My Week

Hey peoples haven't blogged in awhile so I decided to on randy's new computer. Now that he has to have the internet. Anyways I have had a fun week. Not stealing your thing Sheila but I'm going to list them the same way you listed yours.
Monday- MLK day so I had no work and pretty much just tried to get work for monday. I waited for a call to work on Scrubs for tuesday and while I was waiting i watched a movie called havoc which was okay. I can't explain the movie because it's too complex. Still no work at 6:00 so I called the work line and I heard this one girl needing a caucasian 18 to look younger and earlier when I called at 12:00 she needed one then. So I felt sorry for her so I called her and was booked as a gym student on Injustice. Then I watched Transporter 2 which was just okay.
Tuesday- This was a wierd day. It was going to be a short work day which was good. 10 minutes before work I saw a girl come out of the shuttle van it was Kelly. Kelly is a girl I liked but we kinda fell out of touch and she always said we were just friends which could be true. Anyways I was picked to jog on the track I guess they picked me because it looked like I needed it. The track was next to a football field. I started at the 50 yard line and went to the other side of the 50. I jogged the whole time because I wanted to look good for Kelly. We probably did the scene 10 times so I ran over 1,000 yards that day. Me and kelly decided to see a movie later that night and that movie would be Match Point. When i got home around 11:30 I did nothing then I thought I was going to catch some z's so I went to my bed. I was about to fall asleep when my dad called and woke me up wanting me to make a deposit for him. So I did and then Kelly called me and we figured we would watch the movie at 7:30. Then Farrah called me and booked me on Scrubs for Wednesday so that was cool. I saw Match Point and I thought it was very good. Well acted and not like any Woody Allen movie I ever saw. A very good story when you think something is going to happen something else happens. Kelly didn't like a part but I can't tell you because if you ever see the movie I would ruin it for you. But it was a intersting day.
-My pizza is here and I'm hungry so I will continue this blog later and it was all ready getting kind of long.-

well helllllooooo....

hi everyone! i'm still here in texas visiting the family. we're having a good time... sadly my trip is already coming to a close on saturday. i'll recap my stay so far (the abridged version):

saturday-
my flight got in around 4:00pm. actually, it was exactly 4:00pm... right on time. don't you love that? my parents picked me up, we drove home, hung out for a while and then went to dinner with my sisters.
sunday-
went for a drive through the countryside. it was such a gorgeous day!! my father drives like a maniac... he needs his license revoked.
monday-
me, my parents, and sisters went down to fort worth to a livestock show/rodeo!... lol. which was actually a lot of fun. it's basically the county fair without all the lameness. lots of animals, lots of cowboys!
tuesday-
waited for leslie to get off work, then we went to check out some apartments. just chilled for the rest of the day.
wednesday-
leslie and i went back to one apartment community that we loved and signed a lease! = o so... i guess it's official now, i'm moving out here in march. (gulp) i've been dying to see brokeback mountain but no one wanted to join me, so i went to go see it last night by myself. that was the first time i've been to the theater solo. that movie was incredible. i think it changed my life.
today-
i couldn't sleep so i got up pretty early. then i loafed around in my pajamas until 3:30pm or so... lol. then les and i went out to best buy, target, you know... just browsing.
tommorow-
who knows
saturday-
i'm on my way back to socal. hopefully lauri picks me up at the airport? hint, hint :)

and that brings me to now. i was online checking out my match.com happenings and decided to contribute a report on my life outside the rat race. by the way, i have a date on saturday night! heehee... he's a teacher- middle school math and science and a college oceanography course. so basically, out of my league... lol. wish me luck!

I'm going to attempt to round up my last week or so, as much for my benefit as for anyone who bothers reading my pretentious posts. last wednesday I did my first session as a youth worker, which resulted in me overseeing a crowd of 8-11 yr olds while they bashed drums and attacked a vintage wurlitzer organ- the resulting music put to shame many an avant-garde Norwegian jazz outfit. I went to bed, and drifted into a contented slumber when i was awakened by my cell phone's ringing- i answered in a state of confusion (you know what its like when you've just been woken up), and kept on agreeing with my friend Aaron until he let me go back to sleep. At work the next day a recolection of this conversation came to me, so I called Aaron and discovered that I had agreed to go to a party in Carmathen that night (I guess the equivellent of you guys going to a party in San Diego).
So i rushed back home after work, grabbed some cans of beer and a bottle of obscenely cheap vodka (the kind even a destitute siberian potato farmer would be unsure about), and jumped into aarons van. Drinking began in the van, continued with white russian abuse once we reached the party, and peaked with tequila in a deserted bar. then it was back to the party, and after the pipe was handed around things seemed to be winding down, when Aaron suddenly anounced 'i think i've got some mushrooms in my bag, lets have some if i have'. He was right, and we did. what happend after has been open to debate but we're all agreed that it involved Pink Floyds 'animal' album, Stuart being violently sick over the wall, a visit from the police and a twenty minute xylophone solo from yours truly.
After the sun rose we got a few hours sleep, then drove back home, had a smoke then decided the swimming pool would be good place to go. Pool, sauna and jucuzzi were all enjoyed with a vacant smile, then it was onto Cardiff. Drinking and smoking recomenced and we viewed a ceremony involving a horses head on a pole, which is particular to South Wales and is thought to date back to Pagen times. It is performed to welcome in the new year, and was taking place on the 13th because that is New years eve on the old calender that Britain used to follow, when it was changed, some communities in Wales thought the English were trying to steel days off them, so continued with the old calender. Then it was off to a club, where we caught a couple of bands, 'The Noisettes' being the best.
On saturday i felt the need for something wholesome, so a 4 mile hike was completed followed by lots of sleeping. The wholesomeness didn't last long for it was back into Cardiff on the sunday for more beer and weed and rock of the highest order with 'Clutch'- West Virginias finest hardcore bluesmen. On monday the artistic muse took me and i completed a watercolour of a San Clemente sun set, its not my best work but it's on my last bit of special watercolour paper, and that shit's expensive, so Tim, suck it up. Tuesday is drumming day, then wednesday everything came full circle as i headed back to the youth centre for more noise making fun. Today i am tired.
Thanks to Amanda and Jeff for my conselation prize in the essay contest, i shall endevour to read your Blogs aswell from now on- i didn't realise they were there.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNLEE!!!!

The Quality of Wisdom

Wisdom is slow, and comes but late.

Found in an Anglo Saxon Elegy titled "The Wanderer

Crazy...

Around 8:45PM the insanity sets in and begins to take hold. As he sits listening to some new music he dowloaded off iTunes a week ago his thoughts drift towards life. With the music pounding the thin tinny sounding speakers of his desktop computer he ponders. Ok that is enough I can't think of anything I am goin insane.
It is approximately 8:50 Monday evening and there ain't shit to do here at work. As most of you know I usually am saddled with the night shift on Mondays, Tuesday and Wednesdays. Now while some people would have no problems with this, lately I have been losing it. You see once it became not busy time basically after New Years it has been dead after like 6PM. So I am sitting here with my Monday guy Kris. He is watching some crazy Japanimation and I am complaining here. Tomorrow I work with someone different, a new guy, not cool. I hate people who I work with not knowing as much as me because inevitably I end up handling all the problems or they keep asking me questions when all I want to do is dream of insane things to do that will conquer the boredom.
So what's new? I received my new Dell computer on Friday. It is all setup and my room has been semi rearranged. It is still a mess but now only because of the pile of clothes strewn across the floor. Does anybody enjoy doing laundry?? Just kidding. I am thinking about doing a bit of it Thursday cause I am running out of clean clothes. So it is about that time. Anyway back to my computer so it is all setup all the cables are plugged in and what not yet I cannot connect to the Internet and this makes me unhappy and a bit angry. I have troubleshooted using the skills I have learned and have produced no solution. So I think otnight when I get home I am going to call Dell Support and be like "Wassup bitches?" Probably not though I talk a tough game but am usually full of shit.
Last night Pete, Lauri and I went to Casino Morongo. Katie and Clay met up with us later. I had only been there one time before last night. And the last time it sucked donkey balls. This time it was better. The casino is much nicer than it was last time I was there. I still didn't win any money at all and have pretty much given up on gambling ever producing any positive results for me unless losing your money is what you look at as positive. But all in all it was a fairly good time Lauri won some money on a quarter slot in the non smoking room, Pete I think broke about even or so. We already know how I did.
That's about it for now I don't really have much of anything positive to say right now except... I would like to than Jeff and Amanda for being judges in our little Essay Contest and especially for crowning me "The Winner". That's right in case anybody hasn't checked Jeff's Blog I was awarded the prize as Best Essay. It feels good to be recognized for my ability to drink 21 beers and document the event. My liver curses you though as this will only lead to crazier schemes in an attempt to top this stunt. But screw him, my liver that is, he is a party pooper.
Anyway I guess thats all for now. Once again I would like to thank Jeff and Amanda for honoring me and my ability to get blasted on a Thursday for everyone else's reading enjoyment. And kudos to everyone else out there who submitted an Essay and I enjoyed reading all of them. Well people back to staring at the clock for another 45 minutes or so. Have a good night and a pleasant tomorrow. PEACE!

