Rave: Brand new Macbook Pro for a grad gift! I have not had a new computer in almost seven years, and my poor little Macbook was literally breaking apart in my hands. It is incredible to have a computer that actually works well again.
Rave: After an awful weekend, we had a great one. The Guy is super duper awesomepants. I know that's probably more gushy/lovey than this board needs but whatever. They're awesomepants. Rant: Fucking really? YOU JUST GOT THIS JOB YOU COCK KNOCKER, and you're already requesting days off, we're getting complaints about you, and you're showing up late. My face is twitching writing this. Other rant: Dear Other Parents (OPs): Please stop pussifying your children. Your kids are crybabies, not because they're 'overly sensitive personalities' but because you fucking baby them into sheltered uselessness. The fact that your kids expect great things to happen just because they showed up tells me how ineffective a parent you are. And, just so you're aware, just because YOU blow smoke up your special little snowflake's ass doesn't mean *I* will do the same. Remember that before you start looking at me like I'm SatanBitch. Thanks, THAT mom.
Rant: You ever get in expansive online arguments while drunk? It's fucking hard to maintain logical and relevant points of view with more than 2/3 of a bottle of vodka swilling around in your belly. I'm amazed this sentence is legible.
Rave: Three years in the Marine Corps. Most of the guys I started with will be complete with their commitment in one more year, while I have at least six more. Rave: 7 flights, 1 sim left. Rave: Possibly going to Six Flags, ATL this coming weekend with the girl from last a couple weeks ago. Should be an awesome time!
Rant- I'm diagnosed with high blood pressure - 140/98. So long fast food and Red Bull, you've been fun. Hello boiled chicken breast.
Rave: settled into a new place in ABQ, climbing everyday and eating tons of green chilies. Rant: only one job seems promising, and still no internet.
Rant: What the fuck is up with Stop & Shop? Everytime I check out they ask me if I have a membership card, and everytime I say no and they put in a "store member card" so I can get the discounts. So what the fuck is the point of having a card in the first place then? Furthermore, what the fuck is the point of having the special discounts if you have the card, but everyone gets them? Shouldnt the normal prices just reflect what the discounted prices would be if you used a card? Is there any tangible benefit of filling out the member form at their customer service desk while some fat troll named Vicky who has a mustache scowls at you? Fuck that place. Its so stupid and over priced. I paid $7.00 for a 12 pack of Coke today. And of course when I get home, some can was leaking and the rest of the cans and box are now all sticky and gross. Fuck you Stop & Shop.
Rave: My father in law was put on a new transplant list at a hospital in Seattle. Because of his time spent on other lists, he was moved forward in line, and is now next in line for a matching kidney. Despite my belief that a 70 year old shouldn't be getting a transplant, this is great news.
Rant: After extensive yard work (putting in a new garden, mowing, weeding, spraying) and other home chores yesterday (sweeping garage), I'm pretty sure my hands are both at least 60% blister. Rave: Yard looks better than ever, garden is in, and garage looks as good as it did when we moved in. Little things please me. Rant: Thanks to my hands hurting so fucking much, I haven't been able to lift for two days. Cardio is getting fucking boring. Rave: Down 25 lbs from my largest in March, but another 25 from my goal.
RANT: Can somebody tell me just what in the Blue Hell happened to the price of Pabst Blue Ribbon? When I was growing up, that stuff was considered by my parents/family as cheap, "white trash" beer. When I started drinking regularly (about 2004), I could get a 12 pack of it for $4.99, AND IT WASN'T HALF BAD, and I bought it all the time. But then (about '07) the local grocerey store stopped carrying it, and I started drinking Steel Reserve instead (BAD IDEA). Anyway, today I found another store that was selling it (the same state-wide chain, HEB), and it was $9.29 for a 12 pack! What the hell? The price of Budweiser and Mickey's "Fine Malt Liquor" hasn't progressed on such a scale!!! Goddam hipsters. It just figures that I found it at an "upscale" HEB instead of the usual ghetto locations that I frequent.
