holiday

we made it through another holiday...yesterday was really looooong, between going to bed at 2 am, getting up at 6:30 am, then going to bed at 2 this morning...it's good to be home having my christmas scotch. Merry Christmas and to all a good night! (Collasping into heap on floor)

Vacation

It's weird not to *have* to do anything, really...it's good to be off for a while. I had two days vaction left and we get Fri and Mon off, sooooo, no work for me.

Replaced the alternator on my car today. Scraped my knuckle open...but it's no longer making ugly grinding noises.

We went and did family christmas shopping...so the girls got their gifts for each other and Christa. That took a while. Now we're waiting for suppper to get done.

end of semester heap

Things left to do:

1) study french
2) take french final
3) go home
4) e-mail last two assignments for my other class
5) collaspe in exhausted heap

I'm looking foward to five...

christmas party marathon

The christmas party marathon continues...in theory, I should be shaving and changing into something more respectable then an OCC hoodie and the jeans I've managed to wear holes into...

Christmas Party last night, one today at four, Dad coming over next Saturday, and then Christmas...I will be sooo glad when the holiday rush is over, we've been running non-stop it seems since halloween...

Tonigh is Anne's first formal. I had to cook dinner and Christa took all the pictures...yea for messing with gender roles...

Thanksgiving Weekend

Since Sarah asked, Thanksgiving went pretty well. We got there around noon, did the usual huge family thanksgiving thing, and the left early because my brother came with and had to be to work at 5:30 the next morning. So, Thanksgiving good...ate too much, drank some beer, hung out with the family.

Friday was spent tying up odds and ends shopping, we were out and about at twenty after six, got some great deals, found out the new slim PS2 is basically the holy grail of this holiday season, and ended child free for evening...and both of us were too tired to go and do anything...we ended renting movies and going home.

Saturday was split between retrieving children and going to a first birthday part for a friend's daughter...of course, we ended up just hanging out waaaay toooo late and didn't get home until 2:30 in the morning...

Today was uneventful other a fenderbender...I trying to make a left out of westgate and ended up kinda t-boning (actually just denting in the two passenger side doors as best I could tell) of Jeep Grand Cherokee...not cool...so now I have ticket and need to call the insurance company tomorrow and get everything sorted. At least the person I hit was cool and reasonable...the whole afternoon wasn't fun but could have been a lot worse.

So now, I'm just spooked about driving even though I know it was an accident and I really shouldn't be that freaked out...

We're going up to her mom and dad's for Thanksgiving. So there still isn't anything to post her really, although I have borrowed her iPod and currently find myself in the process of adjusting and adding playlists...tonight, I think, I will just end up fixing up Rock-tober and return it to the dock...

I don't really have any thing to post...and I'm fairly certain any who reads this would agree...after all, bitching about work only goes so far.

The election is over.

I'm both totally taken aback and kicking myself for not factoring in the draw of Issue 1. Plus the polls seem to be absolutely worthless...so much for a statistically tie favoring the challenger. On the upside, I correctly predicted 47 of 50 states for Bush/Kerry...of the three I missed, FL and OH have to be it. IA seems generally irrevelant now. I did not honestly believe between the polls and the strong Gore showing, that FL would go to Bush. OH, I was betting on Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo carrying the state...vastly underestimating the rural vote and the draw of Issue 1...that should have been obivious! No wonder Bush skipped Ohio entirely for three weeks...the base was energized and there.

I've spent the afternoon working on a paper and only gotten about 1/2 way done...it sucks, my brain is totally not working right now. So I'm in the computer lab checking e-mail and pounding out a few more ideas until class at 7:30...then it's home to catch the rest of the World Series...plus grab food or something in there, too. No idea what I'm doing on that one but I'll figure something out...the rest of this entry is one line misc that doesn't fit into any grand scheme:

I got wheels for the truck, now I need to get tires for the truck.

Cedar Point this weekend...but it's supposed to rain on Sat. Ugh...of course...

Less that 6 days (144 hours) to the election...thank god...I'm getting really sick of all these campaign ads.

I missed SNL as I was watching "American Wedding" (it was okay but too much Stifler, the movie should have been more about Jim & Michelle)...at any rate, the whole simpson thing is suprising why? Come'on, I'd be brutally disappointed if she didn't lip sync and just fake talent as that would make me wrong...

Also, in recognition of only 4 more days of Rock-tober...

For those about to rock, I salute you!

I'm not sick but I'm not well

Summation of this week, as I feel utterly exhausted right now, granted I did watch the Evil Empire fall last night but even so, usually only getting 5 hours sleep doesn't knock me out. It is right now, tho, which is rather annoying since I don't want to go to bed by myself.