My TOP 5

Hey guys really have no good stories. Except on this movie I was on the pants didn't fit. If you wanna hear more about this story tell me but right now I'm going to list some things all the guys and girls should both do list my top 5 celebs I wanna screw:
1. Jessica Alba - A girl so hot she can make any bad movie like Idle Hands be good. Also make a TV show not that good be great. Also she's got a hot bod.
2. Jessica Biel - What's so hot about "Esquires Hottest Woman on Earth" is that she was on a good christian family show. Then she shot a risky phot shoot for Gear and you saw what a great body she had and saw she was a little bad. Her movies haven't been that great (Stealth) but at least you can semi-enjoy it. Also her hair is so hot and it doesn't matter what color it is.
3. Rachel McAdams - Fuck Ryan Gosling I don't care if she is with him. So hot also can change her hair and still look amazing. I mean she's in a movie called "The Hot Chick".
4. Scarlett Johansson - I wouldn't mind if she stalked me (Match Point). She plays a kinda stalker in that movie which I will see soon. The thing about Scarlett which is different from the other girls on my list is that she's a very good actress. Also that raspy voice she has can melt you.
5. Eliza Dushku - This girl has been on my list for a long time ever since she was a bad vampire slayer on Buffy. She has jet black hair and just looks like a wild girl. That scene in Jay & Silent Bob where she licks her lips at Ali Larter is so hot.

Now I think everyone else should make a list too!!!!!

Here's the Rat Race and Welcome to it!

So I've taken on some additional responsibilities at work recently... and part of those responsibilities includes coming in and doing office hours, answering phones, making phone calls, and doing paperwork. The other day I spent all day sitting in an ofice chair in front of a computer. Are you kidding Me? My back hurt, I was antsy. In short, it was awful. I actually had to work in the same office as my boss. Not that he's a terrible guy but usually when I'm there, I'm the facility manager and don't have answer to anybody. The worst part, I come home at the end of the day, i've been to four hours of school and 7 hours of work, and I'm wrecked. I'm in bed by 11:30. What kind of lives are these?If there's two things I love doing its watching Aquateen Hungerforce at Midnight and playing video games til three in the morning, now all thats being compromised for the sake of some financial indepence, I just don't know if I can take it.

While I was typing this. my knuckes started hurting, do i have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome after three days in an office?

2006 "Year of Change"

What will be different this year? What will the change actually be? I like to think that everything will fall into place for me. I won't have to work hard for it, it'll be a surprise even. I've had pretty good luck in the past. I've gotten some awesome apartments over the years. I'd like to think that that's because of my good credit. So for the 2006 "Year of Change" I'd like a new apartment. Either something cheaper or to keep this apartment and save money somehow. I've had a job that keeps me off the streets. Sometimes i've had two jobs. I have two jobs right now. For 2006 "Year of Change" I'd like a new job. A place to work that isn't a commute. A place that i actually enjoy going. But i place that still keeps the roof over my head. I might even stretch it a bit and say a place that is fun to work. I was thinking yesterday if it would be possible to give my two weeks notice this week and be able to survive while i look for another job. I got some money saved up, i could pay rent with that. But then there's all the other bills. So anyways, i think i'll put that on the back burner. I was looking up jobs today on Craigslist and on the Pasadena Star News website. There were some jobs that caught my interest. I really need to make a resume. I don't have one and i've never done one either. There must be a template or something right? Then there's the old fashioned way. Walking into places and asking for applications and if they're hiring. This too has worked for me in the past. I think i might be a bit too old for that now. Even though i look young, i feel old. Sheila will be leaving to Texas most likely. And if it really happens then it's going to happen fast. She can't afford her apartment and she hates working here too. So if Sheila leaves then i will surely have a mental breakdown at work. I can't do it alone, the company is growing to fast. And i can almost guarentee that my new assistant will be one of the temporary people who have been working here a while. Again, i will have a mental breakdown. So what are my options? This particular post will most likely bore you all, but i have to get it off my chest. And i also know that i seem to get if off my chest a few times in other posts. I guess i'm starting to freak out. But its the "Year of Change"!!!!! I will make things happen. I will dammit! If any of you know of job openings where you work, let me know. I'll lie on my resume if i have to! :)

A few notes to my fellow bloggers!
Sheila: Your almost done coating, then we are gonna get lunch.
Randy: Is Angelina Jolie really pregnant?
Lynlee: Sunday Funday!!!!! I look forward to it.
Alex: I know you got some stories in that head of yours, let's read them.
Pete: I'm hungry and i want tacos.
Tom: Are you reading this??
Tim: How's Tahiti tickets looking?
Owen: Some guy emails me with the same last name as you. I don't know who this is. Any ideas?

My Top 5

I figure since no one ever comments to my posts anyway I could go ahead and post my Top 5 and would basically go unnoticed. So here they are in all their glory.

1. Kelly Clarkson
2. Jennifer Love Hewitt
3. Natalie Portman
4. Jessica Simpson
5. Morgan Webb

You might be thinking Randy why Kelly Clarkson? Four words: Since U Been Gone plus I voted for her in the original "American Idol". OK you say Fair enough. But seriously Jennifer Love Hewitt, risky pick I know. Has she been in anything decent since the original "I Know What You Did"? Simple answer, No she hasn't. Does it change the fact that she is smokin hot? No. Anyone who disagrees with Natalie Portman can go and I can't think of anything to say. Needless to say she is probably the sexiest woman on this list. Now as Jessica Simpson goes, she is either dumb as a rock or the smartest woman in showbiz. Thew whole ditz thing paid off Huge. Plus she dumped Nick Lachey, dead weight. And whether she is dumb or not she is super hot as well. Have you seen her music videos? I thought so. Finally we come to Morgan Webb a last minute addition. Morgan Webb is not only hot but she has all the intangibles you look for in a woman. She digs video games, she doesn't have too dress slutty to get my attention, she doesn't wear too much makeup. Did I mention she likes video games? Plus she isn't too well known so it makes me think she is attainable. Even though I would have no shot in hell at her, I can dream. And she has her show "X-Play" which even though I love video games would be completely unwatchable without her.

Now they may not be the hottest women in the world and you may even disagree with them but that is why it is My Top 5 and not yours. If you have one feel free to post yours. I doubt any of you will and you probably think I am a loser/ pervert. But whatever. PEACE!

hey just incase the judges havn't noticed, my previous claim of failed entry was false, its down there, way at the bottom (probably similar to its position in the final judgment)

My Submission: A Thursday unlike yours

The following is a true story. No names or facts have been changed. And excuse any spelling or grammatical errors. My keyboard sucks.

Let me start off by saying I know my submission is late and what not but I am not really interested in the No prize anyway. My prize was accomplishing what I set out to accomplish last night. For weeks now people have been saying I waste my days off by sitting around playing video games and watching terrible TV. I should be doing my laundry or cleaning my apartment, etc. So last night instead of doing nothing I set a goal that has been previously unattainable by me. My goal would be to drink 18 beers. I have tried this before but usually fall asleep and quit or can't move by about 14. I have logged when each beer was consumed and what was going on at that time. So sit back, enjoy and remember folks I am a trained professional. Please do not attempt to try this at home, but especially not in public.
The day started out like any other day. It was rather sunny outside and I was playing a video game. Pete had come over and we were sitting around like we normally do. Just a Lazy Thursday. Then I decided instead of sitting here wasting my day. I am going to drink an 18 pack. Pete though it was preposterous and that I would fall asleep because when I drink a lot that happens. But my mind was made up and so I began.

