Techincal Difficulties

Been having problems posting via blogger for the past week. Still working on it.

test

Stupid blogger refuses to make me post. It's censorship ... I know it.

Going Insane

Waiting for one thing is nerve wracking enough. Waiting for two will drive me downright batty. Today is Lauren's first day of pre-school. It's a really short day to serve as a Meet & Greet. Class starts at 10:30. It's no 9:40. I want to leave now, but that sets the arrival time about 30 minutes too soon. Don't want to look like a freak the first day. I really need to save that for the 2nd day.

Also, we recently ordered a new camera to replace our now dead-as-a-doornail Canon A80. The package requires someone to sign for it. UPS tried to deliver it yesterday but no one was home. If they come in the next 20 minutes, we'll be here to sign for it. We do have a backup plan (disposable cameras were on sale for $2 at Meijer), but it would be nice to make the first pictures on the new camera Lauren's 1st day of school.

Guh! This wait is killing me.

It smells yucky

Can someone please explain to me why our entire town smells like the pachyderm house at Brookfield Zoo?

It's my 2 cents damnit!

I don't get upset very often. It's just not my nature. I like being jovial and making people laugh (or groan). Today, however, I got upset. In my typical style, it was a full 20 minutes after the event happened that I really began to steam, so not much I could do. Here's what got me hot under the collar:

We went to Culver's for lunch. After my meal, I indulged in a Concrete Mixer for $3.98. I give the teenager behind the counter $4. He then asks if I need the 2 cents back. Stunned, I state yes I would like MY change back.

So, here is what set me off. There were no "Give a penny, take a penny" bins. There was no donate to charity sign. This kid just wanted me to leave the 2 cents behind so he could pocket it. WHAT THE HELL?!?! Yes, it's only 2 cents, but who the hell is this snot nosed little punk to think he can just pocket it. You want a job with tips, don't work at Culvers! The use of the word "need" is especially offensive. No, I don't NEED 2 cents, but it's MY FARKING 2 CENTS!!! And what exactly is happening to this 2 cents? Are you going to use it to buy your girlfriend something nice, like 1/2 an M&M?

The more I think about it, the more steamed I get. So, I'll end with this: Lauren starts swim lessons tomorrow. I can't wait!

It was nice quality time, til it wasn't

Lauren has a little bout of pneumonia right now, so she and daddy had a day home together yesterday and today. I worked from home, but we managed to fit in some quality time.
Yesterday was lunch at the Cow and Ice Cream Restaurant (aka Colonial Cafe). I think I have found the perfect dessert buddy. Better even than Misss You Can Have the Ice Cream on the Molten Chocolate Cake. We topped off our lunch with a PBF Chipper replacing the peanut butter cup on top with mini M&M's. The sundae stands about 7 inches tall and Lauren, bless her heart, limits her entire experience to the layer of whipped cream and M&M's on the top. How great a dessert buddy is she? As I worked my way through the chocolate and chocolate chip ice cream with hot fundge and peanut butter sauce, Lauren opined

You can have the yucky stuff, daddy

Not only does she let me eat the good stuff, she thinks I'm a hero for doing it!!
Today, I asked if she wanted to go anywhere for lunch.

The CASTLE RESTAURANT!!!

Ah yes. The Castle Restaurant (known as the Village Squire to you and me Gus). On the way there, she realized what awaited.

Daddy, at the castle restaurant, they have POPCORN!!!!

Indeed they do have popcorn. And it is tasty.
With all this quality time, Lauren must have figured she was long overdue on making daddy look like an idiot. We had one more stop before heading home to get some supplies to fix a sink. Off to the hardware store we went. As we get out of the car, Lauren decides it's much too warm for jackets so she takes her off and asks me to do the same. I had to agree (it was pretty warm), so I took off our coats, put them in the car, locked it, and we went in to get the stuff. It was upon walking out that I realized what the pipsqueak was really up to. My keys were still in the coat. In the locked car. Great! I was able to get in touch with a locksmith friend to open the car, but that wasn't enough humiliation for the angelic looking imp. No, she had to let EVERYONE who walked in and out of the store know that daddy had locked us out of the car. Not just one or two people. EVERYONE! The twinkle in her eye and smirk on her face let me know this was no accident. She had set me up. And this was her time to remind me who's boss. I was never happier to see my friend then when he got there.
Next time, we're walking babe.

Want to Feel Old?

First the good news: New X-Files movie coming out July 25th! Current Title is "The X-Files: I Want to Believe".

