Life's Illustrations

Homeowner!

2011-10-07T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hi folks! It's been a while since I blogged, so I thought I'd catch everyone up. I just bought a new house on September 30th, and I'm still living out of boxes. Luckily, the internet is installed now, and I can get back to business as usual to some degree. I really enjoy owning a house. There's always something to do, and now I have a chance to work with my hands like never before.

The other nice aspect is that my girlfriend moved in. I honestly expected it to be more of a transition than it was, but things are going very smoothly. Plus, it's nice to have someone to cook for me here and there. My cooking is pretty crappy. My neighbor on one side is a retired meat cutter and handyman that was really good friends with the previous owner. He has been very helpful with getting acclimated to the neighborhood. On two sides of the house, I have an empty field that occasionally contains show horses. They pretty much keep to themselves, though. In the back, I have a jungle.

I am co-authoring a new blog called Nerdy Homeowners. There, we are planning to share our experiences with basic home maintenance and other projects. I've been dreaming about this for years! Life is so exciting right now (but also busy). I'll keep you updated as things unfold.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

2011-03-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

The Good:
I've been running into cute girls here and there. The other day I met a girl named Cindy at Cicero's. She was the hostess and helped save me from a crazy homeless man that had been following me for a while. I was ordering carry-out. After handing me my food, we had a pretty good chat about our experiences in the loop (that part of town) and various other things. I was to chicken to get her number though. Maybe next time.

I've actually been home long enough to go grocery shopping. It's been aaaaages since I last went, and it felt good to make my own food for a change. This time at home has reminded me that there's a lot of neat things for me to do when I'm actually in town. Now I just need to make sure I'm capitalizing on those opportunities.

The Bad:
My medical situation is still going on. I feel like I've been running the longest marathon ever, and sometimes it really wears on me. Seeing goathouse a few weekends ago helped me snap out of it some, but there's no resolution in sight as far as I can tell.

I feel like nothing I do matters, and thus I don't really care about anything. The only thing I'm invested in are my friends, and everything else is pointless. Survival really does seem to be the only higher purpose in life. Sometimes I think of everything as a giant game of evolution, like we used to play in Res Life. =/

The Ugly:
Pugs - Why does that breed of dog exist?

Day ??? - No Time

2011-02-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

I sense a growing discontent with things, and I'm not sure why. I thought I wanted companionship, so I sought and found companions. This has not really improved things so much as made for some drama-filled experiences. I have also experimented with indulgence. I got wasted this weekend with friends and partied to my limit, but it brought me no lasting peace. Perhaps pouring myself into my job will help things. Ha! Nope, that never works.

Regardless of what I do, there is an emptiness that I cannot seem to fill. Additionally, I have found myself contemplating my mortality more than usual. Nothing good ever comes of this, but it seems that I cannot avoid it forever. We will all be dust in the blink of an eye, and we will never be here again. There is nothing after this, and I find no solace in the fairy tales we tell ourselves to sleep better at night.

In spite of all of this, I continue my quest for happiness. I think that, perhaps, the only real point in life is survival. The rest is immaterial. The question remains, "where do I devote my time and efforts?" Do I give up everything for a fresh start, or do I just focus on one or more areas of my life in the hopes that they prove a worthy distraction?

Days 9-12: Jet Lag

2011-02-13T22:54:00.000-08:00

Days 9-10

Days 9 and 10 were huge travel days (Thursday and Friday). My first flight from SFO got delayed due to a mechanical failure, so I had to spend the night in Denver. This sounds great until you realize that there's a blizzard and you're getting in at 9-10 PM. On the bright side, I was in Denver! It's an amazing city, especially in the summer. Lots of good eats and nice people. The hotel was very comfortable - best bed I have ever slept on for sure.

Day 10.5

I didn't really plan to go out Friday night, but Jon managed to talk me into it. We went to the Urban Chestnut, a new brewery that a mutual friend works at. They have a number of tasty beers, but my favorite is "Myth". It's an exceptionally smooth and flavorful dark beer. I could drink it all day! Anywhoo, Jon and I played every game we could think of in the bar. We played cards (which he killed me at), chess (which I killed him at), and darts (which we broke about even at).

Eventually, his friend Chris showed up and offered to bring a couple of girls over to his place if we wanted to party. Of course, we accepted the invitation. By the time we got to Jon's it was already really late, and I was tired. Finally, Chris arrives with one really pretty girl (which he has dibs on) and this other girl. My interest wasn't really peaked, so I decided to bail and get some sleep for a change. :) It was definitely the best decision I made that night.

Day 11-12

Saturday was filled with bar hopping and watching The Wizard of Oz to the tune of The Dark Side of the Moon. Thanks for all the crazy times, Pink Floyd! Of note - we checked out the Twisted Olive. I've been fascinated by it ever since I first laid eyes on it. This has to be the most inaccesible bar I've ever seen. Go up the hidden stairwell three flights, walk across the upper catwalk, and you will find the door to the Twisted Olive. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a very smokey and loud bar. It was very small with an older demographic. We decided not to stay. The evening concluded with watching Hot Fuzz. I suppose it was for the greater good. ;)

Sunday was filled with eating, sleeping and gaming. You know, the usual. Hope you enjoyed this week's installment of my crazy life. Cheers!

Days 7-8: Celebrations

2011-02-09T23:34:00.000-08:00

Apologies for not posting more pictures. I left the cord that hooks my phone up to my computer at home. The picture above is from a triple work birthday party on Tuesday. As a gag gift, my boss got this co-worker a sash and fake mustache (he didn't have to wear the mustache through dinner). We got a lot of good laughs out of it! Birthday dinner was held at an elegant establishment called "Uncle Yuu's". (The name is a bit deceiving, but it really was nice.) I had beef tenderloin medallions and beautiful orange prawns. There was wine, smiles, and combat over the lazy susan that held our appetizers. All in all, it was pretty amazing.

Also, I have a bit of good news.  The doctor completed his tests on my grandpa and found that he is 100% cancer free. My family and I are breathing a collective sigh of relief.  Big thanks to everyone who expressed their concern. :)

In the work world, I started my first week of training (ever). Most of my class sizes have been small, but I've really enjoyed interacting with the workers and bringing them up to speed on how to use our software. We bribe them to pay attention with candy. :) I find it highly effective when I don't eat all the good ones myself.

Tonight, I ate dinner with my friend Toni and her fiancee. We went to a new place called Sushi Station where the tea was luke warm (but tasty), and the sushi was decent.  In terms of value for our dollar, I think we did fairly well. It was also neat to learn about the goings on at Toni's work. She has a cool opportunity coming up, and I'm excited for her.

When I finally got back to the hotel, I joined my co-workers in a game of "Cards Against Humanity". It's like the messed up adult version of Apples to Apples.  Best of all, the game is relatively free. It costs about $6 to print the cards at Kinkos. You can download it here.

