It's like a whole 'nother year, all over again...
Holy crap. Another year has flown by. 2005 seemed to go by pretty fast, but then again... I say that every year. We all do. It's a pretty tired cliche, and I'm a bit annoyed at myself for using it. But it's true.
Before 2005 completely fades into the blur of all of the other years in which I cannot recall what the hell I did in them... I ponder upon the year's events, and realize a lot has happened.
- Last year, I had one full-time job that ended when my department was shut down, then spent seven months unemployed, faced against a dry job market. This year, I have worked at five different companies - four contract positions, and now I am salaried once again.
- I no longer hate Macs, and although I do not own one and don't plan to, I have worked on one and liked it, and now own an iPod.
- I turned 30. I now feel pangs inside when purchasing alcohol and do not get carded (what previously was a "cool" thing.)
- My sister gave birth to twin girls... and for the first time, I was exposed babies that I did not grow tired of after a few hours. I love them dearly...
- ...as a result, I no longer fear having a baby... in fact, I am now very anxious for it to happen. This is very new to me.
- I spent an obnoxious amount of time playing games this past year at night in my valuable "free time." Some of this year's favorites included Need for Speed: Most Wanted for PS2, Bookworm, Zuma, Luxor (a different, yet better version of Zuma), Text Twist (my wife and I play this one all the time together), Flip Words, Chuzzle Deluxe, and F.E.A.R., to name a few. This year, I'm hoping to read some more books, too..
- I really only finished one custom this year... Neo from The Matrix. Although I have worked on dozens. I swear I'm going to finish some of these soon...
- As of this mid-2005, I now collect Hot Wheels. Go figure. I honestly never would have saw that one coming. But they're cool... and fun to customize as well. They're also cheaper than action figures... of course, that would only be helpful if I stopped buying action figures... although I seriously have slowed that purchasing WAY down.
- I have begun selling off a good chunk of my action figure collection. I listed six figures last week (I'm going to start off in smaller batches). Four of them sold, for a total of $86. I like the way this is headed. I also have been selling them to some of the artists at the place I got my recent tattoo... and one has offered me a trade for services. I'm tempted. We'll see.
And that's not even everything. Of course, I'm leaving out many hours of just sitting around doing nothing, working, daily hygeine and the like... but we all know that's just boring. Hell, I'm surprised you're even reading this.
Ah yes, I also spent a couple hours this year doing this. I'll do more blogging this year as well. Especially once I get past that wall of "coming up with something blog-worthy to write about" each day. Maybe I'll invest more effort into my thoughts and become more witty and insightful and humorous. But then you have to tell your friends so I get more readers. Then I can be a bigshot "Indie Blogger," and I can have readers who I won't have time to correspond with, and I can be super popular in geek circles and get my blog listed on some crazy website's "Best Blogs" list. Then I can make T-Shirts and coffee mugs with some crazy logo on it, and when your friends see it, they'll be all like "Yeah that dude's site ROCKS!" We can DO this, people. If that skank ass Paris Hilton can be popular, so can I goddamnit.
Happy New Year, folks. Let's all try not to fuck this up.
Twas the night before Christmas...
I know it's officially Christmas right now, but it has felt like Christmas is over to me already. Alex had his Christmas morning today, since he spends Christmas Day with his dad this year (we alternate each year).
Needless to say, he's a lucky kid... since Santa visits him twice each year. It's nice that he still believes in Santa... I wonder how much longer it will last before one of his classmates spoils it for him or he figures it out.
He was thrilled with his haul... and the air hockey table Santa brought was a huge hit. He didn't really ask for much this year (the only things he really asked for were - get this - a new hamper for his room and a new snow shovel... what a kid!)... and the table thing was a reach. Seriously though... what boy wouldn't like an air hockey table?
We played with it all damn day.
He also got a crapload of Hot Wheels, Legos and games. Can't go wrong with those for a six-and-a-half year old boy... and he even got a new snow shovel and a Darth Vader clothes hamper.
It's funny how when you're older, Christmas becomes more of a chore. Although, it is all worth it when you watch the joy and excitement on a child's face when the magic all comes alive. Alex says he even heard the reindeer on the room last night in the middle of the night. Gotta love the imagination!
Off to Detroit tomorrow and Monday to spend time with my side of the family... hopefully the weather is ok. This rainy, foggy Christmas is a weird thing...
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
Brotherhood of the Alarming Pants...
For the last week or so, I have been setting off store security alarms whenever I walk out of - and INTO - retail stores. It started getting to the point that my wife didn't want to enter or leave stores at the same time as me.
BEEP BEEP BEEP!!! Hey - We have a shoplifter!! Everybody look!!
It seriously became annoying... yet it amazed me how many stores just waved me out as I'm setting off the alarm as I walked out the gates.
