I split my archived news in half because the page was insanely big. See thing before March 2001 at Archive #2
Cut out March 1, 2003
February 12
I was reading over a business site, and divine, the company
that laid me off in October 2001, is rumored to be filing for bankruptcy at the
end of the week. (Right now, their tock is trading around seventy cents.) This
brings joy to me. Not that I want to see the employees out of work, I just want
the company to die. A few months ago, all the employees took mandatory
reductions in salary. What a great company, huh?
I can honestly say that I do not understand what the war protesters are talking about. Sure, war is bad, and it's unfortunate that there are psychotic dictators in the world, like the ones in Iraq and North Korea. And neither one is innocent - Iraq says it doesn't have weapons of mass destruction (they do - we've found some) and it doesn't support terrorism (they do - we've spotted the camps.) North Korea says it does not have nuclear weapons (technically true - because they are still trying to figure out how to build them.) The fact that they haven't attacked us yet is no excuse not to act first. After all, on September 10, 2001, no one had attacked us either.
February 10
Saturday night, Andrea and I went to The Knight Cap, which was
new to both of us. To call it an intimate resteraunt would be an understatement.
It sat maybe 30 to 40 people, and we were packed pretty tight. But the steak was
very good. And Sunday night was pizza and the NBA All Star game. (Hey, it can't
be steak every night. And the pizza was good.)
Speaking of Sunday, my mom has officially retired, and the retirement party was Sunday afternoon. I'm guessing the waking up before 4am will not be tough to give up.
Oh, one more things. Saturday was a ski day for me. I went to Mount Holly and spent a few hours hurtling down a steep hill on waxed pieces of wood. But, I have pretty much figured out how to slow down when I need to. Like when children in ski classes whip out in front of me.
Added an item to my humor page.
February 4
I have added a new item to my humor page.
February 3
Last weekend was definately better than average. Andrea and I
went to see Phantom of the Opera at the Wharton Center, and dinner was at
Pistachios, which neither of us had been to for quite a while. (I let her pick
out the wine - she knows about these kinds of things. I normally don't drink,
you see.) And the movie Chocolat - not so bad. I was a little hesitant, as it is
a chick flick, but it turned out well.
January 28
The State of the Union address is tonight, which I usually
enjoy. I didn't really like it when Clinton was President, because most of what
he spewed was a lie. What I really want to here is when we are going to bomb
Iraq. Let's get this going. Or, even better, if Bush pulled Saddam's head out of
box. That would be even better.
January 27
My trip to Traverse City was not too bad, though the winter
storm advisory was not as good. It snowed just about non-stop the whole time I
was there. I managed to do some hiking - about 10 km worth - and ate at the most
expensive KFC I have ever seen.
The Superbowl was not at all what I expected, though I was happy to to see Tampa Bay win. Andrea made hamburgers and fries for dinner. I brought chips - pretty fair exchange, huh?
You would think for $88 million, the Hall of Justice would have a better heating system. As I type, I have my coat on and have to occassionally rub my hands to get circulation going again. I would love to start a fire, but apparently, we're not supposed to do that. I just want to live...
January 21
My weekend was very good. I celebrated MLK day by thinking of
all the ways mankind could better attain true diversity and brotherly love, of
men of all colors living together in... no, wait, I made nachos and went to see
Harry Potter, and watched some basketball.
Cut out February 12, 2003
January 18
I had considered going skiing today, but it is way too
cold to do that. So, my only real time outside was spent walking in the
woods, even though it was only about a 1/2 hour. Though I did brave the
cold long enough to go to Barnes & Noble and Meijer - nacho supplies
were needed. Tonight may or may not be a gym night - I haven't really
decided.
January 15
So I am watching Fox News and I hear President Bush
telling reporters that he is sick of Saddam lying about the weapons that
Iraq has. Take that you leftist liberal bastards. Since the first President
Bush left office, nothing serious has been done in Iraq, as Clinton was too
busy picking out cigars and thongs to deal with real issues like national
security. Just like the inane policy inacted under Bubba's regime that states
shady characters cannot be employed for undercover work to do such things
as infiltrate terrorist groups. What a great idea that was, because Al Quaeda
usually only hires good members of the community. Ah, Democrats.
January 11
My day today has been decent. I took a walk through Lake
Lansing North pretty early. Then it was a breakfast of a chocolate donut,
followed by going to Barnes & Noble and picking up the John Adam's
biography I have wanted to read. I also did some rearranging of the
basement storage room as I continue to prepare for my move, whenever that
is going to occur.
I went to the downtown YMCA (very nice place - brand new machines) with Andrea on Friday, and she made me work out pretty hard. My legs are pretty sore, but I should be okay in a few days.
I found this joke, and I just had to post it:
Generic name for Viagra
All drugs have a generic name
Tylenol
is Acetaminophen
Advil is Ibruprofen
And so on...........
What's
the generic name for Viagra ?
Mycoxafailin
January 9
The new ride at Cedar Point is getting closer. At 420 feet
high. To see more, check out
this link. I'll be using my season pass early
this year.
You have probably heard that the New York Giants lost on a bad call. That if the officials had made the right call, the Giants would have won. Well, that's crap. You know how the Giants could have won? Had they stopped the 49ers from scoring 25 unanswered points. Or their kicker actually making the first field goal he attempted. Or if the holder had actually held the ball for the kicker. Nope, the Giants lost because they were not as good as the 49ers fans. So get over it.
January 6
It's been longer than I thought since my last update. The
49ers won the 2nd biggest playoff comeback in NFL history, so I was pretty
excited, though the fact that they were 24 points down at one point wasn't
so hot. But they won, and that is the important thing.
Cut out January 18, 2003
December 31
The new year is almost upon us. My year will start doing
something I love to do - taking a walk in the woods and watching football.
What a day! And on the 3rd, I pick up my new BMW 323Ci. And that is just
the first week of January! The biggest and best changes are yet to come...
What a year 2002 has been. It started with me being jobless. A month in Europe followed that, followed by several months of searching for a job with no luck. And then, I got hired at the SCAO. A new building, an actual office, a paycheck. Things worked out in the end, just like I thought they would. Better, actually.
So Happy New Years!
December 28
Today I went to Mount Holly, but she wasn't home.
HAHAHA! You don't get comedy like that everyday, folks.
Mount Holly is a ski "mountain" between Flint and Pontiac. It was the first time I had been skiing since I was 15 or 16, and I had a great time. I only fell down a few times, and the last one was pretty impressive. Hint: don't cross your skiis while going fast and turning sideways. That is a bad idea.
A week from today, I get my new car, so I'll be in Traverse City next weekend. I may even go skiing up there, but there is a park or two I want to check out first, so my plans are still up in the air. For now, I'm off to warm up some tacos, which was dinner on Wednesday. Lunch was a tuna salad sandwhich, which was leftovers from Friday's dinner. I do live the bachelor's life.
Cut out December 21, 2002
December 11
Andrea and I had lunch at the Fish Market (in the new mall)
yesterday and it was incredible. If you are looking for a great fish meal, that
is the place to go. I have such excellent taste that the shang hai Chilean sea
bass that I decided on (before the waiter arrived) was one of the things he
recommended. So Andrea had to order that too. She is such a copy cat.
Today, lunch was at DeLuca's. This was a Compuware lunch, so I had lunch with my "official" manager. This lunch was only the fourth or fifth time I had ever seen her. Before I started working at the SCAO, I hadn't been there in probably ten years, and now, I go every couple of weeks. They have excellent pizza. I'm sure they have other good food as well, but I always have the pizza.
And for you, the loyal reader, I have added a new humor page.
December 9
Oh, the temptation to go to Grand Rapids to get some Krispy
Kreme's was almost overpowering. However, my desire for more sleep won out, so I
settled for a QD donut. So I walked the trails on van Atta and enjoyed the cold
weather. It's either enjoy it or be miserable until April.
The 49ers have clinched their division, so I'm pretty happy about that. And the Lions almost won another game, but they didn't. Must suck to be a Lions fan. Thank goodness for the Red Wings.
As I write this, I am getting ready to go to Damon's for my Monday night chicken salad. Good stuff. I am also looking through the paper for apartments. I am thinking of a place in East Lansing - I can't remember the name of it, but they are townhouses and are shaped like barns. But I don't know if I need two bedrooms. Hell, I don't know. I've got a few months before I'm kicked to the curb.