Now, the bad news: The first X-Files movie was released 10 years ago. TEN!!! WTF!!! The series premiered SIXTEEN YEARS AGO!! Suddenly, I feel the need for a walker.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Movies/04/16/film.xfiles.title.ap/index.html

A Public Service Announcement

Dear Reader -

Welcome to Stay Off the Internet Day. That's right! When you're finished reading this post, close your browser and do not open it until 2 April. Otherwise, you'll find yourself awash in such a torrent of crap, even a dinghy wouldn't be enough to keep you afloat. So, for your sanity, do what I'm going to do today. Close my browser and *shudder* pretend to work.

ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME???

I think I'm going to scream. From Accuweather:

URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHICAGO IL
349 PM CDT WED MAR 19 2008

...ACCUMULATING SNOW POSSIBLE LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY
FRIDAY EVENING...

.A STORM SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL TRACK INTO
THE CENTRAL PLAINS THURSDAY NIGHT...AND AFFECT FAR NORTHERN
ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST INDIANA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY.
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH THIS STORM SYSTEM IS
EXPECTED TO TRACK ACROSS CENTRAL ILLINOIS BY FRIDAY EVENING. HEAVY
WET SNOW IS POSSIBLE NORTH OF THE TRACK OF THIS LOW PRESSURE AREA
ACROSS FAR NORTH CENTRAL ILLINOIS EXTENDING SOUTHEASTWARD INTO FAR
NORTHWEST INDIANA.

Depressed

After 8 years, I have moved cubes. I'm still at the same company, but switched positions recently. My old cube was a large double cube with a best friend for a cube mate. We had a giant window looking out onto the OtorolaMay property. My new cube is a single buried someone in the large intestine of The Company. I like having a secure job, but I miss my view.

Watch out for the zombie

Do you remember when our nights began at 10:00 pm? I surely can't. Nowadays, come 22 hundred hours, I'm getting ready to hit the sack. Except for tonight. With the in-laws in town, Debbie and I took the opportunity to go see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (HPATOOTP for you hep cats out there). The first showing after the kids' bed time was 10:00. We just got back. I can't say I'm looking forward to work tomorrow. I just hope I can fight off the urge to have BRAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINNNNNNSSSS for lunch.

Sucked back in

A while back (a year to be exact), I wrote a little rant about Quicken and their decision to end-of-life support for versions 2004 and earlier. By end-of-life, I don't mean they won't take tech support calls; I mean they will cease the ability to download transactions for Quicken 2004. I wrote then there would be no way I would stick with a company who would treat their customers so horribly. When I saw a deal earlier this year for MS Money 2007 for free, I jumped on it. My plan to extricate myself from the grasps of Quicken was in full swing. I was feeling free ... running through a field ... sunshine warming my face ... wait a second ... is this a feminine products commercial? Anyway, I was so excited right up to the point I began to use this pile of unintuitive, interface hell. I also, when installing, noticed this cute little message that said I would basically get support for my product for 2 years and thats it. On top of this, the import of data worked decently, but there were a few bugs that caused accounts to be severely out of whack. My list of problems with Money goes on and on. In the end, it struck me that I was changing to a product whose support was less then offered by Quicken and had an interface that makes me cringe every time I looked at it. *sigh* Just when I thought I was free, I get thrown back into the dungeon.

Idiots and Physics

I don't mind driving in the snow. It's actually kind of fun in that white knuckle, ass clenching, please dear God let me get through this kind of way. What does get me riled are the idiots out there who do not understand basic grade school physics when driving in this kind of weather.
Today, I came home early because I was the only member of my team to actually make it to work today. On the way home, I came upon some IQ challenged lady who felt the safest thing to do when driving in inclement weather is to go 5 miles per hour. I felt a sudden urge to stop my car, walk up to her window, and explain to her the intricacies of how her "driving safe" was actually more hazardous than if she was speeding. My rant has to begin with the concept of momentum. By traveling 5 mph, she has essentially no momentum. Even worse, when she hits those inevitable spots of low traction, her forward velocity is so small that there is a good chance she won't pass the low traction area to reach a spot of higher traction ... like what I witnessed in the middle of her left turn across a VERY busy road. Add to this debacle the fact people behind her are now required to brake far more than they would likely expect, I guarantee she caused an accident somewhere in her travels today. My only hope is she is actually involved and not some poor schmoe who actually understands how traveling 5 mph is not the best way to control a ton of metal.
I have no problem with cautious driving, particularly in inclement weather like today. I do however have a problem with those whose caution is so extreme as to create a road hazard for others. So when driving today, please be aware that caution is a good thing, too much caution will send you straight to a lecture by me on the fundamentals of physics and how they affect a ton of metal on a slippery road.