*Been a really long time since I heard "Patience" from Guns 'N' Roses.
*Mud season has officially begun.
*In the battle for the galaxy, it looks like I might be coming down on the side of Star Trek instead of Star Wars. Now, I know what you're thinking, and I really don't want to hear it. I will continue to stand by my previous statements that the entire Star Trek mythos needs to go away for a long, long, time. I will also stand by the idea that there were only 3 true Star Wars movies. But, in the arena of newly released tabletop starship combat games, I really do think I'm going to go with Star Trek: Attack Wing over X-Wing. They both use the Flight Path system, so that's not an issue. The combat systems are close enough to be considered identical, so again, no issue there. But, I am really liking the way ST:AW makes use of the range of characters they have available. Since the majority of the ships in XW are single seat fighters, versus large scale spacecraft for ST:AW, you can only have one Named character per ship in XW. ST:AW lets you have multiples, depending on the ship being used. All of this is based in the point building systems of each game, but the factions, characters, weapons, and ships available to ST:AW just make for a much wider range of options, instead of only Rebels vs Empire. So, thus far, ST:AW will probably end up getting more money spent on it in the long run.
*Fuck. Dammit fuck fuck. Don't want to do it. That's the core of my argument. Just don't wanna. There exist a grand sum total of ZERO reasons why I should continue, and just an annoyingly large number of reasons why I should stop. I just don't wanna. I really don't recall if dealing with this was this problematic the last time around. Of course last time, I wasn't on any medication that was doing something good for me. Again, it all totals up to ZERO reasons to continue on.
*Grandma Suchner left us this week and will soon be back at the lake with Ray. The interesting question now will be whether the folks stick around or if they'll head up north.
*For once, I may have done something right. The makeshift burnisher I cobbled together for my rotary tool (it's a Black and Decker, not a Dremel, if such a thing can be believed), is doing a really good job. Now I just need to get a bunch more of the tiny blending stumps and I should be in business. Hence, I will be eagerly checking the mailbox over the next couple of weeks looking for new art supply catalogs.
*Plans for vacation are still rather formless. Probably gonna go here, might go there. Peoria/Pekin will be on the list, just not sure when.
*****
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Just Wednesday
*Been a pretty down day for me for reasons that are not quite clear. Hopefully tomorrow doesn't follow suit.
*Dear Michael's: you suck. That is all. Going back to doing business with Dick Blick (which is also just a lot more fun to say).
*Was doing some research into techniques for blending colored pencils, since the way I have been doing it for years is really starting to get to my fingers. The idea of using rubbing alcohol or odorless mineral spirits didn't seem appealing to me, and blending pencils seem to have a number of disadvantages. The most interesting thing I saw in regards to burnishing was using the back of a spoon to do it. Unusual thought, but an idea that I might be able to work with. But what all this reading actually did was make me decide to revisit the idea I had about using my Dremel as a burnisher. So I gathered all my Dremel bits and parts and pro0ceeded to see what I could do. Half an hour later, I had managed to Frankenstein together a blending stump onto the drive shaft of the Dremel. We'll see how well it works.
*Looks like CATT may yield to NETT for 2014.
*May be time to make some changes so that weekends, holidays, and evenings are once again something special and therefore something to look forward to.
*Just a hint of, what was it, maroon? Burgundy, perhaps? Either way, very nice against the black foreground.
*I'm not sure which scent I'm going to use in my new art cabinet. Patchouli? Pine? Sandalwood? Suppose it doesn't matter, as long as I can neutralize that residual Lysol smell.
*Well, the dream machine sure was running in high gear last night. And it got started a lot earlier that usual. But why Curly was the main element is something I can't figure out. Hadn't thought about her in quite a while. Leave it to my unconscious mind jump up and pop me with an emotional sucker punch like that. Beyond the blatantly obvious emotional content of the dream, the end thought I was left with was, "where the hell did that come from?!". I mean, I thought I had managed to kinda put that whole part of my life to some sort of rest next to the part of my life I spent on DC. I guess that maybe those spirits are still a bit restless. But still, the more problematic question for me is why did she pop up now? And what do I do with all this stuff that's gotten all roiled up? Maybe she's reappeared since I've been making more use of my artistic talents. That was something about her that always amazed me back in the day. Or it could just be a random reminder of just how useless of a human being I was at that point in my life.
*Usugally rumors are loudest just before they come true. Which is roughly the same time as when those in authority are denying the loudest.
*****
*Dear Michael's: you suck. That is all. Going back to doing business with Dick Blick (which is also just a lot more fun to say).
*Was doing some research into techniques for blending colored pencils, since the way I have been doing it for years is really starting to get to my fingers. The idea of using rubbing alcohol or odorless mineral spirits didn't seem appealing to me, and blending pencils seem to have a number of disadvantages. The most interesting thing I saw in regards to burnishing was using the back of a spoon to do it. Unusual thought, but an idea that I might be able to work with. But what all this reading actually did was make me decide to revisit the idea I had about using my Dremel as a burnisher. So I gathered all my Dremel bits and parts and pro0ceeded to see what I could do. Half an hour later, I had managed to Frankenstein together a blending stump onto the drive shaft of the Dremel. We'll see how well it works.
*Looks like CATT may yield to NETT for 2014.
*May be time to make some changes so that weekends, holidays, and evenings are once again something special and therefore something to look forward to.
*Just a hint of, what was it, maroon? Burgundy, perhaps? Either way, very nice against the black foreground.
*I'm not sure which scent I'm going to use in my new art cabinet. Patchouli? Pine? Sandalwood? Suppose it doesn't matter, as long as I can neutralize that residual Lysol smell.
*Well, the dream machine sure was running in high gear last night. And it got started a lot earlier that usual. But why Curly was the main element is something I can't figure out. Hadn't thought about her in quite a while. Leave it to my unconscious mind jump up and pop me with an emotional sucker punch like that. Beyond the blatantly obvious emotional content of the dream, the end thought I was left with was, "where the hell did that come from?!". I mean, I thought I had managed to kinda put that whole part of my life to some sort of rest next to the part of my life I spent on DC. I guess that maybe those spirits are still a bit restless. But still, the more problematic question for me is why did she pop up now? And what do I do with all this stuff that's gotten all roiled up? Maybe she's reappeared since I've been making more use of my artistic talents. That was something about her that always amazed me back in the day. Or it could just be a random reminder of just how useless of a human being I was at that point in my life.
*Usugally rumors are loudest just before they come true. Which is roughly the same time as when those in authority are denying the loudest.
*****
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Subsonic Cigar
*Was going to expand my X-Wing fleet the other day, until I started doing some more reading about Star Trek: Attack Wing. I had already gotten the XW base set and a couple of additional ships, and I liked the system for the most part. And, I do prefer Star Wars to Star Trwek. So, the idea of starting an entirely new system, as well as switching mythos seemed unnecessary at best. Still, I went to BGG and read a bunch of posts comparing the two systems, and I think I just might end up getting myself an ST:AW base set. The idea that ST:AW is hyper-customizeable is something I really like and it also makes up for the quality difference in the minis (this from the guy who still uses cardboard stand-ups to play Battletech). I think I'll still get some more ships for my XW setup (I simply MUST have a rebel transport or three!! (That's sarcasm, BTW)), but it does sound like ST:AW is going to be worth a try.
*My copy of Fortress America is now worth substantially less than it was as I actually made the mistake of opening it, assembling the pieces, and punching out all the tokens. Silly me, I thought games were for playing.
*Good thing I got that reminder call today, since I had no idea that I had a doctor's appointment on Monday. I had been thinking I was about due for another talk on the importance of medication compliance from Mike.
*Over a month away, and already people are asking what I want for my birthday. This despite me telling people over and over that I don't walk around with a list of stuff that I want in my pocket. So, you know what that means...yup... gonna end up with gift cards.
*I will not be drawn into this pointless hope that spring may actually be starting, since the weather will no doubt turn around and piss on us yet again.
*The email said there were around 50 tickets left for Ohana. Someone wants to wait for South Ohana 2015 to attend another one, but since I haven't been in two years, I think, I'd kinda like to go to Lake George again. It's also supposed to be a convention year, so that means things start on Wednesday, which would add a couple of days to the hotel stay (basically a week). Plus I'm just not sure that 'm up to 2 days on the road in both directions, either. But, I haven't been able to go through the fezzing ceremony yet, either. So, the waffling continues.
*Heading down to see the family next weekend. Hope to see some other folks as well. A lot of places should be celebrating St. Pat's day, so could be interesting to see what's going on in Peoria.
*Finished a rough work based on an idea that's been rattling around in my head for quite a while. Of course, it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to, but it wasn't bad. Did give me some ideas for the next version, though. And actually, as I was writing that last sentence, I had another idea for yet another version of that piece. I also found that I may have to slightly change my opinion of Sharpies, as the brush tip black marker that I used for this piece worked quite well.
*There are times, infrequent as they may be, that I regret not going to medical school.
*Had the interesting thought the other day that if I was to get a 3D printer, I could basically make as many HeroScape terrains as I wanted to. Might also be able to make double height tiles to use for BattleTech maps. The main question I had was would the cost of making them that way, not to mention the hardware cost and the cost of the plastic, outweigh what I would spend if I were to get more from, say e-Bay. Since HS terrains are no longer being made (at least as far as I know), the supply is finite and collectors could drive the price in either direction, which means that at any given point in time it could vary as to whether it would be cheaper to make them or buy them. I'm also unsure if the printer comes with any imaging/scanning capability, or if that's another piece of equipment and software. Still, It could open up all kinds of doors for making custom game pieces and replacement parts for older games. Like that one stinking wrench I lost from my copy of Water Works.
*I keep getting Final Fight and Streets of Rage mixed up.
*****
*My copy of Fortress America is now worth substantially less than it was as I actually made the mistake of opening it, assembling the pieces, and punching out all the tokens. Silly me, I thought games were for playing.
*Good thing I got that reminder call today, since I had no idea that I had a doctor's appointment on Monday. I had been thinking I was about due for another talk on the importance of medication compliance from Mike.
*Over a month away, and already people are asking what I want for my birthday. This despite me telling people over and over that I don't walk around with a list of stuff that I want in my pocket. So, you know what that means...yup... gonna end up with gift cards.
*I will not be drawn into this pointless hope that spring may actually be starting, since the weather will no doubt turn around and piss on us yet again.
*The email said there were around 50 tickets left for Ohana. Someone wants to wait for South Ohana 2015 to attend another one, but since I haven't been in two years, I think, I'd kinda like to go to Lake George again. It's also supposed to be a convention year, so that means things start on Wednesday, which would add a couple of days to the hotel stay (basically a week). Plus I'm just not sure that 'm up to 2 days on the road in both directions, either. But, I haven't been able to go through the fezzing ceremony yet, either. So, the waffling continues.
*Heading down to see the family next weekend. Hope to see some other folks as well. A lot of places should be celebrating St. Pat's day, so could be interesting to see what's going on in Peoria.