How great a guy am I? Don't bother guessing - too many things come to mind. Here is one reason, though. I have added two more pictures from Morocco.
Cut out December 18, 2002
December 7
I spent some time today loading some boxes from the basement to
my car. So mom, if you're reading, expect some boxes tomorrow. I've also begun
selling off some things and throwing other stuff away. I also did a little
shopping today - half the money I spent was for other people, and half of it was
for me. Hey, a brotha needs new pants too.
December 6
On the road again, just can't wait to get on the road again.
Well, I will be moving again. When, precisely, I'm not sure, but within a few
months. I'm getting kicked out of my house, but then, everyone is getting kicked
out - it's not just me. It's probably time - I have been at this place for a few
years, more than my usual stay in any one place. And at least I get to clean out
the stuff in the storage room.
December 3
It is finally cold in Michigan. I checked the temperature this
morning, and my car was telling me it was 0. It told me in German, so if anyone
else was driving my car, they wouldn't know how cold it was. The only downside
of my German car talking to me is it always slips in pro-Nazi statements. I
would take to sensitivity training, but I'm getting rid of it in a few weeks
anyway for completely unrelated reasons.
The grilled chicken salad at Damon's was good, but I prefer the teriaki sauce, as opposed to the barbeque. Now you can sleep at night, knowing my opinion on that.
No new pictures, but I have added an on-line palm reading I got, so enjoy.
Cut out December 11, 2002
December 1
My solitude ends today, unfortunately, as my dad is returning
from Cleveland, and I have to move back into my hostel... er, house. Do you
think if anyone would notice if I just let loose some poison gas in the baesment
and happened to go away for the weekend.
Speaking of, I need to get away. It's been over a month since I have spent a night in a hotel, so I need to think of somewhere. Just in the state, I think, so I can do some trail walking. The leaves are off the trees now, so the hunters should be able to clearly see by big orange hat as I walk through the trails.
November 30
Thanksgiving is over. Suprisingly for me, I did not eat so
much that I felt bad, and was at that happy point of just being full without
going over. All things in moderation, except football. There was only one person
at Thanksgiving dinner that I had never seen before, so that was a plus. And, I
got to watch part of two pro football games and a college game. What a day.
I have become a yam fan. I had never had one, that I can remember, until about three years ago, but now, they are just about my favorite Thanksgiving food, behind turkey and stuffing. I will have to talk to my yam consultant and find out how to cook them. I talked to her about it once, but I forgot most of it. (My short attention span, you know.)
We are nearing Christmas. So to Christians, Merry Christmas. To Jews, Happy Hanukah. And to Muslims, remember, decorate your explosives with festive colors. Green and red are the norm. Speaking of crazy ass Muslims, here is something my Uncle Kent sent me. Read it. NOW!
Cut out December 7, 02
November 27
Here we are, at Thanksgiving. I have much to be thankful for.
My family is good and healthy. I have a new niece and another niece/nephew on
the way. I have a new car in the works, arriving in a month or so. I have a job,
and one that I very much enjoy. (In fact, I don't know what to do with myself
during the long weekend.) And I have a great boss/co-worker/friend, who makes
work even better. Oh, and Republicans control Congress.
And for all my fans (ie stalkers - and thank you for your support), I have actually posted a picture of myself .
November 26
This week is just flying by - already, it is more than half
over. Thanksgiving should be interesting - I'm curious to see how many people I
don't know show up. That is the down side. On the up side, I get to eat a lot of
good food. I mean, it's not every day I get to have yams, which I have grown a
taste for the last couple of years, especially with marshmallows. Big fan of
marshmallows, probably because they have a high concentration of vitamin E. I
may ask for the recipe, but then, I would never cook them anyway.
I have added a picture of my niece, Brianna . Unfortunately, her father does not know how to dress her.
November 24
I was at a LAN party last night. A LAN party is basically a
gathering of people who play computer games and shoot each other. Since I turned
30, my reflexes are shot - I'm not 27 any more - so Andrea and I sat around and
played cards with a drunken Irishmen.
Added a pair of new Las Vegas pictures. Also, there is a new addition to my humor section.
Cut out December 1, 02
November 23
I had a lot of fun this morning. I accidently deleted my
entire web site (just one wrong click is all it takes), so I got to spent an
hour reloading everything. Not that anything was really lost, as it was on my
computer, but it was a pain in the ass. So all you computer 'novices', remember,
mistakes happen, no matter how long you work with computers.
Earlier this morning, I took a walk through the trails off of Van Atta road. I need to get my exercise - my fearless leader demands that everyone keep in shape or else she breaks out the lead pipe. And on the way back, I picked up some Diet Vanilla Coke, and it's not too bad. It is surprising how much it tastes like regular Vanilla Coke.
Added a few more pictures from Andrea's party.
November 15
So what has been going on the last couple of days? Not much. I
have, however, managed to post a few more pictures from Andrea's party . Go ahead, wildly cheer in
my honor. I'm used to it.
College basketball season is here, which is good, because now focus can be taken away from MSU's awful season of football. Tomorrow, I plan to do some hiking, weather permitting, and if I am brave (or stupid) enough to go on the opening day of hunting. The more I think about it, however, that sounds less of a good idea.
Cut out November 29, 02
November 12
Yesterday, I saw the movie The Ring. It was pretty good, and
had an interesting ending. It was about a young Jedi knight on a quest to win
the White House and marry a weight lifting alien chick. Very compelling
plot.
And finally, after a long wait, I have posted a few pictures from Andrea's party. More will be forthcoming when, well, I decide to put them up.
November 11
There was too much rain to really go hiking. I mean, I could
have, but it would have been messy, and messy is not really my thing. Instead, I
stayed inside and watched football. Kind of a shock, huh?
This morning, breakfast consisted of two Krispy Kreme donuts (thanks Skip) and some chocolate milk. I am planning on going to Grand Rapids next week so I can visit the KK there and get a dozen donuts. If you have never had one, you are really missing out.
Pictures from Andrea's party should be coming up shortly. I just have to, well, scan them in.
One more thing - the PF Cheng is open at the new mall. If you haven't been there (I haven't, but I went to one in Irvine, CA), go there. They have excellent Chinese food. And they have big stone horses, and who doesn't want to see gigantic stone horses?
Cut out November 27, 02
November 9
So Bobby Williams was fired a few days ago, and thank goodness
for that. He is a horrible head coach and had no business being on the football
field in the role. Of course, Ferguson, a black member of the board of trustees
brought up race, saying that Williams was fired in part because he was black.
Wrong, idiot. He was fired because he was terrible at his job. Just because a
black man is fired doesn't mean it was racist, unless you are a fool like
Ferguson or Jesse Jackson who thrives on stroking racial tensions.
This morning I went to Sleepy Hollow and did some hiking. I wore the orange hunter hat that I borrowed so I wouldn't get shot or anything. I had originally intended to go to Pinckney, but the cat woke me up at 3:00am and I could not get back to sleep for two hours, and I was too tired to get up when I wanted to.
Added a new page to my humor section.
November 6
Well, the state election went how I thought it would. With all
the labor unions, teachers unions, and, well, Detroit, it was inevitable. Maybe
next time, the Republicans will field a candidate that people will actually be
able to recognize on the street. On the plus side, the Republicans now have the
House, Senate, White House, and a conservative majority on the Supreme Court.
That is pretty damn cool!
At 6:30 on MTV, don't forget to catch the Eminem concert at MSU. I'm sure you will not miss it.
Hopefully, before the end of the day, I'll post a few pictures from Andrea's party (aka a normal Friday night at her house.) I smelled something burning, and I think it was power supply, so I'll have to keep my eye on it.
November 5
First off, happy birthday dad. You don't look a day over 50.
Today is election day, so once again, I remind you to go out and vote, unless you are going to vote Democrat, in which case, just stay home. And if you do vote Democrat, when Granholm is governor and raises your taxes, shut the hell up.
Last night was a Damon's night. That chicken finger salad is pretty good, especially with the sweet chile sauce. Trust me on this one - you know I don't usually eat salads, but this is worth it.