While doing some final Christmas shopping with my wife the other day, I set the alarm off while we were leaving Toys R Us. I stopped, as I have gotten used to doing, and explained that I have been setting these things off wherever I go. The manager was nice, and had me just open up my coat. I set it off again. Must be my wallet I say, thinking perhaps it was my scan card for work messing with the electronics. I hand my wallet to my wife... BEEP BEEP BEEP. The manager asks if he can just scan my coat, and then I can be on my way. No problem. I hand him my coat, then just as he is walking away, I test the scanner again. BEEP BEEP BEEP. Clearly, I am not showing bulges (aside of my normal rippling muscles and other normal GIGANTIC bulges of mine)... so he hands my coat back and says (clearly believing I am not a thief) to check my clothes... that some places use new tags with sensors built into the seams.
I get to thinking... hmmm... I am wearing new jeans. As I have been pretty much every time this has occurred...
I get home, and sure as hell, there is a tag sewn into the seam on one pantleg with a message "Remove Before Wearing or Washing." I cut the damn thing out, held it up to the light, and clearly saw the telltale pattern of an alarm sensor tag.
Who thinks to look in the leg of their jeans for these things?? The Gap surely didn't warn me of this when I bought the damn jeans...
At least my pants won't get me into any more trouble. For now...
Hot, Buttered Blessings...
I have experienced two very similar events in the last week that have got me thinking very profoundly on the condition of human nature. The more I think about it, the more my brain hurts, but I feel the need to share it... as it seems worth mentioning.
A week ago or so, I purchased a Christmas item for my wife online at target.com. Upon receiving it, I realized it was the wrong item. I then read the instructions on the packing slip, which clearly states that "this is NOT a receipt." If I wish to return the item, I may do so at any Target store... just visit target.com, where I bought the item, and follow the clearly stated URL to a form where I submit to them that I am returning this item. I then got a page, with my return receipt, for me to print out and bring with the item to the store for my refund. No problem... and it took me all of three minutes. I went to the local Target, item and receipt in tow, and went to the service counter to process my return.
Needless to say, the clerk I got was flabbergasted. Why you ask?
Well, as she said: "Bless your heart. You are the FIRST PERSON I have EVER had return an item from an online sale who brought a receipt."
I wasn't performing a miracle... and while I am not a religious person (I'm fairly certain she was not affiliated with the clergy either), I accepted her blessing. Although I was taken aback... it wasn't that big of a deal in my eyes. I followed the directions, and did what I was clearly directed to do to process my return. From her reaction, and curteousy as a result, you'd have thought I cured her from a life-threatening illness and offered to bake her cookies.
As a consumer, I am used to having to go through a ton of hassle in order to return an item (although that's another topic altogether), so I merely went through the motions to ease MY end of the transaction as much as possible. The clerk, err... associate, was very helpful, processed the return, and as a token of appreciation for my bringing the receipt, gave me a coupon for a free small popcorn at the Target eatery thingy and another thank you. Not a major award or anything, but still unwarranted on my behalf nonetheless.
Now today, I went to Sears to purchase (on behalf of Santa) an air hockey table for my stepson. I was delighted to find that it was an additional twenty dollars off the already discounted price that the sign on the display boasted. Big bonus for the evening.
I get my claim ticket to take to the customer service area for pick-up (this thing is pretty big). I walked to my car, arranged the items within as needed, folded down my back seats, and got everything ready to load and go. Again, I did this for MY benefit, to make it as easy as possible for ME. Load and go home... just the way I like my Christmas shopping to transpire.
I pulled into the loading area, went in and scanned my receipt, and two minutes later a guy came out with the box on a dolly. I escorted him to my car, popped the trunk, and helped him put it in.
His words to me: "Wow, man... props to you for having your car ready to go. Thank you so much." I said it wasn't a big deal. He said, "No, seriously... you are the first person I have helped load an item that had everything ready to go like this."
Holy shit!
I started thinking on my drive home minutes later how bad it must suck to have to wait on customers all day, and how stupid, ignorant and rude some people must truly be for the simplest of things to bring such light to a retail worker's shift.
Again, I'll admit the things I did were purely for my own gratification, to make MY experience easier... but I also did these things because to me, it seems like that is what I am SUPPOSED to do. Yeah, it's curteousy, but for crying out loud... it wasn't that hard. It took very little effort on my part both times.
I am amazed more people don't think to do the simplest things that can make another person's day. It really worries me about the human race sometimes. I wonder how easier a lot of things could be if people just take a moment to think. Not just for selfish reasons, but to help out someone else as well.
I feel for retailers. Well, not the money-grubbing son-of-a-bitches who actually own the chains, and rake in the dough at the expense of small business owners and consumers alike, but the folks who work at them. Well, most of them (I'd like to exclude most of the employees of WalMart, Home Depot and Menards, along with a few others... whose employees are quite often stupider than most of the idiots who shop in the stores.)
I guess what I'm trying to say is this (and I could just be filled with a bunch of holiday spirit when I say it): Be curteous when you can. Especially if the person hasn't done anything to you to make you act otherwise, and is just doing their job. After all, you're just doing your job - buying. You don't have to be a prick as well.
Who knows... you may even get free popcorn!
Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog...
The iPod, however, remains fantastic. I just got an FM modulator for it, so I can now enjoy my loaded catalog over my car radio... and that friggin' rocks (pun not intended, but I'll pretend it was.)