*Finished a rough work based on an idea that's been rattling around in my head for quite a while. Of course, it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to, but it wasn't bad. Did give me some ideas for the next version, though. And actually, as I was writing that last sentence, I had another idea for yet another version of that piece. I also found that I may have to slightly change my opinion of Sharpies, as the brush tip black marker that I used for this piece worked quite well.
*There are times, infrequent as they may be, that I regret not going to medical school.
*Had the interesting thought the other day that if I was to get a 3D printer, I could basically make as many HeroScape terrains as I wanted to. Might also be able to make double height tiles to use for BattleTech maps. The main question I had was would the cost of making them that way, not to mention the hardware cost and the cost of the plastic, outweigh what I would spend if I were to get more from, say e-Bay. Since HS terrains are no longer being made (at least as far as I know), the supply is finite and collectors could drive the price in either direction, which means that at any given point in time it could vary as to whether it would be cheaper to make them or buy them. I'm also unsure if the printer comes with any imaging/scanning capability, or if that's another piece of equipment and software. Still, It could open up all kinds of doors for making custom game pieces and replacement parts for older games. Like that one stinking wrench I lost from my copy of Water Works.
*I keep getting Final Fight and Streets of Rage mixed up.
*****
Saturday, March 1, 2014
Just Meandering...
*Had an interesting thing happen to me at the grocery store the other day. Like most people, the first thing I did when I went in was to get a cart. Lucky me, there just happened to be one right there at the front of the cart area all ready to go. So, I threw my list into the seat and started off towards the produce. That's when I heard thunka thunka thunka coming from the cart. Go figure that I get the one that has a messed up wheel. Double go figure that the one with the bad wheel was the one sitting at the front of the cart area. Someone else had already ditched it before I came into the store. I was just about to make a U turn and get another cart as well as being ready to be a little pissed that someone had pawned a busted cart off on me, not to mention that I had been stupid enough to take a busted cart, when I had a though run through my head that made me stop right where I was. I thought that if this was the worst thing that happened to me today, having a shopping cart with a messed up wheel, then I was having a damn good day. There weren't any military checkpoints on the drive over. I didn't have to worry about my neighborhood coming under mortar attack. It wasn't very likely that I was going to get thrown into prison for voicing an opinion that ran counter to whoever was in charge of whatever. I was in a place where there was food from all over the world that had been brought to one place for my convenience. Now, considering all that , and so much more, why would I let a messed up wheel bug me? So, I proceeded to do my shopping, the whole time letting the thunka thunka thunka of the messed up wheel remind me of just how good I have it.
*Really not fond of Sharpies. At least their colored ones (not black, that is). The color tones are almost always way darker than the cap would indicate. Plus, if you can't tell the colors apart when you put them on paper, what's the point in making multiple colors? And, the smell of them gives me a headache.
*"Personal Jesus" from Depeche Mode is one of those songs that, like it or not, is part of the canon of classic 80's music. That being said, I'm pretty sure that I like the Marilyn Manson version better than the original.
*Not a bad day at work today. Got most of the paint chips, wood chips, and sawdust up off the floor. The closet doors got their final (hopefully) coat of paint, and the lift kit got put on the carving table. As soon as I get all the random tools off the floor and haul the air cleaner out to the garage, things will be in really good shape in there. Not only will I be able to get in and efficiently get work done, I'll be able to get into the closet and start rooting out more things to get rid of.
*Weather looks like it might be a tad on the crappy side this coming Sunday morning, which might put the nix on going out to the first Kane County Flea Market of the year. Boooo, hisssss.
*****
*Really not fond of Sharpies. At least their colored ones (not black, that is). The color tones are almost always way darker than the cap would indicate. Plus, if you can't tell the colors apart when you put them on paper, what's the point in making multiple colors? And, the smell of them gives me a headache.
*"Personal Jesus" from Depeche Mode is one of those songs that, like it or not, is part of the canon of classic 80's music. That being said, I'm pretty sure that I like the Marilyn Manson version better than the original.
*Not a bad day at work today. Got most of the paint chips, wood chips, and sawdust up off the floor. The closet doors got their final (hopefully) coat of paint, and the lift kit got put on the carving table. As soon as I get all the random tools off the floor and haul the air cleaner out to the garage, things will be in really good shape in there. Not only will I be able to get in and efficiently get work done, I'll be able to get into the closet and start rooting out more things to get rid of.
*Weather looks like it might be a tad on the crappy side this coming Sunday morning, which might put the nix on going out to the first Kane County Flea Market of the year. Boooo, hisssss.
*****
Thursday, February 27, 2014
What Reeks in Here?!
*Every episode of Game of Thrones should henceforth come with a highly detailed and meticulously annotated flowchart of how all the characters are related. Or, given the rate at which they seem to get killed, were related.
*Perfume is one of the few things that really, really irritates me. It can actually give me a ragingly savage headache in a matter of minutes. Nothing like walking into a drifting cloud of some old lady's rank miasma 15 minutes after she's gone by. Or some teenage idiot who has bathed in whatever noxious aroma is being shilled by the celebrity of the moment. Of course, I must freely admit to my own mistakes in this arena. My stench of choice when I was a teen was English Leather. Let me repeat that: English Leather. That alone should prove that I know whereof I speak, since that stuff is now classified as a hazardous material by the federal Clean Air Act. There was one time when I applied so much of it in anticipation of going out that I just about suffocated everyone riding in the car with me that night. And just as a side note, E.L. is really tenacious. One trip through the shower just really won't take care of it. Anyway, I don't care if you're male or female, regardless of what the label calls it, it's still perfume. It's not going to make you smell like some Eurotrash fashion model or the pop singer du jour. And who the hell knows what those things really smell like anyways? It's sure not gonna make me think you smell like a field of flowers in an alpine meadow after a gentle spring rain. I've never stood under the Eiffel Tower at midnight either, so I have no idea how that smells, or much less why anyone would want to smell that way. And another thing, if you do choose to wear perfume, don't keep applying the stuff until YOU can smell it. Rest assured that your nasal receptors have been burned out and your crista galli has been eroded by that shit to the point where what's left of your brain will just dribble out of your nose at some random point in time. Meanwhile, your daily perfume dosage is causing birds three blocks away to fall out of the sky stone dead. And on fire. And I don't give a damn how much it costs per spritz, or pint, or cubic kiloliter: 99.990234235% of any of it reeks to the point where pig shit would run away from it if it had legs. Or a nose. How much money you spent on it is a sign of your stupidity, not my inability to conceive of how wonderful it smells. I don't use scented deodorant, bodywash, shampoo, hairspray, detergent, or fabric softener when I can avoid it. Now, on the very, very slight chance that I feel like altering my scent profile, my choice is bay rum. It's something that in this one very highly isolated case, was good enough for grandpa, and is good enough for me.
*For those of you who haven't heard, celery is the cornerstone of a worldwide evil plot for global domination that needs to be stopped.
*Not the best day at work today. The studio is still a mess after the installation of the drafting cabinet, and it's not easy to get from one side of the room to the other. The closet doors are only half sanded and still need another coat of paint and random piles of Hawaiian shirts seem to be sprouting up here and there. Plus, I know there used to be a couch in there somewhere. The add-ons for the carving table still haven't been installed yet, and there are at least 4 projects in various stages of completion laying around. Be nice to be able to just lock myself in there until I get everything squared away. But, since I know that isn't going to happen, I'll try and make peace with the mess to the degree that I need to so I can actually get some work done.
*I figured out that I can play video games as much as I want, as long as I am walking on the treadmill while I do it. I think that's a pretty good system. Half an hour of game time gets me just over a mile of distance walked.
*Vegas? Maybe. Milwaukee? Maybe. Chicago? Maybe. Florida? Also on the maybe list. Beyond those, nothing really leaping out at me as far as good places to go in April. That is to say, as far as good places to go that I can afford without having to sell any of my internal organs to pay for the trip.
*****
*Perfume is one of the few things that really, really irritates me. It can actually give me a ragingly savage headache in a matter of minutes. Nothing like walking into a drifting cloud of some old lady's rank miasma 15 minutes after she's gone by. Or some teenage idiot who has bathed in whatever noxious aroma is being shilled by the celebrity of the moment. Of course, I must freely admit to my own mistakes in this arena. My stench of choice when I was a teen was English Leather. Let me repeat that: English Leather. That alone should prove that I know whereof I speak, since that stuff is now classified as a hazardous material by the federal Clean Air Act. There was one time when I applied so much of it in anticipation of going out that I just about suffocated everyone riding in the car with me that night. And just as a side note, E.L. is really tenacious. One trip through the shower just really won't take care of it. Anyway, I don't care if you're male or female, regardless of what the label calls it, it's still perfume. It's not going to make you smell like some Eurotrash fashion model or the pop singer du jour. And who the hell knows what those things really smell like anyways? It's sure not gonna make me think you smell like a field of flowers in an alpine meadow after a gentle spring rain. I've never stood under the Eiffel Tower at midnight either, so I have no idea how that smells, or much less why anyone would want to smell that way. And another thing, if you do choose to wear perfume, don't keep applying the stuff until YOU can smell it. Rest assured that your nasal receptors have been burned out and your crista galli has been eroded by that shit to the point where what's left of your brain will just dribble out of your nose at some random point in time. Meanwhile, your daily perfume dosage is causing birds three blocks away to fall out of the sky stone dead. And on fire. And I don't give a damn how much it costs per spritz, or pint, or cubic kiloliter: 99.990234235% of any of it reeks to the point where pig shit would run away from it if it had legs. Or a nose. How much money you spent on it is a sign of your stupidity, not my inability to conceive of how wonderful it smells. I don't use scented deodorant, bodywash, shampoo, hairspray, detergent, or fabric softener when I can avoid it. Now, on the very, very slight chance that I feel like altering my scent profile, my choice is bay rum. It's something that in this one very highly isolated case, was good enough for grandpa, and is good enough for me.
*For those of you who haven't heard, celery is the cornerstone of a worldwide evil plot for global domination that needs to be stopped.
*Not the best day at work today. The studio is still a mess after the installation of the drafting cabinet, and it's not easy to get from one side of the room to the other. The closet doors are only half sanded and still need another coat of paint and random piles of Hawaiian shirts seem to be sprouting up here and there. Plus, I know there used to be a couch in there somewhere. The add-ons for the carving table still haven't been installed yet, and there are at least 4 projects in various stages of completion laying around. Be nice to be able to just lock myself in there until I get everything squared away. But, since I know that isn't going to happen, I'll try and make peace with the mess to the degree that I need to so I can actually get some work done.
*I figured out that I can play video games as much as I want, as long as I am walking on the treadmill while I do it. I think that's a pretty good system. Half an hour of game time gets me just over a mile of distance walked.
*Vegas? Maybe. Milwaukee? Maybe. Chicago? Maybe. Florida? Also on the maybe list. Beyond those, nothing really leaping out at me as far as good places to go in April. That is to say, as far as good places to go that I can afford without having to sell any of my internal organs to pay for the trip.