Cut out November 11
November 3
I finally got some sleep. I didn't get up until
8:00, so I practically slept the day away! I took a walk through Lake Lansing
North, a park a 1/2 mile from my house, and took a picture. (Actually, I took many, but I only
uploaded one.) Dinner was ham and scalloped potatoes over at mom's, and I even
have leftovers, so I'll be eating good an extra meal this week. The rest of the
day was spent - can you guess - watching football. That bastard Cortez, the
kicker for the 49ers, missed a game winning field goal, though he did redeem
himself in overtime by winning the game. The evening meal was popcorn - I was
thinking ice cream, but I had some earlier, and didn't want to overdue it.
Also, added an item to my humor page.
November 2
I'll say this - Andrea knows how to throw a party.
My plan was to go over around 8:00, stay until about 12:00 or 1:00, then get home in time to get up at 7:00 and head over to Pinckney for some hiking. Well, I left around 4:00am, and I certainly wasn't the last one there. There were people blowing fireballs and I think there may have been some alcohol at the party. I'm not sure, all I drank was water, of course. And I have some incriminating picture of a certain bearded management figure at the SCAO, so I'm happy.
So after I got home and had my 1/2 hour of sleep, it has been a slow day, involving getting pictures developed and doing some jogging. I do have another party to go to tonight, though I'm sure it will not be the event that last nights was. Which is probably for the best - I'm operating on very little rest. (I wasn't kidding about the 1/2 hour part.)
Also, I have added a message that Andrea sent to me yesterday to my humor page. Apparently, if you are woman, you will be able to relate.
November 1
I picked up the last two items for my Halloween
costume, so I am all set for the gala event that is to take place tonight. I
suppose I can take time away from my normally busy Friday night schedule of
having several days old pizza and watching reruns to attend. There will be the
famous Jello shots, plus, I hear there will be pretzels, so I'm there.
Here is an old joke I found while looking through my e-mails:
People greatly underestimate the seriousness of the Y2K bug.
After all, to
fix the problem, a computer programmer needs to find a date...
and we all
know the likelihood of that happening!
(That joke really hits too close to home.)
I have added a new picture of China (the cat, not the country - I've never been there.)
Cut out November 9
October 31
Here we are, at Halloween. I intend on celebrating
this holiday by working late and jogging. I probably will not get too many trick
or treaters at my office - as far as I know, I am only getting one. But I have
enough candy to handle that.
Last night, on The Amazing Race, the teams went from Portugal (been there) to Algeciras, Spain (been there), then they took the ferry (did that) to Tangier (been there), and then drove to Fez (been there) and went into the city's tannery (been there.) As they were going around the tannery complaining about the smell, I can certainly relate. It was pretty awful there. But what would you expect, working with dead animal skins in the hot sun.
October 30
I saw this simple quote, and I thought it was interesting.
Winston Churchill was asked about where exactly a family starts...
"Where does a family start? It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl - no superior alternative has yet been found."
Not sure why that caught my attention. Anyway, I have added a new page to my humor site.
October 29
My Halloween costume is almost done. The cowboy boots have been
acquired thanks to my brother in law Richard, and the pants and shirt I already
have. I just need to get some facepaint, and I'm good. I'll be the hit of the
party. Okay, probably not, but I'll look Mexican, except for the fact that I
have light skin, blue eyes, and can't speak Spanish. Other than that, though,
I'll be as close to authentic as you'll get this side of Taco Bell.
Cut out November 2
October 26
I went to Toys R Us today to buy some six guns for my Halloween
costume. I couldn't find any, so I asked the clerk if they sold any guns, and he
said no. (I went to Meijer and got them.)
This brings me to a good point. When I was a kid, every boy had a couple of toy guns. It was just the way it was, and if you didn't have any, there was something wrong with you. We played cops & robbers and cowboys & Indians and everything was fine. We knew we were playing pretend and that when we fired our toy guns, no one got hurt. We were kids, but we were not stupid - guns hurt, toy guns didn't.
It seems that in the push find some solution to the out of control violence that pervades our society, toy guns are a scapegoat for the school shootings that are all too common. When I was younger, and toy guns were in every bedroom of my friends, I cannot remember a single shooting. I do remember that we heard about a kid bringing a knife to school at Gardner (I went to Rich), and we were shocked. Now, knives might get you suspended, but the suspension will probably be overturned on appeal.
When are people going to realize that toy guns do not lead to violent kids, teenagers, and adults? Frankly, it's all about parents. I am almost completely a product of the values that my mom and dad instilled in me, and I have no problem saying that I turned out pretty well. (My arrogance is something I came up with on my own!)
Alright, now for a few links I have added today. First, I have included a few pictures from the Hall of Justice. Also, I have added the words to a song that was popular a few years ago,. the sunscreen song.
October 24
I am all moved into the Hall of Justice. The office is very
nice, though very empty, and I am having trouble finding things to fill it.
Andrea has already began tormenting me, throwing tennis balls into my office,
trying to break my concentration. But she throws like a girl, so I'm safe.
Today was a little different than most. Since the movers brought all our stuff from the Washington Square building, I couldn't work at my normal time. So, I got to sleep in until 7:30 and did some grocery shopping. And I got a fly new shirt, as the kids say.
I have also added a page about my job, so check it out.
Cut out October 31
October 22
Last night was Monday
Night Football night, so it was a visit to Damon's. I want you to brace yourself
- I had a salad. They have a chicken tender salad that is very good. It may be
good for you, I'm not really sure.
I spent some time over at the Hall of Justice today, helping hook up new computers. I found that my office comes pre-furnished with a styrofoam cup. In addition to my day of plugging in monitors and configuring systems, I got to put neon yellow stickers on computers too. That was my favorite part. I think I am going to give up web development to put stickers on things full time. I'm going to shoot at making $75,000 a year doing it, so wish me luck.
Added a new page to my humor area.
October 21
Once more, Sunday is
over, and my pro-football watching is almost over. Unfortunately, there was no a
Sunday night game, so I started watching The Silence of the Lambs instead, and I
saw a little bit more of it before I came into work. (To get in the right frame
of mind.)
I'm tired of the sniper news. What I am afraid of is that when he is caught, there will be the predicable group of people who will feel sympathy for the shooter because he was abused as a child or has a mental illness or whatever dumb ass reason he shoots people, ignoring the fact that he has (thusfar) shot 10 people and ruined the lives of those peoples families. Just shoot him in the head and leave him by the side of the road. Can I get an Amen?
Cut out October 26
October 19
Today was homecoming at MSU. So, of course, I did not go to the
game, but what I did do was help with the world's largest rice krispie treat. It
was a lot of work, taking about four hours to completely cut up, and my hand is
still feeling the results of the work. There were four of us cutting, but my dad
and I were the fast ones - we had our System, which I will tell you for $19.95,
plus shipping and handling.
As for the rest of the day, I got lunch from McDonald's (I hadn't been there all week!), dinner was nachos, and there was a lot of football that was watched. I have been wanting to watch Silence of the Lambs, which I bought last week, but there is just too much football - I can't get away from it.
Yesterday was a busy day. I spent most of the day unhooking systems in the Ottawa building. (I think it was Ottawa.) I got to go through a few of the justices, including the Chief Justice. How many times do you get to say that? I was planning on helping out until 10:00pm or so, but the movers were behind schedule or something. So instead, I went out drinking with one of the guys I live with. Much beer was had.
And finally, I have added a few pictures from Morocco. I have re-worded several of the pages, so check them out and marvel at my powers of observation.
October 18
Today was a fairly busy day. I went around the building that
houses the current Supreme Court and went around unhooking computers, preparing
them for the move to the Hall of Justice, where the SC will be housed shortly.
For lunch, the boss man took a dozen of us helping with the move to lunch at
Deluca's for pizza.
I have created a new wise saying, one that will live through the ages, right up there with "Four score and seven years ago" and "Alas, poor Yoric, I knew him well." You ready?
"A warm butt is a happy butt."
October 15
Last night, I decided that I lacked culture in my life. So, I
went to Best Buy and bought some soothing music to which I could do some soul
searching (The Eminem Show) and some artsy pictures to watch (Hannibal and
Silence of the Lambs.) I feel myself growing as a person already.
Watching Fox News this morning, I heard that of the past seven tests of the missile defense system, five have been successful! I don't watch CNN or the network news, so I am curious if anyone else has heard of this. I do remember, a few months back when I could still stand those other news programs, that they were very eager to point out when the first test failed to hit it's targtet, and how the whole idea was a waste of time. (Apparently, protecting our country from crazies with missles isn't a priority, but making incompetent baggage handlers federal employees is.) I would have to guess that they are not so eager to reveal the success of the Defense Department.