Lastly, my romantic life is still going pretty slow again (not the worst thing ever). I did manage to patch up some hurt feelings with one of my ex's, which makes me happy. Hopefully, we continue to make forward progress as we get to know each other again.

I was remarking to my friend John that I'm starting to feel like the old, light-hearted Lancifer is rising to the surface again...long overdue in my opinion. It's really hard telling where tomorrow will take me, but this week has been a good start to what could be some vast improvements in the quality of my life.

Well, it's time for a little sleep. I'll catch you all later.

Days 5-6: Conflict

2011-02-07T23:19:00.000-08:00

I continue to consider who it is I want to be. I realized today that I am a very uncompromising person. I tried to be uncompromising in terms of truth, but I've come to think that truth is often detrimental. When someone asks how you are, a lot of times you should probably tell them, "Good," even if you're not. I think that negativity tends to build on itself, and sometimes it's worth the lie to be happy. I will continue to consider this throughout the week.

Instead of my normal pictures and spiel, I'd like to post this music video and lyrics. They seem to capture the struggle I'm having with happiness versus becoming the ideal version of myself. It's like the voice inside my head cheering me on. ;)

When I was a young boy
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band
He said, "Son, when you grow up
Would you be the savior of the broken
The beaten and the damned??

He said, "Will you defeat them
Your demons and all the non-believers
The plans that they have made?
Because one day, I'll leave you
A phantom to lead you in the summer
To join the Black Parade"

Sometimes I get the feeling
She's watching over me
And other times I feel like I should go
And through it all, the rise and fall
The bodies in the streets
And when you're gone we want you all to know

We'll carry on, we'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on
And in my heart, I can't contain it
The anthem won't explain it

And while that sends you reeling
From decimated dreams
Your misery and hate will kill us all

So paint it black and take it back
Let's shout out loud and clear
Do you fight it to the end?
We hear the call to carry on, we'll carry on

And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
You're weary widow marches

On and on we carry through the fears
Disappointed faces of your peers
Take a look at me
Cause I could not care at all
Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Though you try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part

Won't explain or say I'm sorry
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar
Give a cheer for all the broken
Listen here, because it's only

I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
Just a boy who wanna sing his song
Just a man, I'm not a hero
I don't care!

We'll carry on, we'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on, you'll carry on
And though you're broken and defeated
You're weary widow marches on
Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Though you try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
(We'll carry on)

Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world will never take my heart
Though you try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part
(We'll carry on)

Days 4-5: When It Rains It Pours

2011-02-05T01:39:00.000-08:00

(My buddy Jason messing with Popeyes workers)

(My Friday night diet - chips and juice)

I had an epiphany today. I don't miss Jenny (romantically). Sure, I miss having someone close that I can confide in and take comfort in, but I don't specifically miss her. I think that is an important distinction to make. I hope that she gets done soon with whatever she's doing to move on with her life. I'd like to re-establish our friendship if possible.

My quest to get whatever I want whenever I want has been put on hold temporarily. I found out today that my grandpa has a mass on his stomach and is getting it checked out on Monday. The doctors suspect cancer, but that remains to be seen. For those of you who don't know, my grandpa is among my top two role-models and a very important person to me. I know that he is getting old and that his days are numbered, but I don't like acknowledging that he is mortal. It's like Lex Luthor actually killing Superman. You just don't think about it.

Regardless of how things work out, I have a lot of great memories from the time I've spent with my Grandpa. I guess that's the most important thing.

On a side note, I've resolved to talk up one stranger per day (as opportunities present themselves). On my plane flight back, I met a lady from Spokane, WA. She was flying with her youngest of six children. The family resemblance was uncanny; every detail from their long slender noses to bright ginger hair were identical. I learned that she grew up in Arizona but didn't do much sightseeing when she lived there. She hasn't even seen the Grand Canyon, which made me laugh. Her husband is a mechanical engineer from the University of Idaho. He did not ride with them, though. We shared a lot of other conversation, but I don't want to bore you with the details.

Well, back to science. Toodles!

Day 3 - My Dichotomy: There Can Be Only One

2011-02-03T00:15:00.000-08:00

Stare at the sun too long, and all you get is burned.

I think life is telling me to just do whatever the fuck I want all the time without regard to consequences, morals, etc. I am rewarded when I do selfish things and punished otherwise.

Today, Jenny decided to give up again. Even though I'm fairly okay with that, I still have some feelings for her...so today sucks a little. This is what I get for trying to have a normal, healthy, sustained relationship. On the other hand, my lecherous, pure fun relationship is going strong. There is no challenge. I can get pretty much anything I want at any time, so I need to decide whether I'm giving up on the good guy in me for a while or not. Being the good guy just doesn't seem to pay off.

*thinks a moment*

...No, my mind is made up. The human brain is a complex pattern recognition machine. We experience patterns and develop heuristics for life that serve our interests. In my case, trying to be what I would consider a decent person leads to heartache, disappointment, and the dulling of my emotions. Perhaps it's time to put that person I was aspiring to be to rest. Life demands that I be a little more self-interested and a lot more manipulative (for lack of a better word). So be it. Tomorrow begins a new experiment. It's time to get what I want when I want it and by any means necessary. Some of you might see this as a dark road, but I see it as...realistic. I'll keep you posted.

Day.....2? - Resurrection

2011-02-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

Well, it's been a while since I blogged, but I think I remember how this works. Allow me to catch you up.

Romantic life - I'm currently dating Jenny from Springfield and a girl named Maggie from St. Louis. I'm not as crazy about Jenny as I was before, but I think this is a good opportunity to try having a normal sustained adult relationship. I think this would be going better if she hadn't burned me so bad before. Every day I hope that things will get back to the way they were for me (mentally and in terms of attraction), but it just isn't happening so far. Maybe I just need to give this time to develop into whatever it's going to be. *shrugs*
Romantic Life 2 - Maggie, on the other hand, is a very casual interest. She has been a lot of fun hanging out with, and demands very little. I'm not sure this is a healthy type of relationship to have, but I think that I shouldn't be afraid to try something new while Jenny is unwilling to commit to anything significant. We'll see how things develop, I guess.
Work life - I've been put in charge of purchasing, receiving, quality, and transfers at three different warehouses on our client site. I've been working hard scoping the project, and now I'm beginning training with the clients. The programming phase will be coming up too, and I can't wait for it! A big step up in responsibility might signal a raise/promotion for me if I can follow through with this. We'll see how things go.
Other life - I haven't really had one. I've spent so much energy chasing women and working that I haven't had a second to breathe (or blog). Nothing is ever easy, I guess. Also, video games are pissing me off. If League of Legends continues to disappoint me, I'm going to uninstall and pick up the guitar again.