*****
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Pancho Rigatoni Sings the Greatest Hits of Boxcar Willie
*Today's lucky numbers are 8, 3, 9, 0, 4, 1, 5, 2, 7, and 6, as well as any possible combination or permutation thereof.
*Today's Horoscope: You will waste your time reading a horoscope today.
*It really didn't seem that cold today. At least, from inside the house in the sunny spot next to the heating vent with the dog on my lap, it seemed like it could be somewhat tolerable outside. But then, being the idiot that I am, I actually went outside for reasons that now seem deep in the realms of the ridiculous. And then the wind hit me. Well, it wasn't so much that it hit me as it was that it forcibly stabbed it's way into each and every orifice and pore in, on, and in the immediate vicinity of my body. Then I realized how freaking cold that wind actually was, since I am indeed a genius when it comes to the blatantly obvious, and since it was somehow managing to bypass each and every single article of clothing I had on in a moderately successful attempt to flash freeze my pancreas. I must say that my pancreas was not amused by this in the least. It was that kinda wind that when it hits your face you get an instant headache, as if all that cold air, and even winter itself, was trying to force it's way into your skull just so it would have a place it could warm up for a while. Yup. Just loving that.
*Nope. Never really been a fan of radishes.
*Tinkering with the idea of getting a small wind turbine. Got a good place to put it, but the real question is how long it would take to recoup the cost of the unit and the installation in electricity costs. Guess the fact that a lot of southern DeKalb county is covered with windmills would be a favorable indicator for this type of thing being a good idea in this geographic area. Beyond that, haven't done a whole lot of research on it yet.
*Interesting. Leprosy in and of itself doesn't make any of your body parts fall off. Good to know.
*Fuck whatever tiny handed, pencil necked, sadist engineer that designed the headlight assembly of my otherwise awesome car! Fuck that whole knuckle shredding, razor and barbed wire lined, flesh eating, gateway to the 87th level of hell's south forty that holds the bulb in it's bloodthirsty, dirt and grease caked grasp! I have no idea what micro-fingered fantasy creature the whole thing was designed to be serviced by, but they sure as hell don't exist on this or any other conveniently accessed parallel dimension! What am I supposed to do, use my super secret shrink ray to make my hand small enough to fit in there? Maybe I should genetically design and train a bunch of special magic headlight bulb replacing commando weasels to do the job and then sell their services to people all around the world with normal sized hands?? Wait....it says what in the owner's manual? The end of the air intake just pops right off right behind the headlight? Seriously?? Well, shit. That's tons easier with that off......now why don't you just shut up and pass the damn Band-Aids...
****
*Today's Horoscope: You will waste your time reading a horoscope today.
*It really didn't seem that cold today. At least, from inside the house in the sunny spot next to the heating vent with the dog on my lap, it seemed like it could be somewhat tolerable outside. But then, being the idiot that I am, I actually went outside for reasons that now seem deep in the realms of the ridiculous. And then the wind hit me. Well, it wasn't so much that it hit me as it was that it forcibly stabbed it's way into each and every orifice and pore in, on, and in the immediate vicinity of my body. Then I realized how freaking cold that wind actually was, since I am indeed a genius when it comes to the blatantly obvious, and since it was somehow managing to bypass each and every single article of clothing I had on in a moderately successful attempt to flash freeze my pancreas. I must say that my pancreas was not amused by this in the least. It was that kinda wind that when it hits your face you get an instant headache, as if all that cold air, and even winter itself, was trying to force it's way into your skull just so it would have a place it could warm up for a while. Yup. Just loving that.
*Nope. Never really been a fan of radishes.
*Tinkering with the idea of getting a small wind turbine. Got a good place to put it, but the real question is how long it would take to recoup the cost of the unit and the installation in electricity costs. Guess the fact that a lot of southern DeKalb county is covered with windmills would be a favorable indicator for this type of thing being a good idea in this geographic area. Beyond that, haven't done a whole lot of research on it yet.
*Interesting. Leprosy in and of itself doesn't make any of your body parts fall off. Good to know.
*Fuck whatever tiny handed, pencil necked, sadist engineer that designed the headlight assembly of my otherwise awesome car! Fuck that whole knuckle shredding, razor and barbed wire lined, flesh eating, gateway to the 87th level of hell's south forty that holds the bulb in it's bloodthirsty, dirt and grease caked grasp! I have no idea what micro-fingered fantasy creature the whole thing was designed to be serviced by, but they sure as hell don't exist on this or any other conveniently accessed parallel dimension! What am I supposed to do, use my super secret shrink ray to make my hand small enough to fit in there? Maybe I should genetically design and train a bunch of special magic headlight bulb replacing commando weasels to do the job and then sell their services to people all around the world with normal sized hands?? Wait....it says what in the owner's manual? The end of the air intake just pops right off right behind the headlight? Seriously?? Well, shit. That's tons easier with that off......now why don't you just shut up and pass the damn Band-Aids...
****
Despair...
*We know what is best for you. Follow the plan as have the thousands and thousands of generations before you. You will be given acceptable things to enjoy. Believe all you are told by everyone without question. Fear any criticism. Fear all ridicule. Fear the unfamiliar. Understand your place.
After that, you may lie down quietly and die so that you may be forgotten.
--
After that, you may lie down quietly and die so that you may be forgotten.
--
Monday, February 24, 2014
Traumatic Peaches
*Well, the cleaning of the dust covers in the drafting cabinet seems to have succeeded. Now, instead of mold, they smell of Lysol. Neither one is an odor that I really care for. We'll just have to see if the mold smell comes back at all. And of course, I had to make my blood sacrifice to the project gods while putting it all back together. As far as the storage volume goes, it seems to be pretty comparable to the other cabinet that it replaced. The top of this new cabinet is much better for putting stuff on though, and the near perfect leg height makes for perfect LP storage underneath.
*There was a breadfruit the size of my head that was part of a display at the grocery store today. And little tiny pineapples about the size of my fist.
*It doesn't seem that I tend to remember the dreams I have in the deep of the night. The ones that really stick with me are the ones that I have in the mornings. Those tend to occur after the dogs or something wakes me up and I wind up falling back to sleep for a couple of hours. For some reason, the dreams had under those conditions tend to be long, involved, vivid, and just plain weird. I have no idea how the main character in last night's episode made their way up from my subconscious after all these years. And how the hell did I come up with Princeton, of all places?
*Aortic stenosis is going to be the thing that does Grandma S in, and the doctors seem to think it will be sooner rather than later. First Bailey, and now this. Not a good month for the folks.
*Game #3 is still not playing the way I would like it to on the base level. There's just that sticking point when everyone is looking for that last card to go out. I guess that's not uncommon in a lot of games, but I was hoping to keep it to a minimum. Made a couple of tweaks, now I have to do the testing to see if they fixed, or magnified, the problem. And I'm still going around with how I should do the rollout. Should the various levels of rules be put out as one complete set, or should they be done separately so people can get the ones they want? But, unless each new level functions independently, purchasing them separately won't really work. Hmmmm... I'd like to think I could put this aside for the moment, but if I want to run this out to the production level, I do need to get that figured out.
*Here, in this place, it is always night.
*Got all the pieces cut for my attempt at making modular height adjusters for my carving bench. Just need to put it all together. If this ends up working, I'll be able to do adjustments in increments of 1.5". Hopefully this will take care of the lower back pain I get from extended carving sessions. If not, I'll have to try something else.
*Game of Thrones season 3 arrived on our doorstep Friday. Time for some binge episode watching!
*Looks like the Peoria area is going to be on my itinerary for March 13-16. Could be interesting, as always. Just might be time to go hunt me an elephant or two.
*****
*There was a breadfruit the size of my head that was part of a display at the grocery store today. And little tiny pineapples about the size of my fist.
*It doesn't seem that I tend to remember the dreams I have in the deep of the night. The ones that really stick with me are the ones that I have in the mornings. Those tend to occur after the dogs or something wakes me up and I wind up falling back to sleep for a couple of hours. For some reason, the dreams had under those conditions tend to be long, involved, vivid, and just plain weird. I have no idea how the main character in last night's episode made their way up from my subconscious after all these years. And how the hell did I come up with Princeton, of all places?
*Aortic stenosis is going to be the thing that does Grandma S in, and the doctors seem to think it will be sooner rather than later. First Bailey, and now this. Not a good month for the folks.
*Game #3 is still not playing the way I would like it to on the base level. There's just that sticking point when everyone is looking for that last card to go out. I guess that's not uncommon in a lot of games, but I was hoping to keep it to a minimum. Made a couple of tweaks, now I have to do the testing to see if they fixed, or magnified, the problem. And I'm still going around with how I should do the rollout. Should the various levels of rules be put out as one complete set, or should they be done separately so people can get the ones they want? But, unless each new level functions independently, purchasing them separately won't really work. Hmmmm... I'd like to think I could put this aside for the moment, but if I want to run this out to the production level, I do need to get that figured out.
*Here, in this place, it is always night.
*Got all the pieces cut for my attempt at making modular height adjusters for my carving bench. Just need to put it all together. If this ends up working, I'll be able to do adjustments in increments of 1.5". Hopefully this will take care of the lower back pain I get from extended carving sessions. If not, I'll have to try something else.
*Game of Thrones season 3 arrived on our doorstep Friday. Time for some binge episode watching!
*Looks like the Peoria area is going to be on my itinerary for March 13-16. Could be interesting, as always. Just might be time to go hunt me an elephant or two.
*****
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Shoo Be Don't
*Completely blocked? Really?
*I thought it made sense. If it's full and it isn't supposed to be, empty it. Conversely, if it's empty and it isn't supposed to be, fill it. Don't know of any way to make that concept any simpler than it already is.
*Thought about having a poker night on Friday, but doubt that I could find enough players.
*I need to dig into my piles of junk and see if I still have all my Cars tapes. And then I need to see if they'll even play. And then I need to record then onto the computer. And then I need to cut the recorded waveforms into the appropriate song length bits. Then I need to convert the waveforms into MP3's. That way I won't have to spend any more money at the iTunes store.
*****
*I thought it made sense. If it's full and it isn't supposed to be, empty it. Conversely, if it's empty and it isn't supposed to be, fill it. Don't know of any way to make that concept any simpler than it already is.
*Thought about having a poker night on Friday, but doubt that I could find enough players.
*I need to dig into my piles of junk and see if I still have all my Cars tapes. And then I need to see if they'll even play. And then I need to record then onto the computer. And then I need to cut the recorded waveforms into the appropriate song length bits. Then I need to convert the waveforms into MP3's. That way I won't have to spend any more money at the iTunes store.
*****
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Tainted Litmus
*"God Bless America"- Steve had recommended this movie to me ages ago, and it has languished in my Netflix queue ever since. Finally got around to watching it, and I can see why he recommended it to me. Well, actually, I think he recommended it to me because it was written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait. Still, I enjoyed it. Didn't make me feel any better about the state of our country at the moment, though. The sentiment of the movie was one that I agreed with on several levels. Except for the whole random shooting part. That, not so much.
*There is really no good reason for me to continue re-exploring Black Mesa. It was pretty much a waste of time the first time I did it.