Cut out October 22
October 14
My lunch buddy deserted
me, so I had to brave the LCC students and get a sub from Blimpie's. However,
all was not lost. I was able to help a few high school girls find the September
11th memorial, so I did my good deed for the month. (Yeah, I just told them
where to go, but I was still helpful.)
October 13
The weekend consisted
of jogging and (watching) football. The Spartans performed to their average,
losing by about thirty points. Hopefully, my Niners will do better on Monday
Night. I finished off the pasta today, as well as the frozen pizza. Other than
that, I spent a lot of time finishing up a web site I have been working on for
the past month. It looks good, but that is just my opinion - though I do have
excellent taste. Except food, or so I've been told.
I have added a few pictures of the cats around the house. And, as a bonus, I've added a new section to my humor area, contibuted by my uncle Kent.
October 12
Lunch consisted of some
pasta that my generous (though verbally abusive) co-worker Andrea made for me.
It, like the salmon, was very good. Dinner was frozen pizza, though I did manage
to figure out how to warm it up before eating. I had to fill myself up after the
4.5 mile jog.
I was a bit bummed. I went to Best Buy to buy a love story / family picture, Hannibal, but they did not have it. I guess I will have to check the Lansing Mall store to see if they do, though I prefer to stay on the east side. But a brotha's gotta do what a brotha's gotta do.
I updated the About Me section of my site.
October 11
So Jimmy Carter won the
Nobel Peace Price, and I am trying to figure out why. The only thing I really
heard of him doing this year was going to Cuba, gushing about Castro (evil
communist dictator), and bad-mouthing President Bush. But, the voters for the
prize were largely Europeans - socialists and communists themselves - in which
category the Ex-Peanut Farmer in Chief is not far removed.
I'm afraid I am bad luck, at least to certain softball players that shall remain nameless. Both times I went to see said particular player play, this player has not done well. But the season is over, so the theory will have to wait until next season. (It was either that or the booze that was consumed before the game. It's a tosss up.)
Cut out October 19
October 10
The move to the Hall of Justice is not going to happen for
about two more weeks. And I just took my pictures down. But I suppose it's
better than working in a construction zone, and I am closer to the eating
establishments of beautiful downtown Lansing.
Last night's dinner was better than my average weekday meal. Andrea gave me a piece of fish she had made for dinner the night before and, to speak in the vernacular (for all my south side homies), it was off the hook. It even beats the pizza, Easy Mac, or McDonald's I normally have for dinner.
October 5
My how time flies. Work has kept me very busy, and Andrea, who I
report to, takes delight in finding new things for me to do. It has been a
challenge finding just the right polish for her shoes, but she says I do a nice
job. But even though I have to do things like take out her trash, I like it
there, and the people are great. Next week may be the week we move to the Hall
of Justice, but it's still up in the air right now.
Last weekend, I spent the day in Traverse City. I took my car up for scheduled maintenance. They did not have a loner for me, as I did not make my appointment until Wednesday, so I did a lot of walking. My day started at the House of Pancakes, where I had a Belgian waffle, then I walked downtown. I stopped at a few parks and generally just walked. And I found that the filet o' fish meals are $1 more than they are here.
I found an interesting website, marchFIRST alumni. It is for ex-marchFIRST employees to get information or talk to old colleagues. Ah, the good old days of unpaid expenses and questionable project selection.
September 26
Yesterday, I had lunch with Augustus, who was in Lansing
doing a bit of research on his new book 'And the Pursuit of Happiness.' I met
Augustus on my trip to Spain in March. I found out that Lansing ranks somewhere
between Trenton, NJ and Anapolis, MD on his, but I'm not exactly sure where. I
guess I will have to wait for the book. If you want to view the progress of his
trip, check out his web site here.
Cut out October 13
September 22
It has been a busy weekend. On Friday, I went to a party with
the people from my new job and on Saturday I had a get together with the people
I knew from EDS. I think the highlight of Friday was during some sort of
quiz/charade/make a fool or yourself type game. It was the guys against the
girls, and the girls were cocky, thinking they were going to walk all over us.
(We won.) And when the question was asked of what king of Englad was
excommunicated, I correctly answered Henry VIII. (Thanks for the English
monarchy book, mom.)
Here it is, Sunday, and my legs are still sore from my tennis match on Saturday. We (Greg and I) played for an hour and a half, and that was one set (I won 7-5). It was definately the longest, toughest set I have ever played.
Also, added a few more pictures from Spain.
September 16
Work is going well. I have a consistant lunch buddy for the
first time since the helpdesk days at EDS. Oh, those sad, lonely lunch hours are
no more. On Monday, I got a tour of the new Hall of Justice, and got to see my
office. It's pretty good size, I think - I've never had an office before.
Before I forget, I added a few pictures of Spain over the weekend.
The house where I live is very interesting. (Not necessarily in a good way.) Every time I come home, there are a different amount of cars in the driveway. I think five people live here, but I'm not actually sure, as at any given time there could be someone spending the night. I half expect to find a bunk bed in my room.
Anyhow, here is a link to the Supreme Court Administrative Office, the branch of the judiciary for which I work. Basically, the SCAO assists the Supreme Court as with administrative tasks. There is a lot a paperwork with with court cases, so that is the reason the SCAO exists.
Cut out October 11
September 14
The new job is going well. I work with some good people, and
they seem to have a good time at the job. I have the best seat in the building -
right next to the bosses office, and when he yells at people, I can here some
great stuff. I am going to miss my spot when we move to the Hall of Justice in a
month, though on the plus side, I will have my own office. I'll post a picture
of my current building and the HoJ soon.
Today I went to Sleepy Hollow and hiked, though there are not really the amount of trails that Pickney has. I figured that since I was up early, because the guys I live with, and a few people I didn't know woke me up with all their banging around at 6:15 in the morning, I might as well get an early start on my day. There is a lot of football to watch.
I also went by the new mall on the north side. I drove through the parking lot, then went home. It looks like a very nice place, but it is far too busy, and there are far too few parking spaces. I'll stop by after work this week and check out some of the new resteraunts.
September 10
I start my new job tomorrow, so that should be interesting.
It will be an adjustment to get back into work mode again. Today, my last day of
complete free time, I went to Pinckney and hiked for a few hours. And, I added a
few pages to my Spain site. I did some
rearranging, so just click through the pictures you have seen before.
September 5
In case you don't know, I finally have a job. I'll be
subcontracted to the State of Michigan and doing web stuff for a division of the
circuit court. And, Ill even be working in the new Hall of Justice, so how cool
is that? I have forgotten what it is like to have to schedule my day around a
job, so that will be a re-adjustment, but that will offset by the fact that I
can actually buy things again.
Cut out September 22, 2002
September 4
Wow, it's been a few days since I have updated my site. What
was I thinking? It hasn't been too busy. I have been itching to go to Cedar
Point or King's Island, as it has been a few days since I ridden a roller
coaster. However, CP is only open on weekends now, so you know that fall is
quickly approaching. And, almost time to buy next years CP season pass!
So, what else is happening... tennis, tennis, tennis. I have been doing more biking as well. Today, I rode to Clark Road in Bath, then found a trail and headed out on it. I ended up in some guys backyard, which I apologized to him for. But before that, I was zipping along, plants whipping at my arms and legs. I felt like I was in one of those Old Spice deodorant commercials.
August 29
Oh, the tennis I have been watching. Too much, really, but my
days are free, so why not. I am looking through my big list of state parks,
figuring out exactly where I want to go. There is one in the thumb that looks
promising, though that will take most of the day, by the time I get there, hike
around, and return, and with all the tennis I am watching, it may be too far.
See the tough decisions I have to make?
I have added a new item to my humor page.
August 26
Yesterday was a Cedar Point kind of day. I rode Wicked Twister
for the first time, and that was a very good ride. Rode Millennium Force twice,
and rode about everything else I wanted to ride. And, to top off my day, I even
stopped at the turnpike service plaza to eat at Burger King.
Today will be a good day. The US Open is being televised for two weeks, so I will be watching several hours of coverage each day. It is times like this where being unemployed comes in handy. The lack of money isn't, but hey, frozen pizzas go a long way.
Cut out September 14, 2002
August 23
The weather has sucked, thus stopping me from going to some
other state parks I have been itching to see. And, I wasn't able to go to Cedar
Point this week like I wanted to, but next week, hopefully the weather will be
better.