1:20 PM - I crack open my first Miller Lite and begin. Pete and Alex are here chilling. Alex had just woke up. He came out of his room wearing the same clothes he wore the night before. I told him that and laughed at him. He then told me Pete was wearing the same clothes he wore the night before. I looked at Pete and this was true he was. The TV is on the blue screen cause I finished my video game and didn't fell like watching TV. Pete is on the computer checking the blog. All is quiet except for the gardeners blowers below. And so it has begun.
1:36 PM - Beer two. Pretty much everything is the same, but now we are watching TV music videos for the most part. We are talking about movies and Michael Biehn. You know Michael Biehn. The guy for Terminator and Navy Seals. We are lamenting the fact we haven't seen him in many movies lately. But eventually we get over it. Pete heads back to the computer he is searching for a Walkthrough for RE4 he is stuck on a part with a puzzle or something. He finds it and gets the hint he needs.
2:01 PM - Beer three. Again all the main players are still here. WE are back to watching TV. Now we are switching between music videos and G4 TV. X-Play is finishing up, a show about video games. There is this woman on X-Play named Morgan Webb. I heart Morgan Webb. She is super hot and plays video games. Hello does it get better than that. I think not. Anyway so I am gushing over how much I love Morgan Webb. Then X-Play is over and this other show comes on named "Cheat" again about video games. This one stars a hot chick named Kristin Holt. While Kristin is hot I doubt she plays video games and Morgan Webb is still hotter and the love of my life.
2:12 PM - I go to the bathroom. I have to pee.
2:20 PM - Beer four. More of the same I am still thinking about Morgan Webb. Then Pete brings up Lindsay Lohan, how she went to the hospital and all. Pete says it is because of her bulimia. He tried to prove this but looking it up on the computer but no luck. While looking it up he gave my computer a virus. I took care of it. I said it didn't matter why LiLo went to the hospital but bit was for bulimia. Good. That girl needs a sandwich or something she is unhealthy skinny.
2:40 PM - Beer five. Still all hanging out here. Watching music videos and a sports talk show. They are all talking about the SC-Texas game and how Vince Young is the best player ever. I am like whatever. Then we start talking about hot girls and whether or not they would still be hot with shaved heads. For example Natalie Portman, who is super hot with hair or without hair. Pete and Alex disagree they say chicks with no hair regardless of whether they are Natalie Portman or not are not hot. I say they are stupid but they just shrug it off as if I am just not thinking rationally. A day removed I still stand by my statement. Pete is playing with an umbrella and breaks it. It was already broken though. I think I broke when I threw it into my car. Whatever. A package comes to the door it is addressed to Alex which is odd cause Alex never gets packages. It turns out it is for the both of us. They are the American Eagle giftcards from my cousin, Christmas gifts. Tim called and said he was going to The Boat if we were interested in joining him. I said We'll see.
3:11 PM - Beer six. Still watching music videos for the most by bands or artists that suck. I am still mulling over The Boat proposition. I think we will go. Still unsure though. Pete says he has got to go. He went to school. I say Stop by after school and bring a camera. I want to document this with pictures. He says ok. I finish my beer.
3:21 PM - Went to The Boat. We met Tim, Danny and Jonah there. We talked, and drank and ate. I should not have eaten it filled me up and that was bad. I had two large Miller High Life beers which amounts to 4 beers. So leaving The boat I had consumed 10 beers. Only 8 left right?
5:15 PM - Back home from The Boat. Alex is watching a DVR episode of Space Ghost. He is married to Bjork in this episode. Funny stuff I suggest you check it out. I am outside having a cigarette and a beer. This is Beer eleven.
5:34 PM - Beer twelve. Tim, Danny and Jonah came over to drink a few beers with me. They had a beer or two and then left. I am not sure what they did after that. I am sure it was fun though.
5:40 PM - Beer thirteen. I almost forgot to record this one. Tim loaded me so fast. It almost skipped my mind. Luckily I remembered. Tim was saying Dave was on his way to Mammoth. Hope he has fun. Danny is in the bathroom. Jonah is drinking some water. We are just chilling. Alex can't drink cause he has to work on Friday. Oasis is playing on the iPod. Tim is reflecting on days gone by.
6:07 PM - Beer fourteen. Tim has gone into the bathroom to shave his goatee into a Fu Manchu like me. I am his hero. Danny is chilling listening to tunes. Jonah is tired and half asleep on our couch. We are listening to my Crown Mix, which has mush less rap now Jeff, It is Sublime with Rivers of Babylon.
6:20 PM - Took a piss.
6:55 PM - Beer fifteen. I am cooking some ground Turkey patties on the Foreman grill with Cajun seasoning. It was delicious. I was pondering perhaps getting some real food after my beer. But that plan went away. I guess I forgot.
7:20 PM - First Hurl. I had to throw up because I don't know why. But I did. Afterwards I felt 100 times better. And back to drinking.
8:15 PM - Pete comes by and I am passed out. He says I was unconscious and moaning periodically. Entirely possible. Apologies to Pete for being asleep when he came by. Sorry dude.
9:15 PM - Back up. I am awake now. That power nap was just what I needed. Alex brought home Carl's Jr. I had a Western Bacon Cheeseburger and some fries with a Coke to wake me up.
10:05 PM - Back to drinking. Beer sixteen now. The finish line is in sight. I think I can I think I can. We are watching Scrubs on DVR. Great show. It is so hilarious how when JD thinks something you like see it playing out. Funny stuff.
10:58 PM - Somewhere between 10 and now, I went to the bathroom and made myself throw up again. Not sure why I guess I wasn't feeling well. But onward Christian soldier I say. Dive into Beer seventeen. I am surging towards the finish line. That mystery trip to the bathroom was just what I needed. I am empty and can feel the cool beer coating my queasy stomach and making me feel as if all is right in the world. I am finishing up Scrubs and have now moved on to CSI on DVR. Some crazy lady covered in hair. Damn I thought I was hairy.
11:47 PM - See this would be where I would stop. Beer eighteen. But somehow in keeping track of these I screwed up. After reviewing the tally today I just noticed I wrote the same beer twice for some entries. Too drunk to notice. On my tally it says I am only at 16 now. So thinking AI am at sixteen. I keep drinking. I feel great though I am just watching SVU on DVR. Drinking my way to health or poverty whichever comes first. Alex is going to bed because he has to work. I tell myself I can reach eighteen it is attainable. Little did I know I already had. So I keep drinking.
12:29 AM - Beer nineteen. Last night I thought Beer seventeen. Now I am watching Anchorman on DVR. I have the hiccups but I will not deter from my mission. Keep in mind people I am already done. You see what happens when you drink. Anchorman is frickin hilarious I am laughing my ass off.
1:11 AM - Beer twenty. I am thinking this is the magical eighteen though. I have done it 18 beers. Sure I threw up twice and fell asleep for an hour or two. I have reached the finish line. YEAH ME. Still watching Anchorman laughing hysterically. I am D-R-U-N-K. My head hurts.
1:41 AM - Beer twenty one. Wait you're probably asking yourself. You reached eighteen why mess with perfection right. Well I thought it was nineteen. And I was still watching Anchorman not tired. So I had another one. It had some scenes that were not in the movie the first time I watched it. Like deleted but put back in the movie. Something about eating cat poop...WHAT? Anyway I am charging through this last beer. Paul Rudd is funny in that movie.
BEST LINE: It's so damn hot...Milk was a bad choice.
1:52 AM - I am done. I am going to bed now. It was fun but I must sleep now. The End.

Well people there it is twenty one beers on one day. Even though I thought it was only eighteen. That is crazy. What's next for this beer guzzling fool. 30...Maybe. Or six in one hour maybe twelve. Who knows? My liver no doubt hates me. But I can't take it with me. I might as well use it up. Anyway I am so tired of typing. I am going to quit. I could expand more but I need to stretch and walk around or something. So there you go I realize it is not really an Essay and it is late and you are probably thinking I have problems. But hey I had a good time. And I still love Morgan Webb. Chicks with shaved heads like Natalie Portman are hot. They have to be like super hot first though. Anyway...PEACE OUT.

GROVE STREET 4 LIFE!!

My submission: No, not paper!

The following it true

It is perfectly natural to have phobias. Whether it’s spiders, snakes, or clowns, we all have fears. And, those who claim to not fear anything are not only liars, but are obviously afraid that we’ll think they’re a wuss if we know. The degree of fear which one has depends on the individual, but some people are just more afraid that others. Take for instance myself; I am terribly scared of heights. Let me just tell you, vertigo is not cool!
But, this is not about me. This is about a friend of mine, who for embarrassment we will call Amanda. So it came to my attention that she is a paper cut phobe. I know what you’re thinking, “who wouldn’t be afraid of paper cuts, they suck.” I will agree paper cuts do suck. I don’t find them pleasant, but I do not fear them. And when I say that she is afraid, I mean the girl is absolutely terrified of them. Just saying “paper cut” will send her over the edge. She says that her boyfriend likes to tease her by chasing her around with pieces of paper. I never really thought of paper as something to run from. Who knew? I bet she has nightmares about them. I should ask her if she’s ever had a dream where a giant sheet of paper chases her.
As I laughed hysterically while she confided in me about her phobia, I could see the terror build in her face. By the way, there wasn’t any paper around us when this happened. I could tell that she was truly scared. She got goose bumps, just talking about paper cuts. She proceeded to recall the fear that overcame her when she saw the movie Jackass, in which grown men give themselves paper cuts between their fingers, toes, and the clincher on their lips. Gross! Yes, I found this scene disturbing too. But, seriously she was traumatized.
I mentioned to poor paper cut phobic Amanda that she should look for a new job, because as a teacher she is a high risk profession for paper cuts. All those papers turned in, and all that homework. She I going to encounter so so many sheets of paper this year alone. Oh the terror. Has anyone ever heard of this kind of thing? Terrified of paper cuts that is? Granted, I don’t like them, nor do I think anyone does. But really, who gets excited when they get a paper cut? It’s not like it’s a five bucks that you find on the ground. Now that is something to be excited about.
From here she proceeded to explain the degree of sharpness of different types of paper. Before that moment, I would have never thought of paper as sharp. Who the hell says “wow that paper looks sharp. Dangerous even.” For example, she mentioned the paper that painters put down. She claimed that this is the sharpest of the evil paper, and that it should be handled with the utmost care. I’ve always thought of paper as useful, or important, but never dangerous or evil. At this point I had had enough of the paper cut nonsense.
This has been a cautionary tale. Be warned that people have phobias. And for everyone there is a person somewhere (maybe your friend) that is scared of it. Also, remember that paper can be evil and induce terror.

aarrgh!

I composed my essay entry in two sittings, thus saved it as a draft- i have now attempted to publish the essay several times, starting on wednesday morning. it tells me that it has published but does not appear on the blog.

Clocks and Calenders

Well the midnight deadline has come and gone. (I got mine in a little late...) and we only had three entries. I'll leave it up to the judges as to whether they want to accept late work. I know Randy had a good idea for an essay but the actual execution of it got a little messy and led to unconsciousness. I won't steal his thunder by blowing the story.
I'm jus sad that this little contest didn't lead to more posts. I started school, got a promotion, got in a car accident, all in like a three day span, and managed to post my essay. What's up people? There was so much buzz.

My Submission: The Mysterious Sunshade Defenestration

Let me preface by saying that I wasn’t there so a lot of the information here came to me second and third hand, but like the Kennedy Assassination and the Alien lading at Roswell, this event is surrounded in such mystery and controversy that I can’t help being fascinated.
A couple of years ago Alex was providing some drunken friends transport from one location to another, it was a long enough trip to require a short stint on the freeway, during which one of the passengers tossed his windshield sun shade into to cold dark night. Not counting Alex, there were four people in the car that night. That gives us four suspects, each with varied motives and abilities. To date, no one has taken responsibility for the incident and because of the involvement of alcohol memories are hazy as to what actually happened. At every get together where one or more of the parties is present, discussion of the incident ensues; finger are pointed and contradictory accounts are given. Every one of the suspects that has taken me into their confidence has pointed the finger at someone different. No one has said, “I did it..” Only, “he did it…” I have my suspicions as to the guilty party and this little tome will certainly be biased in a certain direction but I intend to profile each of the characters involved in the hopes that you’ll be able to form you own opinions and someday, maybe, we’ll get to the truth in all this.

The Victim: Alex is the victim in all this. It was his Camry and it was his sunshade. Earlier that night he had tracked us down, sans invitation, at the Yardhouse. Little did he know his persistency would mire him in such controversy. Its always struck me as strange that Alex didn’t actually see who threw the sunshade out the window considering how little time he actually spends looking at the road.

