
| Futurama: Bender's Game | 3.955 | 11/21/08 |
| The Hive | 2.243 | 11/19/08 |
| Something Beneath | 2.0 | 11/13/08 |
| Mongol | 4.0 | 11/13/08 |
| Dexter: Season 2: Disc 4 | 11/07/08 | |
| Dexter: Season 2: Disc 3 | 11/04/08 | |
| Never Cry Werewolf | 1.0 | 11/03/08 |
| The Flying Scotsman | 4.0 | 10/31/08 |
| Hogfather | 4.0 | 10/29/08 |
| Leatherheads | 2.0 | 10/28/08 |
| Dexter: Season 2: Disc 2 | 10/22/08 | |
| Demetri Martin. Person. | 3.0 | 10/20/08 |
| The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | 3.845 | 10/20/08 |
| Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front | 3.835 | 10/15/08 |
| Persepolis | 5.0 | 10/15/08 |
| The Lost Boys: The Tribe | 1.0 | 10/07/08 |
| Jumper | 09/30/08 | |
| The Forbidden Kingdom | 2.0 | 09/30/08 |
| Son of Rambow | 4.0 | 09/29/08 |
| In Bruges | 5.0 | 09/25/08 |
| Family Guy: Blue Harvest | 4.0 | 09/22/08 |
| Be Kind Rewind | 4.0 | 09/22/08 |
| 10,000 B.C. | 2.0 | 09/17/08 |
| Definitely, Maybe | 4.0 | 09/15/08 |
| Me and You and Everyone We Know | 3.0 | 09/10/08 |
| Across the Universe | 3.0 | 09/08/08 |
| National Treasure: Book of Secrets | 2.0 | 09/08/08 |
| In the Name of the King | 1.0 | 09/03/08 |
| Dexter: Season 2: Disc 1 | 08/28/08 | |
| 21 | 1.0 | 08/22/08 |
| Harold and Kumar...Guantanamo Bay | 2.0 | 08/14/08 |
| Batman: Gotham Knight | 3.0 | 08/11/08 |
| The Signal | 4.0 | 08/07/08 |
| The Lookout | 08/07/08 | |
| Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs | 4.0 | 07/15/08 |
| Night at the Museum | 3.0 | 07/15/08 |
| Finishing the Game | 4.0 | 07/10/08 |
| Lemony Snicket: Unfortunate Events | 4.0 | 07/08/08 |
| Music Within | 4.0 | 07/07/08 |
| Juno | 3.0 | 06/24/08 |
| Flight of the Conchords: Season 1: Disc 2 | 06/24/08 | |
| Diary of the Dead | 2.0 | 06/16/08 |
| Flight of the Conchords: Season 1: Disc 1 | 06/11/08 | |
| Wristcutters: A Love Story | 4.0 | 06/09/08 |
| Primeval | 2.0 | 06/04/08 |
| Charlie Wilson's War | 4.0 | 05/28/08 |
| The Golden Compass | 2.0 | 05/21/08 |
| Gone Baby Gone | 4.0 | 05/15/08 |
| Shutter | 3.463 | 05/12/08 |
| Spiral | 3.0 | 05/08/08 |
| The Call of Cthulhu | 2.0 | 04/28/08 |
| The Bourne Ultimatum | 3.0 | 04/24/08 |
| American Gangster | 4.0 | 04/22/08 |
| Enchanted | 4.0 | 04/21/08 |
| No Country for Old Men | 5.0 | 04/18/08 |
| I Am David | 3.0 | 04/15/08 |
| 3:10 to Yuma | 4.0 | 04/14/08 |
| Day Zero | 3.0 | 03/31/08 |
| Balls of Fury | 3.0 | 03/24/08 |
| Hatchet | 2.812 | 03/21/08 |
| He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not | 4.0 | 03/19/08 |
| Woman in the Dunes | 4.0 | 03/17/08 |
| Train Man: Densha Otoko | 3.708 | 03/17/08 |
| Stalker | 3.692 | 03/11/08 |
| The Day of the Triffids | 3.0 | 03/10/08 |
| The Decalogue: Disc 1: Films I - III | 3.841 | 03/05/08 |
| As You Like It | 2.889 | 03/04/08 |
| Sicko | 4.0 | 02/27/08 |
| Dummy | 3.0 | 02/22/08 |
| He Was a Quiet Man | 3.0 | 02/11/08 |
| Eagle vs. Shark | 4.0 | 02/06/08 |
| Dragon Wars | 1.0 | 02/04/08 |
| Sunshine | 4.0 | 02/04/08 |
| Gas Food Lodging | 1.0 | 01/29/08 |
| Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill | 4.0 | 01/29/08 |
| Cinderella: Special Edition | 5.0 | 01/29/08 |
| Futurama the Movie: Bender's Big Score | 4.0 | 01/25/08 |
| Protagonist | 5.0 | 01/23/08 |
| The Kingdom | 4.0 | 01/21/08 |
| Severance | 4.0 | 01/18/08 |
| Eastern Promises | 4.0 | 01/15/08 |
| Smokin' Aces | 3.0 | 01/14/08 |
| Waitress | 3.0 | 01/11/08 |
| Wilby Wonderful | 3.0 | 01/09/08 |
| The Great Happiness Space | 3.0 | 01/08/08 |
| Animaniacs: Vol. 1: Disc 2 | 5.0 | 01/04/08 |
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