RAVE: First, a little back-story. I live in a 'city' of 1.7M people. It is occasionally referred to as the most isolated city in the world (wrongly, it's actually about the 3rd most isolated depending on criteria), and it has the cultural diversity of a Klan rally. Seriously - the largest population of non-whites, the Chinese, comprise an intimidating 2.9% of the total. Until about 2 years ago, we couldn't have small bars here, and it's still illegal to be drunk in a bar. And yet... on a Tuesday night, in 6 deg temperatures with pouring rain, I can go to a local bar and watch a scorching blues set. The sweetest sound in the world to me might be the sound of a classic blues riff played on a slide guitar. A trio of local muso's fucking rocked it, with everything from originals, to a triple-speed take on 'Come Together', to my personal favourite, a cover of Cream's Outside Woman Blues. There were maybe 30 people there, but somehow, the (nearly-beaten-to-death) optimist in me believes that as long as a group of people will venture out into shitty weather to catch an unknown blues band light up a stage, there will always be a corner of the world that the bureaucrats and marketers won't own. It's totally illogical, but there it is. Also, those of you in New Orleans can kindly fuck off, with your authentic blues 7 nights a week. Let me have my glory. (Seriously, I went to New Orleans last year, and it blew my fucking mind. Blues? At more than 1 place? Any night of the week? Magic.)
Rant: My girlfriend and I are going to be spending four nights at a bed and breakfast in the San Juan Islands in July. We'll both be celebrating our birthdays since they're two days apart. We're right on the water. We're going whale watching and dining out at nice restaurants for all four of those nights. I will be having backbreaking sex until I've expelled every non-essential fluid in my body. Why is this a rant? Because I will be subsisting on mites and top ramen to help pay for this. Rave/Rant: My girlfriend makes more than I do and will pay at least half of everything. This is awesome for financial reasons. It sucks because I feel as a man, I should be able to provide whomever I'm with with whatever she wants or needs. I can't and it bothers me.
Rave- Work is starting to finally feel sorted (I took over a failing store about two months ago) and I finally found a competent assistant. Hooray for days off and sharing responsibilities. Rant- It has been raining for two months. Whats the point of buying cute dresses and short shorts if the weather feels like October? Rave- Best friend finally broke up with her boyfriend! No more hearing about how and when she was going to do it for months and months and months. Rant- Why do girls/dudes cling to relationships that are obviously over?
Rave: Quick nap at 10 before going out last night turned into a 12 hour snoozefest. Why a rave? I woke up at 10 this morning completely refreshed for the first time in two weeks. Time to get things done today.
So... There's a cafeteria in my company's building and one of the guys who works there is a BIG Nintendo fan. I'd never met him, but I've heard all about him. He's infamous. Which brings us to: Rant: I just met him for the first time. We've never exchanged words. I walked around the corner to head upstairs at the same time he was coming out of the kitchen. He made eye contact and IMMEDIATELY launched into an exasperated speech about the Wii U while pretending to hold a controller SIX INCHES FROM MY GODDAMN FACE. "Do you know about Wii U and it's (the discs) going to hold 25 GB and that's Blu-ray and Wikipedia says that Blu-ray is 25 GB and..." Dude needs to calm the fuck down. Those 30 seconds were pretty fucking uncomfortable.
Tonight will consist of beach volleyball in beautiful weather, beer and chicken wings afterwards, with good company and Stanley Cup hockey. Is this what Heaven feels like?
RAVE: Got some respect out on the water today, rather unexpectedly. I've been working all night, so "ended" my day by heading out in the float-tube and onto my lake well before dawn. Drifted around for a few hours, trolling a muddler minnow, caught some nice rainbows, and enjoyed a big thermos of "special" coffee. Was slowly making my way back to my dock (you aren't really a speed demon in a float-tube), when the local rowing club hit the water for some laps. Coach did his usual thing of yell and bomb around in the little Zodiak like some angry hornet with a German accent. Anyway, I've got some line out, flippering my way, backwards, at about 1/4 of a knot, almost to my dock, when a few kayakers go by me on either side. They were a good distance away, were quite nice, and said "good morning"; one asked how I was doing, if I'd caught anything, etc. Nice kids (they all seemed to be 17-19 range). Then Coach comes racing over and asks if I could stay out of "their lanes" so they could practice. "Your lanes?" "Yes... the buoys... they mark our lanes." Then one of the kayakers pipes in, "Uhmmm... Coach, I think he lives here. You do, don't you sir? Isn't that your dock right there?". "Yes it is." The kid then said, "I'm thinking he can go anywhere he wants... it's his lake. We'll just stay out of his way." Seriously? Did I just hear that? Then the others chime in with "yep" and "makes sense". Coach seems a bit surprised by this, and says, "I guess.", and heads off across the lake to a few of the other guys. The kayakers then say "see you later" and head off. Surprised the fuck out of me, really. In a good way. Made my day.
So, are they allowed on your lawn? Rave: Was able to start up my second job again, and might add in a little third one on the side as well. Rant: Insomnia seems to be a theme here, so I'll jump on in--sleeping has sucked lately. No idea why. Rant: The insane lengths some people will go to in order to keep up appearances. Stupid, stupid stuff.