Erk....someone covered "I'll Be"...WTF??? Talk about doing something no one asked for or wanted...damn, that's grating and I'm just getting noise from the DVD player...

the only good thing this week

There's a holster for my phone on it's way from Columbus to Toledo right now...I'm almost giddy...I like getting stuff in the mail...

nifty, back to a semi-weekly posting schedule. I can't remember the last time I sat down at this computer (living room). Great...

This weekend centered on replacement of the backdoor...the sawzall has to be the best power tool ever. Upsides - the door now open and closes properly, the door seals...mice and water should stay out (especially with two tubes of caulk and most of a can foam in/under/around the sill/threshold), waaaaay more light in stairway since it has about twice the glass, added deadbolt...Downsides - installation was a bitch requiring rebuilding the rough opening, cutting siding, and just all around PITA reworking...excebrated by the fact a 1928 house is pretty well settled and the walls do indeed bow. All-in-all, pretty pleased with the result although irked about the fact I had to screw through the siding and not thrilled with the interior fit/finish...but that's what trim is for.

Well, this has been another stellar week [end sarcasm] Not to mention the fact I haven't even particularly took not of it being another week...sheesh, it seems like this year is flying by...

I forgot the book I need to be reading at home, my sinuses are presently trying to kill me by causing my head to explode, and to top it all off, work continues to just be a barrel of monkeys...and when I say monkeys, I mean little devil monkeys and when I say barrel, I mean chewing and clawing at my flesh like swarm of killer bees. I mine as well write off dusting off the pipe and enjoying a nice relaxing bowl (of tobacco) this week...at least until my sinuses quit trying to do me in...aaaaaargh! i hate the weather changing...hopefully it will stop soon and stay cold and it will all be good.

I also need to go through and fix my posts up...but haven't really gotten around to it....I have changed the little blurb at the top, tho, just because I can...

Today, I had an oral test in French.
Tuesday work went less than well.
Monday, I had a bad day at work and a quiz in French.

So I eagerly await tomorrow with much aplomp or something...

Get ready....it's coming...ROCKTOOOBER!!!!

Olaf! Metal!

Tired, so tired...can't sleep, clown'll eat me...

Eh, so here's the trip to Vegas a month ago and that pretty much sums it up...

Okay, so the blog has lanquished a bit of late...mostly because I've been too busy or too tired to actually write anything in here. It doesn't help we haven't been home and all I've been doing is going to work and coming home. So life has been boring and I really don't think the internet needs another post from me whining about my job. However, as I write this, I'm flying home from fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada after helping Peter retrieve his diesel Blazer (which while being not so good at starting and moving did run flawlessly as advertised) to within a reasonably distance of Las Vegas.

Thursday I got a phone call at work from Peter...he lost his other driver and couldn't find anyone else, can I fly out and drive? I really didn't have any plans anyway, so I ended up agreeing. Mostly because if he called and booked me a flight, I knew he was out of options and I was it. The flight out was okay, not the best since I got an exit row and no reclining seat...but I did get some sleep on the plane (about 3 hours, waking up an 1-1/2 in each time). Got off the plane, found Peter, and we booked our way north. Peter was good so I after he grabbed food and we made it out of vegas, I went back to sleep. Woke up two hours later, checked up on Peter, and then went back to sleep...the original plan was for us both to drive about half-way each time, with me sleeping the first half up...it didn't quite happen...40 miles into Utah, Peter was beat and I took over having had about 6 hours of sleep, although not continiously and about 70% tops. The Malibu Peter rented fortunately had cruise, a CD player, and a four banger, making great for desert work but not so good on the hill climbing (that killed the gas mileage...we got like 25 mpg although I'm willing to admit that 80 mph wasn't helping that).

After the gas station annoyance of finding that, while gas stations are plentiful and 300 miles are no problem out of tank gas, finding an open gas station at like 3:30am is real bitch. GM gas guages also look a lot like Ford's now...as after being mildly concerned about the fuel situation we found there were 4 gallons in the tank and we had roughly 100 miles until totally being screwed. Driving at night, along a valley, and then through mountains tests the mental fortitude and physical reflexs...never had any close calls or anything, the worst part was flipping between brights and lows to decided where the road was going. I was pretty much wasted and burnt out by the time we hit Salt Lake City (SLC), we ending up stopping at 5:00am local time at Denny's to get coffee and food...the food was bad, the coffee didn't seem to conform to standard coffee specs, and the service was both poor and annoying. By sheer coincidence, we happened to stop at the exit for the only DMV open in Utah in Saturday to which we would later have to go to get a temp tag. This was to be the first of a series of coincendences that just worked in spite of things.