*Why should I not go antiquing? Simple. I always find cool, and expensive, stuff. Like last year, when I found a decent drafting cabinet at Kane county. Would have been nice, but I hedged on it, and who knows where it ended up. Fast forward to this past weekend and antiquing in Rockton, IL. While tiki stuff was in critically short supply (and ridiculously overpriced), and the games I found were unremarkable, I did run across another drafting cabinet. Five drawers, solid steel construction, with a stand, and heavy as fuck. Needless to say, it came home with me. Now, I'm just working on getting it cleaned up and finding a place for it in the studio. The latter wasn't much of a problem, except for the size of the darn thing. The former may prove to be a bit more difficult, as the sling dividers in each drawer have bit of a musty funk to them. Definitely don't want to be storing anything in there until I can eliminate that odor. I'm hoping that between Lysol and Febreeze I can get the job done. Maybe I should have bought that 1950's CPR dummy instead.
*Almost starting to think that 3/4" is too long.
*"Stitches"- A movie that had great promise from the trailer I saw (but then again, when has a trailer ever looked bad?). How can you go wrong with the idea that a somewhat sleazy clown who dies at a kid's birthday party comes back from the dead years later to exact his revenge on those same kids? Well, from that awesome launching pad came a rather lackluster execution (pardon the pun). Not to say that it was a bad movie, some of the jokes and the over the top gore were hilarious and a foul mouthed clown with an Irish accent is always amusing, but the overall tone of the movie just didn't hit the right note for me. Could have been soooo much more creepy than it was. Still, it might be able to give someone with a clown phobia a decent nightmare or two.
*To the rather fat mouse living under the snowbank outside my front door, I have only this to say: Die, die, die, you fuzzy gray turd.
*ZZ Top has added a ton of dates to their tour, which is great....but I don't live in Canada....or Europe.
*"Super 8"- Rewatched this the other night since I didn't really remember it, and came to rather disappointing conclusion that it was just a remake of "E.T." with a more pissed off alien.
*OK, here's a thought I had the other day: Does a low knowledge of current pop music limit your ability to enjoy the music of "Wierd Al" Yankovic? I'm not entirely sure. I would almost say that if you didn't know a song was a parody of a specific other song, well, it would just seem like a comedy song. I don't think that would decrease your ability to enjoy it. Since I'm not familiar with the song "All About the Benjamins", for example, I didn't know that that was what "All About the Pentiums" was based on. Didn't make me like the latter song any less, though. Also really gave me zero motivation to look up the former song and do a comparison of the two. I have found that a lack of knowledge about pop music can kill your ability to enjoy any of Al's polka mixes. Not knowing any of the songs that have been polka-ized renders that particular type of translation ineffective. And here's something that I thought was kinda odd: whilst browsing Al's discography, I discovered that there has never been a compilation album of his material released that was solely comprised of his original works.
*Who is my personal Sexy Evil Genius? The movie of the same name has made me wonder. And be slightly afraid.
*"Ted"- This movie finally got around to Netflix, so I finally got around to watching it. Aside from the letdown of an ending, and the fact that I really don't care for Mila Kunis, I was highly amused. I would think that most people would be able to pick out my favorite scene without a lot of difficulty.
*Another place I shouldn't go is the game store. Made the mistake of going and somehow wound up walking out with a copy of the Fantasy Flight reprint of Fortress America. But that process led me to this question: Can the local incarnation of a chain store be considered a "local business"? Since I don't have a knowledge of how franchising works, I don't have a good answer for this. It would seem that the local owner of the Gaming Goat would have certain things dictated to him by whoever it is that owns the whole thing, so as such, it's not really an independent business. The flip side is that it is part of the local economy. Still, my thinking is that I should be doing more of my game shopping at New Game in Town instead of the Gaming Goat.
* While it may be fashionable, and is probably quite warm, Wearing a coat that covers you from the top of your head to your knees and is completely black may not be the best choice for walking around a poorly lit parking lot at night.
* Seriously? A zit?? Inside my nose??? What the hell???
****
*There is really no good reason for me to continue re-exploring Black Mesa. It was pretty much a waste of time the first time I did it.
*Why should I not go antiquing? Simple. I always find cool, and expensive, stuff. Like last year, when I found a decent drafting cabinet at Kane county. Would have been nice, but I hedged on it, and who knows where it ended up. Fast forward to this past weekend and antiquing in Rockton, IL. While tiki stuff was in critically short supply (and ridiculously overpriced), and the games I found were unremarkable, I did run across another drafting cabinet. Five drawers, solid steel construction, with a stand, and heavy as fuck. Needless to say, it came home with me. Now, I'm just working on getting it cleaned up and finding a place for it in the studio. The latter wasn't much of a problem, except for the size of the darn thing. The former may prove to be a bit more difficult, as the sling dividers in each drawer have bit of a musty funk to them. Definitely don't want to be storing anything in there until I can eliminate that odor. I'm hoping that between Lysol and Febreeze I can get the job done. Maybe I should have bought that 1950's CPR dummy instead.
*Almost starting to think that 3/4" is too long.
*"Stitches"- A movie that had great promise from the trailer I saw (but then again, when has a trailer ever looked bad?). How can you go wrong with the idea that a somewhat sleazy clown who dies at a kid's birthday party comes back from the dead years later to exact his revenge on those same kids? Well, from that awesome launching pad came a rather lackluster execution (pardon the pun). Not to say that it was a bad movie, some of the jokes and the over the top gore were hilarious and a foul mouthed clown with an Irish accent is always amusing, but the overall tone of the movie just didn't hit the right note for me. Could have been soooo much more creepy than it was. Still, it might be able to give someone with a clown phobia a decent nightmare or two.
*To the rather fat mouse living under the snowbank outside my front door, I have only this to say: Die, die, die, you fuzzy gray turd.
*ZZ Top has added a ton of dates to their tour, which is great....but I don't live in Canada....or Europe.
*"Super 8"- Rewatched this the other night since I didn't really remember it, and came to rather disappointing conclusion that it was just a remake of "E.T." with a more pissed off alien.
*OK, here's a thought I had the other day: Does a low knowledge of current pop music limit your ability to enjoy the music of "Wierd Al" Yankovic? I'm not entirely sure. I would almost say that if you didn't know a song was a parody of a specific other song, well, it would just seem like a comedy song. I don't think that would decrease your ability to enjoy it. Since I'm not familiar with the song "All About the Benjamins", for example, I didn't know that that was what "All About the Pentiums" was based on. Didn't make me like the latter song any less, though. Also really gave me zero motivation to look up the former song and do a comparison of the two. I have found that a lack of knowledge about pop music can kill your ability to enjoy any of Al's polka mixes. Not knowing any of the songs that have been polka-ized renders that particular type of translation ineffective. And here's something that I thought was kinda odd: whilst browsing Al's discography, I discovered that there has never been a compilation album of his material released that was solely comprised of his original works.
*Who is my personal Sexy Evil Genius? The movie of the same name has made me wonder. And be slightly afraid.
*"Ted"- This movie finally got around to Netflix, so I finally got around to watching it. Aside from the letdown of an ending, and the fact that I really don't care for Mila Kunis, I was highly amused. I would think that most people would be able to pick out my favorite scene without a lot of difficulty.
*Another place I shouldn't go is the game store. Made the mistake of going and somehow wound up walking out with a copy of the Fantasy Flight reprint of Fortress America. But that process led me to this question: Can the local incarnation of a chain store be considered a "local business"? Since I don't have a knowledge of how franchising works, I don't have a good answer for this. It would seem that the local owner of the Gaming Goat would have certain things dictated to him by whoever it is that owns the whole thing, so as such, it's not really an independent business. The flip side is that it is part of the local economy. Still, my thinking is that I should be doing more of my game shopping at New Game in Town instead of the Gaming Goat.
* While it may be fashionable, and is probably quite warm, Wearing a coat that covers you from the top of your head to your knees and is completely black may not be the best choice for walking around a poorly lit parking lot at night.
* Seriously? A zit?? Inside my nose??? What the hell???
****
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Not While the Weasel is Watching...
*Need to pick recipes out when I get home, since it's my week to do the cooking. Curry of some sort sounds good. So does hot and sour soup. Maybe I should go out for Chinese before I hit the grocery store.
* Woke up today to find out that the furnace wasn't working. Yippee. Luckily, even though it was below zero all night, it had only dropped to 58 in the house. The good news? DeKalb Mechanical came right out. The bad news? The problem seemed to repair itself, and the technician couldn't find anything obviously wrong with the furnace. He did go out of his way to point out the various safety features present in the furnace, thereby implying that it was at best unlikely that my house would convert itself to a smoking crater in the ground should anything...unusual... happen.
*It's always great to be looking down the barrel of a day off and see just how much of it will be consumed with mindless errands and chores. Perhaps a trip to the game store would help to lighten my mood. If that doesn't work, the liquor store just might.
* What the hell did I get on my hands that would have given me chemical burns??
*Tried to feed the computer a nice yummy RAM stick today, and it didn't seem to like it. Last time I try and do anything for that ungrateful bastard...
* Yup. Greasy Gearbox would be an awesome band name.
*****
* Woke up today to find out that the furnace wasn't working. Yippee. Luckily, even though it was below zero all night, it had only dropped to 58 in the house. The good news? DeKalb Mechanical came right out. The bad news? The problem seemed to repair itself, and the technician couldn't find anything obviously wrong with the furnace. He did go out of his way to point out the various safety features present in the furnace, thereby implying that it was at best unlikely that my house would convert itself to a smoking crater in the ground should anything...unusual... happen.
*It's always great to be looking down the barrel of a day off and see just how much of it will be consumed with mindless errands and chores. Perhaps a trip to the game store would help to lighten my mood. If that doesn't work, the liquor store just might.
* What the hell did I get on my hands that would have given me chemical burns??
*Tried to feed the computer a nice yummy RAM stick today, and it didn't seem to like it. Last time I try and do anything for that ungrateful bastard...
* Yup. Greasy Gearbox would be an awesome band name.
*****
Monday, February 10, 2014
Snazzy Pasta Codpiece
*Yes, just in case you were wondering, removing cabinet doors can lead to an argument about building a bar. Which means, of course, that the cabinet doors are going back up.
*Seems like Valentine's Day weekend is determined to force me to make some difficult decisions as to just who I am going to end up pissing off the most.
*I could buy Yen Ching and turn it into a Polynesian restaurant/bar. It's got a good location and a liquor license. Kinda weird interior layout, though. But, parking is decent, it's right next door to the new police station, and it's on the main drag at the edge of campus. Still, it's a niche theme that might not fly in the boondocks that comprise DeKalb. Makes me want to see some numbers from Cabana Charley's and see how they're doing. Alternately, I could buy into a World of Beer franchise. Not really sure as to where the best place in town would be for something like that. And then I'd have to fight with the city council to get a liquor license. Plus, I still have my doubts as to whether or not the local population could/would support it. The House is still sitting empty, so there's an opportunity there, but no one has been able to squeeze a profit out of that place for as long as it's been around. Not a lot of money to be made from selling coffee to hipsters, I guess. I really think location has killed that place more than once.