The Suspects

Nick: Nick had a window seat which gives him prime opportunity but there’s a problem with motive. What motive, aside from drunkenness, would Nick have to defenestrate (Look it up! You know long I’ve waited to actually use that word.) the sunshade. He’s not a bad guy and he didn’t even know Alex at the time. Is he the kind of person to throw a strangers sunshade out the window? Two other suspects have confided that Nick was the culprit, though considering the subjectivity of the sources, I tend to doubt the veracity of their claims.

Tom: If my understanding of the seating arrangements are correct then it was Tom who was sitting in the middle, or “riding bitch” if you’ll permit me a colloquialism. Considering his seating position it would have been difficult for him to get the sunshade to the window, especially without creating enough commotion for Alex to realize what was going on. From time to time Tom’s name will get thrown out there as the guilty party and he’s never said definitively that it wasn’t him. (though neither has anyone else). I think of Tom as the dark horse candidate in all this. He certainly had motive, and he’s clever enough to create enough confusion about the matter to keep his guilt hidden.

Tim: Tim was in the front seat and is therefore not a real suspect in the actual, physical act. But did he play a deeper role? Riding “shotgun” gives one a certain influence over the passengers. Was it his urgings that led the impressionable backseat riders to this act? Is Tim the shady leader in all this? It would certainly explain the confusion over responsibility and I can’t think of any one with more motive.

You can see how complicated things get with so many people involved, but I think our last suspect will cut through some of the fog.

Greg: Greg was riding in the window seat opposite Nick so he had the same opportunity but what were his motives? Greg knew Alex so he knew the consequences would be minor if any. We all know about the “rage” perhaps that played a role. Most disturbing and most telling is that Greg disappeared from social gatherings shortly after this incident occurred. Could it be the weight of guilt over the incident that keeps him away. Or, was Greg planning his departure all along and was this incident a sort of last hurrah. Certainly, Nick will attest that Greg is definitely the responsible party, but with equal opportunity it may be just a tactic of misinformation. For my money Greg is definitely the guilty. His disappearance is just too convenient to square with me. Why run Greg? It only makes you look more guilty.

Does Greg have information that could lead to the real defenestrator but fears retribution? And why are the others protecting him? Maybe, this thing is not the act of a single man, but a collaborative effort to corrode Alex’s dashboard through years of exposure to harsh UV sunlight. I’ll keep searching for the truth, one day the truth is going to come out. The car has been totaled (coincidence?) and memories are quickly fading. There’s even a theory out there that Dave was in the car. I’ll stay hot on Greg’s tail, my intuition points to him. If any of you see him, tell him he can’t run from the truth forever.

This Pic goes with an Old Post

Check out the Old Post that Goes with this pic, titled The Seamus Special.

Free Time

I had some spare time this afternoon while at work and something made me take a look at the archives of this blog. Life Outside The Rat Race has been online almost a year. I decided to take a look at the very first week that Pete and Randy started the blog. They couldn't get it to work properly and only Randy could log on so they had to make it a point to put their names at the beginning of their post. No one commented either. It was just Pete and Randy. So anyways, if you have some free time then take a look back at what we were doing almost a year ago. And come to think about it, maybe there should be some discussion on giving the blog a face lift for its second year. A new template i mean.

Deadlines...

Just so everyone knows, essays will be due midnight on thursday not wednesday. I'm giving leanience because the contest was proposed late wednesday night. Also, because i have no real authority over any of you, so in reality you can submit them whenever you damn well please.

my submission: adventures in online dating; a love story

okay, so i spilled the beans last friday night on the topic of my essay. how ridiculous is that?! but you all may have noticed at one time or another that i can't seem to shut up after a couple beers. hey- nobody's perfect. especially subsequent to a night of drinking.

speaking of imperfect things, it's so cliche now to say you can't meet anyone worth dating at a bar. i think it's possibe- it's also conceivable to meet someone at the grocery store when your carts bump into one another or at some mixer that the swanky firm you work for is putting together. but my life hasn't been so much of a sex and the city episode lately. so due to a boring day at the office, as a half joke/half serious (and entirely calculated) whim, i joined an online dating service which will go unnamed. oh yeah- i blabbed that too! okay, match.com (check me out.)

see originally, i entered a search for guys in my area of the beautiful inland empire. you know, it's pretty amazing that there are 50+ men in a five mile radius of me matching my exact prerequisites. i even entered some silly shit just to see! with internet dating it's not hard to grasp why most people are members. you can brag about yourself without sounding like a pompous ass, make stuff up and no one would ever know! you could say you love cats when you really think they should be barbequed, or post a picture of yourself from six years ago when you didn't have a double chin yet, or you could say your favorite pastime is snowboarding when you're actually a paraplegic. maybe you're better off meeting strangers at the bar- at least what you see is what you get!

anyhow, after goofing off with hours of random searches i decided to post my own profile to find out what kind of men are out there seeking women like me. and that's when i got suckered! because people start to email you and the only way to check it is to become a "subscriber". ha! well i figured, "i may be moving pretty soon anyway- might as well go out with a bang!" whoa- that sounded dirty, but you know what i mean.

so what am i looking for? on the spectrum of "man intentions" i fall somewhere in the middle of "chivalry isn't dead" (a common catch phrase among the romantics) and "i'll hump anything that breathes" (a common impression i get from the creepy ones). that's approximate, by the way.

it's only been six days since joining, and so far so good. honestly i think if i just got out more i wouldn't have started this venture. but it is pretty fascinating and with any luck, i might end up with a reason to stay.

Apartment Search 101

This month i'm going to dedicate to finding a new, cheaper apartment. Its gonna be hard cuz i'm looking for something in the area i'm in. I'm going to check out this place in Monrovia later tonight. Its a back house and i'm not sure that that's what i wanna do. It has hard wood floors though and that's awesome. So i figure its worth driving by and then if it looks cool then i'll make an appointment to see it. Finding an apartment is tricky business. Not only do you have to have all your money ready to go at any moment but you have to be available to see the places or get back to people. I've been checking out Craigslist.com for places these days. I've also been driving around and getting phone numbers off of signs. Its no fun. Especially when you think a place looks cool and then you call only to find out that there is no way in hell you can afford that particular place. My credit is good so if i actually find a place, that won't be an issue. What i really hate about moving is the security deposit and all the other deposits from the utility companies. I think at this point in my life a roommate might be an option. I'm also willing to give up some amenities. A patio or balcony isn't necessary. Windows in certain areas i don't need. I'm even willing to deal with ugly carpet. Most important though is the money i'll be spending on rent. It's all overwhelming really. So i hope things work out.

My submission: My Friends and I

My friends and I are an awesome bunch! We are super cool, funny and damn good looking. What do we do for fun? More times than not we "drink till we can't feel feelings anymore". Other times are spent lounging around. We eat, drink and are merry. Everyone is always there for each other too.
When we head to Las Vegas as a group of more than five, things can get crazy. There are times when the boys sit on each other or wrestle in a drunken haze. Sometimes the girls even get tossed across the room and thrown into a wall...all out of love of course. If my friends and I aren't in Las Vegas then we're camping at the beach in San Clemente.
This group of friends can become larger than five. It's more like fifteen! When we camp we have to get two camp sites. Even though my group of friends has expanded through the years we still stick with tradition. One tradition is going down to the train tracks in San Clemete at sunset to take a group picture before it gets dark.
Like I said my group of friends has grown. My friends and I are a constant math situation. We are always adding, subtracting and dividing. There are those friends we have all seen come and then go. There are new friends being added by marriage. Some of my friends have even become orphaned by their parents and need the support of this awesome group of friends. Me included! My friends are even multiplying! I have a friend who lives in England and a friend who comes from Idaho. We have all found each other and have become a great group!
In conclusion I'd like to say that I love you all and without you guys I'd be bored out of my mind! :)

Random Post

Sorry about that last post. I didn't mean for it to sound so grumpy or something like that. I just am having a not so good day at work. I apologize for sounding like a jerk.
If you guys want the deadline to stay on this Wednesday that is fine. I will just abandon my previous idea and write some little recollection or fictional story about something.
Anyway enough about that contest, how has everybody been doing? I have been doing ok. I won't talk about work because I don't want to. I had a good time at George's house on New Years Eve even though I couldn't drink too much due to having to work the next morning. It was good to see everyone happy and what not. Of course I missed my riding partner Pete and his lovely girlfriend Lauri but work comes first, right?
My weekend of Thursday and Friday was cool. Thursday consisted of me picking up Alex from the airport and then getting entirely too drunk, too quickly. Drunk to the extent of going to sleep by like 6:30 or 7, I think. It was lame but cool too.
Friday consisted of more drinking but no sleeping at 6 or anything. We had some beers at The Boat while watching UCLA beat NorthWestern. Then a few of us went to Happy Hour at Claim Jumper. After that we went to The Crown where Sheila met up with us (always a treat). After that we went back to my house played some dominoes then called it an evening. All in all a very fulfilling experience.
Of course Saturday was New Years Eve. Needless to say I drank there too.
Sunday night had a few beers.
Wow I drink too much.

I propose...