After Denny's (which was to become one of the banes of the trip but I'm getting ahead of myself). Peter and I swapped driving duties and I attempted to get some more sleep, since we had to go up and check out the Blazer, get plates, and then drive both back to SLC airport to drop off the rental car. Finding the guy's house didn't go so smooth but we found it by 7:10 local time after determining Utah has no idea how to layout streets whatsoever. Test driving the truck was rather uneventful (other then getting lost for the second time in less than half an hour). Upon returning after finding it had slight issues with the vacum and the temp guage, Peter discussed both, and then after finding the vacum pump making vacum (although the hoses weren't properly hooked up), paid the man. This after assurances that the front end had been redone and the bearings were repacked (something to become a rather large problem later). Other than the glow plugs being occansional disagreeable, the vacum, and the temp gauge, no other problems were found or mentioned.

So we ended up going back down to get the plates and a temp gauge, setting the priorities as 1) plates, 2) rental drop-off, 3) hotel, and 4) food/sleep. This leg went very smoothly, actually. All said and done we ended in a Holiday Inn Express in Murray, Utah with free wi-fi and eating lunch at one of those weird crap on the wall with good food local chains (Mimi's Cafe). And that's when the first annoyance occured...it refused to start because of what we later determined to be a bad glow plug sensor (timer according to GM). After 5 hours of parts chasing (walking to a dealer, Pep Boys, and Checker), obtaining a glow plug relay (Pep Boys), not fixing it, getting a glow plug sensor (Checker), and then returning to the truck and trying it one more time...where upon it fired and we drove around long enough to recharge the batteries before returning to the hotel. Leading to the second bad experience at Denny's. Mostly because we both settled and didn't feel like leaving the truck idling in a restraunt parking lot. So we ended up leaving and walking down to Subway (which had the side benefit of being on the cheap after part and tool purchases). Saturday actually ended up working out for the better overall, 5 hours of urban camping on foot wasn't exactly fun but we ended up getting sleep and food and maintaining some semblance of a schedule.

After reaasonable approximation of a full night of sleep and getting contiental breakfast at Holiday Inn. Breakfast, in and of itself, was un-notable, interesting only perhaps for its sub-medicoracy stemming from ending up with a frozen bagel and banna that was squished on one end. The only redeeming value was mint tea, ending up getting two tea bags out of half a dozen or so (bizzarely enough, the only tea people seem to have been drinking). The entertainment for breakfast was some women selling a magic spray that cured everything by sucking the toxins out of your body. The really interesting part of the whole thing is apparently plastic is biodegradable and releases poison when water hits it.....riiiiiiiight....I was tempted to go get the iBook and go look that stuff up but it didn't seem the best use of time or money...needless to say, it proved that people are stupid while a person is smart...sometimes. In this case, there wasn't really any hope. So, we left after grabbing tea for the road and cleaning/filling the cooler with ice.

Heading south back to Vegas in the Blazer wasn't too bad at all (the seats are quite comfortable)...even with the mountians and the construction, it still managed 30 mpg. Unfortunately, it started sqeaking and we both thought it was an auto hub refusing to disengage...which it wasn't. The front passenager bearing locked up about two hours outside of Vegas, 19 miles north of St. George, Utah.

Which lead to the second 5 hour stint of being stranded on foot..fortunately, there was a Utah State Policeman about to pull us over for no plate (as far was we could tell) who watched us go off the road and then pulled up to find out what happened. He didn't bother checking us out too closely, just asked what happened and then offered to call a tow truck, an offer we took him up on. After waiting for him to leave, we both took advantage of the local juniper to empty our bladders. After forty-odd minutes of waiting, two tow trucks showed up...apparently another blazer had broken down on the north side (we were going south) and the first tow truck to show up had mistaken us for that one...which our tow truck driver very nicely explained was not us. So the Blazer got loaded up and winched onto the truck and we off to Ron's Texaco in St. George, Utah (the only garage open on Sunday, apparently).

After confirming the garage could at least look at the truck, we wondered down to the part stores about two blocks down to find out what we had to work with...the Checker had everything but the spindle (as did Autozone). If it needed a spindle, I was screwed...at least, I thought I was. We ended up going down to an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet to get lunch and wait it out, pondering our options and sampling the local chinese fare. It actually wasn't half bad. We formulated the plan...if we could get a rental car, we would go back and spend the night in Vegas. I would catch my flight and then Peter would drop the car off in St. George the day and pick up the truck as my portion of driving was done. If we couldn't get a car, we would get a hotel room and either drive the truck back or rent a car, depending on the exact time, since my flight left at noon and it was a two hour drive. After lunch we walked back to the garage to get the prognosis...and the outer bearing race was welded tight to the spindle...d'oh. Missing my flight had just become a distinct possiblity.

After lunch we schlepped back to the garage to see what was up with the truck...and after disassembly, it needed a spindle, of course. Now, of course, I panicked slightly since the rental car place down the street opened at 8 and spending the night meant cutting the flight rather closely. I was not happy at all about that...to make matters worse, rather explaining he had minutes issues, Peter simply booked a hotel room...which I was not happy about but what could I do. Of course, at this point, I explained that my cell was free! Free! Free! All we needed was phonebook, not a phone and room...I think my brain was rather fuzzy at this point and it had been a really long day. At any rate, after reserving a car at the airport through hertz and them agreeing to pick us up, we drove back to Veges. The rental car acquisition was interesting as the guy was going to Veges, too, to drop his girlfriend at the airport...so Peter comped him a room, scored a three class upgrade to a Taurus (from economy) and got a discount...very nice.