I did spend some time sightseeing around California a couple of weekends ago, and that was pretty fun. I saw the Jelly Belly factory in Fairfield, CA. They have Jelly Belly artwork all over the place and a gigantic tasting area. Nom! I also toured Alcatraz and walked along the Golden Gate Bridge. My friend Toni generously hosted me during my touristy time. Big thanks to her for putting up with my crap for three days. :)

In other news, I'm distraught that the Packers beat the Bears for the NFC championship. I have been a Bears fan since I was big enough to own my first football....game. Worst of all, my friend Shaun is a big Packers fan, so I have to put up with his gloating for at least a whole year. =/

Well, that's all the catching up I can stomach. I'll bring you some more specific and entertaining posts here soon. I just wanted to lay the foundation for this next chapter. Hopefully there aren't any more pauses for jager and tears (metaphorical - I cry less than Chuck Norris).

2011 - Day 1: Everything Has Changed

2011-01-13T00:47:00.000-08:00

I am back from my winter vacation, and I guess it's time to fill everyone in on what has been going on. As many of you know, I had lots of exciting girlbot adventures. I found someone that I began to deeply care for. She was smart, fun, and kind. She isn't interested in me, unfortunately. It burned me pretty bad, but I have recovered. There are many lessons I could take from this, good and bad.

I have elected to be a little more guarded in the future. I will never take women at their word again if I can avoid it. I consider both of these to be undesirable outcomes, but I also recognize them as valuable survival skills. I really think there has to be some level of compromise. I also realized that girls like her are out there. Maybe there is someone who will have the qualities I want and recognize a great thing when they see it. In any case, I have no harsh words for Jenny. I wish her the best of luck in her life, and I would be amiable toward the idea of our paths crossing again in the future. I don't place much hope in that, though. Hope and unabashed feeling have not served me well of late.

I return my focus squarely to my work, my health, and the pursuit of something better than this existence. I expect that there will be a lot of leisure travel during this stage of the quest. I need to go forth and experience the world anew. I have let this half-fulfilled version of myself limp on for long enough. Time for a teamkill to force a respawn. ;)

I leave you with a couple of thoughts on failure. They come from the book The Fighter's Mind.

"It comes back to dealing with adversity. Too much adversity, too much losing, and it becomes the 'same old same old.' It becomes a habit - it's not devastating. But if you only lose once in a while, at rare CRUCIAL times, you can build to a much higher level. You can use that as fuel." ~ Dan Gable

"'Investing in loss' means to study your defeat without ego, let defeats happen in practice without reverting to your old habits, and grow from it." ~Sam Sheridan

Days 24-27: Time at Home

2010-12-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

Day 24:

I spent my first night back in Farmington visiting my old school and some of my old houses. Ultimately, Josh got done with some of his family obligations, and we went to the bar. After finishing a couple of beers, we decided to watch some Scott Pilgrim back at my dad's place. Unfortunately, booze makes me sleepy, so I didn't make it through the entire flick. I'm just glad I didn't wake up with a markered penis on my face.

Day 25:

When I arrived in Iron Mountain my Grandpa wasn't home, so I took a long walk to my place of Zen. Sometimes communing with nature has a unique way of putting me at ease. Once I got back, I spent all day with Grandpa including helping him load up his trailer with firewood and filling up his furnace. We also lit a big bonfire. Mwahahaha!

Day 26:

Samantha read my fortune for the year. Start at one o'clock and work your way around. It looks like a promising 2011, after all!

Day 27:

This is my sister hiding from the camera. We pretty much played Mario all day and goofed on the computer some. Exciting stuff. :)

Days 20-23: Short and Sweet

2010-12-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

My winter holiday has started, and I'm planning on taking a little break from blogging. However, I had a goal of posting one picture for evey day this year, so I will continue to post pics as time permits.

Day 20:

I took my sister's advice and came home for strawberry cheesecake. It was dericious! I also played a lot of cards with my step-mom and grandparents. Grandma schooled pretty much every game except one. The last game, was a landslide victory at rummy. I swear she gets two jokers every hand.

Day 21:

This year, I actually took the time to make my presents aesthetically pleasing. They're still missing bows, but I know my dad always has a stash. I also cleaned my room and did some other random chores on this day.

Day 22:

Sarah took me out to a Blues game completely at random. We lost, but I really enjoy watching all the action! Hot dogs (NOM NOM NOM), beer, hockey....what's not to like? Sarah was a lot of fun to hang out with. I can't think of a better person for my roommate to date.

Day 23:

We hosted game night on Tuesday night. Jason needed to get an oil change for his holiday travel, so I ended up doing a lot of the cooking. The picture above features one of the dishes that I made. I was worried that my kitchen incompetence would be at work here, but everyone seemed to really enjoy the food. We followed up with the Family Guy Star Wars movies and a game of Acquire. Acquire is Monopoly-esque, and I found it to be pretty fun. I took a very close second place at the end of the game.

General update:

My dating situation continues to improve. Jenny and I have been talking every night, and the more we do, the more I like her. We re-scheduled her visit to St. Louis, and I may even visit her in Springfield if we're lucky. It depends on whether I can secure some sleeping arrangements. I also really want to see Zack and Sam while I'm there. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens. :)

Days 19 & 20 - Now what?

2010-12-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

At the end of the work week, I look back and appreciate the opportunities I've had over the past couple of weeks. I got to hang out with pretty girls, go to a Cake concert, get into the holiday spirit, and enjoy the fact that Asher is finally home. It's been a good few weeks!

Thursday was spent working, playing video games, and listening to Cake. There are sooooo many songs that I don't know by heart, but I must learn them all. Todays pic is actually a 105.7 pic from the concert. I just wanted to share a good one of the concert. Otherwise, you'd just get a pic of me at my computer with my headphones. =/

Friday, this year's Christmas presents started rolling in! I'm so excited about the hot wheels set I'm getting my nephew. I remember when my brother and I used to build insane tracks out of a bunch of random kits that weren't even designed to go together. I hope he likes it. I spent a good chunk of Friday chatting Jenny up. I still have hope that things will work themselves out. I have pretty much given up hope on Mandy, though. She seems to be avoiding me, which I have learned to be girl code for, "don't waste your time." Maybe that's an inaccurate assessment, but that's how I interpret it.

My sister wins the sagely advice award this week with, "You're a man. A fault in intelligence is to be expected. Come home and eat away your sorrows in strawberry cheesecake. Mom made some earlier." I need to find something really cool for my sister this year. She is awesome.

Day 18 - Have your Cake and eat it too!

2010-12-16T10:23:00.000-08:00

This picture amuses me because it captures almost every element of the concert (except the band). Note the Mary Jane fog, the lights that didn't even raise for intermission, and the halo bar over my right shoulder. Someone almost walked right in front of this picture, so I started to make a really funny face. I almost wish the camera would have waited another second before going off.