I was watching President Bush speak about managing our national forests in a better way, but cutting undergrowth and thinning trees in certain areas. And, of course, the protesters were not far behind. I wonder why Senator Daschle didn't get this kind of treatment when he slipped a provision into a recent bill to do just what Bush is proposing, except just in his home state of South Dakota. Odd, huh? I'm sure it couldn't be because the protesters only cry when a Republican is involved.
And, lucky you, I have included a new McDonald's!
August 21
Yesterday was a full day for me. I started off going to Duck
Lake State Park, just north of Muskegon. They have hiking trails, as well as a
beach on Lake Michigan. After that, I went to Michigan's Adventure and spent a
few hours riding the rides, though my favorite coaster there was not open.
And today was my final jog through MSU until possibly winter break (if it's not too cold.) With the students coming back, I just don't want to have to weave in and out of a crowd.
Cut out August 29, 2002
August 19
I went to the Busch series race on Saturday with my dad and it
was an enjoyable, if hot, time, though my car, the Nesquik car, didn't win.
For breakfast, we stopped at the Old Country Buffet, where we witnesses some rather large people. This brings up the topic (smooth segue) of the fat guy lawsuit. By now, you have heard of it - some asshole is suing McDonald's because french fies are fatty, or something like that. No shit. If you are actually concerned about your weight, DO NOT EAT AT MCDONALD'S. The nutritional information available at any store can tell you how many calories are in a Big Mac.
Speaking of McDonald's, I am opening a new section of my site - McDonald's around the world. So enjoy.
August 16
Another job lead, another false start. There was a promising
looking consulting job in Illinois, but it did not pan out. Ah, well, I'm used
to it.
I've been thinking about Cancun again. I'll have to talk to Greg to make sure that we have something planned for this winter. A nice, relaxing week on the beach is something I want to do every year.
August 14
I have made a couple of updates to my web site. First, I have
added an mp3 of the song from The Enchanted
Tiki Room. That's right, what you have always wanted. And, I have added a
new page in my humor area.
Cut out August 23, 2002
August 12
I heard an interesting statistic today. A man did a study about
the counties won by Gore and Bush, and Bush pretty much cleaned up on square
miles won, counties won, states won (including Tennessee, Gore's state), etc.
But one stat was my favorite:
So I looked up this Horowitz and found that he also made claims that the CIA created the HIV virus. Apparently, he believes that the virus was released through certain tainted vaccinations in Africa. I am going to put forth my theory - he is an absolute quack. I think (and my qualifications for this are just as good as his - ie NO QUALITIFICATIONS) that he has read 1984 one too many times. And anyone in Michigan, world capital of mosquitos, knows just how well Off works.
I have written a brief summary about DDT and it's use as a chemical pesticide. I had grown up hearing about bad it was, that it hurt the environment and it was poisonous to humans. I was quite surprised what I learned, so examine my findings.
Cut out August 21, 2002
August 10
Today, I discovered a URL that you will not be able to live
without - the Punky
Brewster episode guide . You can thank me later, and then sent your money to
my PayPal account when you realize that this is a life changing event.
This morning, I walked along the Riverwalk in Lansing. I was scouting out new jogging territory, because, although I enjoy jogging around Michigan State, eventually, it will get old. But I played tennis with Greg, so I the jogging will have to wait until tomorrow. Only one exhausting excercise per day.
Cut out August 12, 2002
August 9
Another day, another trip to Cedar Point. I headed down to
Sandusky yesterday. My dad did not start off well. First, there was an accident
on US 23, which slowed me way down. Then I decided to take a different route, so
instead of taking the Ohio Turnpike, I took US 2, which sucked, because I had to
drive through Toledo before I actually got to the highway.
Going through some old photos (old being from February of this year), I have added a new shot from Marakesh, Morocco.
August 6
Today was my Aunt Floy's funeral, so it was not such a nice day.
She had a very interesting life. I think the best part of the experience was all
the nice things people had to say about her. That's what I want at my memorial
barbeque. (I don't want a funeral. After I die, I want people to eat nachos and
chicken tenders and drink alcohol.)
August 3
Yesterday was good. I went to Michigan's Adventure, which is near
Muskegon. It was about 1/3 the size of Cedar Point, but they had a very good
wooden coaster called Shivering Timbers. After the park, I took the long way
home, on the back two lane highways. It was a good switch from the freeways,
though I did have a lot of bugs on my windshield.
And, yesterday was my mom's birthday, so happy birthday mom! The ice cream and cake was good.
Cut out August 11, 2002
August 2
Yesterday was an exciting day. I went to Williamston, to
McCormick Park. See what an exciting, thrilling life I live? And after last
nights Arby's dinner, you would think that I would be taking it easy - so much
non-stop action is such a little time could cause physical damage. But don't
worry, I'm okay.
Yesterday's story of the high school girls kidnapping had a happy ending for two reasons. First and foremost, the girls were found alive. And second, the kidnapper was killed. There will be no crooked defense lawyers getting him off on a technicality, as so often happens.
August 1
I'm not sure if you are aware of this fact, but Tom Daschle
(D-SD) recently snuck in a provision of a recent defense bill that states that
South Dakota, his state, will not be subjected to the same foresting
restrictions as western states are. Specifically, South Dakota will allow
workers to enter forests to clear undergrowth, which, due to environmental
regulations passed by Democrats, the western states are not able to do, a cause
of the recent spread of forests fires in Colorado, Arizona, and Oregon.
Have you noticed how this fact is not mentioned on the nightly news? Have you seen any protests by the environmental movement? Of course not! Because the environmentalists and Democrats are in cahutes. There can be no doubt that if a Republican senator tried this, it would be all over the news as another sign the Republicans want to destroy the environment. Tom Daschle's idea is a good one - states should be permitted to clear out undergrowth to prevent the spread of raging fires. Let's just hope that states other than South Dakota can benefit from this type of legislation.
Cut out August 5, 2002
July 31
I was watching The O'Reilly Factor, and a woman who had recently
has a mastectomy and had plugs implanted in her breasts was basically humiliated
by security personel at the Grand Rapids airport. This is a bad situation -
look, middle age white women are NOT going to blow up the planes. Perhaps you
should check out the young Arab males. Just a suggestion.
Anyway, I mention this because Bill O'Reilly asked her if she was going to sue, and she said no, that her energy should be directed elsewhere. God bless this woman! Someone who DOESN'T want to sue for something. I wish the message would get through to the fat guy who is suing the fast food resteraunts because he's fat.
On another political note, I have written a short article on the the insistance on calling President Bush dumb.
July 30
It was a 'busy' day. But busy for me, non-steadying person that I
am, is different than you. I got a new computer game to replace Jedi Knight II,
which I just won two days ago. Then I saw Goldmember. It was very funny, and the
best part was the rap video. I will not give too much away, but this was the
funniest thing I have seen in quite a while.
For the highlight of my day, I went to Kruger Park on Aurelius. I jogged from there (which is on the east side of Potter Park) to the Lansing Center and back. It took me 55 minutes, and I would estimate it was about 5.5 - 6 miles, assuming I was jogging slower than my usual pace. It was pretty tiring. To make up for it, I went to McDonald's to replace all that lost salt and fat.
Cut out August 1,2002
July 27
Yesterday, I went to Taco Bell to feast on their grilled stuffed
burrito. They are pretty good. And because the burrito was so good, here is a new page for my humor site.
I took a jog around my old neighborhood in Lansing. I went by my middle school (Dwight Rich) and my old house. It has seen better days. I'm not even sure anyone still lives there. The lawn was unmowed, the bushes untrimmed, and their was a missing panel in the garage door. It's almost sad.
July 26
My dog watching duties have begun. It is tough work, but I get all
the frozen chicken I can eat, so how can you pass that up?
July 24
Nothing much happening. Listening to the news, I heard that
Clinton said that the fight against AIDS in Africa is just as important as the
fight against terrorism. This is an idiotic statement. Here is how to stop AIDS
without spending any money - don't have sex with someone with AIDS. See, I'm a
genius.
Cut out July 30, 2002
July 23
Yesterday was a good day. I passed my A+ certification tests, so
now I am A+ certified. Basically, the tests are to judge the competency of
computer technicians, and consist of two tests, one for hardware and one for
operating systems (Windows versions.)