The night I spent in Vegas consisted of us grabbing food, the great pie hunt (didja ever just want pie now? Apparently pie craving immediately clouds the minds internal GPS), coming back to Peter's apartment, and watching TV. Very boring but, hey, after the whole Utah, 12 hours on foot, neither one of us was up to doing much...so I got to sleep on a weird swedish couch fouton thing from Ikea, which slept okay but the cushions kept shifting around and moving. I slept okay despite the fact the thing seemed to have a mind of its own...exhaustion will do that. Monday was even less eventful, we went to the buffet at the Beliago, I grabbed bagels for my flight, and then got dropped off at the airport for my flight. I watched the Princess Bride on the flight home and that was about it...defintely worth it to drag the iBook along on that count. Got back to Toledo around 7:30, I believe, and amazingly enough actually managed to stay somewhat on schedule, with no ill effects felt the next day at work. Other than actually being at work.

Random mudaneness: The iBook is at 22% or 43 minutes of battery life...and the bar is red.

So much for the thought of the day, that fell by the wayside...profoundness suffers greatly getting up at six am and coming home after seven pm every night...at least Friday I can just come straight home although lately I've working on the weekends which officially sucks....I thought maybe I'd get off this weekend but that's not happening...ugh...really, really annoying.

I found a $400 Ranger...I'm half tempted to look at it but it's a regular cab and I already have a truck sitting right now...although that's going to change since she's teaching a class at Owens that the instructor quit three weeks into the term and now it looks like I'll be dropping Beth off three times a week...the truck is at least reasonable on gas (unlike the Merc, which only seems reasonably on the highway...plus it needs plugs/wires since I had a heater hose split and dump coolant on the back of the engine)

The girls have started sports season, this means non-stop running for volleyball and soccer now as well as whatever else they have going on. So somehow I need to shoe horn in work and homework as well as whatever chauffeuring I need to do....weeeeee!

Only possible bright spot - after dropping off three children in the morning, I've realized I could get a 4-passenger vehicle with sufficient interior space...the truck has sat since I can't cram my stuff plus them and their stuff in the cab....in addition to the potential pain of extraction from the back seat...although that's still secondary to no place to put my stuff. Otherwise it would be worth the inconvenience for the gas mileage...

well, I've resumed using Firefox...it moderated Slashdot just fine today...I need to update the links on this thing although not mattopia as matt has resumed updating his journal.

I've decided to attempt an interesting thought of the day, just to avoid leaving huge gaps like this past month...right now it's late and I don't have anything, so who knows...I need to get my tea right now, so I'm just hitting post and going, I suppose.

Blogger and Camino do not get along...I have to post from Firefox...which normally works fine but Slashdot crashed Firefox so I've been using Camino as I don't want to waste any time rebooting...damnit, I want my iBook up and I want it now...crash be damned or not...

Continued deliquency on posting, by the way, being otherwise occupied and killing time online right now waiting for her nails to dry. I suppose I should get my Vegas post done and up...however, laziness and apathy are winning hardcore right now...I maybe apathetic but I don't care enough to find out...which pretty much sums up my life...

The two important lessons of the day: Slahdot moderation will crash firefox for no apparent reason, forcing use of another browser and women painting their nails leads to interesting situations occansionally...

I've been woefully deliquent in posting to my journal...mostly because I've been busy non-stop since, um, not sure. Two weeks ago, I was in Las Vegas helping Peter retrieve his 1984 Chevrolet Blazer with a 6.2L Diesel. That was an adventure and it was cool hanging out even if being stranded on foot in 80 degree heat was less than fun...I'm working on writing it up right now....however, I wasn't home this weekend since the girls are joining a community service group and they went camping on North Bass Island. So we dragged ourselves out there and I found out between spending a weekend in planes, trucks, and rental cars plus going to Indiana on Wednesday for work wedged in the back seat of an Escape, my back really doesn't like me spending a few hours on a boat and sleeping on the ground in a tent. At least it was only overnight, I got my yearly reminder of why people live in houses....I totally don't get the camping thing, especially after spending 10 hours urban camping (on foot, in urban sprawl) the weekend prior. Camping is only worth it if you can smoke cigars at all times (keeps the bugs away, you know) and get up and start the day with a beer...and continue the day with beer, too...

Plus I've started school again, so I didn't get around to posting tonight until now....ugh, no rest for the wicked, I wondered what I did to deserve this...I always try to be nice....