I propose that the due date be moved from this Wednesday to Friday at the earliest. This is just me and if I am disqualified then so be it but I can tell you all this much there is no way my "essay" will be done by Wednesday. So take it as you want just saying.
It's not like I will win anyway but there will be no essay submitted by Randy on or before Wednesday. Sorry.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

New Jeans

You ever buy a new pair of Jeans that you liked and now all of a sudden every pair of Jeans you already owned seems worn out and Ill fitting?

my submission: escaping the rat race (i honestly submitted this on wednesday morning but it would not appear on the blog)

The threat of violence hung in the air like cigar smoke in the backroom of a bar, all Bunny could see was the glint of moonlight reflected in their eyes, and the siloette of their shaven heads. "fuck off city boy" was the last thing he heard before the fist connected, and everything went white*. When he came round an old couple and a mix breed dog were standing over him, looking concerned, "are you alright love?" said the woman, "yeah, yeah" said Bunny standing up and brushing wood chippings off his Paul Smith suit. The first thing he thought upon looking at his face back at his flat was, what will they say at work?- it wasn't often anyone in the marketing department came in with two black eyes and a swollen nose. He wasn't exactly alpha male of the office, what with Patrick naming him 'Bunny' (due to his prominant front teeth), and his lack of anecdotes on the usual monday morning 'who i banged on the weekend' roundup. Thus Bunny didn't fancy going in and facing the questions, the sniggering behind hands and the inevitable call to Patricks office for a 'quick chat'. Patrick (MD) seemed to be holding more 'little chats' since they moved into the new office on the thirteenth floor of the Scitheon Building, maybe the magnifisent view was increasing his already bloated self importance (all Bunny could see was Craig's rapidly balding head bobbing around at the desk in front). The Scitheon Building was the tallest in the country- they'd used carbon graphite instead of concrete in the construction, reducing the weight, so allowing them to go higher.
It was too late to take holiday time off (that had to be applied for three months in advance, and ok'd by patrick), and if Bunny phoned in sick he'd either have to tell the truth, or try coming up with something that would give three weeks off (he thought the bruising and swelling should've gone by then). So fuck it he thought, "i've had enough of Key demographics and consumer surveys and craigs bald patch and being shown peoples new cuff-links and power point presentations and the whole fucking deal" he screamed inside his head. click went the mouse as he booked tomorrow mornings flight to Rio de Jeneiro- it was carnival time in Brazil and he was going to be dancing in the streets.
24 hours later a delirious looking man who used to answer to Bunny was stripped to the waist, waving his hands to the samba beat while the sky emptied rain and electric charge down onto Rio. 2000 miles away Patrick was leaving the fifth message on Bunnys answer machine, while watching a different storm roll in from the east. He could see the lightening arrowing down to the earth, the storm was almost above the Scitheon now. He hung up the phone as a spectacular fork of light hit the building, conducted through the carbon building, and as Patrick put the phone down, the air turned electric, and everything went white.

*in my experience when you take a heavy blow to the head everything goes white, i am just guessing about what happens when you get electrocuted.

Life Outside the Rat Race Essay Contest

Well, well, the gangs all here. I can see Lynlee is going to be a fine addition to our little society. There's just one thing, we have some invisibloggers don't we. Those whose names appear as contributors, but from whom we never hear? You know who you are. I offer up this chilling challenge to every single contibutor to this blog, new guys included. An essay. An anecdote if you will. A personal recollection. Whatever. Just make it funny and interesting, and no work stories unless its really funny. Lets say, oh about a page single spaced. The best essay, to be judged by an objective party will recieve the mysterious No-prize. Lets say one week from today, all entries due. I know what you're thinkin': "Pete, we don't all have copious free time like you do, I'm not writing a stupid essay!" Well, I say: "Nuts to you. We got into this business for one reason only...for my entertainment. So write for me Monkey boys... and girls, write like the wind! Just use that hour you spend everyday watching the scraping picking your toe nails and watching skinemax for something useful this time."

IT'S A SHAME

It's a shame that my first post has to be so...Hostile.
So the invasion has begun. If you currently live in, have ever lived in, or live in the vicinity of Pasadena, you know what I'm talking about. Oh yes, I mean the out-of-towners. Regardless of whether they are here for the dumb ass parade or the kick ass football game, they are still in my way.
Can I just mention that the other day it took me thirty minutes to get from 1st and Huntington in Arcadia to the Boat. Are you serious!? Thank God the boat has large cold beers with no line. Half an hour! What is that like two miles? Then yesterday I was almost involved in a head on collision when a man turned the wrong way on a one way and headed straight for me. The passenger was a kid, most likely the man's son. The kid just covered his mouth and his expression pretty much said it all. He looked slightly scared, but mostly embarrassed. Kid, you should be embarrassed, your dad is an idiot. There are street signs for a reason, and they're universal. Get it together people!
I'm also waiting for the invasion of the Texans for the big game. They'll all be here to watch their precious Longhorns get their asses handed to them by my awesome Trojans. I can't wait. I can almost smell their "I'm better than you attitude" in the air.
I understand that I may appear to be slighty angry, but I just needed to rant.
So, until next time...

Here's a view from Echo Mountain taken with our new Digital Camera we got for Christmas.
Here's Me at the Echo phone. Yell into this and a few seconds later you get multiple echos from the canyon below. Apparently, I have leaky nipples.
Here's Lauri at the railroad ruins on Echo Mountain.

Just so you know I might get a little annoying with this new camera. I think I might start a new blog just for photos so you can have the option of experiencing my adventures graphically.

The Good Times are Killin me

There was a great article in last year's edition of The Best Science and Nature Writing. It was all about introverts and introverted behavior. As it turns out, I am an introvert. Some of the symptoms? I do not enjoy meeting new people. I cannot be the center of attention. I find most social situations mentally draining. This last symptom surfaced big time this past Christmas day. After socializing all day with family and friends, I was assailed by an overwhelming urge to kick everyone the fuck out of my house, or my parents house as it were, and sit quietly for about an hour. I just couldn't listen intently, look people in the eye, answer or ask questions anymore. This isn't to say that I didn't enjoy the holidays, because I did. i just have to take my social gatherings in measured doses.
Anyway, so me and Lauri went hiking today. Actually we went to the boat because it was raining and then it was clearing when we came out of the boat so we figured we better go hiking. While hiking I realized that my stomach had been full since wednesday. I longed for a sense of emptiness in my belly, a chance to digest. So I'm officially fasting, I think through tommorow. I need to detox. As we were starting down from Echo Mountain, we overheard a group of parents calling Sherriff's search and rescue because they had lost two of their boys. Night was closing fast otherwise I might have volunteered to wander the trails around there to look for them. But then again I've been hking while the Sherriff's helicopter is looking for people, it quite a sight and those guys know what they're doing so I was confident the boys would be found. they were adolescents and probably just wandered off temporarily. I was looking forward to seeing that helicopter again, but the sherriffs were slow to mobilize, when we got to the bottom of the trail an hour later, there was no helicopter or searcha nd rescue team, only a black and white with a sherriff on the radio. As we drove down Lake the SAR jeep was just getting to the trailhead. I hope everything turned out okay. Seeing that brought back and old itch though, how awesome would that job be? Just hiking around the mountains, loking for people. I could get down with that for sure.

Monday night and a CD...

Hey everybody I was just at work and figured I might as well blog instead of staring at the clock or spending too much money on iTunes. So here I am.
This weekend marked Christmas as you all know. This Christmas was different than any other I have experienced before. This Christmas was not spent with my family. Unless you have been living under a rock you should know my parents live in Alaska and I unfortunately now having a full-time job with no vacation days spent the holidays here. Don't cry for me though I had a great Christmas Eve at Tim's house and a great Christmas Day with the DeClerks and the others who joined us for dinner and what not. So even though this Christmas was different than any others I have had. It was by no imagination a bad one or even slightly disappointing. Just thought I should let everyone know that. Anyway so last night after I got home I talked to all my relatives and wished them Merry Christmas and all it was typical. I also called some of my friends and wished them a Merry Christmas either in person, voicemail, or text message. So now until next year Merry Christmas time to move on to the Party of the Year New Year's.
So yeah New Year's is quickly approaching, do you know what you're doing yet? I don't yet but I am sure whatever I do I will have an awesome time. Worse case scenario I get toasted by myself on New Years but I highly doubt that happening(fingers crossed).
Today was super busy at work. I didn't really expect it to be but I was none too happy to realize it would be and while I am here till 10:30 with Kristian. Everyone else had a half-day. Can you believe that bullshit? Man I am getting screwed. Anyway so I have just been here reading EW's Best of 2005 issue and checking out other Best Of Lists on the Internet while taking calls from annoying people who don't understand anything about the computers they work with almost every day. It can become grating people.
So inspired by Pete making a CD I decided to totally steal his idea and make my own CD. Now while many of you probably don't respect my musical taste. This one is not all me. I actually while checking out the Best of lists I took some of the albums they had listed and took a song I liked from them. Now while some of these songs I already owned some I am now listening to for the first time right now. I must say so far I am impressed with my taste. So I realize I will not get you all clamoring for my CD like you clamor for Pete's creations but that is OK. Pete does have better taste in music than I do, there I said it. But just in case you do request one. You will receive an eclectic mix, kind of, of what I think are some of the Best Songs of the Year. Not the Most Popular so unfortunately no Gwen Stefani "Hollaback Girl", Black Eyed Pea's "My Humps" or D4L's "Laffy Taffy" which coincidentally happens to be one of the worst songs this year and possibly ever. So anyway gimme a shout if you want an eclectic mix of songs you may have heard of and some you may not have heard.
Alright folks this is beginning to become an overly long post and nobody likes those, especially when I start to ramble. So I am cutting it off here and am going to focus on something I haven't thought of yet. So Peace Out y'all and Happy New Years!!!

A Holiday Message

Peace on Earth.

Good will Towards Man.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

seasons greetings y'all

Greetings merry people of the west, hope everyone has a great christmas and new year, may nothing but good news arrive at your door.

Loaded God Complex

Who says one man can't make a difference? On friday I wrote a letter to Senator Boxer calling for her to start impeachment hearings against the president and today she's on CNN announcing that that what she's going to do. I AM A GOD!

Mayhem

I'd like to start off this post by saying THANK YOU to all of you who came to my birthday night out. It was awesome! I got drunk (which is the main goal right?), and i got a drink spilled on me by some random drunk person. Fun times if you ask me.