*What? A new album from The Presidents of the United States of America is coming out soon?? About damn time!!
*Seems like Valentine's Day weekend is determined to force me to make some difficult decisions as to just who I am going to end up pissing off the most.
*I could buy Yen Ching and turn it into a Polynesian restaurant/bar. It's got a good location and a liquor license. Kinda weird interior layout, though. But, parking is decent, it's right next door to the new police station, and it's on the main drag at the edge of campus. Still, it's a niche theme that might not fly in the boondocks that comprise DeKalb. Makes me want to see some numbers from Cabana Charley's and see how they're doing. Alternately, I could buy into a World of Beer franchise. Not really sure as to where the best place in town would be for something like that. And then I'd have to fight with the city council to get a liquor license. Plus, I still have my doubts as to whether or not the local population could/would support it. The House is still sitting empty, so there's an opportunity there, but no one has been able to squeeze a profit out of that place for as long as it's been around. Not a lot of money to be made from selling coffee to hipsters, I guess. I really think location has killed that place more than once.
*What? A new album from The Presidents of the United States of America is coming out soon?? About damn time!!
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Not Ever Even Remotely Close To Being As Advertised
**Went and checked out the new game store in town today. It's not bad, aside from being somewhat hallwayish, and part of a chain. And, as usual, "game store" in the modern parlance means "MtG store". And that makes me wonder why Mtg players are such a surly lot when every game store out there caters to their whims. Not that this place wasn't decently stocked with other games, mind you. Would have been real easy for me to drop $2-300 and not get everything I was interested in. Probably still keep doing my business with New Game, despite the fact they never filled my X-Wing back order.
**The last two shows of American Horror Story: Asylum? Horribly, horribly, disappointing. Should have quit watching where I had left off in the series in the first place.
**"That" discussion came up again today over lunch: Which one of us should be making the move into a new career? The reasons were as usual. The finger pointing was as usual. The end result of the discussion was as usual also. Fortunately, I had a good lunch and a pleasant view to distract me, which was not at all usual.
**CATT 2014 or 2015? Interesting thought, but who's gonna pull it off?
**Yet more snow today. Rather annoying. I can't recall the last time snow was ever actually any fun. I would have to guess it was about the same time that I stopped getting to have snow days.
**Olympics? Oh, yeah, I intend to start watching. Right after I get gone threading this red hot barbed wire into my urethra.
**The wireless controller seemed like a good idea, except for the fact that I tend to rest my index finger right along the edge where the infrared emitter is. Beyond that, now I can play Sega Genesis games whilst I take my walks.
**It should not, in my modest opinion, take two days to clean out a drain trap and reseal all the pipe joints, but my sink was of a different mindset than I was. And, as a side note, there was nothing I ever put down that drain that even remotely resembled the toxic black sludge in that trap.
**Ratchet and pawl adjustable workbench legs. Why has no one thought of this before??
**Game#3 is stuck in limbo for lack of playtesting. While I have people who are willing to help, trying to get them in the same place at the same time is proving to be damn near impossible. There are a lot of things I need to get worked out in the Tourist phase before I can move on to the later incarnations of the game. Split wilds vs the Busboy, for example.
**On day #4 of this current down cycle. Hoping for a break soon.
**Think I'm probably going to take the doors off the game cabinets in the main room downstairs. Be easier to see and access the games that way. And then I'll have six Ikea cabinet doors that I won't be able to use for anything. Unless I somehow figure out how to incorporate them into the new bar. Of course, that would mean I would actually have to build a new bar. It is about time to rearrange the furniture, I think. Not sure how yet. Roger might find a new place to stay, though.
=======
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Static Puddles
(originally written 020513. Supplemented on 021013)
*Why is it nobody saw fit to tell me about something like the Aquabats earlier? Instead, I gotta find about them by trolling thru Netflix at three in the morning. Not cool.
*So far, I have managed to replace one of three lighting fixtures without electrocuting myself. Hopefully I will keep that streak intact tomorrow.
*I hate Ebay. Or maybe I love it. I'm not sure. I do know that when a complete copy of Fireball Island or Dark Tower comes up for sale and starts out at $120+, I hate it. But, when I find a copy of Sea Command starting at $3, I love it. The fool who has the auto snipe set on the copy of Monsters Menace America I could just punch right in the neck.
*Gonna open up the Blue Moai Room on Thursday evening. Hopefully shenanigans of some sort will ensue.
*Mom had her cataract surgery today.
*I still have yet to give Bart the specs on the dice tower I want him to build for me. Of course, I would also like for him to make me a game table. Guess I need to start saving my pennies.
*****
*Got the closet light replaced with only a reasonable amount of swearing. The light on the kitchen fan I opted not to replace, which was the best solution for that. The light over the dining room table....just sucks. They put a switch box in the ceiling, which is half the size of a standard fixture box. That means that I can't tighten the fixture up to the ceiling with the hanging bolts. It also means that the crossbar doesn't fit right. I had to step away from that one before I tossed the whole mess out the door into the back yard. We'll see what happens with it later this week. And for alll the doubters out there: not a single electric shock was had by this amateur electrician.
*"Mercury"--This is the biography of Freddie Mercury. Given the subject matter, I had thought this would be a fascinating, or at the very least, an interesting, read. Unfortunately, the author's rather odd writing style managed to overcome my enthusiasm for the subject matter. I gave up on this one after barely making it through a third of the book.
*The folks leave for their cruise to Hawaii on the 15th. Still have no reasonable plans on how I can stow away on their ship. (Or is it considered a boat? I can never remember...)
*Still not sure why it is that I am unable to convince the other person living in my house that a 40 blood sugar is a bad thing. But, the blackout she had Saturday morning might help to drive that point home.
*Asylum from Left Coast Brewing is giving Matilda from Goose Island Brewing a challenge for the top spot on my "Favorite Belgian Style Beer" list. Also looking forward to trying the Wee Heavy from Alesmith in the near future.
*Bad weather and illness kept folks away from the last open evening at the Blue Moai room. And it looks like it'll be a couple of weeks before I can do it again. No problem, since that gives me more time to acquire some new games.
*My copy of Carrier Strike is almost ready to play! For the moment I gave up on the idea of painting the wings of the planes and the decks of the carriers. I just decided to use the stickers that were in the box. Maybe later, if those start to fall off, I could go after giving them all a custom paint job. Also managed to get all the superstructures glued onto the carriers. Right now, I've got books stacked on the game board trying to get it flattened out. After that, should be ready to go. Unless....I decide to dry brush all the numbers on the pilot skill chips so they're easier to see.
*Hopefully all that is currently wrong with Sheri's car will be the battery. All the other possibilities are quite a bit more expensive to deal with.
*Thinking about taking out the big wall mounted workbench in the indoor studio. That would give me easier access to the windows. If it were easier to get more natural light in there, it make it more conducive to me spending more time there. Plus, that workbench is mainly a crap catcher. Maybe I could just take a folding table out of the other room to put there instead. Might be able to put up some more shelving. I could also move my drafting table to in front of the windows. Probably have to move the track lighting as well. If nothing else, getting rid of it would make the layout of the room a little more flexible. And hopefully more condusive to art work. Regardless, the comfy couch stays.
*Mom's eye surgery went well. Said she could see improvement the same day. Have to give her a call tomorrow and see how she's doing.
*Got our first decent snowfall of the season a few days ago. Nothing like what hit the east coast, though. But today I woke up to pouring rain, so it's going away almost as fast as it arrived. But so far, there's enough still down to keep the dogs from coming in with muddy feet.
*"V/H/S"--Most of the scary movies on Netflix are direct-to-video pieces of crud. This one, oddly enough, wasn't. It was pretty creepy. They kinda went bananas with the hand held camera cinematography, but I liked it. I liked the way the sub-stories were all separate vignettes just embedded in the main plot. A couple of them would have made decent stand-alone stories. Anyway, if I were you, I'd definitely watch this one in the dark.
*Why is it that I have such a hard time getting rid of old magazines? I must have 5-6 years worth of Games magazine alone sitting on my bookshelf, just taking up space. So I decided to get rid of them. Or at least most of them. OK, I decided to keep part of all of them. So I'm going through all the issues and taking out all the traditional game reviews as well as the rules for new games. The part that's left over gets pitched. Or recycled, in this case. That will just leave me with Skeptic to deal with. And Tricycle. And Smithsonian. Then there's Scientific American. Probably Mental Floss too.
*****
*Why is it nobody saw fit to tell me about something like the Aquabats earlier? Instead, I gotta find about them by trolling thru Netflix at three in the morning. Not cool.
*So far, I have managed to replace one of three lighting fixtures without electrocuting myself. Hopefully I will keep that streak intact tomorrow.
*I hate Ebay. Or maybe I love it. I'm not sure. I do know that when a complete copy of Fireball Island or Dark Tower comes up for sale and starts out at $120+, I hate it. But, when I find a copy of Sea Command starting at $3, I love it. The fool who has the auto snipe set on the copy of Monsters Menace America I could just punch right in the neck.
*Gonna open up the Blue Moai Room on Thursday evening. Hopefully shenanigans of some sort will ensue.
*Mom had her cataract surgery today.
*I still have yet to give Bart the specs on the dice tower I want him to build for me. Of course, I would also like for him to make me a game table. Guess I need to start saving my pennies.
*****
*Got the closet light replaced with only a reasonable amount of swearing. The light on the kitchen fan I opted not to replace, which was the best solution for that. The light over the dining room table....just sucks. They put a switch box in the ceiling, which is half the size of a standard fixture box. That means that I can't tighten the fixture up to the ceiling with the hanging bolts. It also means that the crossbar doesn't fit right. I had to step away from that one before I tossed the whole mess out the door into the back yard. We'll see what happens with it later this week. And for alll the doubters out there: not a single electric shock was had by this amateur electrician.
*"Mercury"--This is the biography of Freddie Mercury. Given the subject matter, I had thought this would be a fascinating, or at the very least, an interesting, read. Unfortunately, the author's rather odd writing style managed to overcome my enthusiasm for the subject matter. I gave up on this one after barely making it through a third of the book.
*The folks leave for their cruise to Hawaii on the 15th. Still have no reasonable plans on how I can stow away on their ship. (Or is it considered a boat? I can never remember...)
*Still not sure why it is that I am unable to convince the other person living in my house that a 40 blood sugar is a bad thing. But, the blackout she had Saturday morning might help to drive that point home.
*Asylum from Left Coast Brewing is giving Matilda from Goose Island Brewing a challenge for the top spot on my "Favorite Belgian Style Beer" list. Also looking forward to trying the Wee Heavy from Alesmith in the near future.
*Bad weather and illness kept folks away from the last open evening at the Blue Moai room. And it looks like it'll be a couple of weeks before I can do it again. No problem, since that gives me more time to acquire some new games.