Anne's hearing is up within normal ranges in both ears. And her left ear will likely improve, according to the doctor. So that's good news...other than that, I threw my back out helping a friend move, spent most of the weekend in the car (dropping Jay off in the Upper Pennisula of Michigan), and work continues to suck. But Christa found a fulltime job and I got a Rev A iMac for helping move...so I guess overall things are okay, I'm just tired and sore and feel rather blah. Next project, stuffing the iMac full of RAM and installing Panther (after I get some pennies).

Less than a month until school starts again...where the hell did summer go!?!?!?

It has been a fitfully and chaotic week, puncuated by moments of annoyance, minor and great. Fortunately, Anne's ears are both fixed now. We spent two nights in Cleveland (since the surgery is only done at the Cleveland Clinc around here) and have returned home. The doctor expects the left ear to gain more hearing than the right due to the use of prosthetic bone instead of reshaping...we are cautious optomistic...before swelling (while in recovery), Ann was hearing things she could never before (whispers and certain tones). Now, 24 odd hours later, it's starting to come back...we didn't need to turn up the TV tonight...so who knows...

I bought a 1986 Ford Ranger 4-banger extended cab...it's a 4-banger/auto...it's a slug but it gets 20-23 mp and it's a good learner...as I'm facing two new drivers in about 18 months...plus it was really clean and solid. I couldn't pass it up for 750 even with no air.

Right now, need to be going to bed...worn out after this week and no minor amount of stress between work and having to deal with a child's surgery.

Went to a family thing for the 4th on the 4th, golfed today and didn't look so good. Otherwise not much going on, just work.

well, i turned on comments, so now i'm trying to figure out if it worked or not...

life continues...work, school, life...Memorial Day was good time for everyone, I think, and resulted in the comsumption of beer and the grilling of a quite a few chicken breasts...

I thought about changing the look of this thing and then promptly found the prospect far too daunting at this point in time.

I moved dirt...a lot of dirt...today in an effort to somewhat level the backyard into some semblence of flatness. Not my idea of fun. I'm beat and we're in the midst of cleaning/reorganizing in the usual frantic manner before having people over, as my Dad and a couple we're friends with are coming over on Memorial Day. I have a paper to finish, it's not happening right now. Life, otherwise, has ocsillated between chaotic and uneventful. Christa graduated with her Masters, work has been the usual fun...in short, long periods of boredom intersped with brief moments of crisis.

I'm taking one summer class. I've gotten nothing done around the house with any semblence of regularity. Part of the reason for frantic cleaning and my day being spent playing catch with the yard. The dirt, actually, was an unexpected solution to the whole mess that is the back yard as the neighbors are doing their garage driveway and the guy doing it didn't want to deal with the dirt.


Continued whining, yadda yadda yadda...like everything, needs more cowbell!

blogger has changed their homepage....a shock, to say the least, of course, I'm probably among the last to notice, but that's life, I suppose.

Peter's bother has traveled to Las Vegas, I think he's still there because I haven't seen Peter online (or talked to him on the phone, annoyed or otherwise) since Sat.

I'm done with school for spring, I got a 4.0 and all As...for the first time since it never really mattered anyway in grade school...actually, it maybe since kindergarden but I'm not sure...which I suppose is worse although it would like S instead of S+, from 1st grade on....

I have had the exalting (or depressing) realization after watching "The Restaurant" on NBC, I have actually experienced enough in life to exceed the average TV viewer...considering it reads like a script from a restaurant I was familiar with...d'oh...

slightly late... (5/11/04) ... still put it on the right date...

Pink Floyd, The Wall, "Mother"

Mother, do you think they'll drop the bomb?
Mother, do you think they'll like this song?
Mother, do you think they'll try to break my balls?
Ooooowaa Mother, should I build a wall?
Mother, should I run for President?
Mother, should I trust the government?
Mother, will they put me in the firing line?
Ooooowaa Is it just a waste of time?
Hush, my baby. Baby, don't you cry.
Momma's gonna make all of your nightmares come true.
Momma's gonna put all of her fears into you.
Momma's gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won't let you fly, but she might let you sing.
Momma's gonna keep Baby cozy and warm.
Oooo Babe.
Oooo Babe.
Ooo Babe, of course Momma's gonna help build a wall.
Mother, do you think she's good enough,
For me?
Mother, do you think she's dangerous,
To me?
Mother will she tear your little boy apart?
Ooooowaa Mother, will she break my heart?
Hush, my baby. Baby, don't you cry.
Momma's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you.
Momma won't let anyone dirty get through.
Momma's gonna wait up until you get in.
Momma will always find out where you've been.
Momma's gonna keep Baby healthy and clean.
Oooo Babe.
Oooo Babe.
Ooo Babe, you'll always be Baby to me.
Mother, did it need to be so high?