I've been reading Slander by Ann Coulter, the most attractive conservative Republican author you'll ever see. Dare I say it - the perfect woman for me.
July 21
It was a decent weekend. The weather was cooler than it has been,
and I was able to jog 5.5 miles on Sunday. Most of my TV watching for the day
was spent watching golf because, let's face it, until the football pre-season
starts next month, there is nothing on Sunday afternoons.
I found another good spot to relax and read a book on campus. In addition to park by Natural Science, which has lots of shade and a fountain, there is nice area between Williams Hall and Michigan Avenue. This one also has a fountain, a face spitting out water into the pool. It was there that I started reading Ann Coulter's new book, Slander. So far, I am really enjoying it.
July 19
Slow day. I spent most of the day inside, studying computer docs,
though I did take a brief break to shoot some hoops. I finished a book on
London, called In Search of London, which was very good. The author, HV Morton,
walks through different parts of London and gives descriptions and a bit of
history. A very interesting book, and it only cost me $1, as I picked it up at
the MSU library.
July 17
This morning I went to Grand Ledge and walked through Fitzgerald
Park, which runs by the river and by the limestone formations. And, I saw Men in
Black II, which was funny. And, I got dinner from Panda Express. So it was a
very busy, trying day for me, and I will need to rest up tomorrow. Oh, and I
posted some of my pictures from Chicago.
Cut out July 26, 2002
July 16
It's been a slow time for me. I have been thinking desperately of
something interesting that has happened in the last week, but I can't really
think of anything. I have been wanting to go to Michigan's Adventure, but it has
been too hot this week, and will continue to be hot, so I may have to pospone my
trip until next week.
July 10
I was able to get to Chicago yesterday. It was a long day, but
well worth it. I saw the house where the Real World: Chicago was filmed, took a
tour of Frank Llyod Wright's Oak Park home and studio, ate lunch at the Hard
Rock Cafe, and went up the Sears tower. Pictures forthcoming.
July 9
Still nada on the job front, but the hunt goes on. Otherwise,
nothing much has happened. I have had to move my daily jogs from the Lake
Lansing area to the MSU campus area, as there are lots of bugs around the lake.
There is a big swampy area, after all. I have gone nowhere exciting, though I
have been wanting to go to Chicago, and hopefully I will do so in the next week
or two.
July 2
It has been a busy couple of days for gay men blasting Bush. First,
Tom Cruise (a gay midget who belongs to a cult) talks about how America is not a
safe place to raise children. Funny, it seems to be a great place for that
little bastard to make all his money. And now, George Michael took time off from
pleasuring himself (and others) in mens bathrooms to take a shot at Bush. Hmm,
when was George Michael popular? A decade ago? Why does he think he is still
relevant?
Cut out July 19, 2002
June 27
So one of the federal courts in San Francisco (of course) found
the Pledge of Allegiance to be unconstitutional. When I first saw it on Fox
News, I thought they were joking but, as usual, truth is stranger as fiction.
However, common sense (hopefully) will win. Greg told me that the particular
court that made the decision had 30 of it's decisions reviewed last year, and 29
of them were overturned. Which really makes you wonder what kind of Communists
they have out there in the California judicial system.
Yesterday was pretty slow. Tennis I watched, yes. (A little Yoda speak for you.) Greg and I played the most exhausting set of tennis I have ever been involved with. The last set alone took an hour. (He won the first 6-4, and I won the second 7-5.) Hey, I figured the 3.5 miles I jogged in the morning was not enough of a workout.
Friday, I go to Cedar Point. Should be a fun trip. I'll probably ride the new ride, the Wicked Twister, along with my favorites - the Millennium Force and Power Tower.
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June 26 |
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Cut out July 9, 2002
June 24
Today was the third hot day in a row (hot being high 80's.) The
jogging has had to be done early in the day, lest I collapse and die. But, as we
are civilized human beings, we have central air, and my basement level room in
naturally cool. Plus I hauled down the freezer and keep the lid open, so it's
about forty degrees.
I bought a printer cartridge for my Lexmark printer. You know what really sucks? The printer cost $30, and the cartridge cost $31! How messed up with that?
June 21
I had dinner at Cheddar's yesterday. It was the first time since
it had been rebuilt (after it burned down) I had eaten there. Nice, but it is
completely different than it used to be, though they do have the rotating
fans.
Today I did some jogging and played tennis, though it was pretty exhausting. That humidity is a killer. I also watched a tape of a show called American Marriage, or something like that. It was about couples and weddings. The good part was that it was an enjoyable show. The bad part is that it will take a few years for the next part to come out - they are doing a show every few years.
June 19
On Monday, I went to Detroit and saw the Red Wings victory parade.
I've even added a few pictures of my
excursion. It was pretty packed, but what would you expect. For lunch, I went to
the Reneissance Center and ate at McDonald's. They have a pretty good food court
there. Then I wandered around Detroit, and I didn't even get shot at! So it was
a good day.
No luck yet on the job situation, but I've been looking pretty hard. Though Arby's is calling, and the food discounts are tempting, I have yet resisted their pull.
June 13
I saw Star Wars yesterday, though that will probably be the last
time until it comes out on DVD. The pizza was good, and I bought a printer. It
was a refurbished Lexmark, but it only cost $30, and the only thing I really
wanted was to print out text documents.
On a downer, I just got a summons to jury duty the first week of July. I have escaped it for twelve years, but now, it is time to go into the jury box and pronounce the scum guilty of whatever he is charged with.
Cut out June 26, 2002
June 12
I am now in possession of the second season of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer on DVD. As well as seven new Dreamcast games (they were 50% off at Best
Buy.) And I prepare myself for a very busy day of getting pizza for dinner and
then watching the NBA Finals. One must be mentally ready for such a trying
day.
June 11
Wow, I haven't updated my site in a week. That's unusual. Anyway,
it will be a busy week, as I have a few job interviews, as well as a trip
somewhere, I'm not sure where. Probably Chicago, perhaps Cedar Point, but
Toronto also has an outside shot at it.
I added a picture of my hotel from Syndey, Australia.
June 5
I watched more French Open tennis, though it was all reruns - it
was raining in France, which is not unusual. So I added a few pages from London to my site, as well as a new item
to my humor section.
June 4
Yesterday, for my birthday, I had lunch with Anna at Fazoli's.
After that, I went to see Star Wars again (that is four times.)
Remember that tonight is Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals. Go Red Wings!
Cut out June 19, 2002
June 3
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me... I had a birthday
donut instead of my usual toast, so the day is already better than an ordinary
Monday. And I got some pictures back, and there are some shots from Portugal
that I had forgotten about, so as soon as I get a new scanner, I'll be posting
them.
Yesterday I had my birthday party at my mom's house, and got lots of good stuff, including the nicest book I now possess, one on English royalty. Now I need a nicer bookshelf to hold my nice book.
I did a search and found some things that happened on June 3rd throughout history. But that's not all! Act now, and you will also receive an additional item on my humor page. What would you expect to pay for this deal? Nothing? That's right!
June 1
Only two more days before my birthday. I hope you got me something
nice. I know, you can hardly wait.
At any rate, I added a new page to my humor section.
Cut out June 12, 2002
May 31
Added a few more Vegas
pictures, and also added a shoto from Paris . I had to get my web updates done
early, as I plan on watching many hours of French Open tennis, as I have all
week. I suppose I should get out a little today, as it is supposed to rain the
rest of the weekend. And don't forget to watch the Red Wings game tonight at
7:00.
I heard some disturbing news. Apparently, Britney Spears is gaining some weight. This is bad news, and I hope it corrects itself.
May 30
I'm still sorting through my Vegas pictures. I took a lot, but
then, I always take lots. In the meantime, I was going through my e-mail and
found several items that I added to my humor
section. And I saw Attack of the Clones again.
Anyway, you're in luck. I have started my Vegas picture collection. Only two right now, but it's getting there.
May 28
My trip to Las Vegas was good, though I am trying to get over the
my devastating loss of .80 in slot machines. I may need to go to counseling and
apply for government services in order to recover. We stayed at The Venetian,
probably the nicest hotel I have stayed in, and I have stayed in quite a few.
Pictures are forthcoming.
Cut out June 4, 2002)
May 21
Tomorrow I leave for Las Vegas. That should be a good trip - I
haven't been to Vegas in almost four years. So when you don't see any updates on
this site for the rest of the week, there is no need to panic.