*My copy of Carrier Strike is almost ready to play! For the moment I gave up on the idea of painting the wings of the planes and the decks of the carriers. I just decided to use the stickers that were in the box. Maybe later, if those start to fall off, I could go after giving them all a custom paint job. Also managed to get all the superstructures glued onto the carriers. Right now, I've got books stacked on the game board trying to get it flattened out. After that, should be ready to go. Unless....I decide to dry brush all the numbers on the pilot skill chips so they're easier to see.
*Hopefully all that is currently wrong with Sheri's car will be the battery. All the other possibilities are quite a bit more expensive to deal with.
*Thinking about taking out the big wall mounted workbench in the indoor studio. That would give me easier access to the windows. If it were easier to get more natural light in there, it make it more conducive to me spending more time there. Plus, that workbench is mainly a crap catcher. Maybe I could just take a folding table out of the other room to put there instead. Might be able to put up some more shelving. I could also move my drafting table to in front of the windows. Probably have to move the track lighting as well. If nothing else, getting rid of it would make the layout of the room a little more flexible. And hopefully more condusive to art work. Regardless, the comfy couch stays.
*Mom's eye surgery went well. Said she could see improvement the same day. Have to give her a call tomorrow and see how she's doing.
*Got our first decent snowfall of the season a few days ago. Nothing like what hit the east coast, though. But today I woke up to pouring rain, so it's going away almost as fast as it arrived. But so far, there's enough still down to keep the dogs from coming in with muddy feet.
*"V/H/S"--Most of the scary movies on Netflix are direct-to-video pieces of crud. This one, oddly enough, wasn't. It was pretty creepy. They kinda went bananas with the hand held camera cinematography, but I liked it. I liked the way the sub-stories were all separate vignettes just embedded in the main plot. A couple of them would have made decent stand-alone stories. Anyway, if I were you, I'd definitely watch this one in the dark.
*Why is it that I have such a hard time getting rid of old magazines? I must have 5-6 years worth of Games magazine alone sitting on my bookshelf, just taking up space. So I decided to get rid of them. Or at least most of them. OK, I decided to keep part of all of them. So I'm going through all the issues and taking out all the traditional game reviews as well as the rules for new games. The part that's left over gets pitched. Or recycled, in this case. That will just leave me with Skeptic to deal with. And Tricycle. And Smithsonian. Then there's Scientific American. Probably Mental Floss too.
*****
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Almost Fuzzy
*Ow. Sliced my left thumb pretty good while cutting onions for what I
was cooking for lunch on Monday. It was one of those cuts that, when I
saw it, even I thought it might need a stitch or two. And I'm usually
fine with the good ol' paper towel held on with a rubber band kind of
bandage. The mistake I made (other than cutting myself in the first
place) was opting to go to the ER instead of an urgent care. The 2.5+
hour wait to be seen made sure that I had plenty of time to stop the
bleeding. Which didn't really matter, since they had to break it back
open to scrub it out (not a pleasant feeling, mind you) before they
closed it back up again. I was also dreading getting the xylocaine shots
that usually preceed getting stitches. Turns out that I had nothing to
worry about, as the ER doc decided to glue the wound shut. Part of me
was happy for that, and part of me was doubtful about how effective it
would be. The latter part was mostly right, turns out. I have managed to
hit it on things several times since then, and have been rewarded with
fresh bleeding each time. There also seems to be a decent sized wedge of
dead skin on either side of the cut that will have to get trimmed off
at some point in time. Joy.
*It was a rainy, foggy Tuesday night. Luckily, Carol, Leslie, and Bart all came by for drinks, conversation, and games.Turned out to be a really nice evening. Got to play Apples to Apples, Zombie Dice, Chupacabra, and Martian Dice. Have to make sure do that again real soon.
*Thunderstorms? In January? In Illinois? Very unusual...
*Been watching the first season of Dexter while taking my daily walk. Sheri decided that it wasn't something she was interested in after watching the pilot episode. So, now I have it all to myself.
*As of Tuesday, January 29, I finally learned both of the teams that are in the Super Bowl this year. Pretty sure that has to be a personal record for me.
*Tried the new hibachi restaurant in DeKalb the other day. Very nice decor. Food was pretty good. The hibachi presentation was decent, but not quite polished yet. Beer selection was scant. Prices were pretty steep. Hopefully the Fushi Yami side of things will help keep the hibachi side afloat while they get established.
*"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" I like Steve Carrell. And what's not to like about an apocalypse movie? Put the two together, and you get a decent result. The flavor of this film is just so different than movies like, say, "Armageddon", that I have a hard time comparing them. So I won't. I'll just say that I did like the movie, and it gave me a new perspective on the classic 'end of the world' type movies.
*The fez gods are still viewing me with indifference.
*****
*It was a rainy, foggy Tuesday night. Luckily, Carol, Leslie, and Bart all came by for drinks, conversation, and games.Turned out to be a really nice evening. Got to play Apples to Apples, Zombie Dice, Chupacabra, and Martian Dice. Have to make sure do that again real soon.
*Thunderstorms? In January? In Illinois? Very unusual...
*Been watching the first season of Dexter while taking my daily walk. Sheri decided that it wasn't something she was interested in after watching the pilot episode. So, now I have it all to myself.
*As of Tuesday, January 29, I finally learned both of the teams that are in the Super Bowl this year. Pretty sure that has to be a personal record for me.
*Tried the new hibachi restaurant in DeKalb the other day. Very nice decor. Food was pretty good. The hibachi presentation was decent, but not quite polished yet. Beer selection was scant. Prices were pretty steep. Hopefully the Fushi Yami side of things will help keep the hibachi side afloat while they get established.
*"Seeking a Friend for the End of the World" I like Steve Carrell. And what's not to like about an apocalypse movie? Put the two together, and you get a decent result. The flavor of this film is just so different than movies like, say, "Armageddon", that I have a hard time comparing them. So I won't. I'll just say that I did like the movie, and it gave me a new perspective on the classic 'end of the world' type movies.
*The fez gods are still viewing me with indifference.
*****
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Dusty Muffins
(originally written 01.23.13. Edited and supplemented 01.25.13.)
*At first, I had thought that I had just found a copy of Carrier Strike! that was complete, even though it was 36 years old. Mind you, the box has seen better days (it's got some water damage and a couple of split corners). It wasn't like the copy of Amoeba Wars that I also saw on this trip, that, while unpunched, was actually moldy inside the box. Anyway, after checking the piece count while still at the store, I was just happy to see that it was all there. But, upon further examination once I got it home, I discovered that it wasn't just complete, it hadn't even been completely assembled or punched yet. That makes it doubtful that it had ever been played. A 36 year old board game that had never been completely assembled, much less played. Freakin cool. Well worth the $20 I spent on it, in my opinion. When I checked it further, I found that not only had the planes not been assembled or stickered completely, neither had the carriers. It actually looked like the ships may have been put together and then disassembled, since the pins that held the superstructure to the deck were half broken off. Luckily, I have glue. As far as the planes go, I was actually thinking about trying to give them a bit of a paint job, rather than just those colored stickers on the wings.
But then I got to thinking. What had actually happened to cause this game to end up in my hands, unplayed, after all those years? Some unexpected tragedy, perhaps? Was it a gift that simply held no interest for the recipient? Did it somehow find its way into the back of a closet where it was forgotten over the years? How many hands has it passed through in all that time? Interesting to think about.
*I think I will give starting my own forum in the Black Lagoon a try. I've got a Flickr account for all the images to embed, so why shouldn't I? I mean aside from the fact that I already have more than enough stuff to do with what little free time I have. But then again, games are something that are very meagerly represented among the islands of the FOM.
*There doesn't seem like there's going to be much free time on my day off. Errands and chores are demanding most all of my time. I'm thinking that what could be at least a partial solution to that is to drag the office desk out into the middle of the yard and set it on fire. Nothing like a nice cheery fire on a cold winter day, right?
*****
*Do I want to go to Hawaii or Easter Island? Either way, it will most likely be a once in a lifetime trip. The Easter Island trip would be something we'd have to decide on in the next couple of weeks, and it wouldn't happen until 2014. I believe that it's a cruise, as well. Hawaii we were hoping for this year. No way we could do both. Might be a stretch just to do one of them.
*Seems fairly obvious now that finding, meeting, and getting to know my mom has really sent my brain reeling. Actually, that is probably a gross understatement. Actually, I don't think I should have used the word 'probably in the previous sentence. I have no idea how deeply this has affected me. And there is a boatload more backstory yet to be told. Not to mention the other half of my genetic makeup. Pretty much all the stuff that's been discussed so far has been pretty low key, and it's still managed to mess up my thoughts on levels I'm not completely aware of. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this would all alter my sense of self. I don't even know if "alter" is the right word. What if this is a reconfiguration of some sort? Should this even affect me at that level? I know there's still an emotional component that hasn't been accessed yet. Don't know if I'm going to be willing to put down that protective layer of mine. Does that mean I'm somehow stunted? And if so, is it to a greater or lesser degree than the average person? Maybe all these years of not knowing built my sense of self with that kernel of uncertanity at it's core. Maybe I'm tired of being this person. Maybe all this stuff with mom is making me see that I could be something else. Maybe something more? Maybe it's all just starting to crack around me. Maybe it was always cracked and I didn't want to acknowledge it. Can I just throw off/away most of the past and head out in a new direction? Is that the direction I've really wanted to go in, but wouldn't? What happens if I don't? What happens if I do? What's going to inspire me? What if it all just starts and ends in Pekin?
It's these storms of thought that leave me tired. Really tired. And when they pass, I have no clearer sense of direction than I did before they hit.
*****
*At first, I had thought that I had just found a copy of Carrier Strike! that was complete, even though it was 36 years old. Mind you, the box has seen better days (it's got some water damage and a couple of split corners). It wasn't like the copy of Amoeba Wars that I also saw on this trip, that, while unpunched, was actually moldy inside the box. Anyway, after checking the piece count while still at the store, I was just happy to see that it was all there. But, upon further examination once I got it home, I discovered that it wasn't just complete, it hadn't even been completely assembled or punched yet. That makes it doubtful that it had ever been played. A 36 year old board game that had never been completely assembled, much less played. Freakin cool. Well worth the $20 I spent on it, in my opinion. When I checked it further, I found that not only had the planes not been assembled or stickered completely, neither had the carriers. It actually looked like the ships may have been put together and then disassembled, since the pins that held the superstructure to the deck were half broken off. Luckily, I have glue. As far as the planes go, I was actually thinking about trying to give them a bit of a paint job, rather than just those colored stickers on the wings.
But then I got to thinking. What had actually happened to cause this game to end up in my hands, unplayed, after all those years? Some unexpected tragedy, perhaps? Was it a gift that simply held no interest for the recipient? Did it somehow find its way into the back of a closet where it was forgotten over the years? How many hands has it passed through in all that time? Interesting to think about.
*I think I will give starting my own forum in the Black Lagoon a try. I've got a Flickr account for all the images to embed, so why shouldn't I? I mean aside from the fact that I already have more than enough stuff to do with what little free time I have. But then again, games are something that are very meagerly represented among the islands of the FOM.