Seeing Cake has been one of my childhood dreams, and I have an overwhelming sense of satisfaction from crossing that off of my bucket list. Doing things like this makes me feel more goal-oriented. I think my next big undertaking will be the space shuttle launch in April. If I can get tickets and a good place to view it from, I should be happy.

Also, be sure to check out Cake's new album that is shipping out January 11, 2011. It's going to rock.

Days 16 & 17 - Girl Troubles

2010-12-15T16:48:00.000-08:00

It's pretty bad to find out that someone is not as into you as you are into them, but it's worse to get the "we should be friends" speech from someone you really like...or is it the other way around? In any case, I got both of those talks. =/ Jenny's was handled very adult-like, and we're still cool even though I am disappointed in her decision. She evaluates things the way that I used to, by assessing which path has the most obstacles and choosing the other. I, on the other hand, have started to look at the potential in a relationship and choose that which has the most promise.

Mandy's words and actions are often inconsistent, but now I know where she stands and to some extent what she expects. I think our conversation probably hurt our relationship some, but I'm hoping that things will go back to normal after a while. I really need to develop patience in relationships, especially when the other party had a nasty breakup from a serious relationship. I guess we'll see what happens.

I moped a bit the next day, but I rebounded surprisingly well. That evening, my roommate and I went to a mutual friend's house for games and movies. I got skunked every game, but I still managed to have some fun.

From these events I've realized a couple of things. First, I haven't really dated in seven months or so (a good chunk of my illness). All of that desire for companionship is rising to the surface, and it's hard to relax those feelings. I need to give people a little more space and try to trust a bit more. Maybe then I'll find an environment more conducive to landing a long term lady friend. Lastly, I'm going to make a lot of mistakes until I get some more dates under my belt. I need to get better at forgiving myself and moving on. I hope that some of these girls will be patient with me as I grow in that department.

Wednesday....CAKE CONCERT! Look for a badass update. :)

Days 14 & 15 - The End of the Race

2010-12-13T08:33:00.000-08:00

Saturday and Sunday were rather hectic with dates, visitors,etc. Saturday, I was supposed to tour Ranken, but after a night of almost zero sleep I completely forgot about my appointment. =/ I'm going to try to re-schedule for some time Thursday, I think. Saturday, Shaun stopped by. We played some fierce Rockband 3. As it turns out, Shaun is pretty badass with a keytaur. Even on pro-keys he did a good job.

Later that evening, Mandy invited us out to a bar with some of her friends. We played a few rounds of nine-hole (taught to me by my friend Kelley) and designed super hero costumes before setting out. The bar turned out to have live entertainment (super loud) and a general lack of billiards or arcade games. The only productive thing I really got out of the experience was negotiating a few days off for Mandy around New Year's Eve. I'm unsure how this will impact my Goat House party plans as of yet... The evening ended with everyone crashing at my place after driving home through a giant snowstorm. Fun stuff.

Sunday was a lot calmer. Shaun and I chilled at the house in the morning. Mandy left early for work. At this point, my eye infection had grown a little more irritating, so I started looking into optometrist availability. (There is none on Sunday...) Ultimately, I called in a favor with my friend Drew's dad and got an appointment for the first thing Monday. This ultimately cancelled my work travel for the week. Surprisingly enough, there were a number of positive outcomes from this. First, I'll get to hang out with Mandy Monday night and watch Inception on blu-ray. Second, I can actually use my Cake concert ticket for Wednesday!

On Sunday evening Jay, Steve, and Alex (Steve's wife) all grabbed some sushi with me. Steve is not typically a raw fish eater, but he's coming around. I stopped by Mandy's house on the way home with the sole intention of giving her a proper goodnight kiss. I think it worked out rather well. It wasn't long after that Jenny cancelled our plans to hang out next weekend, for which I am simultaneously relieved and disappointed. Cancelling long-standing plans is one of my SUPER pet peeves, so she loses out big time. I think this has probably concluded the competition for my affection. Mandy is a great girl, and I'm looking forward to exploring the potential of our relationship.

Note: The second picture was taken at the door of a shop adjacent to the sushi restaurant.

Day 13 - Movie Night

2010-12-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

Friday was date night with Mandy, and I hoped that it would help me gauge our social compatability a little better. It was scheduled to be a quiet movie night, and everything pretty much went according to plan...for once. We brewed up some tea and watched The Count of Monte Cristo, a bunch of episodes of The IT Crowd, and a few episodes of The Guild.

One of the exciting moments in dating someone is deciding when to go for physical contact. Nothing racey, just a simple holding of hands, back rub, etc. Up until now, it felt like Mandy and I had this invisible force field between us, but that finally came down. I'm not really an expert on giving/receiving signals for this kind of stuff, so each time it happens, I'm pleasantly surprised. I think that Mandy has potential as a girlfriend, but I'm just going to have to be patient and enjoy getting to know her before I have a definite answer. This is probably a healthy attitude to have for any girl I end up dating. In any case, I welcome the opportunity for growth in this area.

I pretty much forgot to take a picture today, but there was one on my phone. Above is a pic of my cable... I especially like the sub-titles. Thanks Charter!

Day 12 - Homeward Bound

2010-12-10T09:29:00.000-08:00

This week has been tough, and looking back, I'm pretty sure that lack of sleep was the main factor. At long last, I have finally gotten back on my schedule! I'm a creature of strict habits with regard to my sleep and diet. =/

I thought for sure that I'd miss my flight this week and get stuck in Denver. We were already delayed for the first leg of the trip by an hour, which had me FREAKING OUT. That's what we get for taking the very last flight home... Luckily, my friend Jason helped me through the A-List security line so that I would make it through in time. I literally walked off of my first plane, across a hallway, and onto my second plane. Talk about luck!

When I got home, I went to Mandy's house and met her mom. Mandy and I just kinda talked and watched How to Train Your Dragon until about 3 am. I don't know whether we were both tired or what, but I wasn't feeling the conversation. We'll have a chance to redeem ourselves when she comes over today.

An observation about my social development.... I seem to have grown comfortable with the "get to know you" phase of relationships, but I'm not a great conversationalist for what comes after that. I'm not really sure why, either. It just doesn't come naturally to me. I think that only practice can really help with that, so I'll try to make every topic count tonight.

The pic is from Buffalo Bill's Brew House in California. It is a brewery, bar, and restaurant. They have a fantastic red ale, and the nachos and BLT are substantial. (Nachos pictured above...)

Day 11 - Thank God for Skype

2010-12-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

I'd like to give a big shout out to Skype. They make conversations with amazing ladies possible...and even boneheads like my buddy Asher. I might be a little intoxicated at the moment, but I had a wonderful evening. I spent a good chunk of it with my friends Toni Donovan and her fiancee.

At work, we discovered that my friend Jason has never had mango before. He mentioned it in one of our interviews, and the client jumped up and grabbed us a fruit tray or four off of the line! Karthik was so hungry that he tried to eat the packaging and everything. It was great!