As a going away present, here are a few pictures from Morocco.
May 18
I ended up seeing Star Wars - Attack of the Clones again. Hey, I
held out a day before I HAD to see it again. It's a very cool movie. After I was
leaving the show on Friday, I noticed that the next five shows were sold out, so
it appears to be doing alright. Now, I have to buy the book - I need something
to read on the flight to Las Vegas, which will be on Wednesday.
May 17
It was all I could do last night not to see Star Wars again. I will
probably see it again today,a nd definately this weekend. Instead, I watched
hockey and added a picture from Disneyland.
And, I added a few more pictures to my class
reunion section. Also, I added a little information about why I named my web site Wunderhund.
(Cut out June 3, 2002)
May 16
I have seen Star Wars, and it is good. Definately better than the
last one. It was funny, I saw five people I knew in line for the movie, most of
the ex-EDSers. I definately plan to see this one a few more times.
May 15
In less than a day, Star Wars Episode II is released. I'm hopeful
that it will not suck like the last one, but just in case, I am not seeing the
midnight show like last time.
I wrote up a few pages on my experience at marchFIRST. I talk about the general timeline of how things went bad, and how I got laid off. So if you have any interest, either in me or mF / divine, check it out.
(Cut out May 28, 2002)
May 13
I had a good couple of days. On Thursday, I went to Sandusky, OH
and got my season pass for Cedar Point. I was pretty stoked. Then I drove to
Cleveland and spent a few hours there. It's a nicer town than you might think. I
had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, then went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
They had a large exhibit on John Lennon. I still find it humorously ironic that
a guy that sang so much about peace was killed by a man with a gun. In the words
of William Munny, Clint Eastwood's character in Unforgiven, when told he just
killed an unarmed man... "I guess he should have armed himself."
Then, on Friday, I went to Cedar Point. There were two bad parts - it was national high school physics day, or some such thing, and the place was full of teenagers, and the Millennium Force was closed because of the winds, which means that every other ride is busier than it normally would be. So I rode the Power Tower four times.
Saturday, however, wasn't good. I found out that a virus had appeared on my roomates computer, where I stored over a hundred pictures from Europe. To clean the virus, he slammed the hard drive and re-installed windows, which meant all the files were deleted. I was unhappy. However, I managed to recover about 95% of my files, though it took me about four hours to do so. And, to top it all off, the Red Wings won their series with St. Louis.
Oh, and I added a Bath, England picture.
May 9
So is it coincidence that Arafat has been released for three days
now and there have been two suicide bombers already? I think not. Why he is
still alive, I have no idea.
Added pictures from Glasgow, Scotland, with a few more to come. For now, I am off to Ohio, and I shall tell you all about my trip to this exotic place when I return.
(Cut out May 17, 2002)
May 8
I had lunch with Phil, and
ex-EDSer like me, and we went to Mongolian Barbeque. It reminded me of days at
EDS, because after lunch, I was very sleepy. However, instead of going back to
work and coping with it, I just went home and fell asleep in the sun. No worries
- I have already built a resistance to sunburning.
I bought my ticket to see Star Wars Episode II. I will see it the first day it's out, but I am not going to one of the midnight shows. I learned my lesson last time. Though I doubt Episode II will be as bad as Episode I, I'm not taking any chances and am seeing a noon show. And I also bought the Episode II soundtrack.
And I added a picture of London.
May 7
I saw Spider-Man
yesterday, and it was pretty good. Definately worth seeing. That was my only
trip out of the house. In between session of my favorite game (at the moment)
Dungeon Siege, I added a few pictures of Downtown
Disney.
(Cut out May 15, 2002)
May 4
There is an environmental
group in Lansing protesting the production of a new GM car. Their argument is
that GM will not comply with environmental laws, which is a stupid argument - of
course GM will comply, because the penalties are very high. The environmental
wacko's don't seem to care about the 400 people whose jobs would be lost if GM
decides to move the production out of state, which is a very real possibility if
a formal protest is filed. The socialist / communist environmentalists strike
again!
I have added two pictures of the Irvine Spectrum, from when I was working near LA last year.
May 3
Hold on to your hats,
folks. I went way back - 1999 - and pulled out two new pictures from Egypt. They
are people shots, not so much landscape shots, but they are from Egypt.
Last night I went to Tripper's to see some EDS-ers, including Shreyas, who made the trek - for some reason - up from Houston, a fellow 'vacationer' like myself. And we had Pippy Longstockings for a waitress, and she was nice to look at.
(Cut out May 11, 2002)
May 2
I went to a job fair yesterday. I took fifteen resumes, and ended
up giving out one. But who knows - the one may be the one that gets me a job.
What else... I suppose my mail will be a little slow in arriving as my mailbox
was destroyed yesterday. Which is fine - I get junkmail anyway, and I haven't
been caught up on my magazines since my trip to Europe. Speaking of, I have
added a new picture of London .
May 1
The Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs have both advanced
to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, so I am happy. So happy, in fact,
that I have added a new picture from Australia !
Woohoo, happy days are here again.
(Cut out May 8, 2002)
April 30
I spent the weekend house sitting for Greg, as he went to Las
Vegas. I took the opportunity to walk to the McDonald's in Frandor. Yes, folks,
my life IS wonderful and exciting. What else... I saw Van Wilder, the new
National Lampoon movie. It was funny, and certainly better than the last movie I
saw (Queen of the Damned.) I'm looking forward to Spider Man. I am still
deciding if I want to go on opening the day. Even though I could go during the
afternoon, it will still probably be busy, and I hate crowds.
April 25
Eco-Challenge: New Zealand is done, and that was an enteraining
show. Watching all those people hiking and riding and such made me realize that
even though I exercise, I'm a couch potato compared to those people. I'm not one
for watching what I eat, but I think I gained five pounds yesterday. Between the
nachos for lunch and the Hungry Howie's sub for dinner, I was pretty stuffed.
But I jogged about 3 1/2 miles, so that took some of the fat off.
To send you into the weekend, I've added a picture from Cancun.
April 23
You have all been so good that I decided to dig deep and find
some pictures from New Zealand. Yes, two year old pictures that are brand new to
this austere web site. So enjoy a few shots from Wellington.
(Cut out May 4, 2002)
April 22
Well, last week I was laying in the sun getting sunburnt, and
yesterday, it was snowing. How can you not love this state? Same old thing in
the news - Palestinians are crazy, but we all already knew that. The most
exciting thing to happen to me is that Meijer is having a sale on pot pies. So I
bought a weeks worth of lunches for $2.
A two-fer! First, I added a picture from Cancun. Second, I added something to my humor page.
April 19
The weather has been so nice, I have been out and around quite a
bit. I went to the Nokomis nature center in Okemos. There was a pond back there
- I didn't know that, and I've gone past the area for years.
However, even though the weather has been good, I have still found time for you, the reader, and have posted two new pictures from Disneyland Paris.
(Cut out April 30, 2002)
April 17
It was the second day in a row with temperatures in the 80's. For
those of us living in Michigan, this is quite unusual, as our normal temperature
this time of year is around the mid 50's. But I spent a lot of time outside, and
I already have a sunburn. It was worth it, though.
So the little time I did spent in front of my computer was spent serving you, the faithful reader. I put up two pictures from Paris Or, as they say in France, Paris.
April 16
Yesterday was a great day to be unemployed. I went for a jog that
nearly killed me and got slightly sunburned. And found out the wasps are back in
our front yard. But it was still a great day.
I sorted through some pictures from my latest trip to London, and I found some interesting ones. I think. View them and be delighted. Also, on a sadder note, Stinky is no longer with us. He's not dead, he's just moved.
(Cut out April 25, 2002)
April 12
Did you see the latest comments from the idiotic Rep. McKinney
from Georgia? Man, this woman is stupid. She actually thinks that Pres Bush knew
ahead of time about the Sept 11 attacks. How is it that these people, who
obviously rode the short bus to school, get elected to congress?
Yesterday I went to Grand Haven to just walk around, because I was tired of sitting in the house. It was a nice day, topping 70, so winter is finally over. (The last time we had a day in the 70's was in October.) And I stopped in Holland to have lunch at McDonald's.