*There doesn't seem like there's going to be much free time on my day off. Errands and chores are demanding most all of my time. I'm thinking that what could be at least a partial solution to that is to drag the office desk out into the middle of the yard and set it on fire. Nothing like a nice cheery fire on a cold winter day, right?
*****
*Do I want to go to Hawaii or Easter Island? Either way, it will most likely be a once in a lifetime trip. The Easter Island trip would be something we'd have to decide on in the next couple of weeks, and it wouldn't happen until 2014. I believe that it's a cruise, as well. Hawaii we were hoping for this year. No way we could do both. Might be a stretch just to do one of them.
*Seems fairly obvious now that finding, meeting, and getting to know my mom has really sent my brain reeling. Actually, that is probably a gross understatement. Actually, I don't think I should have used the word 'probably in the previous sentence. I have no idea how deeply this has affected me. And there is a boatload more backstory yet to be told. Not to mention the other half of my genetic makeup. Pretty much all the stuff that's been discussed so far has been pretty low key, and it's still managed to mess up my thoughts on levels I'm not completely aware of. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that this would all alter my sense of self. I don't even know if "alter" is the right word. What if this is a reconfiguration of some sort? Should this even affect me at that level? I know there's still an emotional component that hasn't been accessed yet. Don't know if I'm going to be willing to put down that protective layer of mine. Does that mean I'm somehow stunted? And if so, is it to a greater or lesser degree than the average person? Maybe all these years of not knowing built my sense of self with that kernel of uncertanity at it's core. Maybe I'm tired of being this person. Maybe all this stuff with mom is making me see that I could be something else. Maybe something more? Maybe it's all just starting to crack around me. Maybe it was always cracked and I didn't want to acknowledge it. Can I just throw off/away most of the past and head out in a new direction? Is that the direction I've really wanted to go in, but wouldn't? What happens if I don't? What happens if I do? What's going to inspire me? What if it all just starts and ends in Pekin?
It's these storms of thought that leave me tired. Really tired. And when they pass, I have no clearer sense of direction than I did before they hit.
*****
Monday, January 21, 2013
Monument Showroom
*Hasn't really set in yet that in just a couple of days I'll be on my
way back down to Peoria. About the most I've done in the area of
preparations thus far is to pull out some of the games I'm thinking
about taking down. Still have a present to wrap, not to mention a fridge
to test. And I have no idea when the furbeasts are going over to the
folks. All of that makes it sound like Friday morning is going to be
pretty busy. But I'm betting Saturday is going to be worse. Nothing like
starting a road trip with a morning full of stress. I was also thinking
about taking down the collage Sheri had made so I could show it to
everyone, but I don't want to end up damaging it in transit. Oh, yeah,
and then there's the whole maybe meeting my brother part of things.
*Things are starting to line up for next month's gathering, but it does mean that I will be skipping yet another 3rd Saturday at the Chef. I don't actually remember when the last time I made it out there was. Definitely before Pete became an initiate. Shit. That reminds me that I have yet to transcribe last month's meeting minutes. I also haven't posted a thread about Hawaii, either. But I did manage to grab the top spot on the boards again with my comment about Kona Brewing Company. And I am really digging bargoyle's new avatar.
{{I didn't manage to get this top part posted before I left for the weekend, so I figured I'd just add to it, continuity be damned.}}
*Yup, El Paso antique mall is, at least for the moment, a completely dry hole as far as tiki goes. On the flip side, I have managed to walk out of that mall with two very nice vintage medical books. The one I found this time was a great atlas of anatomy from 1943-1945. It's in pretty darn good condition, and is chock full of excellent plates. Even has this cool stamp on the frontspiece that states how the book was made in accordance with the wartime materials act. Doubt we'll ever see anything like that again. Can you imagine how apeshit people would go if the government even suggested rationing in this day and age? Even if it was in the context of feeding and providing materials for our troops. It just wouldn't be allowed to happen.
*Went back to Granite City in the hopes that their house brewed beer would have improved. It has not. At all. And it's not even the selections they have. It's just that the beer itself is very, very, very blah. Makes me wonder about the competitions they were in to win the awards they say they did. I won't be going there for the house brews anymore, but the food is quite tasty, so I might go back for that. So I guess I'll just be taking my fancy schmancy growler and getting it filled elsewhere. After I do some engraving on the handle, that is.
*Never thought I'd ever walk out of any hotel and encounter a Weinermobile, but that's exactly what happened.
*I do believe that for all the hours that I spent antiquing over this past weekend, I found exactly one tiki item. A most disappointing average, by any account.
*After 4+ sleepless nights in a row, it was good to hit the sack and be able to just conk out. I actually feel pretty rested today. I don't remember what dreams I had, but I get the feeling that they were rather bizarre.
*I met my mom's husband this weekend. I also sorta met my brother. And I got to see where they all live. Dave, the husband, is a big bear of a guy. From what little time I spent with him, get the impression that he's a nice enough guy. Matt, my brother, I only kinda encountered from across the room. There's still something going on there that I don't know about, and I'm not sure I will anytime soon. Sheri and I spent most of our time over the weekend hanging out with mom and Dave. We went out to eat, played some games, and even did some antiquing. My impression was that it all went well, even thought the initial dinner had a few awkward pauses in it. Sheri also got to meet grandma, which was nice. As long as things don't get too crazy the next time I'm down to hang out with Steve, I'll swing by and say hi to everyone befoer I head home. Hopefully mom will have recovered from her cataract surgery by that time, and maybe I'll get to see a little bit more of Matt as well.
*It's never a good thing when you hear someone you know has been delivered a ridiculous ultimatum by their soon-to-be-ex.
*****
*Things are starting to line up for next month's gathering, but it does mean that I will be skipping yet another 3rd Saturday at the Chef. I don't actually remember when the last time I made it out there was. Definitely before Pete became an initiate. Shit. That reminds me that I have yet to transcribe last month's meeting minutes. I also haven't posted a thread about Hawaii, either. But I did manage to grab the top spot on the boards again with my comment about Kona Brewing Company. And I am really digging bargoyle's new avatar.
{{I didn't manage to get this top part posted before I left for the weekend, so I figured I'd just add to it, continuity be damned.}}
*Yup, El Paso antique mall is, at least for the moment, a completely dry hole as far as tiki goes. On the flip side, I have managed to walk out of that mall with two very nice vintage medical books. The one I found this time was a great atlas of anatomy from 1943-1945. It's in pretty darn good condition, and is chock full of excellent plates. Even has this cool stamp on the frontspiece that states how the book was made in accordance with the wartime materials act. Doubt we'll ever see anything like that again. Can you imagine how apeshit people would go if the government even suggested rationing in this day and age? Even if it was in the context of feeding and providing materials for our troops. It just wouldn't be allowed to happen.
*Went back to Granite City in the hopes that their house brewed beer would have improved. It has not. At all. And it's not even the selections they have. It's just that the beer itself is very, very, very blah. Makes me wonder about the competitions they were in to win the awards they say they did. I won't be going there for the house brews anymore, but the food is quite tasty, so I might go back for that. So I guess I'll just be taking my fancy schmancy growler and getting it filled elsewhere. After I do some engraving on the handle, that is.
*Never thought I'd ever walk out of any hotel and encounter a Weinermobile, but that's exactly what happened.
*I do believe that for all the hours that I spent antiquing over this past weekend, I found exactly one tiki item. A most disappointing average, by any account.
*After 4+ sleepless nights in a row, it was good to hit the sack and be able to just conk out. I actually feel pretty rested today. I don't remember what dreams I had, but I get the feeling that they were rather bizarre.
*I met my mom's husband this weekend. I also sorta met my brother. And I got to see where they all live. Dave, the husband, is a big bear of a guy. From what little time I spent with him, get the impression that he's a nice enough guy. Matt, my brother, I only kinda encountered from across the room. There's still something going on there that I don't know about, and I'm not sure I will anytime soon. Sheri and I spent most of our time over the weekend hanging out with mom and Dave. We went out to eat, played some games, and even did some antiquing. My impression was that it all went well, even thought the initial dinner had a few awkward pauses in it. Sheri also got to meet grandma, which was nice. As long as things don't get too crazy the next time I'm down to hang out with Steve, I'll swing by and say hi to everyone befoer I head home. Hopefully mom will have recovered from her cataract surgery by that time, and maybe I'll get to see a little bit more of Matt as well.
*It's never a good thing when you hear someone you know has been delivered a ridiculous ultimatum by their soon-to-be-ex.
*****
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Intermittent Gravy
*The new dishwasher has been installed. Yay. Our bank account is
proportionately lighter for it. Boo. It is really quiet, though. Yay.
But it's a dishwasher. Boo.
*(this space intentionally left blank)
*Archer season 3? Loved it.
*There does seem to be a definite "bounce" for me following a depressive episode. I'm not sure what exactly causes that to happen. Would that be considered the same as "having a moment of clarity"? It's not like I'm skipping off the walls or anything, but things do seem like they have a more positive spin. But if time and experience is any indicator, this corrosive, insidious, cumulative depression will start digging away at my mind again without me even realizing it. Maybe Erin is right and I've been misdiagnosed or am just not on the right medication, or even the right dose. Or, maybe everything is where it should be and there's just something else. Some lurking shadow. Some poison thought. Could be something that I am well aware of and either don't want to deal with, or can't. Something is undermining the treatment program for my depression. Is it a self-destructive urge with roots reaching into far corners that I'm not aware of? Maybe I just don't want to be getting my attention in the same way my old family did. What is it? Do I think, or maybe feel, that I don't deserve to be happy? Then again, is it even reasonable to think you can spend all of your time happy? How do you play off logic and emotion against each other? The quest for balance continues. Some of the old stuff has dropped away, but I'm not sure if that means I'm moving forward or just standing still. But there is that clarity of general vision for the moment. I don't know how to build up the momentum, though. Guess it was sorta wrong for me to assume that a mild winter would moderate my symptoms. So, even though I got a little further through the calendar than usual, I still bottomed out. Have to start all over in the middle of January now. Just that thought drains me a little. And the weather guy says the real winter weather is on it's way. Shit timing for me. Not quite sure how to get out from under that. Just thinking about it makes me tired in my bones. And that's when I can feel it starting to take hold again.
*No Zombie Dice at New Game in Town. Dammit. Maybe Just For Fun will have some in stock. I will admit, though, that it was a pleasant flashback to walk into the store last night and listen to the folks playing D+D. Or maybe it was Pathfinder. Can't be sure. There was a giant leech involved though.
*After doing some preliminary searching online, there doesn't really seem to be a whole lot of real estate in the Peoria area that would suit us well. And I'm not real sure that I want to be working in Galesburg. It'll be interesting to see what Michelle has to say on the topic next month.
*****
*(this space intentionally left blank)
*Archer season 3? Loved it.