Day X - Sleep Deprevation

2010-12-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

I have been a Zed, the undead, a zombie for the past day or so. I've learned that lack of sleep can completely destroy my sense of judgement and turn me into a complete control freak, which I do not particularly enjoy. Luckily, I grade myself on a day-by-day basis, so tomorrow (Wednesday) will be a new day!

The pic was taken at a tavern where I had a "shitty day drink". It helped put me in a better mood, and kept me from eating anyone's brain.

Day 9 - Return to California

2010-12-06T20:39:00.000-08:00

The weather in California is infinitely superior to that of Missouri. I love love love my sunny 60s. The leaves are really beautiful, like fall is clinging on for as long as it can. I spent a lot of time today processing the events of this weekend, and I've decided that I truly have no regrets. I'm going to do my best not to over-think this and just have fun. Things will develop on their own, or they won't. I don't really think I can/should force an outcome here.

Sorry this post isn't very exciting. Flight delays in the Denver airport will do that.

Days 7&8 - A New Challenger Approaches

2010-12-05T21:01:00.000-08:00

Days 7 and 8 are being combined because the shenanigans happened overnight, bleeding into day 8. Day 7 was Saturday. I had plans to meet my cousin Joe at the Tilted Kilt in St. Louis, but they fell through. A friend of the family was murdered in my hometown, and Joe went back for the funeral. That left me scratching my head as to what I should do. It should be noted that at this juncture, I was still recovering from the blow of Mandy dating some other bloke.

The facebook vote suggested I go to a party in Rolla where beer pong would happen. In total agreement, I packed an overnight bag and met up with my friends Kelley and Jenny. We played some fierce beer pong. I was the clutch man, taking two games into overtime when we would have lost otherwise. We also played a lot of fun drinking card games.

Now, the next part requires you to know a little history. I had a crush on Jenny for a looooong time back in college, but she was perpetually unavailable, as most girls are in Rolla. I pretty much gave up hope of catching her interest, and we went our separate ways.

Next thing you know, Jenny pulls me into the bathroom, and we do some quality kissing...the kind you still feel once they're over. I would later be propositioned by a ditsy blonde that I shot down. I'm not a ho. The rest of the night was relatively uneventful.

The next day, I returned home to learn that Mandy called it off with her ex, so now he's an ex for good. I'm left with the choice of which I want to pursue. Maybe dating will actually be useful for once and help me make an informed decision. I typically hate dating, but it seems to be the most reasonable solution here. I guess we'll see how it goes. Adios for now!

Bonus Post: My Landlord's Name is Hitchcock!

2010-12-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

I offer this bonus post as atonement for being really late on a couple of posts this week. I shot this from my apartment while my friend Mandy was over. Enjoy!

Days 5&6 - Back to the Basics

2010-12-04T01:37:00.000-08:00

Day 5:

SJC Taken Over by War of the Worlds Aliens

Sorry I missed Thursday! I travelled/worked most of the day, and I didn't get home until 1:00 AM Friday. Bleh. Looking back, this week has been stressful for two reasons. First, I didn't know how this whole Mandy situation would work out. I really like her, which is a vulnerability I'd rather not nurture without some assurance that it is reciprocated. In any case, the second reason I've been stressed this week is because the first phase of my project is coming to an end. All of the hard work we've done over the past few weeks is being compiled into a report (eight pages of bullet points on just my stuff) for the group to review next week.

I've learned that attitude can play a huge role in my workplace happiness. This week, my goal has been to start every day in a positive frame of mind, and although it wasn't perfect, I did a pretty good job. My work was monotonous but not unbearable as it has been the past few weeks. I even enjoyed a few meetings and felt like my relationships with my teammates was improving. Overall, I would say that this strategy has proven very effective.

Day 6:

Spending Time with Mandy

As I said, I've been thinking a lot about whether I should invest in this potential Mandy relationship. I thought I had been pretty clear about expressing my interest, but I hoped to cement that sometime after we went Christmas shopping tonight. The mall trip was not very exciting, but then one of her friends invited both of us to a bar. We set out, and I found out on the way that she just started seeing one of her exes. I was too late... However, I've decided that she is worth the fight, so I'm going to stick with it.

We went to the bar, had a great time drinking and playing pool, and I told her to dump the guy she is with for me. She said that if it doesn't work out, I'll get my shot. Based on our awesome chemistry, I really hope that it's soon. She makes me feel all warm and mushy sometimes, and I like that. Honestly, I am a little ill equipped to deal with these types of emotions. It has been a long time since I genuinely liked someone enough to fight for them. This may be a first, actually. In any case, I'm trying to keep my enthusiasm down and prepare for the worst, but it's probably an effort in futility. I have a serious crush going.

Sometimes it's hard for me to convince myself that I deserve someone great... Well, I do.

Day 4 - Visiting Toni

2010-12-02T08:34:00.000-08:00

There seems to be a trend where all of my friends are getting married, sometimes even to each other. While I am a little jealous that they've found their special someone, I've also noticed an alarming trend of people distancing themselves from the rest of the world. It almost seems like marriage comes at the cost of being able to form new relationships. In any case, I think that Toni and Bryan will defy the odds and be very happy together. They deserve it. Best of luck to both of you!

Dating again has reminded me that I lack some basic skills, so I'm going to take some classes and pursue some of my interests a little further. I have emailed a dance studio and guitar school to see if they offer any weekend lessons that I might be able to get in on. If those fail, I'm going to start looking at cooking classes. Although cooking would probably be the most beneficial skill set to me, I'd much rather do something less productive.

On a complete side note, I often wonder what my ex-girlfriend V is doing these days. I really liked her but didn't know how to make long distance relationships work at the time. *sigh* I hope that she's doing well, wherever she is.

Day 3 - Family Dinner

2010-12-01T07:13:00.000-08:00

Today was a grueling day at work. We had non-stop meetings with people that droned on forever about all the paperwork they have to fill out for their jobs, what problems they experience with their current tools, etc. I did, however get to talk to some QA folks that had interesting stories about the quality of the food they purchase. For legal reasons, I can't repeat them here, but I can say that I'll never look at salad kits the same way.

We finished up the day with a big dinner at a quality Italian restaurant. The Cajun Chicken Fettucini was outstanding! A member of our client's team, joined us and brought his baby son, John Franklin. Needless to say, John Franklin stole the show. Well, I'm running late for work. More to come later, perhaps.

Day 2 - Back to Work Special

2010-11-30T07:36:00.000-08:00

Although it was a heavy travel and work day, I still managed to go out and have some fun! I got to meet my co-worker K-Man's wife, and our team went out to some brewhouse. Most of us had burgers for dinner and tried a variety of beers. I always look for the one with the coolest tap and give it a whirl. This time, it was a killer whale tap, and the beer was Alaskan White Winter Ale. It was pretty tastey as far as white ales go. My buddy J-Mac ordered a jalapeno burger that he couldn't handle, so he whimped out and ordered milk to wash it down. They brought him the most insulting grade-school cartons of milk for his meal. It was perfect!

