Rant/Rave: On Friday I saw the opening of the World Expo in Shanghai, China on the news. For reasons I am not quite sure of this excited me enough that the next I booked flights to go in July. I then spent an enjoyable Sunday attending a Home's and lifestyle convention. http://www.granddesignslive.com/ An hour ago or so while sitting back drinking a beer and staring at the Thames it suddenly dawned on me. I have entered a new phase in my life. I have officially left that post college young professional phase of my life. I am now well and truly in the middle stages of my life. I actively cut back friends, I would rather watch sports at home and I enjoy looking for furniture. Getting older for me has apparently consisted of affectively becoming a gay man, minus the dude fucking. I am suprisingly ok with this.
Sad Rant: Goddamnit I'm tired of seeing pictures of dead turtles in the Gulf of Mexico everywhere. I don't care how much of a pussy it makes me, dead turtles make me really, really, really sad.
Rant: I had a shirt that I really liked get covered with poison oak a while back, and I gave it to Jägerette's mom to clean, because she could wash the black out of our president. Somehow it didn't all wash out and I have a rash from my armpit to my nipple. Rave: I took a slightly longer road into work today which passes the muni airport, and a fully restored B-17 was taking off. I got shivers watching it go up. Edit: It was Aluminum Overcast:
RANT: The ladies in accounting are now listening to Christmas music in an attempt to "cool off". Seriously??? I need a new desk space.
Rave: Straight A's this semester for the first time in my life. Rant: They don't count this semester towards Honor Roll and all that other Academia bull shit, which I would have been on if they did. Rave: College is over. Rave: Whiskey and beer for celebration.
Rave: Just got back from a great mini-vacation in Northern California visiting the in-laws. The kids absolutely loved it. Rant: Now more than even before, my wife wants to relocate to California. Aside from the fact that I already lived there before and came crawling back to the Midwest with my tail between my legs once, there really aren't as many jobs in California right now. It brings a couple quotes to mind: Rant: Now that I think about it, I'm Hudson, my wife is Ripley. ...Great. Rave: Back in the Midwest, perfect weather. It's hard to be depressed when it's summer in the Midwest.
Rave: Just bought a DVD copy of Iron Man 2 from a street vendor for 5 bucks. His selling point was that it wasn't camcorder quality as it's not in theaters until Friday and that it was the same copy that the studios give to theater chains. Rave 2: Dude didn't lie.
Rant: When I moved from my townhouse into my current house two and a half years ago I received a "disconnect services, rape, bullshit, blah blah blah" bill from Verizon. It was bs but I was called by the new tenants because Verizon wouldn't connect them to services until my bill was paid... which was kinda crazy but whatever, $25 so I paid it. About a year later I received another bill from Verizon stating that I owed them $20 for some bullshit fees, services, blah blah blah even though I don't use any Verizon services (other than my company phone which is billed to the company, not me). I called, asked for an explanation of these charges, had my previous payment info in hand (I love internet banking for this reason) and got the charges removed. I thought my relationship with Verizon was over until I started receiving calls from a collection agency on Verizon's behalf. Once again the amount is $25.XX The bill is apparently for something that took place at my old address about a year after I moved out. That's all the collection agency knows. I explained that I've already done this dance with Verizon and haven't lived at that address since 07. Of course they don't care. They just want a credit or debit card to put the charges on. Rave: This has become kind of a fun game for me. The collection agency calls once a week or so and depending on my mood I mess with them. Shitty day? I'll unload on the poor person with as much creative foul language as I can muster, sometimes screaming into the phone. Some days I'll politely listen and then pretend to speak limited English asking them to transfer me to someone who speaks French or Spanish. Some days I try to haggle with them. Asking if they'll take a fresh brook trout or some bottle caps I collected in Australia in exchange for clearing up my bill. This has been going on for over three months now. Most of the time the service person plays along, sticking to their mantra that this charge could be damaging my credit report (hahahaha) and that they'll take credit or debit payment right now. Occasionally they get unhinged and disconnect. The calls are something I'm starting to look forward to. ???: Can I send Verizon a bill for wasting my time with this? I think I might type up an invoice tomorrow.
Rant: Tiger fans and Michiganders alike are saddened by the passing of Hall of Fame broadcaster Ernie Harwell. Hands down THE BEST play-by-play guy in baseball. One of the nicest guys too. Check out freep.com, MLB or anyplace worth a shit for the iconic voice of Ernie. Tiger games will never be the same knowing there's no chance of hearing the crack of a bat then Harwell's famous "that one is looooong gone". A place at "The Corner" should have been set aside for him. Rant: Barely held it together on air about his passing and setting up an audio clip. Fuck, getting choked up again. RIP old friend.
RANT: All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy. All work and no play makes Cowbell a dull boy.
Rant & Rave Rave: Playing with my brand-new BlackBerry. Yes, I know that everybody already owns one and this is not a big deal, but my life is fairly boring and this is exciting for me, alright?
Rave: A TFLN inspired me to set my alarm to that song from the Lion King. Such an epic wake up. I wish I would've done this months ago.
Rave: Someone fucked up ordering from the caterer and had food delivered today even though the big meeting was cancelled. Now there's enough gormet food to feed 12 people and no one to eat it. So...free lunch. I'm eating a kick-ass tomato mozzarella salad and I've got 4 sandwich wedges of different types stacked up on a plate. I'll be going back for seconds/thirds.
Rave: Steam for Mac - May 12th. Get some. Rave: Cinco de Drunko party tonight at a buddy's lake house. Rant: Work tomorrow. Bright and fuckin early..
Rant: Cinco de Mayo is quickly going the way of New Years Eve and St. Patrick’s Day and becoming an amateur hour day. When I’m forced to go into the office I always take a nice leisurely 2 hour lunch complete with a few beers or bourbons to help me make it through the end of the day. Having to deal with the my underlings and co-workers for any amount of time (especially in person) is exasperating. Today I went down to my usual pub for lunch. This place is a fairly nondescript, non-chain restaurant. It has a decent tap line, cute waitresses and adequate pub fare. The thing that puts it over the top is the outdoor patio, which is hidden from the outside and hard to get to from inside. Aside from a few suits that I see there from time to time there are no other “regulars” that I recognize. The fact that I lunch between 1-3PM is probably why. Today my beloved patio was packed with what I refer to as the Cinco de Mayo crowd. These fuckers remind me of every piece of shit that needs to put on a HUGE fucking production when they’re out drinking but especially when they’re “breaking the rules” and imbibing during lunch. Oooooo la-dee-da your majesty, you ordered some booze during LUNCH! Congratulations you’re an adult. Don’t hoist it above your head like it’s a fucking trophy and look around to make sure everyone is watching you. Rave: New waitress wearing a preposterously low cut shirt. Unless they're making tank tops with titanium strands embedded in them I have no idea how she wasn't falling out of it.
Rave: Yesterday I started a new job as a runner in a TV production company (in London). It's cool and all, but I also happen to be working next to the office of David Cross as he scripts his new show! I am not worthy.
RAVE Not something I would normally give a crap about, but...it's Kendra <a class="postlink" href="http://www.wwtdd.com/2010/05/breaking-news-kendra-has-a-sex-tape/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://www.wwtdd.com/2010/05/breaking-n ... -sex-tape/</a>