apparently, I'm eligable to try out g-mail....except I don't need another e-mail address...I already have 6 between work, home, school, yahoo, and hotmail....plus I think I may buy a domain and see if I can cajole matt in hosting on of the many boxen I have lying around (weeee, got a Gateway PII 350 from work which was supposed to donate most of its RAM to her Gateway and ended up donating part of it....I hate Gateway right now)

On the upside, I am down to just finals, having turned in my last paper this morning....and as of Monday, it will be two finals...I want a martini....the only problem here is I'm too lazy to get up and mix one right this second....also I lack vermouth and I like to at least have the trappings of a traditional Martini lying around....otherwise, I'm just sitting around sipping chilled gin....

absinthe, very interesting stuff, apparently illegal but not that illegal....quite a few references to it in Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises....of which, I'm fairly certain all of the brands are improperly uncapitolized....Pernod, an F one, and there's one other....annoying...very annoying...

I don't really have anything to post...just worn out and not in the mood to write anything...

currently attempting to get mysql server working on da FreeBSD box...and it's not going...I'm too tired to deal with it right now...bother...

Tax day...ours were done two months ago...

I've been very lax posting this weekend (also no Friday Five again), mostly because of a philosophy conference at UT and being sick over the weekend. Anne says not to post about her. So I am, to be a pain. At any rate, the highlights of the conference were free wine and free beer. I also discovered that Indian does not agree with me at all...very unpleasant gastronomic results occurred...I think my stomach is still recovering, kinda, although being sick hasn't helped, I'm sure. The conference was intellectual and the usual "You actually build stuff..." reaction popped up after the explanation that I'm a graduate student's husband and happen to work in steel.

There are four weeks left in the semester and I'm officially freaking out in my usual neurotic manner.

right, three things, I suppose because threes happen to work...

First, we're going over to a semi-friends for her birthday...

Second, matt needs to update his blog...although i don't he actually reads this regularly and there's no comments, so I can't elicit a commenting frenzy....eh, well, slacker...worse then, um, well everyone I read...

Third, here's da Friday Five, or rather there isn't....so I guess I'll have to make up my own or something....

1)Favorite single player game

Half-Life

2) Favorite two-player game

Chess

3) Favorite weapon in a game

Uh, the shotgun (a little Doom/Quake/Half-Life joke with the numbering)

4) Favorite card game

Rummy or Euchre, although Euchre with the in-laws gets scary....

5) Favorite Multi-player game

Half-Life, all the way....

the post below has been edited by me as of now....see included revision below....

Well Adam shaved his beard... But prior to completely shaving it off he went for the biker dude moustache.....Scary to say the least! I would post the pics here but he will kill me... so if you are really interested in seeing them email me. christa_j.at.sbcglobal.net! lol

a) you can't post pics exactly (at least not here) and b) spam catching plain old e-mail!!! (which I fixed) and c) by all rights I should delete this post now...

I am still alive, my sinuses are still in rebellion, and I hate the weather...

I am so tired, I cannot even properly operated a mouse...it's bad...between my sinuses and being up at 5:30 this morning (which I get to do tomorrow to), I am worn out. I keep clicking the wrong links and going sites I already have open in another tab...d'oh....well, right now, I'm typing and the leaving to go to class...but the idea is there.

Also, beware the ides of March...that's why today sucks and I'm sticking to it...of course it did snow today and I'm buried at work...school isn't too bad, just finding time to get it done between work and, uh, work....I blame the annoying sleep thing.

I've officially hit chicken and egg RE:software development...do I start the database for the program or the program that needs a database? Digging out P200 for MySQL server and putting FreeBSD on it, that much I know I need at least.

kludge has internet....apparently the wireless card must be in PCMCIA Slot 0 to work....

I am posting in Lynx from PuTTY (ssh for Winblows basically) logged onto the iBook...I'm such a geek.

kludge (as the Gateway 2000 Solo 2100 will be known as hereafter) will see a wireless card and register it as "eth0" It will not connect and give me link and I have no clue why...perhaps I could upgrade to redhat 7.3...however, I don't think I have enough RAM for that to fly....so it's not a paper weight, it just just pissing me off and I'm subtlely reminded why I bought an iBook...most all this nifty heavy duty *nix stuff with an actual, usable GUI...mumpf...I should install Borland on her Gateway and get programming estimating software...then I could buy many toys.

Riiiight...no other news per se; sick ("Well, flu, I can fit you in Sunday morning until about noon, gotta run"); on spring break; same old, same old at work (weeeee, overtime, both my blessing and curse)

Moses
Coldplay

Come on now, don't you want to see?
This thing that's happening to me
Like moses has power over sea
So you've got power over me

Come on now, don't you want to know?
You're a refuge, somewhere I can go
You're air that, air that I can breathe
Cause you're my golden opportunity

And oh, oh yes I would
If I only could
And you know I would
And baby I, oh baby I
I wish

Come on now, don't you want to see?
Just what a difference you've made in me
I'll be waiting oh no matter what you say
Cause I've been waiting for days, days, days

And oh, oh yes I would
If I only could
And you know I would
And baby I, oh baby I
I wish
I wish

Oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh
If the sky's gonna fall down, let it fall on me
If you're gonna break down, you can break on me
If the sky's gonna fall down, let it fall on me
If it's gonna rain down, it can rain on me
It can rain on me

went to a wedding reception for someone Christa knows from school...hung out with philosophy department people and the we left at 9...then went to the store and rented some movies...now i'm being lazy and watching movie instead of reading or something...ah, well...