*There does seem to be a definite "bounce" for me following a depressive episode. I'm not sure what exactly causes that to happen. Would that be considered the same as "having a moment of clarity"? It's not like I'm skipping off the walls or anything, but things do seem like they have a more positive spin. But if time and experience is any indicator, this corrosive, insidious, cumulative depression will start digging away at my mind again without me even realizing it. Maybe Erin is right and I've been misdiagnosed or am just not on the right medication, or even the right dose. Or, maybe everything is where it should be and there's just something else. Some lurking shadow. Some poison thought. Could be something that I am well aware of and either don't want to deal with, or can't. Something is undermining the treatment program for my depression. Is it a self-destructive urge with roots reaching into far corners that I'm not aware of? Maybe I just don't want to be getting my attention in the same way my old family did. What is it? Do I think, or maybe feel, that I don't deserve to be happy? Then again, is it even reasonable to think you can spend all of your time happy? How do you play off logic and emotion against each other? The quest for balance continues. Some of the old stuff has dropped away, but I'm not sure if that means I'm moving forward or just standing still. But there is that clarity of general vision for the moment. I don't know how to build up the momentum, though. Guess it was sorta wrong for me to assume that a mild winter would moderate my symptoms. So, even though I got a little further through the calendar than usual, I still bottomed out. Have to start all over in the middle of January now. Just that thought drains me a little. And the weather guy says the real winter weather is on it's way. Shit timing for me. Not quite sure how to get out from under that. Just thinking about it makes me tired in my bones. And that's when I can feel it starting to take hold again.
*No Zombie Dice at New Game in Town. Dammit. Maybe Just For Fun will have some in stock. I will admit, though, that it was a pleasant flashback to walk into the store last night and listen to the folks playing D+D. Or maybe it was Pathfinder. Can't be sure. There was a giant leech involved though.
*After doing some preliminary searching online, there doesn't really seem to be a whole lot of real estate in the Peoria area that would suit us well. And I'm not real sure that I want to be working in Galesburg. It'll be interesting to see what Michelle has to say on the topic next month.
*****
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Unlimited Twang
*All of the new games that I have recently acquired have been punched
and bagged. Just in time for me to hit Just For Fun next weekend. Was
thinking about getting a M:TG starter set, just so I can say I have one,
but I'm not sold on that idea. Not sure if there are any new
Quarmageddon boosters out yet, and the last time I was down there they
didn't have any HeroScape terrains for sale. Guess I could always start
filling in the gaps in my Munchkin collection. Thought about getting the
next (ie, first for me) expansion for Memoir '44, too. Oh, well. Guess
I'll just have to see what grabs my eye when I'm there.
*I find it just ever so slightly rude when someone who I know for a fact colors their hair tells me that I'm going gray. Not that I wasn't aware of that fact, I just don't feel the need to have it pointed out to me.
*While it was very nice to go out last night and hang out with an old friend, the experience simply reinforced the notion that I hate karaoke. Not necessarily the concept or the spirit behind it, but the parctice of it while I am trying to have a conversation. And also that some people's version of a horseshoe is just plain pitiful. And that knowing that the restroom is situated right over the back entrance door is just a tad gross.
*Plans are mostly sorta kinda flexibly set for next weekend. Still need to touch base with Steve though, and see what he's got going on. And making a reservation somewhere soon would be a pretty darn good idea as well. But even more important than that is the fact that I need to pick out what games I'm going to take down. And how to make sure that I don't freak out my brother.
*Got the notion of either trying to start or joining a gaming group rattling around in my head again. But that idea is rattling up against the fact that my schedule is not compatible with most other people's. That I find annoying. It's also the one of the main things that keeps me from doing more stuff with the FOM. I've kicked around the notion of trying to figure out some way to merge those two interests, and haven't really come up with any ideas that I find plausible.
*Much as seems to be the usual for me, I have missed/ignored 3 yellow flag warnings about my depression over the past couple of months. And also as usual, I had to get slapped upside the head with a red flag warning before it all snapped into perspective.So now I once again have to climb out of this hole as well as trying to repair all the damage that was done in the process.
*****
*I find it just ever so slightly rude when someone who I know for a fact colors their hair tells me that I'm going gray. Not that I wasn't aware of that fact, I just don't feel the need to have it pointed out to me.
*While it was very nice to go out last night and hang out with an old friend, the experience simply reinforced the notion that I hate karaoke. Not necessarily the concept or the spirit behind it, but the parctice of it while I am trying to have a conversation. And also that some people's version of a horseshoe is just plain pitiful. And that knowing that the restroom is situated right over the back entrance door is just a tad gross.
*Plans are mostly sorta kinda flexibly set for next weekend. Still need to touch base with Steve though, and see what he's got going on. And making a reservation somewhere soon would be a pretty darn good idea as well. But even more important than that is the fact that I need to pick out what games I'm going to take down. And how to make sure that I don't freak out my brother.
*Got the notion of either trying to start or joining a gaming group rattling around in my head again. But that idea is rattling up against the fact that my schedule is not compatible with most other people's. That I find annoying. It's also the one of the main things that keeps me from doing more stuff with the FOM. I've kicked around the notion of trying to figure out some way to merge those two interests, and haven't really come up with any ideas that I find plausible.
*Much as seems to be the usual for me, I have missed/ignored 3 yellow flag warnings about my depression over the past couple of months. And also as usual, I had to get slapped upside the head with a red flag warning before it all snapped into perspective.So now I once again have to climb out of this hole as well as trying to repair all the damage that was done in the process.
*****
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Nuclear Bubble Gum
*It wasn't a bad weekend, as far as weekends go. Did some hunting down
in Sandwich and came to the conclusion that I've run that well dry as
far as tiki goes. I guess I could always start going after postcards and
records when I'm down there. I did wind up with a couple of old medical
books and a complete copy of Stratego (the same box version that I used
to have as a kid!). Also found a skull that was in decent shape. It's
from some type of deer, most likely, based on the size and the fact that
they cut a section of the skull away to remove the antlers. It's minus
the jaw, too, but the sutures and the turbinates are in good shape, and
it was lacquered at least partly, so I went ahead and bought it. Plus,
it was on sale. And speaking of albums, I actually found a ZZ Top and a
Thomas Dolby that I bought. Also found this tiny little single cigarette
green glaze Treasure Craft ashtray shaped like a fish that still had
the original label inside.
*It's looking like tomorrow could be one of those non-stop kinda days. Not exactly what you hope for on your day off. At least there'll be some time in there to hang out with a friend and enjoy a beer or two.
*Apparently the off season for tourists in Hawaii is in the early part of the year. Not sure what exactly that means as far as when we're going to try to go. Still need to throw something up on the chat board to get some suggestions as to how we should approach this most likely once in a lifetime trip.
*I'm not sure at the moment if I'm going to end up liking the Prismacolor markers. There's been a couple of pieces that I've done with them that came out really well, in my opinion, but the one I'm working on currently I'm not liking at all. Might be the palatte of colors I have. Might be the substrate I'm using. Might just be that there's yet another technical learning curve to be overcome. Or it might just be that I prefer to work with colored pencils. Haven't really done much of anything with tempra lately, either. Might be better said that I haven't done much of anything with much of anything for a while. Even though there has been the seasonal shift in the studio spaces, there hasn't been much output. Wish I had something legitimate to blame that on.
*The weather guy says we might have thunderstorms Thursday. Thunderstorms. Have I mentioned the fact that it's January? In northern Illinois??
*Little more than a week till we head down to the Peoria/Pekin area to spend some time with my mom and her family. Realistically, it's my family too, but I haven't been able to quite bridge that gap yet. The intensity of emotion that mom is expressing is pretty overwhelming to me. Freaks me out. Not sure if that's going to become an issue or not. Plus, there's still the whole other side of the equation that has yet to be revealed. I doubt that there will be any discussions of any great depth or revealation on that topic durinig this trip either, as this will be the first time Sheri will be going with me, as well as the first time we'll be meeting Dave, and possibly Matt. I bet I'll get back home Sunday and just feel completely wrung out. Maybe a stop at the game store in Peoria would help.
*I really hate it when I put hours of work into something, only to find that it was all wasted time and effort because of something basic that I failed to take into consideration in my initial assessment of the project. Of course making that realization was better than trying to drill a hole through a tempered glass plate that I didn't realize was there.
*Orange is one of those colors that not everyone can wear.
*Apparently it is quite difficult to change the oil filter in my car without getting oil all over the frame. At least that was the dealer's explanation for the oil in my driveway and on the frame of my car. But, there were quite good about getting my car right in to clean it up. Plus, they always wash it, which is nice. The only problem with that is the past two times they've done it, I wind up with a big puddle of water on the passenger side floor. Makes me think that I might have a plugged drain on that side. Guess I'll just have them check that out for me.
*****
*It's looking like tomorrow could be one of those non-stop kinda days. Not exactly what you hope for on your day off. At least there'll be some time in there to hang out with a friend and enjoy a beer or two.
*Apparently the off season for tourists in Hawaii is in the early part of the year. Not sure what exactly that means as far as when we're going to try to go. Still need to throw something up on the chat board to get some suggestions as to how we should approach this most likely once in a lifetime trip.
*I'm not sure at the moment if I'm going to end up liking the Prismacolor markers. There's been a couple of pieces that I've done with them that came out really well, in my opinion, but the one I'm working on currently I'm not liking at all. Might be the palatte of colors I have. Might be the substrate I'm using. Might just be that there's yet another technical learning curve to be overcome. Or it might just be that I prefer to work with colored pencils. Haven't really done much of anything with tempra lately, either. Might be better said that I haven't done much of anything with much of anything for a while. Even though there has been the seasonal shift in the studio spaces, there hasn't been much output. Wish I had something legitimate to blame that on.
*The weather guy says we might have thunderstorms Thursday. Thunderstorms. Have I mentioned the fact that it's January? In northern Illinois??
*Little more than a week till we head down to the Peoria/Pekin area to spend some time with my mom and her family. Realistically, it's my family too, but I haven't been able to quite bridge that gap yet. The intensity of emotion that mom is expressing is pretty overwhelming to me. Freaks me out. Not sure if that's going to become an issue or not. Plus, there's still the whole other side of the equation that has yet to be revealed. I doubt that there will be any discussions of any great depth or revealation on that topic durinig this trip either, as this will be the first time Sheri will be going with me, as well as the first time we'll be meeting Dave, and possibly Matt. I bet I'll get back home Sunday and just feel completely wrung out. Maybe a stop at the game store in Peoria would help.
*I really hate it when I put hours of work into something, only to find that it was all wasted time and effort because of something basic that I failed to take into consideration in my initial assessment of the project. Of course making that realization was better than trying to drill a hole through a tempered glass plate that I didn't realize was there.
*Orange is one of those colors that not everyone can wear.
*Apparently it is quite difficult to change the oil filter in my car without getting oil all over the frame. At least that was the dealer's explanation for the oil in my driveway and on the frame of my car. But, there were quite good about getting my car right in to clean it up. Plus, they always wash it, which is nice. The only problem with that is the past two times they've done it, I wind up with a big puddle of water on the passenger side floor. Makes me think that I might have a plugged drain on that side. Guess I'll just have them check that out for me.
*****
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