Day 1 - Packing

2010-11-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

I have decided to start doing a photograph journal of sorts. I will post one picture every day that describes in some way at least one aspect of what I'm up to. You may also see some of my posts tagged 'doc' disappear off of my blog. Many of those posts were for my benefit more than my readers', and they don't serve much purpose now. At any rate, I give you day 1:

I am coming off of what seems like a long vacation. I've had three short work weeks in a row, and it's hard for me to get back into work mode. *Procrastinate procrastinate procrastinate*

Anywhoo, I went on a date yesterday that was a total shock to the system, and it got me thinking. I feel as though my little health crisis has completely distracted me from what is important in my life, and I'm just starting to get my bearings again. If I am to become the best version of myself, I need to carry a positive attitude into work tomorrow.

I'm going to work hard this week and feel good about what I accomplished when I get home. That's what I'm shooting for, anyway. :)

Full Recovery

2010-11-23T23:31:00.000-08:00

At long last, I have reached the end of my medical crisis. The last of my test results came back negative, and my doctor says I should be 100% very soon (next few months). I look back on this year plus of trials and tribulations and think... man, I'm going to have to party hard to make up for time lost. To be honest, this experience has taught me a few things...

You'll never understand how deep your friendships run until you need to lean on them. I would not have made it to my 26th birthday without the companionship of my goat house friends, my family, and and some former roommates. I value our relationships above all else.

Your body needs two things (not an exhaustive list): water and fiber. Make sure you have enough of both, or you'll regret it.

I retracted the third lesson. It's gross-ish. =D

Lastly, I'd like to offer a big and sincere thank you to everyone who supported me and, more to the point, listened to me bitch about everything for the past year. It was tough, but we made it!

I don't cook my fish in oil...

2010-05-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

(Image borrowed from the WSJ)

BP has basically created one of the worst ecological disasters of my lifetime. If the spill spreads outside of the Loop Current (which it has already entered), there's a chance it will destroy a goodly portion of the Atlantic ecosystem. Those are just the facts as best I understand them.

I tried to research an expected recovery time for affected areas, but I didn't find estimates that anyone seemed confident in. Based on previous oil spills, the best anyone can offer is "decades". Decades?! I can't help but wonder what the lesson is that we all will take away from this experience.

Also, how long does it take to plug a fucking oil leak? It's been over a month, just seal the damn thing? This situation has been handled poorly by our government. BP should be held accountable for the incident, but they should not be entrusted with the sole responsibility of resolving the issue. The governments of the American continents need to step in. This spill has become everyone's burden, and we need to do whatever it takes to fix it.

I'm not sure which government officials I need to write over this affair, so any suggestions you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

A New Spin on Christianity

2010-05-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

I’ve been reading a lot of FB posts on faith vs. science, and it inspired me to take a look at Christianity with fresh eyes. Today, I started reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. The book is about achieving enlightenment or, if you prefer, moving to a higher level of consciousness. Here is an excerpt:

“If we look more deeply into humanity’s ancient religions and spiritual traditions, we will find that underneath the many surface differences there are two core insights that most of them agree on. […] The first part of this truth is the realization that the ‘normal’ state of mind of most human beings contains a strong element of what we might call dysfunction or even madness. Certain teachings at the heart of Hinduism perhaps come closest to seeing the dysfunction as a form of collective mental illness. They call it maya, the veil of delusion. Raman Maharshi, one of the greatest Indian sages, bluntly states, ‘The mind is maya.’

Buddhism uses different terms. According to the Buddha, the human mind in its normal state generates dukkha, which can be translated as suffering, unsatisfactoriness [SIC], or just plain misery. He sees it as a characteristic of the human condition. […]

According to Christian teachings, the normal collective state of humanity is one of ‘original sin’. Sin is a word that has been greatly misunderstood and misinterpreted. Literally translated from the ancient Greek in which the New Testament was written, to sin means to miss the mark, as an archer who misses the target, so to sin means to miss the point of human existence. It means to live unskillfully, blindly, and thus to suffer and cause suffering. Again, the term, stripped of its baggage and cultural misinterpretations, points to the dysfunction in the human condition.”

In the past, I've always assumed that Christianity and the Bible were absolute truth or rubbish, but now I'm starting to wonder if a middle ground is possible. To move forward with this belief, I will need to deny several basic premises of contemporary Christianity while recognizing that some aspects of my belief cannot be quantified or easily observed.

Let's assume that “God” is a character and not a supreme being, the New Testament is not timeless (but certainly revolutionary for its time), and Jesus was simply attempting to inspire others to achieve enlightenment. With those three assumptions, Christianity and the Bible make a lot of sense to me, and I have to admit that Jesus was really on to something. I may still not agree with every message in there, but it seems like he was certainly more enlightened than I am today. This will require some thought.

Part 2 will be coming to a FB/blog post near you, but for now: dinner time.

Overcoming Obstacles

2010-05-07T01:59:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I briefly discussed some of the goals I have set for myself. Well, today I identified two of the main obstacles that stand between me and achieving those goals: failure and shame. They're interrelated to a degree; let me explain.

I am not innately gifted in the world of finance or physical fitness. I haven't had a sustained and intentional workout/diet plan, and I find money management perplexing. Oftentimes, one misstep is the kiss of death to all of my efforts. I would let one small battle decide the war.

From today forward, I will accept failure for what it is - the cost of doing something great. In time, I hope to see these experiences as learning opportunities...but for now I'll settle with them not being indomitable influences in my life.

Shame is the other big obstacle. I am, quite literally, ashamed of my body. The feeling is so strong that it compels me to stay away from the gym. Shame should serve as a catalyst for self-improvement, not as a deterrent. Now I move forward knowing that every pushup takes me one step closer to becoming someone I can be proud of.

Triumphs

I completed the final piece of my credit card application. As soon as the credit union sends me my card, I'll be able to finally start building some credit history.
I updated my W-4 allowances after using the IRS's online calculator. This should help me get a positive return during tax time next year.

Immediate Goals

I was sent an informational packet concerning my company's 401K information. I need to read it and, if necessary, speak with the company-hired financial consultant about investment plans.
I need to find a suitable apartment for me and my new roommate, Jason. The lease expires on June 30, so I need to have something lined up by the end of this month.

Final Thoughts

"Lack of activity destroys the good condition of every human being, while movement and methodical physical exercise save it and preserve it." ~Plato

The Night Shift

2010-05-05T06:57:00.000-07:00

I have not had a presence online in some time. This is true for a lot of reasons, but lately I've just been working my ass off. I was going to insert something witty here, but I'm just dead to the world after a 13 hour shift. However, I do want to give everyone the skinny on what's going on with me.