I've been feeling a little empty that I haven't done a lot of customizing of anything lately, especially after making a trip to Captain Ron's house... where he has been tinkering away at some fine projects. It fired up my creative ADD, so I have been whirring away on the dremel the past couple nights. What's that you ask? Dremel? You thought I was painting the Mandarin Spawn you say? Well, that's the curse of the aforementioned creative affliction I have... new idea, new project. I'll come back to the other stuff after I've started a few more projects... Sometimes I go backwards before I go forwards, but then sometimes I go forward, only to go backwards. And sometimes I just sort of tread water...
Seriously though, I have to finish up some of these things I started... it's getting messy down here.... and cluttered. I hate clutter. Clutter makes my brain angry.
I also have another task awaiting my attention... there is a GIANT pile of action figures upstairs that I have set aside to sell. It'll be nice to free up some space, and make a few bucks (hopefully) in the process. Fret not, it's not nearly my whole collection... just getting rid of some multiples, and some others I've grown tired of or can't figure out why I got in the first place. I'll post a link when I put stuff out on the 'Bay... in case you feel the need to assimilate some of my collection into yours, for example... or have the need for a a six inch sculpture of a mostly naked bloody guy hanging from hooks, with an mutant baby-laden sac protruding from him, for example. Or a robot. I have both...
I should probably get to bed, it being 2:30am and all. Good thing I don't have to go into the office tomorrow (working from home while they are doing some expanding of our office space). I can sit at my PC in my jammies all day! And come Monday, I'll finally have a real cubicle - not a temporary station, as I have been at for the last month. Very cool. I can even decorate it... but not with the six inch sculpture of a mostly naked bloody guy hanging from hooks, with an mutant baby-laden sac protruding from him. So please buy it from me.
PS - Does the title of this post confuse you? Read it backwards...
Podcasting killed the radio star...
To clarify my previous post, it wasn't all whining and begging that got the early Christmas present... there was a level of bribery as well.
In exchange for MY gift early, my wife got hers early as well. Part of it was a remote car starter that got put in a few weeks ago for the winter months... the other part being an XM radio receiver for her car... so it wasn't all selfish. And I don't care that I'll have nothing to open on Christmas morning... being an adult, that magic is pretty much gone in my own heart now. The joy is watching my stepson open his presents now (which we will be doing on Christmas Eve this year, since we take turns each year with his father for Xmas day.)
Anyhow, the iPod does indeed rock. The video quality is amazing, as is the sound. I use it all the time, and I already have about 32 of the 60 gigabytes full of multimedia (last I checked on iTunes, it equalled about 29.2 days worth of entertainment.)
I am now also hooked on podcasts. No, you don't need an iPod or even iTunes to enjoy these... they are to today's media what ham or underground radio once was. Essentially, any idiot with a PC and a microphone can have a "radio show..." and there are a bajillion (I just counted) of them out there. There's a ton of crap... but lots of jems. I subscribe to about 20 of them now... from tech talk ones to just plain hilarity... these are loads of fun. I'll share my favorites in future posts.
If I had the time (as it stands, I barely have time for any of my other dozens of hobbies), I'd even give the podcasting thing a whirl myself. In all honesty though, I'd probably only get around to making one or two a year though... and even then, they'd just be laden with excuses on why I never have time to podcast...
...much like this blog has gotten to be.
I'll work on that. I promise.
-- R.I.P. Richard Pryor. A legend of Comedy is lost. :(
Christmas comes early...
After roughly a week of whining and begging, my wife finally caved in and let me have my Christmas present early!
I'll post more tomorrow... I'm wasting valuable time here that I could be spending with my iPod.
O Christmas Tree... What a Pain You Are to Me...
Ok, I'm finally getting in the Christmas spirit. It's been a while, and last year was a pretty bad year, so Christmas wasn't super cheery around here. This year though, I'm finally embracing it a little... now that Thanksgiving is over, and it's like three weeks away from Christmas.
I assembled the tree last week... yes, ASSEMBLED (real trees, while nice smelling, are for sadists.) It's a new fake tree, a hand-me-down from the folks since they went with a "slimmer" fake tree this year. I will admit, it's pretty nice for a fake tree... and puts our old "Charlie Brown" fake tree we had the last two years to shame.
This did, however, mean I had to make a quick run to Target for more lights... as this one took about 9 stands total. And holy crap was it a pain in the ass.
The decorating committe consisted of my wife and stepson (I build and light)... and it looks quite nice. We don't do the multi-colored rainbow light thing, nor the basic all white... we go with a simle red and white scheme. All the ornaments are reds, silvers, chromes, etc. It's pretty stunning... and I like it.
I have also spent an enormous amount of time organizing my MP3 collection in anticipation for my iPod. iTunes is pretty cool, and it feels nice to be organized. I did realize that I have an incredible amount of music too... several hundred gigabytes total. I'm about a sixth of the way through them...
And I'm hooked on this stupid game. It's like crack, I tell ya.