I've been busy finishing my Christmas shopping this week, but other than that it hasn't been to exciting. On Saturday i had one of my last physical therapy sessions. Then i went to work that night. It was some Chinese Christmas concert. One of the oddest things i'll remember from that show is when a Chinese woman starting singing Feliz Navidad. I don't think i'll see that again in my life time. Then Sunday was my day off. I was going to go shopping all day and not come home till i was done! Well the day started off wrong when i woke up at 1pm. Not exactly hitting those early bird sales was i? After calculating the amount of money i could spend i hit the road. Now i fully expected to deal with crowds at the mall and the parking lot...but it was INSANE. I have never seen anything like that. I went to the Santa Anita Mall. For those of you who know this mall, i was in a car line that started at the freeway. So i stuck it out thinking that it was a huge exaggeration of what was really to come...it wasn't! I finally made it to the mall enterance near JC Penney/Race Track. I was going to park in the "boonies" section to avoid all people but that was jam packed. Everything was jam packed. I looked for a spot to park (along with everyone else) for almost 30min then gave up. If i tried any longer i would have flipped out. So then i got in a car line to get out of the mall. I can't imagine what the inside off the mall looked like and gathering from the view outside i bet things weren't pretty inside (clothes and shoes and children...everywhere!!) Pete called during this mess and asked me to work that night (see "Ode to Randy and Lauri") I figured i wasn't going to be shopping, so i might as well make some money. I went to work to help Pete. It went smoothly. Then we (Randy, Pete and I) went to Applebee's for late night happy hour. Pete was all wound up from the day. We all ended the day relaxed though.

I'm gonna be taking Friday off of work. I wanna relax. Plus a 4 day weekend ain't bad. Maybe i'll go to the beach, it is like 80 degrees here. No white xmas here in California!!

The Bob Loblaw Law Blog

does anyone watch arrested developement? if yes then you'll understand the title to this post. if no then you need to cuz that show is so damned funny! mondays at 8pm, channel 11.

it was good to see everyone last friday! it has been a long time since i've been out with you guys. and it turned out to be a night of firsts: i'd never been to the chalet or the buc before, i'd never shot a 'scooby snack', and i've never had my hair stroked by a random woman (that i can remember). anyway, i'll try to make it out more than "every other month."

sad news from megan's parents: their dog, charlie, died this past saturday. i guess he was stumbling on his walk the night before and wouldn't eat or get up after that. saturday morning they found him dead on his little bed :( poor guy... i'll miss him. he was my buddy.

work has been draining... i'm so over this place. if lauri and i aren't bored sick then we're pissed off at the retards we work with. and we just found out that another coworker is pregnant. it's getting a little gross now.

(hey pete, i'm compiling a list of new music for you to check out. you'll have it soon.)

Ode to Randy and Lauri

You ever had friends that you can call and be like, I'm in trouble and I need help and they drop everything and come down and help you out. Well I do. We had two sold out shows back to back on sunday and after the first show, i was convinced that the people I was working with were so fucking incompetent that felt I had to call out the big guns. I call Lauri: "I'll be there." I call Randy: "I'll be there." No bitchin' no whining, they just came down and worked the show with me. Needless to say, that shit went off like motherfuckin' gangbusters. So thanks guys, you saved my ass.
I'd also like to celebrate Randy's triumphant return to the Civic Auditorium even if just for one night. Every step on the auditorium floor was like a stomp in face to that hateful bitch. They'll never stop us motherfucker.

My weekend

Hey people it's Sunday and I am just here at work as per usual. I was just sitting around listening to my iPod and thought I got nothing interesting to say why don't I post that to the blog. So here I am.
Come to think of it this week has actually been a tad bit interesting. Well only the tail end really. My Saturday and Sunday which to normal people is Thurs and Fri.
Thursday - Today my brother left to Alaska for a few weeks(like2) and it was Lauri's birthday. So on Thursday after taking my brother to the airport I drove down to Sunset Beach to meet Tim, Emily, Lynlee and Katie came later. What we basically did down there was drink and eat. A good time was had by me, except for the whole sleeping thing but I won't get into that. Needless to say a Full bed is not nearly enough room to accommodate 3 people that is all I am saying about that.
Friday - Today we celebrated Lauri's birthday. We went out to the Boat for dinner. I didn't eat anything though, I just drank. That happens more often than not. Oh well what are you going to do. So everyone who was anybody was there for the most part, certain people had other obligations and what not so...you know. One person who I was really glad actually made it was Lauri's sister, Sheila. I hadn't seen her in like years. Not really that long, duh, but it had been a while. Maybe she can make it out here more than every other month? So anyway Friday night after the Boat we went to The Chalet, saw six shooter. Then we took Lauri home cause she was done. Pete, Sheila and I met some others at the Buc to finish off the night. All in all I had an awesome time on Friday and I just wanted everyone to know that.
Saturday and Sunday have just been typical days at work. I did buy some Christmas lights yesterday but other than that they have been pretty uneventful. Anyway I am going to go get something to eat now cause I am hungry and bored. So that'll give me something to do. Alright y'all it was fun but I am out. Remember... Happy Holidays!! and all that other stuff.

P.S. Nothing in this blog was meant to offend anybody or embarrass anyone either. Just in case.

Well, folks...our president has broken his oath of office and in doing so had violated the law. President Bush's announcement that he authorized the National Security Agency to spy on American citizens is a clear breach of our fourth ammendment protection against illegal and unwarranted search and seizure. In his oath the president swears to uphold the Constitution of the United States, not to use executive authority to trample it.

What are you prepared to do?

Here's a suggestion, write your senators and congressmen and express your disgust. Here's the Links.
http://www.house.gov
http://www.senate.gov

King Aslan and King Kong

Hey what's up peoples from ALASKA. I was just here when I forgot to give some movie reviews. I caught King Kong and Narnia L,W,W before I left. They were both really good. Both had a great story. Special effects were great. Acting was done well too. When I saw Narnia I expected a kid movie and that's what I got. But I even enjoyed it too. So much that I'm reading the rest of the books now. Now King Kong I was really excited to see this movie with all the critics hailing that it was great. So I expected a lot out of this movie. I got most of it. I din't get everything I expected But I still thought it was good. Narnia I have to say was more enjoyable. But King Kong had more action which kept my interest. The story in King Kong I thought wasn't that good. Narnia was a good story once you say it's a fantasy with elements of magic and abandon reality. Well I have to help make cookies I'll blog later. Happy Holidays!

Solitaire

Does solitaire help with memory skills? My memory is totally shot. I'm not sure how it happened or when it actually got bad, but it sucks. According to books that help with memory, i need to be less stressed, exercise more, get more sleep and play games. So does solitaire count? I've been playing so much solitaire this week its ridiculous. This week has gone by very slowly and the only thing keeping me busy is game after game of solitaire.

Tonight my pals and I are going out to celebrate my birthday, which was yesterday. Its gonna be awesome! Yesterday Pete and I went out to dinner and i got my presents from him. Sheila gave me some cool stuff too. By the way, one of the gifts Sheila got me was from Yankee Candle Co. Its lotion and its the best smell in the whole wide world (as far as lotions go). Its Clean Cotton scent. It smells like a dryer sheet. Oh man its incredible. And it smells the same when used too, not just from the bottle. Ok enough about that. So yeah, partying tonight. Everyone should start getting pumped up starting........now! See ya there!!!!!!!

So long and thanks, for all the fish

Hey so, I can't find any new music that I like. What are you people listenin' to, and can I borrow your CD's? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. (no country or polka please)
On another note, I broke down my fish tank the other day. I just decided that a fish tank requiring monthly maintenance was too much responsibility for a 29 year old man. Fear not for my remaining fish, they are now living happily in Lauri's slightly smaller but much cleaner tank. I still get to see them on weekends.
Thats it, no real news from me.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LAURI!

Update

Hey y'all. I told you I would give you an update on the apartment when I knew more so here goes.
I went to daqy and saw the apartment. It's nice, it feels a lkittle smaller than the one I have now but that could just be me. It does have a nice little patio that would be cool. and a nice setup between the kitchen and dinig room. Like separated. I can't explain it well but it's cool. Now the price is not $900 as quoted by the old lady yesterday. It is an even grand if they don't refurbish it and to tell you the truth it doesn't need to be. It is 1100 if they do refurbish it. SO I am going to say leave it alone. I have the applicationsright here in front of me. I am going to fill it out tonight and have my brother fill his out and then drop them off in the morning and ask how long I have to wait to get a response. Hopefully not long. A new place would be a great Christmas present to myself.
So anyway that is about it I just wanted to update you on the apartment happenings. Besides that just typical work stuff. So rather than boring you I am going to get outta here. Peace and keep you all in the loop. LATERS!

The Birthday Boat

Lauri's Birthday is coming up and we'll be getting together Friday to celebrate. We're gonna meet up at the boat around 6pm. Where we go there will be up to Lauri. So Come to the boat for some birthday cheer. WOOOHOOO!