Having spent a total of 25 hours in the car two weeks ago, some funny quotes did pop up:

"This is a no doing what I just did zone" - Me, changing lanes in Cinninati

"Don't worry, it's leather, it'll wipe off." - Me, again, on food in the car

"There were some Sienfieldian moments back there, where you just wanted to slap someone" - Jean, on the conference

"Philosophizing in Memphis" - Jean, singing...repeatedly...incessantly...

"I think I'm allergic to cotton" - Christa, on cotton fields

of course, i can't remember anymore...

The FreeBSD CD refuses to boot...it's late, I'm tired, defintely something to be messed with this weekend...ugh, all I wanted was a boot....oh, well, on the upside, the battery seems to work and the only other problem I've found is a sticky space bar...

downloading and burning FreeBSD for a Pentium 120 Gateway Laptop I basically picked out of the trash...got from work for free while scrounging speakers...other than a dead strip on the right side of the screen, it seems pretty functional and I can always hook up a moniter. The TFT screen is basically shot, which surprises me slightly although I knew early color LCDs were fragile...oh, well, have to see what happens when it gets FreeBSD.

It's been a rough week and I've been in bad mood because of it...ugh...time to regroup and rethink after the BG disaster...

Well the waiting is over and the verdict is in... I got rejected from BGSU's PHD program. I will not be attending BGSU. I am thinking that I amight as well just give up.... With children beginning HS in the fall I might as well resign myself to being a nothing grunt like everyone else

Once upon a time this was our song and we danced to it every evening.

Dave Matthew's Band

Crash Into Me

You've got your ball
you've got your chain
tied to me tight tie me up again
who's got their claws
in you my friend
Into your heart I'll beat again
Sweet like candy to my soul
Sweet you rock
and sweet you roll
Lost for you I'm so lost for you

You come crash into me
And I come into you
I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream

Touch your lips just so I know
In your eyes, love, it glows so
I'm bare boned and crazy for you
When you come crash
into me, baby
And I come into you
In a boys dream
In a boys dream

If I've gone overboard
Then I'm begging you
to forgive me
in my haste
When I'm holding you so girl
close to me

Oh and you come crash
into me, baby
And I come into you
Hike up your skirt a little more
and show the world to me
Hike up your skirt a little more
and show your world to me
In a boys dream.. In a boys dream

Oh I watch you there
through the window
And I stare at you
You wear nothing but you
wear it so well
tied up and twisted
the way I'd like to be
For you, for me, come crash
into me

I miss dancing with you, AJ.

Okay does anyone else out there remember the two smartass old guys that made all the smartass comments in the audience on the Muppets??? My hubby in his infinite wisdom has found a site that has sound clips from the Muppet show and is taking great pleasure in playing them.... UGH

HAHAHA ...... did not forget my password... It was the user name that I had momentarily blocked out... And Ann's wrist did hurt immediately after breaking it 2.5 weeks ago when doing a cartwheel at a dance and attempting to stop so that she didn't kick her b/f in the face. Complained for a week about it bothering her but never really swelled or anything so I thought she had just jammed it. It was only after banging it hard again on Saturday that it swelled up and hurt her enough to cause me to be concerned... Oh well...

Him as Elaine???? Hmmm well I guess that would make me Jerry since Jerry and Elaine did have that fling at one point... But I really don't see Jean as George!

well, she thinks she forgot her password to my journal again...i will find out if she has or not later, I suppose...right now, watching the Oscars although I'm not sure why after the excitement for the night of Ann going to the emergancy room for a broken wrist that is 90% healed but didn't hurt until today...she must have broke it two weeks ago or so. So she has an aircast...bother...

yes, this is the first post since Memphis, and, no, I really don't want to talk about the food poisoning. Although the conference itself was entertaining with a few Sienfieldian moments...with me as Elaine...WTF? I'll let Christa and Jeanne fight out who's Jerry and who's George...

Morning all! This is Christa... Adam fixed it so that I could get into and post on here again... Not much going on here other than papers, papers and more papers.. Adam and I both have a bunch of writing to do and a family birthday party this afternoon and all that crap.

I have applied to BGSU for the PHD program. We will see what happens with that in another 3 weeks. Waiting for the results of my GRE. And have the MA exam to finish by 3/15. So I am just a little busy...