Scary thing of the month is that I may or may not have colon cancer. It sounds like the docs really don't know what's going on, so I get to have them check out my GI and tell me what the hell is wrong. That happens in just over seven days.

In other news, dating has been hit and miss. It seems like I've attracted a lot of girls that I'm not that into, but I'm also attracted some girls that aren't into me. My leading prospect was a med student at Wash U. who used to do figure skating. She was a lot of fun when we got to hang out, but she's super unavailable. We might give things another shot when she's less busy.

I'm also talking to an aspiring pharmacist that I seem to really click with. We have pretty similar values on topics like family, religion, partying, etc. The bonus is that she really likes politics and philosophy but isn't so knowledgeable on the topics that I will get destroyed in a discussion. I digress.

My personal goals right now include:

Get my finances in order, including 401K and a credit card.
Start exercising regularly...Thanks Chi for some added inspiration.
Playing violin regularly. I've been super slacking on this one, but it's pretty low on the list right now.
Take a Spanish class so that I can communicate with immigrant workers on the client site.

On a side note, I'm looking forward to another trip to Lollapalooza. Gogol Bordello is playing, and I just know it's going to be a blast. Overall, I'd say my outlook on life is pretty bright when I'm not burnt out from work. I realized recently that finding a special someone is really important to my happiness, and I can use that as motivation to better myself.

I would like to issue a challenge to all of my readers (lol, as if multiple people read this)... Take a moment to identify your top three personal goals, and list one thing you are doing to achieve each one. Sometimes, you just have to break down your goals into measurable bites.

Final thoughts:

"I will apologize for everything but today. Today, I give a shit!" - Kevin Kline in Life as a House

Lament of the Seatbelts

2009-12-12T01:05:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon this video while reading through the Encyclopedia Dramatica, and it really made me want to go to a Seatbelts concert... For those of you who may not recognize this song, it's "Tank" from Cowboy Bebop. The music may very well be the best thing that came out of that series, and it makes me wonder if there are similar bands floating around out there. I will have to investigate this.

Triumphant return!

2009-12-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

The past couple of months have been some of the best in recent memory. It wasn't long ago that I attended the Gogol Bordello concert, and now I have two more fun things under my belt: vacation and Asher's send-off.

Seattle was an amazing city, and I enjoyed every minute that I was there. My friend Kelly hosted me for 8 of my 10 days in the northwest, for which I am extremely thankful. We did a lot of the standard Goat House partying, but we also did a lot of sight seeing. Here is a laundry list of things that I experienced:

Seattle Space Needle
Science Fiction Hall of Fame Museum
Seattle Central Library
Museum of Glass
Pike Place Market (and brewery)
Mario Warp Pipe Park

I also spent a couple of days in Portland hanging with my friend Lauren. We did the Thanksgiving thing and hit up Vodoo Doughnut and a gigantic Chinese garden. It was a little more low-key during that period.

This past weekend was my friend Asher's pre-deployment party (see pic above). We got a bunch of the local friends to head over to the Jive and Wail for a night of debauchery and entertainment. The pianists took requests, and they ended up playing "Proud to be an American" with Asher blushing on stage. We then retired to my place for a little Beatles Rock Band and some drinks. It was truly a night to remember (or not depending).

I must admit, I'm more than a little sad to see him go. Very few people have touched my life to the degree that he has, and I could not have asked for a better friend. I can only hope that our paths will cross again soon.

Cheers.

Ultimate

2009-10-27T20:08:00.000-07:00

I spent this weekend hanging with three of my best Goathouse friends, Brien, John, and Sam. We spent the weekend partying it up, with the main event being a Gogol Bordello concert at Liberty Hall in Lawrence, KS. This adventure has really revived my spirit and enthusiasm for living life to the fullest. I've been working out this week and jamming through work with Gogol tunes in my head.

I'm going to try my best to post one set of lyric interpretations every day for the next while because no one should go without a little Gogol in their lives.

"Ultimate" is a song about living out your days to their fullest without regret of or despair from what's past. It's a song about taking everything you can from life. (Hence my inspiration for this post.) I wasn't able to find a translation for the Russian/Romani part. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

ULTIMATE

If we are here not to do
What you and I wanna do
And go forever crazy with it
Why the hell we are even here?

There was never any good old days
They are today, they are tomorrow
It's a stupid thing we say
Cursing tomorrow with sorrow

When we stand here in a row
Looking like a bunch of heroes
I know that-a deep inside
Nothing more than bunch of zeroes

O skolko utechki tepla
Vot takaja vot sudba
Nam segodnja suzhdena
A bit mozhet chto kogda da-j povezet!

There was never any good old days
They are today, they are tomorrow
It's a stupid thing we say
Cursing tomorrow with sorrow

Stepping on the trail of ultimate
I would never choose to die
Give me rest of all the secrets
Give me new culture of life

Ultimate!
Ultimate!
Ultimate!
Ultimate!

Wish You Were Here Contest

2009-10-17T21:54:00.000-07:00

On my old blog, I held the "Wish You Were Here Contest". The co-winners hailed from DC and Seattle, so I have been on a mission to visit both cities. Here is my proof of visiting DC:

I will be fulfilling my promise to visit Seattle somewhere between November 20th and 29th. It's already in the works.

In addition to my west coast trip, there are a number of things that I am looking forward to right now. In the immediate future, I have tickets to a Gogol Bordello concert. I'll get to hang out with a couple of good friends during my stay, which is honestly more appealing that actually hearing the band. I miss having my college friends in proximity, but I'm glad that we've managed to stay in touch for the most part.

Mega-update

2009-10-03T18:14:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from the Cards game I saw on my birthday weekend. Derek and I had a lot of fun, and it was definitely the closest we've been to the action on the field. I think my favorite part was watching Scales, the left fielder for the Cubs, give us a homerun. It bounced right off of his glove and over the fence.

Mmmm...that was before my haircut. Look at those sexy sideburns.

Cardinals win!

Here's a pic of my roommate giving our mutual friend, J, a haircut. Usually we have to get him drunk before trying this.

I was offered the same service, but I declined. In other news, Ohio is a vile frozen wasteland of corn, trees, and computer work. I was going to bitch about work here, but I changed my mind.

Ohio does have a few places of interest, one of which is "The Jaol", an old jail turned bar. I was really hoping that the establishment would have kept some characteristics of the original structure when designing the place, but it looked like a normal bar on the inside. The waitresses did wear little cowgirl sheriff outfits that I enjoyed. Maybe I should have snapped a picture of that. I'm sure there are other places in Ohio just waiting to be discovered. Maybe next week...

Oh yeah, I went to the Schlafly Bottleworks this weekend! It's a pretty small brewery, as you might imagine, but the beer is top notch. I had the Schlafly hefeweizen, pale ale, oatmeal stout, and dry-hopped APA. The oatmeal stout tasted a lot like coffee, which was a bit of a bummer. I can understand why you would have it for breakfast though. It is a serious full-bodied beer. I highly recommend trying some of the seasonal Oktoberfest beers across the US. I have been a huge fan so far, especially of the ones in Ohio.