End of the Year

Yesterday i had my dreaded end of the year review given by my boss. It actually went pretty well. He had nothing negative to say about my job performance throughout the year. He did however have something to say about me, personally. He told me i needed to relax. He said that i get too angry and stressed out about things around here. Its a stressful job. I told him that i couldn't exactly go skipping through the hallways all the time. He said, "i don't think you like your job" and i said, "do you like your job?, its a job, no one likes to work". That's right i said it. Well to make a long story short, he's concerned about me. Give me a freaking break. He just wants to make sure i don't call in sick to work to often. He may be perceptive on some things but on other things, he's oblivious. Sheila is in right now with him getting her review. He's most likely saying the same thing to her. We have a tendency to freak out a lot here and he's finally catching on as to why. Oh then he asked "where do you see yourself and the company in 2 and in 5 years?" NOT HERE! I wanted to scream. But i didn't have a PC answer so i have to get back to him, and he wants to get backed to. In other news, Pete and I went to the movies last night. We saw Syrania (is that how you spell it?). It was ok. I thought there were too many different stories to follow. That's just me though. I haven't finished my Christmas shopping. Oh and speaking of Christmas. On Sunday was the annual work xmas party. We went to the Coco Palms, formerly called Copacabanna. It was fun. Sheila drank lots and just talked and talked and talked. It was funny. We played games and gave our Secret Santa gifts. It was your typical work xmas party. But back to shopping. I haven't finished, i've barely started really. I'm waiting to get paid on Thursday. Then Sheila and I have to go crazy cuz we have to ship gifts to our parents soon, very soon! Well i think i'll wrap it up here. Sheila is still in her review, i think it's coming up to an hour now. That could be bad, or good, i don't know mine was kinda long too i guess. Anyways, have a good day!

Apartment & Stuff

Hello everyone. I am just hanging out at work and thought that blogging would be a great way to use my time of not doing work effectively.
So today before work I went to check out that apartment in Sierra Madre that Pete and Lauri had told me about it this weekend. So when I got there I went and knocked and the landlord's door, I guess...? It was an old woman, a very old woman(off topic why is that apt. Landlords seem to always be old). She said if I wanted to I could come back later this afternoon and look at it if I wanted to. Obviously this was not an option due to the fact that I had to go to work at . SO I asked if I could come by tomorrow at the same time and take a look. She said the person should be there so to come by. So my apartment visit was pushed to tomorrow. I found out that supposedly the rent is $900 which I find hard to believe and am much more inclined to believe Lauri and Pete's quote of a grand. But who knows we'll see, right? No pets allowed which doesn't matter cause I don't have any so non-issue. So anyway I have to go back tomorrow. Just thought you'd be interested.
Today at work was more or less uneventful. We had a lot of shipping though. We ship out replacement parts to stores when their shit breaks. For some reason today we had a lot, but whatever. Other than that exciting tidbit just been answering calls and listening to my iPod. Listening to my music at night is such a lifesaver. So that was my work I could tell you more but I would bore even myself.
So Alex is off to AK this Thursday he is going to be gone until the 29th I think. So it'll be a "Blue Christmas" for me. Hahaha. Sometimes I am so not funny it's scary. Anyway that was just a little info for everyone so you can mark it down on your calendars.
Well I guess that's it I just wanted to let you know about the apartment visit I will be sure to post tomorrow and keep everyone updated on my apartment adventure. Yeah so uh... Later.

Busy times in the land of the Dragon- i have been working an almost normal monday to friday type of schedule, which i havn't done for over two years, but i'm actually enjoying it. between the working i've joined the 'welsh coast surf club', performed for the first time with my drum group ( it wasn't technically perfect but we got everyone dancing and i guess that is the most important thing), been reading about 3 books a week (i'm like a screaming black hole sucking in all literature around me), painted my Bass a rather tasteful combination of purple and orange (Timmy D- your picture is next), and this week i'm going to sign up as a youth worker at a local youth centre type place which was set up by a woman whose son got hit by a train while tripping on acid.
Has my 100 beers plaque been put up in the crown yet? i think it should have a grand unveiling, with a little draw curtain and speeches by local dignitaries, or am i being a bit self important? anywho, a copy of my debut album (if i get round to making it) to anyone who can name the band/song this lyric is taken from- "it's easy to laugh, it's easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind"

The Long Goodbye

Its 1:39am and I'm up because I ate a bag of cheetos with my dinner and it gave me diarrhea. I'm telling you this because we're all friends and I believe that we can be honest with each other. Also because diarrhea is funny. Its also funny that I had to run a spell check on this post to see if I was spelling diarrhea correctly. I wasn't.
It wasn't one of those variety pack bags of cheetos, but it wasn't the full bag either, it was one of those 99cent jobs that you might find at a liquor store. Anyway, I thought it was only the flaming hot limon variety that did this to me, but apparently not. I used to laugh at people who said they couldn't eat certain foods because it messes up thier stomach. Now I am one of those dudes. I have to now swear off eating cheetos, which is a shame because I like cheetos. I like the fact that you get more cheetos in a bag than you would, say, baked Lays. I also like the durability of the cheeto. When you get a bag of BBQ Potato chips you get three whole chips and a bag full of crumbs. Not so with the cheeto, the cheeto is durable, the cheeto is strong, the cheeto could be made of asbestos for all I know as long as they put that cheese powder on it, thats all I ask for in a snack food.
Across the street from where I work they sell thse sandwiches that I like to stick cheetos into to make them crunchy. No use dwelling on the past I guess. Well, goodbye cheeto. You were a good friend and a good snack product of dubious ingredients and origins when I needed you.
I haven't had to visit the bathroom yet while writing this and thats encouraging, but I know this isn't over yet. After all, it was the 99cent bag you get at the liquor store and not the little bag from the variety pack, this could be a long goodbye.

Freakin' Weirdos and People Who talk to you while you pee.

I've always held that a good quarter of the population is just this side of sane and that another quarter is jst the other side of sane. When you see three thousand people a day as I sometimes do in my job, imagine how many of them are freakin' wierdos. The nutter that I ran into today wasn't even at my job, he was at the market across the street. I was in line at the checkout, and I always choose the wrong line, and this guy comes and stands right next to me. Not behind me or slighty askew of me, but right next to me. At first I thought he was trying to cut in front of me and if that was going to be the case, I was going to jail that night because I've had just about enough of that lately. But no, as I moved forward he moved up wit me. When I came to the register he was standing so close to me that I could feel his breath on my ear. When the cashier greeted me, he greeted us, saying, "How you guys doing tonight?" then he asked, "is this together?" as in our groceries. I said no, paid and went on my merry way. So was he just one of those that are just on the other side of sane? Was he a sociologist doing an experiement on social norms? Or was he some dirty German with no sense of good ol American personal space? German would be my guess, I hate those dirty Krauts.
Then we got the guys who talk to you while you're urinating. Got one of those today. He wasn't even in the stall next to me, he was a few stalls over, but he has to say Hi, even though was doing my manly duty of staring straight ahead. When your in the bathroom, junk in hand, just shut up. Just don't say anything. Lest you get grouped in with the nutter at the supermarket.

You can all keep the gay jokes to yourself by the way. Jeff, I'm looking your direction.

Saturday

I noticed nobody usually posts on the weekends. So I figured hey post on the weekend. So here I am posting on the weekend. Unfortunately I don't have much to say though, as usual.
Work is pretty slow and annoying today. Lots of people having replication issues and if you really are interested in what those are? Ask me and I will more than gladly tell you all about them. But I am not gonna bore you in this blog. I can't wait to go home, not gonna dwell on that though.
Last night Pete, Lauri and I went out to El Torito for happy hour which was cool. Then we relaxed at my house for a bit then traveled to The Crown to meet up with friends and have a good time. I think we accomplished those goals. I didn't get drunk which is good sometimes. I had a nice little buzz though so that was cool.
So Lauri and Pete were telling me about this cool little place in SM. An apartment for only $5 more than I pay and nicer. I am definitely checking that out very soon. Not that I don't like my little Arcadia place cause I do. But change is good for the soul, right? I think so.
OK seriously I got nothing to talk about and this blog has got to be boring you people to tears right about now if not earlier. So everybody have a great day whenever you read this or a great night. Just great in general. Bye now.

Just Released! New Mixed CD

Here are some lyrical highlights of a new mixed CD I just made entitled "Songs You Might Not Know...But Should." Subtitled: " For contemplative moods only." This is not a party CD

"I'll sit and wonder at every love that could have been if I'd only thought of something charming to say"

"I'd like to go the distance, but not one of us is gonna, you see no one is wise enough to turn this ancient boat around.."

"Gonna find another place, maybe one I can stand"

"I'll be in my basement room with a needle and a spoon and another girl to take my pain away"

"talkin bout what we gonna be when we grow up, I said "what you wanna be?" she said, "Alive""

"All those I respect and trust, I guess they were just kiddin'"

"I'll be here when it all gets weird"

"please don't confront me with my failures, I have not forgotten them.."

Intrigued? All this and more on my new CD. Who wants a copy?

work ethic: a thing of the past

it's only 10:15am and i'm so irritated by all the lame brains i work with! little miss jennifer took the day off because of a cold. a cold! take some damn sudafed and get your ass to the office. i guess that pisses me off because i'll end up covering the phones for her this afternoon. amber, the baby who had a baby, is back from maternity leave on monday. and the worst part is that our company christmas dinner is this sunday night. so i'll only have one single day of coworker-free life in a two week period. ugh.

speaking of our company dinner, i can't believe you aren't coming, pete. that makes me sad. but what's really sad is the fact that a free dinner and open bar couldn't even get you to go... lol.

i've seriously neglected my obligation to blog. but i was inspired this morning when i opened the page to see alex and randy had posted! so i'm back.