Adam has been working overtime still and we are both still trying to recover from the mega drive of last weekend. Memphis is cool. Just not a weekend trip ;) That is all for now!

Posting from Memphis (20 miles south actually) after the Mid-South Philosophy conference. Feeling sick and generally vegging out on couch...

miscellaneous schtuff floating around in the kibble and jetsam (floatjam?):

- my brother turned 21 last month and I saw this weekend for a subdued session of alcohol consumption...I made fun of his requiring a chaser with his shot but was kind and kept the booze all in the family (whiskey and beer) It occurs to me now I should have gotten out the scotch but it would have been a waste of good scotch...unrefined swine...

- the journal has or is about to celebrate its one year anniversary...however, I'm too lazy to look at this particular time

- going to memphis for a philosophy conference, leaving Friday and returning Sunday...i'm looking at more of a getting out of work/mini-vacation type deal...and there are a few interesting papers to go listen to...

- did I mention I've been busy with work or school or both lately...really sucks

I have the iBook setup on the desk and I officially now need a USB keyboard...ideally I'd spring for a logitech 1-usb wireless keyboard/mouse combo...I don't think I can get authorization for that, tho...I really, really dig having two moniters (especially the vastness of a 17" CRT coupled with a 1024x768 native LCD). I can spread everything out and have music/chat on its own screen...of course, this only works out great when children aren't coming over and wanting to use the computer.

I have not been posting due to being completely and totally insanely busy...it sucks...I need to watch two movies again...and review my history...oh, well...

so I downloaded a nifty little apple script(goes to web page) that lets the iBook do extended desktop and it's really nifty, I just need a better desktop location...

The Friday Five, actually on time...

You have just won one million dollars:

1. Who do you call first?

Wife, best friend, accountant, lawyer

2. What is the first thing you buy for yourself?

Fully loaded F-150 4x4, pay off house and bills...

3. What is the first thing you buy for someone else?

College for my children

4. Do you give any away? If yes, to whom?

No, not exactly, see below.

5. Do you invest any? If so, how?

Yes, traditional mutual fund/money market accounts, start my software company, and help my buddy at work start his construction business. I figure I'll end up with 300K invested and the rest eaten up by taxes, spent, saved, or otherwise allocated.

"Do you have the time to listen to me whine about nothing and everything all at once?" -Basketcase, Greenday

Once at a party everybody was standing there singing Basketcase, including me incrediably off key and drunk...I'm blaming alcohol for that one...really...

Actually written 1-09-04, around 9:00 am EST...I have been so busy this week that I completely forgot to put this up here...I need to tweak my pictures and upload them but right now I'm just taking a break from reading...anyway, on to the week late post:

Somewhere over the mid-west, just because I can…that’s why I’m writing a journal entry right now, even though it won’t be posted until after we land in Fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Christa is trying to take a picture of the clouds and it came out pretty darn good. Yeah, I’ll have pictures to post…three particularly hideous wall hangings in Detroit’s Berry Terminal and at this rate about a dozen cloud pictures. Those may have to wait until we get back to Toledo and DSL, tho.

Today actually went pretty well, all things considered, despite an almost 1 hour wait to get checked in and a two odd hour wait to board the plane. I dunno who came up with three hours before a flight (to be at the airport) during an orange alert but it was still… the boarding clerks didn’t even show up until two hours before the flight. It sucks right now I’m so tired and so wired at the same time, I’m going to end up awake the rest of today and totally screw up my schedule….d’oh…

Still, writing a blog post which will be posted today while on a plane is still pretty nifty….I’m more and more happy with the iBook the longer I have it…I don’t think I’ll ever buy another OEM PC that’s not a Mac…

The Friday Five about 20 minutes late...

1. What does it say in the signature line of your emails?work - name, title, phone, e-mail; home - nothing

2. Did you have a senior quote in your high school yearbook? What was it? If you haven't graduated yet, what would you like your quote to be? I don't remember having one

3. If you had vanity plates on your car, what would they read? If you already have them, what do they say? ETFF

4. Have you received any gifts with messages engraved upon them? What did the inscription say? No, n/a

5. What would you like your epitaph to be? "I'm doomed"

Okay, I can't seem to post pictures and it's late, and I need to go to bed...

sweeeeet, I have located the Apple store and am now posting in Las Vegas from a 15" Powerbook...this is good...I have another post (probably two) to put in when I get back...I would have grabbed my iBook but didn't make it back to the hotel and didnt feel like having it in the car all day while we went to the Parumph Winery and test drove an RX-8...that car kicks major amounts of ass....very nice and the back seat is quite useable....worst part of traveling is no internet access by far...on the the other hand, we've done stuff all day, so I don't have time for internet...

woo-hoo, got the battery fixed on my iBook finally after a fluke dead cell as far as I can tell, worked fine tonight and charged normally. Looking foward to the end of this week and getting out here to go to fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. Then going to the Detroit Auto Show on Thurs...