Today I ventured into The Home Depot, the first time I have gone in there alone. It was a frightening and confusing place, with devices whose use can only be guessed at. I went there to buy a screen for my window, as my old one somehow got bent and ripped up. Either there is an angry raccoon in the neighborhood, or someone tried to get in my house. In any case, I still need a screen, as The Home Depot did not have the right size. I'll have to keep looking.
(Cut out April 21, 2002)
April 11
Added a new page to my Humor
page.
April 10
I saw on the news yesterday that students at MSU were going to
sleep outside in the cold (though notice they did not do this in January)
to raise awareness for the homeless. What completely useless crap! How about
instead of sleeping in a box and pretending they empathize with the homeless
they actually help them. You know, have them get a job and get raped with taxes
so they can support other homeless bums. The circle of life. Me, I don't
particularly care, therefore I sleep in my nice warm bed every night, living off
the fruits of my past labor.
ENOUGH! I put up a picture of Morocco.
April 9
Sorry I was a bit terse yesterday. I just got a new game, Dungeon
Siege, and it's the best game I've played in years. And since I don't have any
pesky JOB to go to, I play it quite a bit. But I am coping with my adiction, and
should be able to get through it without and patches or visits to the Betty Ford
clinic. Also, I have added a few photos of Pere Lachaise , the famous Parisian
cemetary. (Cut out April 15, 2002)
April 8
Added a few pictures from London.
April 5
I've reached back into my travel archives and added a picture from
my trip to Austin. I haven't forgotten about
my trip to Europe, but I keep forgetting to copy the pictures to my new
computer.
April 3
As promised, I have added a few more pictures to my on-line
collection. These two pictures are actually a year old, when I was in LA for a
consulting job. So enjoy scenes from Downtown Disney .
April 2
I have returned. Where did I go? Nowhere, really, but I got a new
computer, so I could not update my web site yesterday. However, today is a new
day, and I am ready to go once again. I don't have any new pictures for you
today, as I've been playing this super cool game, Return to Castle Wolfenstein
and putting my new AMD 1700 system - with 512MB of RAM - through it's paces.
Tomorrow, though, I'll have a new picture or two. Promise.
(Cut out April 11, 2002)
March 27
I would like, with your permission, humble reader, to go on a bit
of a rant. Fear not - this is a non-partisan politcal rant, one that Democrats
and Republicans - heck, even independents - can enjoy.
Yesterday, a judge ruled in favor of a child and his father against his mother (they are divorced) that she could no longer smoke. Now, the child did not suffer from asthma or have any difficulties with breathing. In fact, the mother did not even smoke around the child when he visited her. So, because the child thought her house and car smelled bad because of the cigarette smoke, she can no longer smoke in her home or her car. Did you catch that? She cannot do a perfectly legal activity in her own home! Some of you may thing... good! Smoking is bad, it's dirty, and it should be banned. But where does this stop? If you enjoy eating pizza, it could be banned. Now, you may say that I am taking this too far, but I assure you, it is quite possible. Pizza is a fattening food, and who has to pay the costs if you have a heart attack because of eating fatty, unhealthy foods like pizza? Insurance companies. And insurance companies have to collect premiums from others, so the tax payers are paying for your bad habits. And think of the children! What kind of example are you setting by eating pizza? And by having those fatty foods in the house, you are just tempting them to eat it, and then they will become obese, being teased by bullies, and needing years of expensive therapy. Think about it.
Onto my regular broadcast: This is a public service announcement for those of you in the Lansing, MI area - Meijer has Coke on sale for $1.97 per 12 pack. I have gotten six so far, because I go through it pretty quickly, though I should be all set until May. Besides buying Coke, I also bought books! Two new ones - a biography by Leonard Nimoy and one on the history of Spain. And I even had time to add a new picture - the Eiffel Tower.
March 26
I watched The O'Reilly Factor last night, and one of his guests
was Rosie O'Donell. After seeing the interview, I don't despise her. She not the
mindless ultra-liberal I thought she was. Granted, she's still off to the left,
but she made sense about some things, unlike Barbra Streisand, who is just
insane. The girl gets a nose and a voice and thinks she's God.
Back to what's important - me. I put up a new image! This one is of Toledo, Spain.
March 25
I have come to a realization. People reach certain points in
their life when they have to acknowlege who they are, and I am going to do so -
I am a glass drinker. What does that mean? It means I like to drink my Coke from
a glass instead of directly from the can when I am able to do so. Does this mean
that if I am handed a can of Coke, I will throw it back and shout "WHERE THE
HELL IS THE GLASS?" No, it just means that in the privacy of my own home, I like
to drink fom a glass. Thank you for your time.
Now for a new picture. I have added one from Versailles, the old palace of the French kings. Nice place. I recommend going there the next time you are in Paris.
March 23
My, my, my. Thursday nights basketball completely destroyed my
Final Four picks beyond any kind of salvage. Good thing I did not bet any money.
In fact, it was all I could do to get out of bed and lead a productive day,
productive day meaning browsing, watching ESPN, and fixing lunch.
My inspiration knows no bounds. I have finally decided to post some pictures from my Cancun trip. Oh yes people, the time has come to reveal to you the beauties of Mexico, all three of them. And as a bonus picture, I have also added a picture of one of the cat's that roam about the house.
(Cut out April 10, 2002)
March 29
Today I am taking the day off from my usual hectic schedule and
relaxing a bit, being Good Friday and all. I went to saw Blade II and I was
pretty impressed. There was lots of fighting and death, which for me, really
makes the movie. It sure beats the last two movies I saw, The Time Machine and
Queen of the Damned. Not exactly Academy Award winning. Not like I actually
watched the awards, and from what I heard about Haley Berre's rambling
incoherent speech, I'm glad.
On with the show! I added a picture of Madrid.
March 28
Be glad you don't live in Connecticut. The state government is
considering taxing chocolate. Yep, that's right - taxing chocolate. And you
thought unreasonable taxation was only for cigarettes.
Anyway, enjoy a few new pictures from Cancun.
(Cut out March 30, 2002)
March 25
I have come to a realization. People reach certain points in
their life when they have to acknowlege who they are, and I am going to do so -
I am a glass drinker. What does that mean? It means I like to drink my Coke from
a glass instead of directly from the can when I am able to do so. Does this mean
that if I am handed a can of Coke, I will throw it back and shout "WHERE THE
HELL IS THE GLASS?" No, it just means that in the privacy of my own home, I like
to drink fom a glass. Thank you for your time.
Now for a new picture. I have added one from Versailles, the old palace of the French kings. Nice place. I recommend going there the next time you are in Paris.
March 23
My, my, my. Thursday nights basketball completely destroyed my
Final Four picks beyond any kind of salvage. Good thing I did not bet any money.
In fact, it was all I could do to get out of bed and lead a productive day,
productive day meaning browsing, watching ESPN, and fixing lunch.
My inspiration knows no bounds. I have finally decided to post some pictures from my Cancun trip. Oh yes people, the time has come to reveal to you the beauties of Mexico, all three of them. And as a bonus picture, I have also added a picture of one of the cat's that roam about the house.
(Cut out March 28, 2002)
March 22
I am on a roll. I have added a picture from Disneyland Paris for you to peruse and
enjoy. Oh, and to show you just how much I care about you, I have added a new
item to my humor page.
Tonight is more NCAA basketball. I'm thinking nachos and Coke, but I may go the way of the pizza instead, I'm not sure yet. You know, this is the hardest part of my day. I think that may just be sad, but it sure doesn't feel like it!
March 21
I have added another picture! I am really too goo to all of you
out there, I really am. Anyway, you can check it out at the Casablanca page.
Yesterday, I had lunch with a bunch of people - Greg, Vernon, Opu, Stacy - and we ate at Georgio's. Nope, I had not heard of it either. But is has really good pizza. If you don't want to take my word for it, the resteraunt is located between the Capucino Cafe and the Secretary of State office, and right across from Barnes & Noble, in East Lansing.
I attempted something that I had never attempted before - I tried to make a flan. If you don't know what that is - you and you know who you are - it is a type of custard. When it was done, it looked fine, though it tasted a bit off. It may have tasted the way it was supposed to, as I followed the recipe exactly, but I'm going to have to find another recipe.
(Cut out March 24, 2002)
March 20
I had added another picture from Spain, so enjoy.
March 19
The moment you have all been waiting for - my first pictures from
my vacation! Well, picture is more like it, but more are coming. I'm on a roll
now. So here it is - Granada, Spain.