Finally Mileage and Scrubs

Well this whole week I've been busy if not working buying presents for people on my christmas list. Let me start from the beginning.... MONDAY I worked on the David Fincher film Zodiac but now called Chronicles. It was just so-so. I was hyped cuz I love David Fincher movies, The zodaic killer sounded like a coolsubject, and David Fincher upgrades his extras. But that didn't happen nothing really happened. I waited til I was finally called on set and did nothing. But one thing happenedthat was wierd and cool. I had to walk past the actor and keep walking til the director said cut. So i walked and didn't hear him say cut till I was all the way on the other side. Now it was at Ontario Airport I literally walked from Gate 1 and 2 to the exit. Then they said reset I ran to get back but only got halfway and the 1st ad is all stop all right turn around and start there. The next take was a mess up and i got closer to my original but still didn't get there. The 1st stepped in again and then I heard a guy behind a tv say it's all right just get back in time and I went to my original start mark. The guy behind the tv was DAVID FUCKING FINCHER. I didn't mess up again. But the fun didn't stop there when we were waiting to be checked out the drivers were last after 100 people. They only hadone person checking out people and he was so slow! This fat old guy who looked like Wilford Brimley started talking about how he better paid for mileage for driving to ontario. He was I'm gonna call sag I want to be paid for mileage, i'm gonna call sag i want to know how far ontario is from the studio, Im gonna call sag how much is mileage. I was sick of it. I said we could get out sooner if we had more than one slow person checking people out. They should have a PA help. Wilford talked again PA's cant sign people out I'll call sag and they'll tell you. I was like whatever and went to the restroom to kill time. Finally I was checked out and yes we were paid for mileage. It was 6pm and kinda didn't want to work so I called My Call -in service and said to check before after saying that 5 minutes later they were wondering if i wanted to work "Scrubs" Now for all you other extras say Scrubs is the best show to work on. The crew is laid back, they feed you good, the actors are cool, and there are couches in holding and you could watch movies (holding is where you stay til they need you for the scene). So I said I would work it. TUESDAY Well all of that is true. I was a orderly so I could throw fun in. It was fun and for lunch Steak! Steak for lunch and it was real steak and so good also fresh made pasta. When we were about to shoot Donald Faison was shouting wrestlers I don't know why but he said a bunch and said Come On Guys so I shouted some out and he was like good job (they were mostly older wrestlers). The old doctor said some really old guy that we never heard of and explained him to us and said he busted people all the time. Donald said that still happens with guys like Raven ( who is crazy and blood is gauranteed in every match). He then said wrestling Fake HA! Later on I was called by my Call-in service and booked me on scrubs again I was like yes! WEDNESDAY got there and had some pancakes changed in my wardrobe and waited. The PA didn't pick me for the first scene and mostly everybody elsewas picked. I talked to my friend Reggie and said i think Josh (The PA) doesn't like me. He said Naw! it's just one scene. I was like yeah. So I waited and waited and waited. The people had rest and I always asked if they were done and they said no. It was lunch at 1:45 they still weren't done. The scene was 4/8 of a page. But they had some stunt well woohoo. Anyway they got done at 3:30. Then all of a sudden the PA pointed to me after talking to the 2nd AD. I was picked to be a maintenace man and friend of the big janitor guy. Only 3 other people were also picked. Also the 2nd Ad asked if I could come back tomorrow. Thank you Krista (the 2nd AD) but as I was gettin done changin Josh is all Hurry up getting dressed and I did but they didn't even need me right then. But I was finally used and it was great. Ok after that scene the PA said I was wrapped I was ok one scene whatever. To double check I asked the PA if I was working Thursday he said call central it was 6:30 central is closed. I asked again he said call the message box (where you call to get info about your show you are booked on). I said the call time change box or the info and he said call the box. I was getting frustrated and I returned my wardrobe and they asked If I am coming back I said Probably. So I just assumed from what Krista asked me. It turns out I was. But I needed my call time. So I asked Josh and he said Check the Box I got my voucher signed said thanks and walked out frustrated. I had to call my call-in service and get my call time cuz it never said on both boxes. They called back and said 5pm I was like WOW! Oh wait The box just told me my call-time and it was changed to 7 pm. What am I gonna do with all that time? Anyways I love scrubs and hope to be a regular and it's okay if the PA doesn't like me cuz The 2nd AD does. Soon everyone will!!!! HAHAHA!!!! Especially WHEN i become FAMOUS!!!

I thought cuz Tim said everyone should say nice things to people on the blog I thought I should say nice things to everyone:
Pete- You are a really smart and great friend. Really funny too. Finishing college.
Lauri- You are the coolest girl I've ever met.
Tim- You got a nice body (i'm not gay) and is funny sometimes. Fishing college too.
Randy- You are my bro. You know I love ya. You have always watched over me and kept me safe and on my toes.
Sheila- When I see you you are cool (just kidding) except the cool girl part I guess it runs in the Cuypers blood.
Owen- A cool guy I wish I got to know more. Your blogs are so good and poetic.
Tom- Welcome to the blog. Another funny DeClerk. Smart guy. Finishing college also.

I said the college part cuz It's important and I just quit maybe I should go back...
hhhmmmmm....... NAAAHHHH!!!

Two new quotes

I found these two quotes in a book my parent gave me when I graduated from College. I am just posting them for the heck of it they aren't exactly thought provoking or even that good but I am bored, so

• We are all born originals -- so why is it so many of us die copies?

• Though no on can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

There you go, enjoy or don't. I don't really give a fuck.

Hmmm...

This title is appropriate because I am thinking about what I can possibly write about and I got nothing. It is sad that my life is so unfull of adventures and just interesting things in general that when I get on this blog to tell you what's new, I can't think of a single thing.
I finally caved in and bought some Christmas tunes for my iPod. You know tis the season and what not. I haven't done any X-Mas shopping yet but I think I will get started on that this week and finish up next week. I don't have many people to buy for.
Ummm...work has been normal I guess. I just come in, do my shit and hang out till it's time to hit the road. It's not too bad, I get a lot of hours without having to do much work. They probably think I am lazy, yet I am pretty sure I have the least amount of open cases so they can kiss my white ass. Just cause I know how to get shit done efficiently is no reason to be mad at me, right?
Nothing on the girl scene so I will just skip over that one.
I think I might take a walk tomorrow. Maybe instead of driving to the mall I will walk. It's not too far it'll be good exercise. If I decide to leave the house which at this point is up in the air.
So I have started to make up like a fake week kind of. I figure that this is now my Friday night because I have tmw and the day after off. Those are like my Saturday and Sunday. And then on Saturday my new week of work starts so Sat is really Monday. It's not really interesting, I know. But I am running out of stuff to talk about and I still have 2 hours left.
Alright well I have bored you enough by now. So people I know it's the holidays and people tend to get frustrated by the masses and maybe even down on humanity. But lets try to keep upbeat and not kill the supid retards who are over running the world.
Happy Holidays!!

24 days left

Looking at my blotter this morning i saw that there are only 24 days left in the year. Then we start all over again. That's the bummer of it all. This morning i had to go pick up a co-worker at the local auto body shop. He was haggling about the price and afterwards i had told him to go to Marcos. He actually remembered Sheila talking to him about it and he plain forgot. So he'll go next time i guess. I am super over due for an oil change, i wouldn't be surprised if my oil light went on. Ok i'm exaggerating about the light coming on, but it's still been to long. Plus it dawned on me that i got my new tires last year around this time and i've never had then rotated. I'm just asking to break down somewhere. Today Sheila and I are doing more shopping during our lunch break. Yesterday's trip was pretty successful. I have to work tonight, its Warren Miller time again. On monday i took the day off. I was stressed out. I even got a cold sore from it. I felt bad not coming in on a monday and leaving Sheila to deal with it but i was not in good shape. Then on Monday...wait i have to back track. On Saturday Pete discovered that my toilet tank had a crack and it was leaking water everywhere. So i went to my manager and he said that nothing could be done until Monday. So monday came and they put in a brown toilet with a white lid. Everything in my bathroom is white. Not to mention, this brown toilet is much smaller than my old one and you can see on the wall all the different paint colors the bathroom has been over the years. I asked the manager if he had the white paint but i guess he doesn't. My bathroom now looks ridiculous. Pete and I went looking for apartments for me and nothing is affordable. I called a couple of places nearby and around town. Its all expensive and they aren't anything special either. So the search continues. And my gynecologist has retired. It hasn't been a good week for Lauri. Sheila's kitty is doing great after she had been snipped. Gretel is nice and calm now. Its starting to snow in Texas. My mom and Leslie said it was sleeting. My mom took our family dog, Millie, to the vet today for a routine checkup. She's getting old and i guess she is getting cataracts. Poor baby! Well this was an interesting blog. I covered many topics, and in no particular order either. But that's what's been happening in the life of Lauri!

http://wakazashi.blogspot.com/
Check out the second post on this blog. Its a Star Wars Gangsta rap video. It is Hilarious.

oh where oh where has my little blog gone

i don't like what this blog has become. everytime someone posts, someone else has got some damn negitive thing to say about it. so everyone think of something nice to say about someone else in the blog. thank you.

My Comic Book Conundrum

In and around 1990 right after the time when the Tim Burton Batman movie came out, I became interested in Comic Books. I was told that not only were comics an enjoyable read, which a lot of them are, but that they were also a good investment. I was led to believe that someday I could sell my collection and make tons of money. So I was not only a reader, i was a collector. If a new title was coming out and they offered four different "collector" covers, I bought all four. Yep, four copies of the same comic. When the X-men came out with a new title around '92 they were issued in plastic bags with a four different collector cards. So I had to buy all four, plus one that I could open and actually read. All on the promise that these things would skyrocket in value after some years of careful storage. Bags and boards @ 15 cents a piece, to keep your comics in near mint condition.
Here's what I've recently come to realize: The period I was buying comics was the height of the comic book collecting craze. The publishers were very aware of this and were printing millions of copies of these comic books. We all know what happens when a market is flooded, don't we? Thats right, the value goes down. And believe me, the comics I bought 16 years ago have not appreciated one cent in the seller's market. Oh sure, I have a few titles that might fetch me a few dollars over the cover price, but what am I going to do with the other 1000 comics I have? No one wants the damn things and more than likely, no one ever will.
As my tastes have matured I came to realize that, as with everything, 99% of comics are crap, and boy did I buy a lot of crap.
Know anyone who wants a bunch of worthless comics cheap?