As some of you may know, my mom bought me a violin for my birthday. I can't get the damn thing to make a sound, and I swear I tried applying rosin like 100 times. I'm taking it to the string shop tomorrow to get some help. Hopefully, they'll be able to hook me up with an instructor while I'm at it. I'll let you know how things progress.

My Absence

2009-09-28T03:21:00.000-07:00

I have been a little scarce around the web community of late. I recently got transferred to a project in middle-of-nowhere Ohio, and they're trying to lock me in for another year or so of the same stuff I've been doing. That really doesn't interest me, so I'm considering employment options elsewhere. My plan this week is to schedule tours of facilities that I might like to work in and see what an average day in the office would be like...or even if that career path is something I'm interested in. I can always fall back on my technical experience if need be, but this might be a good time to explore my options.

When I return next weekend, I will post pics of the Cards game I went to for my birthday, my roommate shaving a mutual friend's head, and hopefully the Smucker's HQ near where I work. Next weekend I plan to attend AB's "beer school", a portion of the brewery tour! I'm pretty excited about it, but for now...ciao!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2009-09-16T21:08:00.000-07:00

In an hour, it will be my mom's birthday. To show my gratitude for her putting up with me for 25 years, I made a little video. It's nothing fancy. I have no video editing software, and I'm shooting video with an Olympus Stylus 710. At any rate, I hope she likes it better than a card.

Talking to Girls

2009-09-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

(Movie courtesy of Kelroy at goathouselives.blogspot.com)

I have never really dated for any significant amount of time. I always say I'm going to, and then I agree to be exclusive and end up in a 5+ month relationship. With that said, I suck at chatting up girls and getting myself put on the "real ladder" as opposed to the "friends ladder". If you're unfamiliar with the ladder theory, read up. Let's look at a couple of this week's failures and learn from my mistakes.

Scenario 1: Neighbors from downstairs
Overall Attractiveness: 7/10
Scene: I have just arrived home from picking up The Beatles Rock Band, and I see that my neighbor has taken her dog outside. (They just moved in too.) I am wearing clothes from the day before with a Cardinals hat covering my crazy morning hair that I haven't cut in over a month. Hawt!
Dialog:
Girl - Hello.
Me - Hi, who do you have there with you? ... How are you settling in? ...
Girl - Beatles Rock Band, huh? I hear that game's pretty fun.
Me - Well, it just came out today. I'm about to take it for a spin. You and your roommate should come hang out later if you get bored.
*end of dialog*
Thoughts:
- I have no idea how much small talk I need to make to be polite, especially in those random meetings.
- My invitation to hang out was pretty weak, and I could have worded it better. Telling her that we're in need of a singer or something might have worked better. Maybe offering beer would have helped too. Who knows.

Scenario 2: Tivoli Snack Stand Attendant
Overall Attractiveness: 6/10
Scene: As you might have guessed from my previous post, I went to see nine with a few friends of mine. One of my female friends, we'll say M, was chatting with me as I stood in the concession line. Finally, it was my turn to order something.
Dialog:
Girl - What can I do for you?
Me - I'd like a Schlafly Pale Ale.
Girl - That'll be $4.50. *gets drink*
Me - Talks to M.
*group goes to sit down*
Other friend - I just needed to mention that the concession attendant was alternating between checking you out and giving M the stink eye.
The attendant was not there when we got out of the movie.
Thoughts:
- My glasses give me super tunnel vision. I have no idea what my posture is like when I wear them, but I generally don't look at people because I focus on my auditory sense. Maybe it's best to stick with my contacts.
- Should I have chugged down the beer and gone back to chat her up? What do you say to someone that's working that won't make you seem like an ass? I need to think on this one.

Scenario 3: Two Female Neighbors
Overall Attractiveness: 7.5/10 & 6.5/10 = 7/10
Scene:
My roommate and I get home from hanging out with our mutual friend J. Two girls that I've never seen before are out back with their dog. I jump out of the car to introduce myself. My roommate is sulking by the staircase up to our place. It's about 11:30 at night.
Dialog:
Me - Hi there. Do you guys live here? I'm Lancifer from 3W next door. Do you go to school around here?
Girls - Wash U and SLU.
Me - Cool. Well, I won't keep you out, but I just wanted to say hi.
Roommate - That was awkward.
Me - It didn't help with you standing over by the stairs.
Thoughts:
- My roommate needs to be a better wingman when I actually have the courage to talk to women.
- I'm not sure if I should have approached them considering that it was night, and I might seem like a creeper. I don't know when I'll see them again though. *shrugs*

Overall considerations:
- At least I'm trying a little. I need more practice though.
- Wear the damn contacts.
- Look your best from the moment you walk out the door. You never know who you'll bump into.
- Pay attention to your surroundings, or you'll miss opportunities you didn't know you had.
- Still not sure how to have an effective small talk conversation. I need to work on that.

9 the Movie - Psuedo-Spoilers

2009-09-13T12:00:00.000-07:00

If you don't want to ruin the surprise, don't read this.

I had high hopes for the movie 9 once I heard that it was a Tim Burton movie. The animation was well done. I'd say beautiful, but we're talking about a post-apocalyptic landscape here. The soundtrack was pretty killer. Check out track 13 "The Aftermath" here.

On the other hand, the ending was cheesey, and I was disappointed with the good guys' character development. I'll concede that many of the characters experienced a trial of sorts, but their overall demeanor remained unchanged throughout.

The villains, on the other hand, were pretty wicked. The foremost villain reminded me of Dr. Wiley meets a matrix sentinel. This thing is a robot that creates other robots to do its bidding. Originally, it was intended to serve mankind, much like Wiley did when he worked with Dr. Light. Then the government turned on its master, and it went on a rampage.

(image borrowed from imdb)

There are a host of other villains that I thought were cool. The hound was pretty basic (see below). There was also a raven and snake that I can't seem to find pictures of. The raven and snake were by far my favorites, too.

(image borrowed from imdb)

Overall, I give 9 a solid B-. Thanks for reading!

Site Construction: Background

2009-09-10T19:51:00.000-07:00

I want to use an image for the background, and I was thinking something comic book-esque, so I made this from some pictures on my computer. I may try some other stuff later.

I get by with a little help from my friends...

2009-09-09T23:55:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago, I pre-ordered The Beatles Rock Band. It arrived today, and I have already beaten the game. I didn't know much about The Beatles until my friend Asher showed me the movie Across the Universe, which has a truly amazing soundtrack. I digress.
The video above is a morph between the incomparable John Lennon and myself. I checked out several morphing applications, both freeware and shareware, and found that Morpheus Photo Morpher rendered the most desireable results. Enjoy!